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Health-related quality of life and needs of careand support of adult Tanzanians with cancer:a mixed-methods study

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dc.creator Masika, Golden M.
dc.creator Wettergren, Lena
dc.creator Kohi, Thecla W.
dc.creator Essen, Louise von
dc.date 2020-03-20T08:51:19Z
dc.date 2020-03-20T08:51:19Z
dc.date 2012
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-20T14:01:36Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-20T14:01:36Z
dc.identifier Masika, G. M., Wettergren, L., Kohi, T. W., & von Essen, L. (2012). Health-related quality of life and needs of care and support of adult Tanzanians with cancer: a mixed-methods study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 10(1), 133.
dc.identifier http://www.hqlo.com/content/10/1/133
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2261
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2261
dc.description Full Text Article. Also available at: https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1477-7525-10-133
dc.description Background: Cancer is among the three leading causes of death in low income countries and the highest increasewith regard to incidence figures for cancer diseases are found in these countries. This is the first report of thehealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) and needs of care and support of adult Tanzanians with cancer. Methods: A mixed-methods design was used. The study was conducted at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) inDar es Salaam, Tanzania. One hundred and one patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses treated and cared forat ORCI answered the Kiswahili version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 investigating HRQOL. Thirty-two of the patientsparticipated in focus group interviews discussing needs of care and support. Data from focus group interviewswere analyzed with content analysis. Results: The findings show that the patients, both women and men, report a low quality of life, especially withregard to physical, role, and social function and a high level of symptoms and problems especially with financialdifficulties and pain. Financial difficulties are reported to a remarkably high extent by both women and men.The patients, both women and men report least problems with emotional function. A content analysis of the interview data revealed needs of food and water, hygienic needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, financial needs,and needs of closeness to cancer care and treatment services. Conclusion: The high score for pain points out that ORCI is facing severe challenges regarding care and treatment.However, when considering this finding it should be noted that the pain subscale of the Kiswahili version of theEORTC QLQ-C30 did not reach acceptable internal consistency and showed less than satisfactory convergentvalidity. This also applies to the subscales cognitive function and global health/quality of life. Attention should bedrawn to meet the identified needs of Tanzanian cancer patients while hospitalized but also when at home.Increased accessibility of mosquito nets, pads, and pain-killers would help to fulfil some needs.
dc.language en
dc.publisher BioMed Central
dc.subject Cancer
dc.subject Low income countries
dc.subject Tanzania
dc.subject health-related quality of life
dc.subject HRQOL
dc.subject Ocean Road Cancer Institute
dc.subject ORCI
dc.title Health-related quality of life and needs of careand support of adult Tanzanians with cancer:a mixed-methods study
dc.type Article


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