The marital relationship and health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients and their spouses: A prospective, longitudinal study.
Eeva Harju, Anja Rantanen, Mika Helminen and 3 others
PMID 35971274WHAT IT FOUND
Over the first year after prostate cancer diagnosis, patients' marital relationship scores did not change, while spouses reported small decreases in cohesion, satisfaction and total marital satisfaction.
Spouses' emotional well-being was linked to these changes.
Key findings
01Patients' marital relationship scores did not change over the first year after diagnosis.
02Spouses reported lower dyadic cohesion, dyadic satisfaction and total marital satisfaction after one year, with total satisfaction moving from 3.95 to 3.89.
03Change in the marital relationship was associated with spouses' emotional well-being, explaining 5.3% of its variance, but not with patients' quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was recruited from five Finnish hospitals using discretionary sampling, and the authors note respondents were likely white and heterosexual, so results may not apply to all couples. Attrition and rejected questionnaires reduced the analysed sample to 179 patients and 166 spouses at 1 year, from 350 recruited. The marital relationship was measured with one self-reported questionnaire, which may oversimplify complex relationship issues. Cancer progression, other chronic diseases, economic factors, family relationships and other confounders were not controlled, and some information was self-reported. It is unclear whether couples completed the surveys together, which may affect how similar their reports are. The spouses' score changes were small, and the authors say their clinical relevance is difficult to assess. The study did not test counselling or support, so it cannot show that nurses' assessment or intervention improves outcomes.
Declared interests
All authors report no conflict of interest related to this manuscript. The supplied text does not state who funded the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that prostate cancer damages marriages or that couple-based counselling will improve quality of life. The spouses' reported score changes were small, self-reported, and no intervention was tested.