The effects of spirituality on the quality of life among cancer patients enrolled in the out patient chemotherapy clinic of a Tertiary Hospital: An analytical cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction@#Spirituality was defined as a way individual seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment. Studies showed that spiritual beliefs provided comfort to cancer patients and that different dimensions were related with the different aspects of health.@*Objectives@#The aim of the study is to determine the correlation on effects of spirituality and the quality of life among patients enrolled in the outpatient chemotherapy clinic.@*Methodology@#An analytical cross-sectional study using a non-probability convenience sampling was done of which validated questionnaires on the Spirituality and Quality of Life were the research instruments of the study. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient/Spearman rho computed on the relationship between the dimensions of spirituality and subscales of the quality of life among cancer patients. Chi Square/Fisher’s test was used to determine the correlation among the types and stages of cancer with the quality of life and spirituality of the respondents.@*Results@#A total of 105 cancer patients participated in this study, with ages ranging from 21 to 76 years and a mean age of 51 +/- 11 years, 2/5 were married females and 4/5 were Roman Catholic. Fifty-six percent of the cancer patients have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (Breast Cancer). Most of the respondents are at stages 2 and 3 with equal percentages of 41%. This study revealed that most of the cancer patients enrolled in the outpatient chemotherapy clinic had a mean score of 3.56 + 0.35 indicating moderate to high level of spirituality. It also showed a mean score of 5.41 +.53 indicating high QOLs. Dimensions of spirituality which were found to have significant association with QOL domains (p < 0.05) were Mindfulness and Feeling of Security which were both found to have positive correlation with Emotional Wellbeing and Social Status.@*Conclusion@#Spiritual care should be included as one of the non-pharmacological modalities in the comprehensive management and palliative care for the Filipino cancer patients in order to improve the over-all well-being, healthcare outcomes and quality of life of patients and their families.