Factors Influencing Quality of Life in Multiple Myeloma Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships among fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in Korean patients with multiple myeloma and to identify factors influencing their quality of life. METHODS: The study design was a crosssectional descriptive study. The participants were 92 multiple myeloma patients who visited the outpatient department at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected from January to April in 2013 with self-reporting questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean scores of quality of life in all dimensions were relatively low. Fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression were all correlated to the global heath/quality of life, functional quality of life, and symptom quality of life (p<.001). Fatigue, pain and depression accounted for 65.1% (p<.001) in global health/quality of life and 73.6% (p<.001) in functional quality of life, respectively. And fatigue and pain accounted for 66.4% (p<.001) in symptom quality of life. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that fatigue, pain and depression were major predictors of quality of life for patients with multiple myeloma. Therefore, psychological symptoms, such as depression, and physical symptoms should be integrated into the nursing intervention to improve their quality of life.