Investigation on life events, social support and coping style of patients with breast cancer in Wuhan city, China: a case-control study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the influential factors among life events, traits coping style and social support in breast cancer patients. Methods:We conducted a 1:1 case-control matched study, selecting 400 female patients as case group and 400 matched healthy females as control group. Each group was given an interview respectively.Results: Statistically significant differences were found in level of negative events, total scale, family problem, work and study problem in the life event scale (LES), (p＜.0001 respectively). Subjective support and the scale of social support in the social support rating scale (SSRS) were significantly negatively associated with breast cancer patients (OR (subjective support) = 0.697, 95%CI 0.576-0.844, p=0.0002; OR (the scale of social support) = 0.655, 95%CI 0.560-0.765; p＜.0001). Negative coping in the traits coping style questionnaire (TCSQ) and negative events in LES were significantly positively associated with breast cancer patients (OR (negative coping) = 1.149, 95%CI 1.103-1.197； p＜.0001; OR (negative events) = 1.051, 95%CI 1.034-1.067; p＜.0001). Conclusion:Life events, traits coping style and social support may have certain relationship with breast cancer patients. Further analyses carefully addressing the bias including the effect of mood congruence are warranted to better understand the cause-effect relationship between the life events, traits coping style and social support and breast cancer incidence.