Working Conditions and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Work ability, which is based on the self-report of individuals while they work, is the strongest predictor of cancer survivors' (CS) return to work. This study aimed to investigate the working conditions and quality of life (QoL) of individuals with cancer who survived after receiving cancer treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample of this cross-sectional and correlational survey type study consisted of 262 CSs. Data were collected using the Socio-Demographic and Health Information Questionnaire, the SF-36 Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and the Work Ability Index (WAI). RESULTS: Of the 262 CSs who participated in this study, 21.4% were employed. The mean score obtained from the WAI by the employed CSs was 33.20. The mean scores the employed CSs obtained from the physical functioning and role physical subscales of the SF-36 HRQoL were higher than those of the unemployed CSs (p<0.05). There was a correlation between the mean score of the employed CSs obtained from the overall WAI and the mean scores they obtained from all the sub-dimensions of the SF-36 QoL scale (p=0.01). The strongest correlation was found between the WAI and the Social Functioning subscale of the HRQoL (SF-36). CONCLUSION: The QoL of the employed CSs was better than that of the unemployed CSs and there was a correlation between their work ability and QoL.