PSYCHO-SOCIAL PREDICTORS OF SATISFACTION WITH INTIMATE LIFE IN ROMANIAN CANCER PATIENTS

Authors

Cristina FALUDI, Csaba L. DÉGI*

Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

ABSTRACT

This paper investigated the influence of a set of socio-demographic, cancer specific, and psychological characteristics of Romanian cancer patients on their intimate life. Data were collected in 2014 through a cross-sectional study. Univariate and binary logistic regression analysis were applied to a national sample of 800 cancer patients, of whom were 58% women, with an age range between 18 and 82. As expected, significant associations were found between each group of variables and (dis)satisfaction with sexual life. Statistically significant results from multivariate analysis revealed that lack of satisfaction with sexual life was higher among cancer patients: who perceived lower closeness to the intimate partner; were single, divorced or widowed; to whom cancer diagnosis was not personally disclosed; and those who reported a low level for the overall quality of life; and had a low level of education. We draw attention to the importance of including assessment of quality of sexual life in the overall evaluation of cancer patients’ psychosocial needs, as our results show that altered and unfulfilled sexuality following cancer diagnosis or treatment might impair quality of life of both the cancer patient and the intimate partner.

KEYWORDS: cancer, sexuality, quality of life, Romania, diagnosis non-disclosure

PAGES: 239-257

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