Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37670380›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2023

Clinical and psychosocial factors associated with quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: an analytical cross-sectional study from a lower-middle-income country.

Nida Zahid, Russell Seth Martins, Zaiba Shafik Dawood, Wajeeha Zahid, Iqbal Azam, Mubasher Ikram, Aneesa Hassan, Shireen Shehzad Bhamani, Nargis Asad, Adnan Abdul Jabbar and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Quality of Life and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Patients With Cancer: Insights From a Tertiary Care Hospital.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Nida ZahidDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Russell Seth MartinsDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, JFK University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison, NJ, 08820, United States of America. russellseth.martins@hmhn.org.
Zaiba Shafik DawoodMedical College, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Wajeeha ZahidDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Iqbal AzamDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Mubasher IkramDepartment of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Aneesa HassanDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Shireen Shehzad BhamaniSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Nargis AsadDepartment of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Adnan Abdul JabbarDepartment of Oncology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Shabbir AkhtarDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Moghira Iqbaluddin SiddiquiDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Mohammad Sohail AwanDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Khabir AhmadDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Funding

Aga Khan University Seed Money Fund Grant Number PF98/0417
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe disease course of head and neck (H&N) cancer can severely impair patients' quality of life (QoL). In Pakistan, a South Asian lower-middle-income country (LMIC), psychosocial factors may impact QoL. We aimed to assess QoL and associated factors amongst patients with H&N cancer in Pakistan.

methodsAn analytical cross-sectional study was conducted amongst adult (≥ 18 years) patients with H&N cancer who were ≥ 4 weeks post-initiation of treatment. The survey assessed QoL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and social support (Enriched Social Support Instrument). Multivariable linear regression was performed for analysis.

resultsA total of 250 patients (mean age: 51.6 years) were included. The majority of patients were married (87%) and living with multigenerational/extended family households (53%). On multivariable linear regression, ongoing cancer treatment (beta coefficient: -13.93), having a tracheostomy (-10.02), and receiving adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (-8.17) were significantly associated with poorer global QoL. Additionally, poorer QoL was associated with depression (-24.37) and anxiety (-13.34). However, having more household family members was associated with better global QoL (0.34).

conclusionThe QoL of patients with H&N cancer in Pakistan is affected by both the nature of cancer treatment as well as sociocultural factors such the number of household family members. Given that poorer QoL is associated with worse mental health outcomes, there is a need to develop and implement psychosocial interventions to improve the QoL of patients with H&N cancer in Pakistan, particularly during active treatment.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsQuality of LifeAdultCognitionCross-Sectional StudiesDeveloping CountriesHumansMiddle AgedAnxietyDepressionHead and neck cancerLow- and middle-income countryOncologyPsychosocial factorsQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID37670380
PMCPMC10478451

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.