Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical indicator in individuals with cancer. Patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly experience a decline in HRQoL due to both the progression of the disease and the adverse effects associated with treatment. Despite t...

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Main Authors: Thitiporn Pathomjaruwat, Yaowarat Matchim, Jane M. Armer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Belitung Raya Foundation 2025-08-01
Series:Belitung Nursing Journal
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Online Access:https://www.belitungraya.org/BRP/index.php/bnj/article/view/3853
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author Thitiporn Pathomjaruwat
Yaowarat Matchim
Jane M. Armer
author_facet Thitiporn Pathomjaruwat
Yaowarat Matchim
Jane M. Armer
author_sort Thitiporn Pathomjaruwat
collection DOAJ
description Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical indicator in individuals with cancer. Patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly experience a decline in HRQoL due to both the progression of the disease and the adverse effects associated with treatment. Despite the high prevalence of HCC in Thailand, there is a paucity of research examining the HRQoL of Thai patients and the factors that may influence it. Objective: This study aimed to examine HRQoL in Thai patients with HCC and evaluated the relationships between disease stage, comorbidities, albumin level, functional status (FS), self-management behaviors (SMBs), and HRQoL. Methods: A correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 408 patients with HCC recruited from six hospitals in central Thailand between April and September 2024. Data collection included demographic and clinical information, along with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) scale, Inventory of Functional Status-Cancer (IFS-CA), and the SMB scale for patients with HCC. All instruments were validated and reliable. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results: Most participants were at intermediate (38.97%) or advanced (24.26%) stages of HCC. Overall HRQoL was high (mean FACT-Hep score = 147.92 ± 26.09). Disease stage, comorbidities, albumin level, FS, and SMBs were all significantly correlated with HRQoL (r = 0.771). Together, these factors explained 58.9% of the variance in HRQoL (adjusted R² = 0.589, F(5, 402) = 117.745, p <0.001). Significant predictors of HRQoL included disease stage (β = -0.116), comorbidities (β = -0.080), albumin level (β = 0.278), FS (β = 0.388), and SMBs (β = 0.296). Among these, FS was the strongest predictor. Conclusion: Improving self-management behaviors, functional status, and nutritional status shows promise for enhancing HRQoL in patients with HCC. These findings can guide nurses in developing interventions to support patients with HCC and improve their quality of life.
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spelling doaj-art-a7f8501a975d4075989dcb247cde66792025-08-20T03:20:04ZengBelitung Raya FoundationBelitung Nursing Journal2477-40732025-08-0111410.33546/bnj.3853Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional studyThitiporn Pathomjaruwat0Yaowarat Matchim1Jane M. Armer2Faculty of Nursing, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, ThailandFaculty of Nursing, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, ThailandSinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, USABackground: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical indicator in individuals with cancer. Patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly experience a decline in HRQoL due to both the progression of the disease and the adverse effects associated with treatment. Despite the high prevalence of HCC in Thailand, there is a paucity of research examining the HRQoL of Thai patients and the factors that may influence it. Objective: This study aimed to examine HRQoL in Thai patients with HCC and evaluated the relationships between disease stage, comorbidities, albumin level, functional status (FS), self-management behaviors (SMBs), and HRQoL. Methods: A correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 408 patients with HCC recruited from six hospitals in central Thailand between April and September 2024. Data collection included demographic and clinical information, along with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) scale, Inventory of Functional Status-Cancer (IFS-CA), and the SMB scale for patients with HCC. All instruments were validated and reliable. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results: Most participants were at intermediate (38.97%) or advanced (24.26%) stages of HCC. Overall HRQoL was high (mean FACT-Hep score = 147.92 ± 26.09). Disease stage, comorbidities, albumin level, FS, and SMBs were all significantly correlated with HRQoL (r = 0.771). Together, these factors explained 58.9% of the variance in HRQoL (adjusted R² = 0.589, F(5, 402) = 117.745, p <0.001). Significant predictors of HRQoL included disease stage (β = -0.116), comorbidities (β = -0.080), albumin level (β = 0.278), FS (β = 0.388), and SMBs (β = 0.296). Among these, FS was the strongest predictor. Conclusion: Improving self-management behaviors, functional status, and nutritional status shows promise for enhancing HRQoL in patients with HCC. These findings can guide nurses in developing interventions to support patients with HCC and improve their quality of life. https://www.belitungraya.org/BRP/index.php/bnj/article/view/3853hepatocellular carcinomahealth-related quality of lifedisease stageco-morbidityalbuminfunctional status
spellingShingle Thitiporn Pathomjaruwat
Yaowarat Matchim
Jane M. Armer
Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
Belitung Nursing Journal
hepatocellular carcinoma
health-related quality of life
disease stage
co-morbidity
albumin
functional status
title Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
title_full Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
title_short Health-related quality of life in Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
title_sort health related quality of life in thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its influencing factors a cross sectional study
topic hepatocellular carcinoma
health-related quality of life
disease stage
co-morbidity
albumin
functional status
url https://www.belitungraya.org/BRP/index.php/bnj/article/view/3853
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AT janemarmer healthrelatedqualityoflifeinthaipatientswithhepatocellularcarcinomaanditsinfluencingfactorsacrosssectionalstudy