The Relationship Between Social Support and Quality of Life Among Cancer Patients in Kerman

Cancer is one of the most stressful events in life that has negative effects on the quality of life; and increases the need for social support. Social protection is a tool that may alter the patient's quality of life and their encounter with cancer. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and quality of life. This was an analytical cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, which conducted in a geodesic way through the social support self-made questionnaire (a combination of MOS and Saeedeh Garoosi social support questionnaires) and health-related quality of life SF-36 questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the questionnaires were measured through face validity and internal consistency. The study population consists of all cancer patients in Kerman; during the six-month of the sampling period, an estimated one thousand four hundred people had formed and according to population, the sample size of this study based on the Cochran formula was three hundred people. Data analysis were carried out using the SPSS21 and Pearson test with regression. The results showed that there was a statistically significant association(p<0/01) between social support and quality of life. Regression analysis also showed that emotional aspect (kindness and empathy) of social support are able to directly predict the quality of life. In general, this study showed that social support could be used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients to overcome their disease. According to the results, it is suggested to formulate a comprehensive care program alongside increasing social support in order to improve the quality of cancer patients.