The Mediating Role of Sexual Satisfaction in the Relationships of Body Mass Index and Spiritual Well-being with Quality of Married Life in Women with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer affects several aspects of a woman’s life. It can adversely affect a woman’s sexual function as well as her relationship with her spouse, which in turn can reduce the quality of her married life. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of sexual satisfaction in the relationships of body mass index (BMI) and spiritual well-being with the quality of married life in women with breast cancer.

This descriptive-correlational study used convenience sampling to enroll all 250 married women with breast cancer visiting specialized clinics in Tehran in 2022. The research instruments included the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), the Body Mass Index (BMI), and the Index of Sexual Satisfaction. The proposed model was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The direct paths from all variables (except for spiritual well-being) to quality of married life were significant (P<0.001). In addition, sexual satisfaction was found to mediate the relationships between BMI and spiritual well-being with the quality of married life in the participants (P<0.01).

The proposed model fitted the data well; therefore, the results may be used to help improve the quality of married life in women with breast cancer.