Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample
| Survivors | Caregivers to | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heterosexual | Sexual minority | p value | Heterosexual | Sexual minority | p value | |
| Demographic characteristics | ||||||
| Gender (n; %) | <0.01 | |||||
| Female | 43; 100 | 124;100 | 7; 16.3 | 116; 93.5 | ||
| Male | 0 | 0 | 36; 83.7 | 8; 6.5 | ||
| Sexual Orientation (n; %) | <0.01 | |||||
| Heterosexual | 43;100 | 0 | 43; 100 | 18; 14.5 | ||
| Sexual Minority | 0 | 124;100 | 0 | 106; 85.5 | ||
| Age at survey, mean (SD) | 60.8 (8.4) | 56.3 (8.6) | <0.01 | 62.4 (8.0) | 55.8 (9.3) | < 0.01 |
| Race n; % | 0.54 | 0.10 | ||||
| White | 38; 88.4 | 114; 91.9 | 42; 97.7 | 111; 89.5 | ||
| Other | 5; 11.6 | 10; 8.1 | 1; 2.3 | 13; 10.5 | ||
| Having a partner/spouse (n; %) | 0.78 | |||||
| No | 7; 16.3 | 18; 14.5 | ||||
| Yes | 36; 83.7 | 106; 85.5 | ||||
| Lives alone (n; %) | 0.43 | |||||
| No | 37; 86.0 | 100; 80.6 | ||||
| Yes | 6; 14.0 | 24; 19.4 | ||||
| Education (n; %) | 0.52 | 0.15 | ||||
| High school/less/technical training | 3; 7.0 | 3; 2.4 | 3; 7.0 | 3; 2.4 | ||
| Some college | 4; 9.3 | 9; 7.3 | 6; 14.0 | 76; 61.3 | ||
| Graduated college | 16; 37.2 | 49; 39.5 | 15; 34.9 | 31; 25.0 | ||
| Completed grad school | 20; 46.5 | 63; 50.8 | 19; 44.2 | 76; 61.3 | ||
| Currently employed (n; %) | 0.13 | < 0.01 | ||||
| Yes | 24; 55.8 | 85; 68.5 | 20; 47.6 | 90; 73.2 | ||
| No | 19; 44.2 | 39; 31.5 | 22; 52.4 | 33; 26.8 | ||
| Health insurance (n; %) | 1.00 | |||||
| Yes | 43; 100 | 122; 98.4 | ||||
| No | 0 | 2; 1.6 | ||||
| Individual income (n; %) | 0.88 | 0.41 | ||||
| Less than $30 K | 8; 20.0 | 27: 22.3 | 5; 12.5 | 27; 22.1 | ||
| $30 K– < $70 K | 14; 35.0 | 45; 37.2 | 18; 45.0 | 47; 38.5 | ||
| $70 K or more | 18; 45.0 | 49; 40.5 | 17; 42.5 | 48; 39.3 | ||
| Census poverty level (n; %) | 0.78 | -- | -- | |||
| < 5% | 19; 44.2 | 58; 46.8 | ||||
| 5%–< 10% | 12; 27.9 | 36; 29.0 | ||||
| 10%–< 20% | 10; 23.3 | 21; 16.9 | ||||
| 20%+ | 2; 4.7 | 9; 7.3 | ||||
| Census median household income (n; %) | 0.23 | -- | -- | |||
| Low $43,846 or less | 20; 46.5 | 31; 25.0 | ||||
| Mid $43,847–$74,313 | 12; 27.9 | 74; 59.7 | ||||
| High > $74,313 | 11; 25.6 | 19; 15.3 | ||||
| Discrimination, mean (SD) | 0.8 (1.1) | 1.5 (1.6) | < 0.01 | 0.5 (0.8) | 1.5 (1.5) | < 0.01 |
| Clinical Characteristics | ||||||
| Years since diagnosis, mean (SD) | 5.8 (3.9) | 7.3 (3.6) | 0.03 | NA | NA | |
| Cancer stage at diagnosis (n; %) | 0.93 | NA | NA | |||
| In situ (ductal carcinoma) | 8; 19.0 | 26; 21.0 | ||||
| Stage I | 18; 42.9 | 46; 37.1 | ||||
| Stage II | 12; 28.6 | 40; 32.3 | ||||
| Stage III | 4; 9.5 | 12; 9.7 | ||||
| Surgical treatment (n; %) | 0.14 | NA | NA | |||
| Lumpectomy | 41; 95.3 | 105; 84.7 | ||||
| Mastectomy only | 0 | 10; 8.1 | ||||
| Mastectomy and reconstruction | 2; 4.7 | 9; 7.3 | ||||
| Radiation (n; %) | 0.23 | NA | NA | |||
| No | 11; 25.6 | 44; 35.5 | ||||
| Yes | 32; 74.4 | 80; 64.5 | ||||
| Antiestrogen treatment (n; %) | 0.89 | NA | NA | |||
| No | 12; 27.9 | 36; 29.0 | ||||
| Yes | 31; 72.1 | 88; 71.0 | ||||
| Comorbidities, mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.6) | 2.5 (1.7) | 0.95 | 2.5 (1.7) | 2.2 (1.5) | 0.27 |
| Number of comorbidities (n; %) | 0.32 | 0.34 | ||||
| 0 | 3; 7.1 | 13; 10.7 | 5; 11.6 | 15; 12.4 | ||
| 1 | 11; 26.2 | 18; 14.8 | 8; 18.6 | 31; 25.6 | ||
| 2 | 8; 19.0 | 33; 27.0 | 7; 16.3 | 29; 24.0 | ||
| 3+ | 20; 47.6 | 58; 47.5 | 23; 53.5 | 46; 38.0 | ||
| Psychosocial characteristics | ||||||
| Perceived stress, mean (SD) | 12.37 (7.54) | 13.27 (6.95) | 0.48 | 12.14 (6.17) | 11.74 (6.39) | 0.72 |
| Fear of recurrence, mean (SD) | 73.9 (15.4) | 70.9 (16.4) | 0.30 | 75.2 (13.6) | 71.8 (16.5) | 0.23 |
| Interpersonal upport Evaluation List mean (SD) | 22.3 (2.0) | 22.5 (2.3) | 0.78 | 21.7 (2.6) | 22.5 (1.9) | 0.07 |
| Multidimensional perceived | ||||||
| Social support scale, mean (SD) | 6.0 (0.5) | 6.0 (0.8) | 0.56 | 5.8 (0.8) | 6.0 (0.6) | 0.25 |
| Ever cancer support group (n; %) | 0.02 | 0.27 | ||||
| No | 30; 69.8 | 60; 48.4 | 39; 90.7 | 104; 83.9 | ||
| Yes | 13; 30.2 | 64; 51.6 | 4; 9.3 | 20; 16.1 | ||
| Counseling to deal with breast cancer (n; %) | 0.07 | 0.05 | ||||
| No | 32; 74.4 | 73; 58.9 | 41; 95.3 | 103; 83.7 | ||
| Yes | 11; 25.6 | 51; 41.1 | 2; 4.7 | 20; 16.3 | ||
| Counseling before breast cancer (n;%) | < 0.01 | < 0.01 | ||||
| No | 24; 55.8 | 34; 27.4 | 30; 69.8 | 45; 36.6 | ||
| Yes | 19; 44.2 | 90; 72.6 | 13; 30.2 | 78; 63.4 | ||
| Dyadic | ||||||
| Relationship to survivor (n; %) | 0.02 | |||||
| Spouse/partner | 36; 83.7 | 106; 85.5 | ||||
| Child | 3; 7.0 | 0 | ||||
| Sibling | 2; 4.7 | 3; 2.4 | ||||
| Parent | 1; 2.3 | 3; 2.4 | ||||
| Friend | 1; 2.3 | 12; 9.7 | ||||
| Spouse/partner caregiver (n; %) | 36; 83.7 | 106; 85.5 | 0.78 | |||
| Survivor-caregiver co-residence (n;%) | 36; 83.7 | 97; 78.2 | 0.44 | |||
| Years in relationship with survivor, mean (SD) | 31.6 (13.1) | 18.6 (12.0) | < 0.01 | |||
| Proportion of life with survivor mean (SD) | 0.5 (0.2) | 0.3 (0.2) | < 0.01 | |||
| Dyadic cohesion mean (SD) | 17.5 (2.6) | 18.1 (3.0) | 0.2840 | 17.5 (2.9) | 18.2 (2.5) | 0.10 |
| Outcome variables | ||||||
| Mental quality of life, mean (SD) | 51.6 (9.9) | 50.8 (8.3) | 0.5905 | 54.4 (6.2) | 53.6 (6.8) | 0.50 |
| Physical quality of life, mean (SD) | 51.1 (8.6) | 50.8 (9.9) | 0.8525 | 50.3 (8.5) | 52.1 (8.7) | 0.24 |
SD standard deviation