Table 3.
Background characteristics of participants (by condition).
| Variables | Information− Empathy− N = 43 |
Information− Empathy+ N = 37 |
Information+ Empathy− N = 38 |
Information+ Empathy+ N = 42 |
Total N = 160 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | F (df); (p) | |
| Age | 51.60 (14.13) | 51.12 (12.82) | 53.35 (10.85) | 55.52 (10.21) | 52.93 (12.14) | F (3.156) = 1.10; p = 0.35 |
| Trait anxiety (possible range: 20–80) | 38.79 (9.87) | 37.32 (11.16) | 38.24 (8.59) | 35.95 (8.60) | 37.58 (9.56) | F (3.156) = .70; p = 0.55 |
| Optimism (possible range: 0–24) | 16.42 (4.04) | 16.84 (4.02) | 16.42 (4.65) | 16.57 (4.36) | 16.56 (4.23) | F (3.156) = .08; p = 0.97 |
| Monitoring (possible range: 6–30) | 21.05 (4.77) | 20.14 (4.50) | 20.92 (3.96) | 21.07 (3.65) | 20.81 (4.22) | F (3.156) = .42; p = 0.74 |
| Blunting (possible range: 6–30) | 18.91 (3.63) | 18.95 (3.98) | 18.34 (3.95) | 20.24 (3.72) | 19.13 (3.84) | F (3.156) = 1.80; p = 0.15 |
| Treatment information need (possible range: 0–10) | 9.58 (.82) | 9.22 (1.13) | 9.42 (.76) | 9.20 (.83) | 9.36 (.90) | F (3.156) = 1.76; p = 0.16 |
| Side-effect information need (possible range: 0–10) | 8.98 (1.81) | 8.76 (1.59) | 9.24 (.97) | 8.83 (1.36) | 8.95 (1.47) | F (3.156) = .79; p = 0.50 |
| General expectations side effects (possible range: 0–100) | 52.16 (26.66) | 52.38 (33.64) | 59.26 (27.75) | 47.29 (24.81) | 52.62 (28.28) | F (3.156) = 1.21; p = 0.31 |
| General experiences side effects (possible range: 0–100) | 48.70 (30.50) | 41.68 (31.85) | 49.00 (30.20) | 46.69 (32.88) | 46.62 (31.22) | F (3.156) = .44; p = 0.72 |
| If current medication, to what extent side effects (possible range: 0–100) | 36.42 (37.80) | 26.87 (32.44) | 30.03 (33.11) | 25.62 (34.27) | 29.86 (34.53) | F (3.156) = .82; p = 0.49 |
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | χ2 (df)=; (p) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest education* | (Fisher exact) p = .55 | |||||
| Low | 4 (9.3) | 1 (2.7) | 2 (5.3) | 6 (14.3) | 13 (8.1) | |
| Intermediate | 10 (23.3) | 12 (32.4) | 10 (26.3) | 8 (19.0) | 40 (25.0) | |
| High | 29 (67.4) | 24 (64.9) | 26 (68.4) | 28 (66.7) | 107 (66.9) | |
| Occupation | (Fisher exact) p = 0.97 | |||||
| Paid employment | 18 (41.9) | 19 (51.4) | 21 (55.3) | 18 (42.9) | 76 (47.5) | |
| Disabled/sick leave | 15 (34.9) | 10 (27.0) | 9 (23.7) | 15 (35.7) | 49 (30.6) | |
| Housewife | 1 (2.3) | 1 (2.7) | 2 (5.3) | 0 (0) | 4 (2.5) | |
| Retired | 5 (11.6) | 4 (10.8) | 4 (10.5) | 7 (16.7) | 20 (12.5) | |
| Student | 3 (7.0) | 2 (5.4) | 1 (2.6) | 1 (2.4) | 7 (4.4) | |
| Unemployed | 1 (2.3) | 1 (2.7) | 1 (2.6) | 1 (2.4) | 4 (2.5) | |
| Marital status | χ2 (3) = 2.30; p = 0.52 | |||||
| Married (+ registered partnership) | 23 (53.5) | 20 (54.1) | 26 (68.4) | 24 (57.1) | 93 (58.1) | |
| Unmarried (also includes cohabitant, divorced, widowed) | 20 (46.5) | 17 (45.9) | 12 (31.6) | 18 (42.9) | 67 (41.9) | |
| Migrant background | (Fisher Exact) p = 0.80 | |||||
| Native Dutch | 38 (88.4) | 30 (81.1) | 28 (73.7) | 34 (81.0) | 130 (81.3) | |
| Western immigrant | 2 (4.7) | 3 (8.1) | 5 (13.2) | 4 (9.5) | 14 (8.8) | |
| Non-Western immigrant | 3 (7.0) | 4 (10.8) | 5 (13.2) | 4 (9.5) | 16 (10.0) | |
| Prior experience of chemotherapy | χ2 (6) = 8.47; p = 0.21 | |||||
| Own experience | 24 (55.8) | 17 (45.9) | 19 (50.0) | 24 (57.1) | 84 (52.5) | |
| Relative’s experience | 13 (30.2) | 10 (27.0) | 14 (36.8) | 16 (38.1) | 53 (33.1) | |
| No experience | 6 (14.0) | 10 (27.0) | 5 (13.2) | 2 (4.8) | 23 (14.4) | |
| Current medications | χ2 (3) = 1.45; p = 0.70 | |||||
| Yes | 29 (67.4) | 23 (62.2) | 26 (68.4) | 24 (57.1) | 102 (63.7) | |
| No | 14 (32.6) | 14 (37.8) | 12 (31.6) | 18 (42.9) | 58 (36.3) | |
| Relation to cancer | χ2 (9) = 4.92; p = 0.84 | |||||
| I have had cancer | 16 (37.2) | 9 (24.3) | 15 (39.5) | 14 (33.3) | 54 (33.8) | |
| I have curable cancer | 6 (14.0) | 5 (13.5) | 3 (7.9) | 4 (9.5) | 18 (11.3) | |
| I have incurable cancer | 10 (23.3) | 10 (27.0) | 8 (21.1) | 14 (33.3) | 42 (26.3) | |
| I have not had cancer | 11 (25.6) | 13 (35.1) | 12 (31.6) | 10 (23.8) | 46 (28.7) |
*Lower education (< secondary school); middle (secondary school + vocational education); high (higher vocational education or University).