乳癌患者社群媒體使用、所獲得的社會支持與生活品質之關係

Abstract

隨著乳癌預防篩檢的觀念普及與乳癌治療技術的進步，乳癌患者存活率日益提升，越來越多的研究開始注重乳癌患者的整體生活品質。過去的研究已經明確指出越多社會支持能夠顯著增進患者的生活品質；而社群媒體的廣泛使用可能可作為一個提供社會支持的新來源。故此研究目標即探討：(1) 在台灣，乳癌患者使用社群媒體的狀況、使用特徵；(2) 參與社群媒體與獲得社會支持間的關係；(3) 線上社會支持對於乳癌患者生活品質的影響。 此研究採橫斷式研究方法，研究場域為國立臺灣大學醫學院附設醫院的乳房醫學中心；本研究案共收案106名乳癌患者，收案條件包含：(1)年齡介於20至70歲：(2)診斷為乳癌0, I, II, III期；(3)最初診斷時間為距今三年內。參與者需要完成包含社群媒體使用狀況調查表、社會支持評量表以及生活品質量表之問卷（EORTC QLQ-C30；EORTC QLQ-BR23）。 結果顯示此研究族群中有42%的患者以健康意圖使用社群媒體；在使用者使用的社群媒體中，58%的社群媒體組織者主要為乳癌病友或病友家人。多數的社群媒體使用者以低互動性的方式參與社群媒體 (n=39, 93%)，並且研究當下仍持續使用 (n=40, 95%)。針對所獲得的整體社會支持，社群媒體使用者顯著高於無使用者 (P<0.01)；若比較社群媒體使用者，高頻率使用者較低頻率使用者顯著獲得較多的情緒支持 (P=0.01)和評價支持(P<0.01)。此研究並未發現線上社會支持與生活品質之任一構面有顯著相關。 根據研究結果，儘管乳癌患者參與社群媒體所獲得的線上社會支持並未與其生活品質有顯著相關，社群媒體仍具有提供社會支持的潛在性價值。

Because of active cancer screening and advances in medical technology, the survival of breast cancer patients has remarkable improvement. Therefore, there is increasing need for attention to quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Based on previous studies, social supports could improve patients’ quality of life. As the growing number of social media use, this study aimed to investigate :(1) the characteristics of social media use among breast cancer survivors in Taiwan, (2) the association of social supports received and social media participation, and (3) the effect of social support from social media on breast cancer survivors’ quality of life. This cross-sectional study recruited 106 patients with breast cancer at Center of Breast Medicine of the National Taiwan University Hospital. These patients were diagnosed with breast cancer of stages 0, I, II, or III in the previous three years, and between 20 and 70 years of age. Participants were requested to complete the questionnaires containing characteristics of social media use (e.g., frequency of use), social support scale, EOCRTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23. In the present study, 42% of participants have used social media for health intention. Online communities which breast cancer survivors participated is manly composed of fellow patients and patients’ families (n=23, 58%). Most of the users (n=39, 93%) used social media with low interaction and still used it until the time being interviewed (n=40, 95%). Compared with non-users, users significantly received more social support. Moreover, those used social media frequently received more emotional support (P=0.01) and appraisal support (P<0.01). Quality of life as study outcome of social support form online, however, was not significantly different between users and non-users. Although no significant benefit of social media use on quality of life was found in this study, social media could be a potential source of social support for breast cancer survivors.