Relationship Between Self-Care and Quality of Life in People Receiving Oral Anticancer Agents: A Single-Center Analysis Within a National Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction: The growing use of oral anticancer agents (OAAs) has progressively shifted substantial treatment management to patients, making self-care a central key of oncology care. In this context, exploring the relationship between self-care and quality of life (QoL) may help guide personalised nursing interventions focused on therapeutic education, monitoring, and support.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in adult patients receiving OAAs, based on data collected at a centre in Northern Italy participating in a national multicentre study. Self-care was assessed using the Self-Care of Oral Anticancer Agents Index (SCOAAI) across the maintenance, monitoring, and management dimensions. QoL was measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30. Descriptive and Spearman’s rho correlation analyses were conducted between self-care scores, global QoL, functional domains, and symptom variables.

Results: The sample consisted of 51 participants (78.4% women), with a mean age of 64.5 ± 10.7 years. Overall, self-care was good, with higher mean values in the maintenance and monitoring dimensions than in the management one; global QoL was preserved. No statistically significant correlations emerged between overall self-care and global QoL. However, significant correlations emerged between self-care and individual QoL domains. In particular, cognitive functioning was positively correlated with monitoring (ρ = 0.50; p < 0.001), total self-care (ρ = 0.37; p = 0.008), and management (ρ = 0.33; p = 0.024). Higher maintenance scores were correlated with lower dyspnoea (ρ = −0.39; p = 0.005), whereas higher management scores were correlated with lower nausea and vomiting (ρ = −0.32; p = 0.025). A positive correlation was also observed between total self-care and emotional functioning (ρ = 0.30; p = 0.036).

Discussion: In people receiving OAAs, the relationship between self-care and QoL appears complex and multidimensional: self-care seems to selectively correlate with specific functional and symptom domains. These findings support nursing interventions aimed at strengthening self-care, with particular attention to monitoring and managing symptoms that most affect the experience of illness and treatment.