Quality of life among women living with gynecological malignancies in Zaria, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Cancer can have an impact on Quality of Life (QoL), which can be influenced by an
individual's culture and value system.
Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving all women with gynecological
malignancies accessing care at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria.
The sample size constituted all women diagnosed with any gynecological malignancy who accessed care
in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital within six months from the start of data collection. This
period was from October 1st, 2023, to March 31st, 2024. A total of 176 cases were identified. The
WHOQOL BREF was used to assess QoL. Scores greater than one standard deviation above the mean
were considered good, scores less than one standard deviation below the mean were regarded as poor,
while scores that fell between them were deemed fair.
Results: The mean age of respondents was 49.4 ± SD15.0 years. The mean overall quality of life and
overall health were 3.18 ± SD 1.1 and 3.10 ± SD 1.1, respectively. The overall quality of life was poor in
19 (26%) of respondents, and only 7 (9.6%) of respondents had a good quality of life. The majority had a
fair overall QoL. The overall QoL was significantly affected by the stage of disease (p=0.04) and
treatment status (p=0.02).
Conclusions: QoL concerns need to be addressed while offering care for women with gynecological
malignancies.