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현재 페이지 위치 : Center for Clinical Epidemiology > RESEARCH > Research Outcome

Research Outcome

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제목 Association between cancer stigma and job loss among cancer survivors
작성자 관리자 등록일 2022-07-13

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Association between cancer stigma and job loss among cancer survivors

Sungkeun Shim 1 2Danbee Kang 2 3Ka Ryeong Bae 2 3Woo Yong Lee 4Seok Jin Nam 4Tae Sung Sohn 4Byong Chang Jeong 5Dong Hyun Sinn 6Sun Seog Kweon 7Young Mog Shim 8Juhee Cho 1 2 3

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Abstract

Objective: Previous qualitative studies found cancer stigma was associated with work discrimination and job loss among cancer patients. This study aims to quantify the association between cancer stigma and job loss among cancer survivors.

Methods: For this study, we used the data from a face-to-face cross sectional survey conducted at two cancer hospitals in Seoul and Hwasun in South Korea from October 2017 to March 2018. Cancer stigma was assessed using a validated questionnaire which consists of 12 items in three domains: (a) impossibility of recovery; (b) stereotypes; and (c) discrimination. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between cancer stigma and job loss adjusting age, sex, marital status, education, job type, residence area, cancer site, stage, comorbidity, time since diagnosis, and self-efficacy.

Results: Among 433 cancer survivors, 24.0% lost their jobs after cancer, and 20.7% experienced discrimination at work. Of total, 21.7% of the survivors agreed that it was difficult to treat cancer regardless of highly developed medical science. Survivors with stigma on impossibility of recovery and stereotypes were 3.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.76, 5.44]) and 2.10 (95% CI: [1.20, 3.67]) times more likely to lose a job than survivors without cancer stigma. Survivors with discrimination experience at work had 1.98 (95% CI: [1.05, 3.74]) times higher risk of losing a job than survivors without it. 

Conclusions: Survivors with cancer stigma were more likely to lose their jobs than survivors without cancer stigma. Considering its social and economic impact on job loss, comprehensive interventions for working cancer survivors as well as public campaigns against cancer stigma would be necessary.

Keywords: employment; psycho-oncology; quality of life; social stigma; survivorship.

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