Table 1 Characteristics of the respondents
From: Quality of life of women with breast cancer in a tertiary referral university hospital
| Characteristic | Number (n = 173) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sociodemographic | ||
| Age (years) | ||
| 30–39 | 7 | 4.0 |
| 40–49 | 34 | 19.7 |
| 50–59 | 61 | 35.3 |
| 60–69 | 57 | 32.9 |
| > 70 | 14 | 8.1 |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 14 | 8.1 |
| Married | 139 | 80.3 |
| Divorced | 9 | 5.2 |
| Widowed | 11 | 6.4 |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Malay | 117 | 67.6 |
| Chinese | 44 | 25.4 |
| Indian | 12 | 6.9 |
| Others | 0 | 0.0 |
| Level of formal education | ||
| None | 8 | 4.6 |
| Primary | 32 | 18.5 |
| Secondary | 77 | 44.5 |
| Tertiary | 56 | 32.4 |
| Employment status | ||
| Never employed | 37 | 21.4 |
| Unemployed | 32 | 18.5 |
| Self employed | 4 | 2.3 |
| Part time | 3 | 1.7 |
| Full time | 48 | 27.8 |
| Pensioner | 49 | 28.3 |
| Presence of concurrent illnesses | ||
| Yes | 99 | 57.2 |
| No | 74 | 42.8 |
| 2. Duration and Treatment | ||
| Duration of breast cancer | ||
| < 1 year | 40 | 23.1 |
| ≥ 1- 5 years | 82 | 47.4 |
| ≥ 5- 10 years | 26 | 15.0 |
| ≥ 10–15 years | 16 | 9.2 |
| ≥ 15 years | 9 | 5.2 |
| Treatment received | ||
| Endocrine (Hormonal) therapy | ||
| Yes | 121 | 69.9 |
| No | 52 | 30.1 |
| Chemotherapy | ||
| Yes | 137 | 79.2 |
| No | 36 | 20.8 |
| Radiotherapy | ||
| Yes | 121 | 69.9 |
| No | 52 | 30.1 |
| Surgery | ||
| Yes | 163 | 94.2 |
| No | 10 | 5.8 |
| Traditional medicine | ||
| Yes | 41 | 23.7 |
| No | 132 | 76.3 |
| 3. Financial monthly income | ||
| Individual (RM) | ||
| ≤ 500 | 64 | 37.0 |
| > 500–1000 | 24 | 13.9 |
| > 1000–5000 | 68 | 39.3 |
| > 5000 | 17 | 9.8 |
| Household (RM) | ||
| ≤ 1000 | 32 | 18.5 |
| > 1000–3000 | 52 | 30.1 |
| > 3000–5000 | 30 | 17.3 |
| > 5000–10,000 | 47 | 27.2 |
| > 10,000 | 12 | 6.9 |
| Savings affected | ||
| Yes | 42 | 24.3 |
| No | 131 | 73.4 |
| Problem buying basic needs | ||
| Yes | 19 | 11.0 |
| No | 154 | 89.0 |
| Property affected | ||
| Yes | 12 | 6.9 |
| No | 161 | 93.1 |