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Readiness for return to work and its influencing factors among head and neck cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the Readiness for Return-to-Work (RRTW) of patients with head and neck tumours and to analyse the relationships among self-efficacy, disease uncertainty, psychosocial adaptation, and RRTW in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 259 HNC patients with a discharge length of ≥1 month at a tertiary hospital in Liaoning Province. The research tools included a self-designed general information questionnaire, the Readiness for Return-to-Work (RRTW) Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), and the Self-Reporting Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS-SR). Descriptive statistical analysis, the rank sum test, Spearman correlation analysis, and ordered multiple and dichotomous logistic regression analyses were used.

Results

The overall RRTW among HNC patients was low (41.9%). HNC patients who did not return to work were mainly in the precontemplation stage (38.1%) and contemplation stage (29.9%). HNC patients who returned to work were mainly in the active maintenance stage (64.2%). Children’s status (OR = 0.218, 95% CI 0.068–0.703), self-efficacy (OR = 1.213, 95% CI 1.012–1.454), unpredictability (OR = 0.845, 95% CI 0.720–0.990), occupational environment (OR = 0.787, 95% CI 0.625–0.990), and family environment (OR = 0.798, 95% CI 0.643–0.990) influence the RRTW of HNC patients who have not returned to work. Educational level (OR = 62.196, 95% CI 63.307–68.567), children’s status (OR = 0.058, 95% CI 1.004–2.547), self-efficacy (OR = 1.544, 95% CI 3.010–8.715), unpredictability (OR = 0.445, 95% CI 1.271–2.280), and psychological status (OR = 0.340, 95% CI 1.141–2.401) influence the RRTW of HNC patients who have returned to work.

Conclusion

Children’s status, education level, self-efficacy, illness uncertainty, and psychosocial adjustment are crucial to RRTW. This study provides a theoretical basis for formulating intervention measures aimed at improving the RRTW of patients.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank all the patients with head and neck tumours who participated in our study as well as the clinical staff for their help and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Operating Room, Sheng**g Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

    Liying Wen

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, 10/F, Oncology Building, No. 210, Baita I Street, Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China

    Zhuoran Gao, **a Zhong & **nghua Bai

  3. Oncology Day Clinic, The First Hospital of Dandong, Dandong, China

    Lijie Wen

  4. Department of Community Nursing, School of Nursing, China Medical University, Shenyang, China

    Shuang Zang

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Contributions

WLY: concept, methodology, investigation, formal analysis, writing - original draft. GZR: investigation, writing - original draft, writing review & editing. ZX: investigation, writing reviews & editing. WLJ: concepts, methodology. ZS: concepts and design. BXH: methodology, project management, supervision, writing review & editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to **nghua Bai.

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Ethics approval

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of China Medical University under approval number [2021] 506.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Liying Wen and Zhuoran Gao should be considered joint first author.

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Wen, L., Gao, Z., Zhong, X. et al. Readiness for return to work and its influencing factors among head and neck cancer patients: a cross-sectional study. Support Care Cancer 32, 420 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08622-z

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