Journal article
Social networks, social support and burden in relationships, and mortality after breast cancer diagnosis
Breast cancer research and treatment, v 133(1), pp 375-385
May 2012
PMID: 22331479
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Though larger social networks are associated with reduced breast cancer mortality, there is a need to clarify how both social support and social burden influence this association. We included 4,530 women from the Women's Health Initiative who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1993 and 2009, and provided data on social networks (spouse or intimate partner, religious ties, club ties, and number of first-degree relatives) before diagnosis. Of those, 354 died during follow-up, with 190 from breast cancer. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations of social network members with risk of post-diagnosis mortality, further evaluating associations by social support and social burden (caregiving, social strain). In multivariate-adjusted analyses, among women with high but not low social support, being married was related to lower all-cause mortality. By contrast, among women with high but not low social burden, those with a higher number of first-degree relatives, including siblings, parents, and children, had higher all-cause and breast cancer mortality (among caregivers: 0–3 relatives (ref), 4–5 relatives, HR = 1.47 (95% CI: 0.62–3.52), 6–9 relatives, HR = 2.08 (95% CI: 0.89–4.86), 10+ relatives, HR = 3.55 (95% CI: 1.35–9.33),
P
-continuous = 0.02,
P
-interaction = 0.008). The association by social strain was similar though it was not modified by level of social support. Other social network members were unrelated to mortality. Social relationships may have both adverse and beneficial influences on breast cancer survival. Clarifying these depends on understanding the context of women's relationships.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Social networks, social support and burden in relationships, and mortality after breast cancer diagnosis
- Creators
- Candyce H Kroenke - Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, 2101 Webster, 20th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USAYvonne Michael - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University School of Public Health, 1505 Race Street, 6th Floor, MS 1033, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USAHilary Tindle - Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USAElizabeth Gage - School of Public Health, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USARowan Chlebowski - David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USALorena Garcia - School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USACatherine Messina - Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USAJoAnn E Manson - Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USABette J Caan - Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
- Publication Details
- Breast cancer research and treatment, v 133(1), pp 375-385
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000303509200036
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84860342338
- Other Identifier
- 991014877701904721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Oncology