Predictive role of socio-demographic and chronotype on health-related quality of life of cancer patients from southeastern India

It is well known that cancer and its treatment produce marked impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients. Research concerning impact of chronotype on HRQoL in cancer patients is almost not studied yet, but the interests are growing in several diseases. Present study was carried out to explore the impact of socio-demographics, chronotype and consumption of tobacco, alcohol and sleeping medicine on HRQoL of Indian oncology patients. Self-reported Quality-of-Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were administered to the cancer patients (N = 1000) in the native Hindi language. Results revealed that among the socio-demographic factors, only age exhibited significant negative association with physical, role and cognitive functioning and positive association with symptoms, namely fatigue and pain. Interestingly, chronotype was found to be positively associated with emotional functioning and negatively with nausea-vomiting, dyspnoea, diarrhoea and depression. Patients who consumed tobacco, alcohol or sleeping medicine exhibited lower functioning and higher symptoms. Further, treatment of cancer also produced effect on a few measures of HRQoL of patients. In conclusion, age, chronotype and consumption of tobacco, alcohol or sleeping medicine were found to be important determinants of HRQoL of the patients.