Perceived Social Support and Its Social Determinants in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients in Zanjan, Iran, in 2018

Background Objective: Social support helps patients cope with the outcomes of diseases and therapy side effects. However, there is little information about the social support status among Iranian cancer patients. This study assessed the amount of perceived social support status (SSQN) and satisfaction (SSQS) in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients based on socio-economic factors. Materials Methods: This study was carried out in 2018 on all GI cancer patients referred to health centers in the province of Zanjan (i.e., Vali-e Asr teaching hospital and Mehraneh charity clinic for cancer therapy). The Persian version of Sarason’s social support questionnaire was applied. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 284 patients. The average amount of SSQN was 3.56±1.25. The average score of SSQS was 4.87±0.57. Network dimension and satisfaction status were significantly correlated (P 0.001). Groups were significantly different in terms of their satisfaction (P 0.001), whereas they were the same in terms of network size. Conclusion: Cancer patients reported high levels of social support in terms of network (SSQN), but were not highly pleased with the support received (SSQS). More secure employment, higher income, a higher level of education, and being an urban resident are predictors of high levels of satisfaction of perceived social support.