Which type of social support matters most-and for whom? A relative importance and moderation analysis of quality of life in cancer

초록

Purpose: Social support is recognized as a key resource in cancer care, yet it remains unclear which types are most relevant for specific quality of life (QoL) domains and whether these associations vary by patient characteristics. This study examined the relative contribution of four social support types to QoL domains and the moderating effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 157 adult cancer patients recruited from three university hospitals in Korea (April 2024-August 2025). Participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey and the WHOQOL-BREF. Relative importance analysis and moderation analyses were performed. Results: Social support explained 11.1 %-25.9 % of variance in QoL domains. Positive social interaction contributed most to physical and environmental QoL, affectionate support to psychological health, and emotional/informational support to social relationships. Tangible support contributed least. Associations were stronger among married patients and those receiving treatment for recurrent cancer, with the latter also showing a stronger link between affectionate support and physical health. Higher ECOG scores were associated with weaker links between affectionate support and positive social interaction and physical health, but stronger links between tangible support and environmental QoL. Higher distress was associated with weaker links between positive social interaction and physical health. No moderation effects were found for age, sex, or psychological QoL. Conclusions: Associations between support types and QoL varied by domain and patient characteristics, suggesting value of tailoring supportive care to optimize QoL in specific contexts.

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