Objective: This study aims to investigate the distribution of health literacy levels and the association of health literacy with fear of cancer progression (FoP) over the course of cancer treatment in a sample of elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
Methods: The analyses are part of a prospective, multicenter cohort-study (PIAT) that took place in Germany between 2013 and 2014. Elderly women (aged 65 years and older) newly diagnosed with breast cancer completed validated measures of health literacy and FoP directly after the breast cancer surgery and 40 weeks later. Multivariate random-effects regression analysis for longitudinal data was applied to estimate the association of health literacy with FoP considering socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics of the patients.
Results: About half of the elderly breast cancer patients in our sample were classified as having limited health literacy (inadequate and problematic levels). Inadequate and problematic health literacy were significantly associated with higher levels of FoP in the elderly breast cancer patients.
Conclusion: Limited health literacy is an independent risk factor for increased FoP.
Practice implications: Enhancing health literacy could contribute to reducing patients' cancer-related fears.
Keywords: Anxiety; Breast cancer; Elderly; Fear of cancer progression; Geriatric oncology; Health literacy; Psycho-oncology.
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