Magdalena Liberacka-Dwojak

The role of perceived stress in the relationship between sexual communication, health literacy, and quality of life in women diagnosed with cervical cancer

This study aimed to examine the relationships between sexual communication self-efficacy, health literacy, perceived stress, and QoL in women with CC before the initiation of the proper treatment. The study was conducted at the Oncology Center involving 60 women aged 40-65 with stage II-III CC undergoing radiotherapy or brachytherapy. Participants completed the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) for QoL, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Sexual Communication Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES), the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Sexual communication self-efficacy was positively related to all QoL components (r = {0.458; 0.713}; p < 0.001). Health literacy significantly impacted sexual functioning (F(2) = 6.003; p = 0.004), but not physical or psychological functioning. Perceived stress negatively influenced all QoL components (r = {-0.402; -0.662}; p < 0.001) and mediated the relationships between sexual communication self-efficacy, health literacy, and QoL. SEM confirmed the model fit (CMIN/df = 1.558; TLI = 0.964; IFI = 0.978; CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.097). These findings emphasize the significance of holistic care approaches that integrate psychological, social, and biological factors to enhance the QoL for women undergoing cancer treatment. Early psychological interventions that focus on stress reduction, communication skills, and improving health literacy could be integrated into prehabilitation programs for women with cervical cancer. Such interventions may strengthen patients' coping resources, improve sexual health, and promote better quality of life throughout the treatment trajectory.