Patients' information
The study included 72 patients, with a mean age of 51.1 ± 14.6 ranging from 25 to 73 years. Half of the patients did not receive any formal education (illiterate 20.8%, and khalwa 29.2%), and those who received primary schooling constituted 30.6%. The majority were married (69.4%), and over 70% were working, with free business being the most encountered occupation (36.1%). However, only 48.6% were still employed at the time of surgery. Over half of patients (56.9%) were diagnosed with rectal cancer, and 43.1% were diagnosed with colonic cancer. Table 1 shows details of patients' characteristics.
Mental Health components
Mean scores of mental health component summary ranged from 72.4 ± 23 to 49.5 ± 11.9 for social functioning, and emotional wellbeing, respectively. Patients who underwent radiation reported mean scores of 69.8 ± 24.6 and 50.29 ± 10.02, for emotional well-being and social functioning, respectively Table 2. Regarding social functioning, patients with rectal cancer reported a mean score of 50.30 ± 11.69, in contrast to those with colon cancer who reported 48.39 ± 12.39, while the mean score of emotional well-being was for rectal cancer patients and colon cancer patients 72.5 ± 25.8 and 72.4 ± 19.7, respectively. The emotional-wellbeing mean score for patients who underwent colostomy was 70.0 ± 25.8, while the social functioning means the score was 48.78 ± 12.12 Table 3.
Regarding complications, patients with stoma complications reported emotional well-being mean score of 70.4 ± 26.2, while those with sexual complications and urinary complications reported a mean score of 73.1 ± 21.5 and 67.5 ± 23.2, respectively. In terms of social functioning, the mean scores were as follows: 47.64 ± 12.09 for patients with stoma complications, 48.16 ± 12.74 for patients with sexual complications, and 50.57 ± 9.82 for those with urinary complications. The mean score of role limitations due to emotional problems among patients with stoma complications was 69.37 ± 35.47, while those with sexual complications and urinary complications reported a mean score of 73.53 ± 30.46 and 62.12 ± 29.63, respectively Table 4.
Physical health components
Mean scores of physical health component summary were 74.0 ± 24.6. For physical functioning, 60.5 ± 16.1 for general health, 59.4 ± 38.8 for role limitation due to physical problems, role limitations due to emotional problems 70.8 ± 31.1, 61.8 ± 25.7 for pain, and 60.2 ± 30.0 for energy/fatigue Table 2.
Regarding physical function score, a statistically significant higher score was found in patients who didn’t receive colostomy (p < 0.001) and didn’t manifest any stoma (p < 0.001) or sexual complications (p = 0.02)
Regarding score for role limitations due to physical health, a statistically significant difference in score was found higher in patients with colon cancer than patients with rectal cancer (p = 0.035), who didn’t receive radiation (p = 0.004), didn’t receive colostomy (p = 0.002) and didn’t manifest any stoma complications (p < 0.001)
Regarding pain score, the score was statistically significant and higher in patients with colon cancer than rectal cancer (p = 0.009), and in patients who didn’t show any stoma complication (P = 0.013).
The mean score of physical functioning among rectal cancer patients was found to be 72.1 ± 22.9, in contrast to those with a colonic cancer diagnosis with a mean score of 76.6 ± 26.8. Among those who underwent radiation, the mean score was found to be 71.0 ± 26.0, while those who underwent chemotherapy were 73.6 ± 25.2 Table 3.
Considering complications, physical functioning mean scores were as follows: 58.0 ± 22.7 for patients with stoma complications, 66.9 ± 24.9 for patients with sexual complications, and 68.6 ± 23.1 for those with urinary complications. The mean score of role limitations due to physical health among patients with stoma complications was 40.54 ± 39.24, while those with sexual complications and urinary complications reported a mean score of 61.03 ± 38.03 and 61.36 ± 37.58, respectively Table 4.