ROLE OF FAMILY AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AS PREDICTORS OF TREATMENT MOTIVATION AND MEDICAL ADHERENCE AMONG CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY

Abstract

The present study examined the role of family support and perceived social support as predictors of treatment motivation and medical adherence among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. A quantitative correlational research design was employed to investigate the relationships among the study variables. The sample consisted of 69 cancer patients selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires measuring family support, perceived social support, treatment motivation, and medical adherence. Pearson’s product-moment correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. The correlation analysis indicated positive relationships between family support and treatment motivation (r = .42), family support and medical adherence (r = .35), perceived social support and treatment motivation (r = .51), and perceived social support and medical adherence (r = .39). Family support was also positively correlated with perceived social support (r = .48), while treatment motivation was positively correlated with medical adherence (r = .46). The reported regression results indicated that family support (β = .22, p = .033) and perceived social support (β = .41, p < .001) were positive predictors of treatment motivation, with the model explaining 31% of its variance. For medical adherence, family support (β = .21, p = .050) and perceived social support (β = .27, p = .012) were reported as positive predictors, with the model explaining 18% of the variance. The findings suggest that family support and perceived social support are relevant to treatment motivation and medical adherence among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The results highlight the potential importance of psychosocial support in cancer care.