Investigating Quality of Life in UK Cancer Survivors: Insights from Understanding Society data
This project aims to improve understanding of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cancer survivors by investigating causal pathways between social and biomedical factors and HRQoL and exploring changes in HRQoL over time. Cancer outcomes are associated with different factors, including socioeconomic status and genetic characteristics, and HRQoL tends to be especially impacted by these factors. We need to understand the causal pathways linking social and biomedical factors with HRQoL and the change of QoL in cancer survivors to identify and address gaps in support for the survivors. Cancer is often a life-changing experience and as a result survivors may suffer poorer quality of life however the trajectory of such effects over time is largely unknown.
In this fellowship, HRQoL in cancer survivors over time will be investigated using causal inference methods. Understanding Society data will be analysed to explore the association between the factors and HRQoL, highlighting the ability of allostatic load as a mediating/moderating factor to capture social and economic environments over the life course. HRQoL data for cancer survivors will be analysed longitudinally to understand how survivors’ HRQol varies over time. This fellowship will provide a unique opportunity for me to develop advanced statistical skills. The findings of this fellowship will provide insights to better understand challenges in long-term health outcome in cancer survivors and support the survivors to maintain HRQoL more efficiently. Ultimately, the findings can contribute to building more targeted health policy to meet governmental goals, including the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for cancer.
