Abstract:
Objective To explore the latent categories of mutuality in breast cancer patients, and their influencing factors.
Methods From December 2024 to May 2025, the breast cancer patients in a tertiary grade A hospital in Anhui Province were selected as the research subjects by using the convenience sampling method. The general information questionnaire, Mutuality Scale, perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale and Marital Cancer Communication Problems Scale were used for the investigation to analyze the potential categories of their dependency relationships and explore the influencing factors.
Results The mutuality of breast cancer patients was classified into three categories: low mutuality-low shared values group(27 cases, 9.3%), moderate mutuality-stable group(129 cases, 44.6%) and high mutuality-high love and affection group(133 cases, 46.0%). The average monthly income per capita, perceived stress, perceived social support, and communication between husband and wife regarding cancer were the influencing factors of the mutuality among breast cancer patients.
Conclusions Three latent categories of mutuality were identified in breast cancer patients. Healthcare professionals should pay attention to identifying patients' strengths and risk factors to help them establish better emotional connections during disease management, thereby enhancing their level of mutuality.