Quality of Working Life of cancer survivors Development and evaluation of a measurement instrument

Cancer survivors can experience difficulties in return-to-work or work continuation. Current outcomes in research describing the working life of cancer survivors offer little insight into cancer survivors’ experiences and perceptions of work, that is to say, the Quality of Working Life (QWL) of cancer survivors. In order to improve cancer survivors’ return-to-work or work continuation, it is important to assess and evaluate the QWL of cancer survivors, which is the aim of this thesis. First, a measurement instrument was developed. Second, its psychometric properties (factorial structure, internal consistency, construct validity, and reproducibility) were determined. Third, QWL of cancer survivors was described and its associations with health-and work related variables were assessed. The research resulted in a 23-item self-administered questionnaire that measures QWL of cancer survivors, named the Quality of Working Life Questionnaire for Cancer Survivors (QWLQ-CS). Five factors in the QWLQ-CS were identified: 1) Meaning of work, 2) Perception of the work situation, 3) Atmosphere in the work environment, 4) Understanding and recognition in the organisation, and 5) Problems due to the health situation. The internal consistency of the QWLQ-CS and its subscales were good, and the QWLQ-CS showed adequate construct validity and reproducibility for use at group level. The QWL mean score of cancer survivors was 75 (range 0-100, standard deviation: 12). Health- (e.g. type of treatment) and work related (e.g. physically demanding work) variables were associated with QWL in cancer survivors. The QWLQ-CS is a valid and reliable measurement instrument that can be used in research and practice.