The Effect of Social Support on the Empowerment Status and Alopecia-Related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Structural Equation Modeling Study
January 2026
in “
European Journal of Cancer Care
”
Studysummary In this cross-sectional study, social support was found to improve empowerment and alopecia-related quality of life in breast cancer patients, with an indirect benefit on quality of life achieved through enhanced empowerment. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This study involving 150 breast cancer patients found that social support significantly enhances empowerment, which in turn positively affects alopecia-related quality of life. Using structural equation modeling, the research demonstrated that empowerment mediates the relationship between social support and quality of life, emphasizing the importance of emotional, informational, and community support. The study's cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions, and its findings may not be generalizable beyond the single oncology center in eastern Turkey. Future research should explore these relationships in diverse cultural contexts and through longitudinal studies.
