To examine the context of relationship status on the link between friends/family social constraints (SCff) and cancer-related quality-of-life (QOL) among young adult testicular cancer survivors.
Participants completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (general version), the Social Constraints Scale (friends/family), and demographic questions.
The sample included 162 young adult testicular cancer survivors.
SCff, but not relationship status, significantly predicted QOL when controlling for age, time since diagnosis, education, and income. The SCff X relationship status interaction was significant such that SCff were more strongly related to lower QOL for single survivors than for partnered survivors.
Focusing on friends and family support of young adult survivors, findings highlight the vulnerability of single survivors to social constraints within their diffuse social network. Interventions that target supportive exchanges in friends and family networks may be useful in improving QOL in single young adult cancer survivors.
Keywords: Cancer; quality of life; relationship status; social constraints; testicular cancer; young adult.