Faith, Meaning, and Quality of Life: Unveiling the Spirituality of Muslim Patients with Advanced Cancer Undergoing Active Treatment in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the level of spirituality, faith and meaning, and quality of life (QOL) among Muslim advanced cancer patients undergoing active treatment and to enhance the understanding of the relationships among clinical and socio-demographic factors, spirituality, and QOL of patients in the Gaza Strip.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 298 advanced cancer patients. The Arabic versions of the Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT–Sp) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT–G) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear regression were utilized for data analysis, performed using SPSS 25.0.

Results

Participants reported high spirituality well-being scores (Mean = 31.25, SD = 6.25) and relatively high scores on the subscales of meaning/peace (Mean = 19.15, SD = 4.11) and faith (Mean = 12.03, SD = 3.50). Most patients indicated that their faith and spiritual beliefs increased due to their illness. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between spirituality (including its subscales of faith and meaning in life) and QOL. Despite the generally high level of spirituality, special attention should be paid to patients with lung, bladder, and thyroid cancer, lower education levels, and higher cancer grades.

Conclusions

The Gazan Muslim patients with advanced cancer exhibit high levels of spirituality and faith. We acknowledged that spiritual well-being is a protective factor for QOL. The strong positive correlation between spirituality and QOL emphasizes the need to integrate spiritual care into cancer care.

Implications for Nursing Practice

It is imperative to incorporate spirituality into health practice and the daily routines of cancer treatment for patients whose spirituality is an important aspect of their identities. The incorporation of spirituality can contribute to the improvement of the quality of patients’ life and quality of cancer care.