Influence of Personality Traits and Depression on Eating Habits of Patients with Breast Cancer

Abstract

This study examined the influence of personality traits and depression on the eating habits of patients with breast cancer in the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. A descriptive survey design approach was used for the study. Using convenience sampling technique, patients with breast cancer were contacted with 164 participants responding to a structured questionnaire. Statistical procedures adopted in the data analysis were mainly frequencies and percentages, multiple regression and mediation analysis using the Haye‘s PROCESS. The study found extraversion, consciousness and neuroticism to be the prevailing personality traits among patients with breast cancer. The results revealed that majority of the patients with breast cancer had bad/poor eating habits with above half of them having severe depression. The results of the regression indicated that the model significantly explained 81.2% of the variance. The results also revealed that depression significantly partially mediated the effect of extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism on the eating habits of patients with breast cancer. Based on the findings, it is recommended that there should be a holistic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer. Treatment should not be limited to only the physicians who look basically at the biological aspect neglecting the psychological and social aspect. Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Health could consider conscientising the various hospitals to adhere to the WHO‘s recommendation of the biopsychosocial approach instead of the biomedical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer.