The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support in the Relationship between Illness Perception, Perceived Stress and Health Promoting Lifestyle with Quality of Life in Patients with Hematological Malignancies

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Improving the quality of life in patients with hematological malignancies have great importance. Therefore, the present researcg was conducted with the aim of determine the mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship between illness perception, perceived stress, and health promoting lifestyle with quality of life in patients with hematological malignancies.

Methodology: This research was a cross-sectional from type of correlation. The population of the present research were patients with hematological malignancies who were candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital of Tehran from March 2025 to November 2025. The sample size was 260 people (135 men and 125 women) who were selected by purposive sampling method. The instruments of the present study included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Broadbent et al., 2006), Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (Walker et al., 1987), and Quality of Life Questionnaire (World Health Organization, 2004). The data of the present study were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling methods in SPSS-28 and AMOS-24 software.

Findings: The findings of this study indicated that the model of perceived social support in the relationship between illness perception, perceived stress, and health promoting lifestyle with quality of life in patients with hematological malignancies had a good fit. Also, the direct effect of illness perception and perceived stress on perceived social support and quality of life was negative and significant, the direct effect of health promoting lifestyle on perceived social support and quality of life was positive and significant, and the direct effect of perceived social support on quality of life was positive and significant (P<0.05). In addition, the indirect effect of illness perception and perceived stress mediated by perceived social support on quality of life was negative and significant, and the indirect effect of health promoting lifestyle mediated by perceived social support on quality of life was positive and significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion: According to the above findings, in order to improve the quality of life of patients with hematological malignancies can be created conditions to reduce the perception of illness and perceived stress and increase health promoting lifestyle and perceived social support through continuous and practical education.