Association between cognitive social capital and saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.
- 1Department of Pathology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Roraima Avenue, 1000, Building 20, Santa Maria, Rio Grande Do Sul, 97105-900, Brazil.
- 2Department of Stomatology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.
- 3Department of Pathology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Roraima Avenue, 1000, Building 20, Santa Maria, Rio Grande Do Sul, 97105-900, Brazil. [email protected].
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the association between cognitive social capital and patient-reported saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors.Methods
This cross-sectional study included adults treated with curative intent for squamous cell carcinoma of the lip/oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx at a referral hospital in southern Brazil. The outcome was patient-reported saliva-related quality of life, assessed using the saliva domain of the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire (UW-QOL); higher scores indicate better outcomes. Cognitive social capital was assessed using a brief three-item proxy index; participants were classified as scoring 3 (the maximum) or below 3. Hierarchical multiple linear regression estimated unstandardised coefficients (B) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), adjusting for education, tumour location, radiotherapy (yes vs. no), and time since treatment completion. Sensitivity analyses tested alternative operationalisations and adjustments.Results
A total of 105 adults participated (response rate 84.7%). The mean UW-QOL saliva-domain score was 61.85 ± 33.90, and 18 participants (17.1%) scored below 3. In the fully adjusted model, a score below 3 was associated with poorer saliva-related quality of life (B = -18.53; 95% CI -33.85 to -3.21; p = 0.018); sensitivity analyses were consistent.Conclusion
In this exploratory study, lower scores on a three-item cognitive social capital proxy index were associated with poorer saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors. Perceived social resources may be relevant to this burden, but these preliminary findings require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.
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BibTeX
@article{daros2026association,
title = {{Association between cognitive social capital and saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.}},
author = {Alan Carvalho Darós and Jessica Klöckner Knorst and Bruno Emmanuelli and João Alberto de Almeida Gonçalves and Raquel Pippi Antoniazzi and Kívia Linhares Ferrazzo},
journal = {Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s00520-026-11361-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42911444},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association between cognitive social capital and saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.
AU - Alan Carvalho Darós
AU - Jessica Klöckner Knorst
AU - Bruno Emmanuelli
AU - João Alberto de Almeida Gonçalves
AU - Raquel Pippi Antoniazzi
AU - Kívia Linhares Ferrazzo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
DO - 10.1007/s00520-026-11361-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42911444
AB - Purpose To evaluate the association between cognitive social capital and patient-reported saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors.Methods This cross-sectional study included adults treated with curative intent for squamous cell carcinoma of the lip/oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx at a referral hospital in southern Brazil. The outcome was patient-reported saliva-related quality of life, assessed using the saliva domain of the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire (UW-QOL); higher scores indicate better outcomes. Cognitive social capital was assessed using a brief three-item proxy index; participants were classified as scoring 3 (the maximum) or below 3. Hierarchical multiple linear regression estimated unstandardised coefficients (B) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), adjusting for education, tumour location, radiotherapy (yes vs. no), and time since treatment completion. Sensitivity analyses tested alternative operationalisations and adjustments.Results A total of 105 adults participated (response rate 84.7%). The mean UW-QOL saliva-domain score was 61.85 ± 33.90, and 18 participants (17.1%) scored below 3. In the fully adjusted model, a score below 3 was associated with poorer saliva-related quality of life (B = -18.53; 95% CI -33.85 to -3.21; p = 0.018); sensitivity analyses were consistent.Conclusion In this exploratory study, lower scores on a three-item cognitive social capital proxy index were associated with poorer saliva-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors. Perceived social resources may be relevant to this burden, but these preliminary findings require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.
SN - 0941-4355
SN - 1433-7339
ER -