Globally, low- and middle-income countries are experiencing significant increases in rates of non-communicable diseases, including cancer. Many cancer patients are prone to experiencing a decline in functional status over time include bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding. .  While cancer patients are exposed to untold hardship in various forms, little is known what factors can predict their functional status, especially in a developing country; hence this study was conducted to understand how various factors interact to predict functional status among persons living with cancer in Ogun State, Nigeria. This study adopted a quantitative design and descriptive cross-sectional method to assess the predictors of functional health status among patients living with cancer in the government tertiary hospitals in Ogun State. Purposive sampling was used to select 310 respondents.  A validated pretested questionnaire was developed using Katz, Lawton and Bartel scale which contains four sections, while data were collected over a period of two weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used for data analysis. Results revealed that more than half of the respondents were patients with breast cancer (57.6%), and majority of respondents were in stage II cancer. The stage and type of cancer significantly predicts the functional status of a cancer patient and educational level positively had a significant relationship with functional status (df=36, r=0.128 X²=447.9, p<0.05) while stage of cancer had a negative significant relationship with the phenomenon (r = -0.800; p<0.05). This implies an increase in stage of cancer result to a decline in functional activities of a cancer patient. Conclusively, development of a standard assessment tool for functional health status in cancer patients through inter-professional collaboration in Nigerian health sector would aid in assessing level of functional health status of cancer patients.

Keywords: Stage of Cancer, Type of Cancer, Functional Status, Predictors,

Cite this article: