Eating-related distress profiles and spiritual well-being in patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy: A latent profile analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify latent characteristics of eating-related distress (ERD) in patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy, explore influencing factors, and examine associations between ERD profiles and spiritual well-being (SWB).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2025 in three tertiary hospitals in Southwest China, involving 345 patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy. Data were collected using the Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Questionnaire for ERD among Patients with Advanced Cancer, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-being Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale. Descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify ERD characteristics and influencing factors. Multiple linear regression assessed associations between ERD profiles and SWB.

RESULTS

ERD classified into three latent profiles: "Low ERD Group" (32.7%), "Moderate ERD Group" (20.3%), and "High ERD Group" (47.0%). Significant differences were observed among groups in terms of gender, education level, religious belief, tumor metastasis, disease duration, anxiety and depression, and cancer-related anorexia (P ​< ​0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed ERD profiles were significantly associated with SWB, explaining 37.1% of the variance (R 2 ​= ​0.371, F ​= ​12.272, P ​< ​0.001), indicating strong explanatory power and robustness.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy exhibit heterogeneity in ERD, influenced by sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors. SWB varied significantly across ERD profiles. Tailored nutritional, psychological, and spiritual interventions are needed to improve well-being and quality of life.