Spirituality, religiosity, spiritual pain, and quality of life among Latin American patients with advanced cancer (LAAdCa): A multicenter study.

246 Background: The associations between spirituality (S), religiosity (R), spiritual pain (SP), symptom, coping and quality of life (QOL) have not been well characterized in LAAdCa. The main purpose of this Multicenter study was to analyze these associations. Methods: We interviewed 325 LAAdCa at a Palliative Care clinic in Chile, Guatemala, and USA. They completed FICA (S/R assessment), ESAS–FS (including SP), PSWQ (Worry), B-COPE and B-R-COPE (coping), FACIT-sp-ex (Spiritual Well-being). Results: Median age 58 (range: 19-85), 60% women, 62% Catholic, 30% Christian not Catholics, and 2% with no religion. 97% of LAAdCa considered themselves spiritual and 89% religious, median 7(IQR: 5-10) and 7(5-9) respectively. Median Importance of S/R in life (score 0 = none, 10 = very important) was 10 (IQR:8-10). The frequency and associations among the importance of S/R and different items were: helps them to cope with their illness (98%, r = 0.73; p < 0.0001), is a source of strength and comfort (99%, r = 0.79; p ...