Work-Health Conflict among Breast Cancer Survivors: Associations with Cancer Self-Management, Quality of Life, and Anticipated Turnover

Breast cancer and its treatment can affect a survivor’s work role, potentially resulting in job loss or work withdrawal. Survivors are encouraged to adopt self-management behaviors as part of their health role to minimize treatment after-effects, prevent cancer recurrence, and improve health-related quality of life. We examined work-health conflict, an under-recognized form of inter-role conflict that occurs when work role demands make it difficult to engage in the health role. We hypothesized that work-health conflict is directly associated with poorer quality of life and anticipated turnover, and indirectly associated with both outcomes through self-management behaviors. An online cross-sectional survey was administered to working breast cancer survivors. We conducted ordinary least square regressions path analysis to test hypothesized associations of work-health conflict, quality of life, anticipated turnover, and cancer self-management. Respondents (n = 157) had a mean age of 51 and were primarily female (98%), White and non-Hispanic (85%), married or partnered (74%), and college-educated (94%). Hypothesis-testing showed that work-health conflict had direct effects on health-related quality of life and anticipated turnover, as well as indirect effects through self-management. We provide evidence for the adverse health and work impacts of work-health conflict, a potentially modifiable variable that is of growing interest within the literature on work-life interface. Employers should focus on supporting survivors’ long-term health-related quality of life and opportunities for health-supporting activities, which may promote work retention. Upstream interventions may be needed to address sources of work-health conflict, and may include minimizing spillover of work stress and reducing drains on time and energy resources.