Traveling through the cancer trajectory: Social support perceived by womenwith gynecologic cancer in Hong Kong

A qualitative research design was selected to gather data on the experience s of social support for Chinese women with gynecologic cancer. Eighteen wom en were recruited and interviewed at an oncology unit of a teaching hospita l in Hong Kong. Content analysis of the interview data showed Chinese women with gynecologic cancer placed enormous emphasis on their human relationsh ips. Family members were especially significant to them although not all id entified their family relations as satisfactory or helpful. Their social ne twork comprised 4 major sources, including family and friends, work and col leagues, health professionals, and religion and spiritual beliefs. Each net work offered significant reciprocal relations, authoritative relations, or entrusting relations. The positive appraisal of the support function was li nked to the Chinese value of food, work ethics, the Confucian and religious philosophy, whereas negative aspects of support, suck as the stress of mai ntaining relationships and inadequate information, conjoined with the Chine se suppression of emotion and the busyness of health professionals. Future studies, including social relations as a determinant, should ensure a broad and multifunctional view of social support and acknowledge the cultural in fluences on the perspective of support.