The Role of Inner Strength in Quality of Life and Self‐Management in Women Survivors of Cancer

Abstract The role of inner strength in quality of life (QOL) and self‐management, primary variables in the Theory of Inner Strength, were examined with demographic and clinical characteristics in 107 women with cancer. The strongest predictors of QOL were depressive symptoms, inner strength, and time since diagnosis, respectively, accounting for 82% of the variance in QOL. When depressive symptoms were excluded due to multicollinearity, 64% of variance in QOL was explained by inner strength, time since diagnosis, and comorbidities, with inner strength the strongest predictor. The strongest predictors of self‐management were depressive symptoms and inner strength, accounting for 17% of the variance. Results contribute to theory development and suggest the value of supporting inner strength to enhance QOL in cancer survivors. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.