Statistical analyses were performed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY USA). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and the data on Internet use and QOL.
We defined health-related Internet users as “TL patients who had ever searched for information about their health on the Internet” and cancer-related Internet users as “TL patients who had ever searched for information about cancer on the Internet”. Chi-squared tests, independent samples t tests, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among TL patients. Statistical significance was assumed when p value was < .05 (two-tailed).
Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relative importance of the variables (Nagelkerke R2) that were univariately associated (p value to enter < .05) with Internet use, health-related Internet use, or cancer-related Internet use. In the first block of the regression analysis, the demographic characteristics were entered (age, gender, education level, and employment status), followed by the clinical characteristics and QOL in the second block (time since TL and QOL).
We defined health-related Internet users as “TL patients who had ever searched for information about their health on the Internet” and cancer-related Internet users as “TL patients who had ever searched for information about cancer on the Internet”. Chi-squared tests, independent samples t tests, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among TL patients. Statistical significance was assumed when p value was < .05 (two-tailed).
Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relative importance of the variables (Nagelkerke R2) that were univariately associated (p value to enter < .05) with Internet use, health-related Internet use, or cancer-related Internet use. In the first block of the regression analysis, the demographic characteristics were entered (age, gender, education level, and employment status), followed by the clinical characteristics and QOL in the second block (time since TL and QOL).