Socioeconomic status (SES) is directly related to health, such that people with lower SES experience significantly worse mental and physical health functioning and overall well-being than people with higher SES. The ability to pursue personal goals is associated with well-being and functioning for individuals with and without cancer. Existing research has established relationships between SES and health/well-being, SES and cancer, cancer and health/well-being, and goal pursuit and health/well-being for people living with and without serious illness. However, there is a dearth of research surrounding how SES and goal pursuit may be related for people living with cancer. This study explored whether cancer-related goal interference varied with SES level and whether this goal pursuit interference had differential effects on the well-being of people beginning treatment for a new cancer diagnosis. A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected from 180 individuals (M age = 55 years) who participated in a broader, NIH-funded study focused on goal interference as a clinical outcome measure for people with cancer. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured using annual household income range and highest level of education. Participants completed baseline and two-month post-treatment assessments, which included self-reported measures of cancer-related goal interference (i.e., Goal Interference Scale; GIS), health-related quality of life (HRQL; i.e., Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General), and life satisfaction (i.e., Satisfaction with Life Scale). A series of linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between these variables. Income and education level did not significantly predict change in HRQL or life satisfaction, nor did they predict GIS at Time 2. GIS at Time 2 significantly predicted greater declines in HRQL (β = –.43, p < .001) and life satisfaction (β = –.37, p < .001). Income and education level were not found to moderate these relationships. Cancer-related goal interference has significant negative effects on dimensions of well-being for people with cancer across SES levels, suggesting structured values and goals interventions could be a beneficial component of complementary cancer care.
