Quality of life, disease acceptance, and psychosocial functioning in colorectal cancer patients with colostomy: a cross-sectional study

Permanent colostomy after colorectal cancer surgery constitutes a major life change that may influence patients’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. This study aimed to evaluate these outcomes in patients with a permanent colostomy and to explore differences according to age, gender, and place of residence. The study included 150 adult patients with a permanent colostomy following colorectal cancer treatment. Participants were recruited during oncological follow-up visits in Poland. Quality of life was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire – Brief Version (WHOQoL-BREF), illness acceptance using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and psychosocial functioning using an author-designed questionnaire. Sociodemographic variables included age, gender, and place of residence. Statistical analyses were performed using independent-sample t-tests and analysis of variance with a significance level of p<0.05. Older participants demonstrated significantly higher quality of life, greater illness acceptance, and better psychosocial functioning than younger patients. Men reported higher quality of life and illness acceptance than women, while psychosocial functioning did not differ significantly by gender. Urban residents achieved significantly higher scores across all assessed domains compared with rural residents. Sociodemographic factors significantly influence adaptation to life with a permanent colostomy. Younger patients, women, and individuals living in rural areas may require additional psychosocial support and targeted interventions.