From the stands to survival fandom, a psychosocial force in the fight against cancer
Berkan Karabuğa, Ekin Konca Karabuğa, Ergin Aydemir, Osman Bilge Kaya, Mehmet Emin Yılmaz, Sedef Tatar Bolat, Enes Kaptan, İlknur Deliktaş Onur, Öztürk Ateş, Mustafa BüyükkörThis study investigated the association between sports fandom, hope, and treatment adherence in patients with cancer. A total of 306 patients with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy completed the State Hope Scale, Patient Adherence Scale, and questionnaires assessing team support and the perceived impact of team performance on morale. Patients who supported a sports team and reported a positive emotional impact from team success demonstrated higher hope and treatment adherence scores. Multivariate analysis identified team support, perceived impact of team success, team loyalty, and cancer type as independent predictors of hope levels. These findings suggest that sports fandom may represent a form of social belonging associated with greater hope and improved treatment adherence in cancer patients.