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Health Insurance Satisfaction, Financial Burden, Locus of Control, and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients: A Moderated Mediation Model

DOI: 10.1108/IJSE-10-2019-0629
Authors:
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif at Taylor's University
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
Navaz Naghavi at Taylor's University
Navaz Naghavi
Hamid Sharif-Nia at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
Hamid Sharif-Nia
Fon Sim Ong at University of Nottingham Malaysia
Fon Sim Ong
  • University of Nottingham Malaysia
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between consumers’ satisfaction with their health insurance and quality of life; the mediating role of perceived financial burden in this relationship, as well as the moderating effect of external locus of control on the relationship between perceived financial burden and quality of life among cancer patients. Methodology – A cross-sectional design was employed in order to collect quantitative data by means of a self-administrated questionnaire. Participants consisted of 387 conveniently selected consumers diagnosed with cancer in Iran. Furthermore, the questionnaire was translated into Persian using a forward-backward method. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings – The results indicate that the more satisfied patients are with their health insurance, the higher quality of life they experience, and this relationship is explained through reducing perceived financial burden in terms of direct and indirect costs of the disease. Although, external locus of control belief is negatively related to quality of life, it buffers the negative association between financial burden and quality of life. Practical implications – Reducing the disparity between consumers’ expectation and perception of the comprehensiveness of health insurance policies may relieve consumers’ anxiety stemming from financial worries. Originality – This paper fills a gap in the literature where consumers’ perception about quality of insurance and its relationship with their quality of life has received little attention so far.
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Health insurance satisfaction,
financial burden, locus of control
and quality of life of cancer
patients: a moderated
mediation model
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif and Navaz Naghavi
Faculty of Business and Law, School of Accounting and Finance,
Taylor’s University–Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Fon Sim Ong
Nottingham University Business School,
University of Nottingham–Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia
Hamid Sharif Nia
School of Nursing and Midwifery Amol,
Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences,
Sari, Iran, and
Hassam Waheed
Faculty of Business and Law, School of Accounting and Finance,
Taylor’s University–Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between consumers’satisfaction with their
health insurance and quality of life (QoL), the mediating role of perceived financial burden in this relationship,
as well as the moderating effect of external locus of control (LoC) on the relationship between perceived
financial burden and QoL among cancer patients.
Design/methodology/approach –A cross-sectional design was employed in order to collect quantitative
data by means of a self-administrated questionnaire. Participants consisted of 387 conveniently selected
consumers diagnosed with cancer in Iran. Furthermore, the questionnaire was translated into Persian using a
forward–backward method. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling
(PLS-SEM).
Findings –The results indicate that the more satisfied patients are with their health insurance, the higher QoL
they experience, and this relationship is explained through reducing perceived financial burden in terms of
direct and indirect costs of the disease. Although external LoC belief is negatively related to QoL, it buffers the
negative association between financial burden and QoL.
Practical implications –Reducing the disparity between consumers’expectation and perception of the
comprehensiveness ofhealth insurance policies may relieve consumers’anxiety stemming from financial worries.
Originality/value –This paper fills a gap in the literature where consumers’perception about quality of
insurance and its relationship with their QoL has received little attention so far.
Keywords Financial behavior, Financial burden, Insurance satisfaction, Locus ofcontrol, Quality of life, Cancer
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In the neoclassical theory of consumer, maximizing individual consumer’s utility is seen as
the primary objective, which is typically defined as enjoyment or pleasure derived from
consumption (Nixon, 2007). Roback (1982),Andreoli and Michelangeli (2014) and Yonk and
Health
insurance
satisfaction and
quality of life
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0306-8293.htm
Received 13 October 2019
Revised 31 May 2020
Accepted 10 December 2020
International Journal of Social
Economics
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0306-8293
DOI 10.1108/IJSE-10-2019-0629
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