Abstract:
This correlational predictive research aimed to investigate the ability of ostomy self-care ability, dependence, anxiety and perceived social support on the quality of life in older adult patients with colorectal cancer post stomal surgery. The health-related quality of life model developed by Wilson and Cleary (1995) was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Eighty-eight post stomal surgery patients that received treatment within 1 year at the Out-Patient Department of Surgery, of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital comprised the sample group. Data were collected by using 1) A demographic data questionnaire 2) Ostomy self-care ability questionnaire 3) Barthel ADL Index 4) Anxiety questionnaire (THADS: Sub scale anxiety) 5) A multidimentional scale of perceived social support 6) Quality of life questionnaire. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and testing for predictive power by enter multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that quality of life in the older adult patients with colorectal cancer post stomal surgery is in at a moderate level (Mean=61.70, S.D.=14.26). Ostomy selfcare ability, dependence, anxiety and perceived social support were able to jointly explain 75.3 % of the variance in the quality of life in ostomy patient with statistical significance (R2 =.753, p<.05). Anxiety was the factor that best predicted quality of life (Beta= -.376), followed by dependence (Beta= -.254), ostomy self-care ability (Beta=.249) and perceived social support (Beta=.172), respectively. This study suggests that nurses should be guidelines for management of anxiety, assessment dependence, promoting their ostomy self-care ability and social support. To improve quality of life in the older adult patients with colorectal cancer post stomal surgery.