Relationships between basic conditioning factors, symptom severity, palliative self-care behaviors and quality of life in older adults with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy
Abstract:
This descriptive research aimed at investigating the relationship between basic conditioning factors, symptom severity, and palliative self-care behaviors and quality of life of older adults with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy. The shared theory was employed as the conceptual framework of the study. The study sample consisted of 111 older adults aged 60 years old and older who had been diagnosed with advanced cancer, and who received chemotherapy and palliative care. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, and Chi-square test, Eta test, and Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. The study findings revealed that 55% of the subjects were male; 35.10% completed elementary education, and 58.6% had sufficient income with no savings. In addition, symptom severity, palliative self-care behaviors and quality of life were at a moderate level (Mean = 5.01, SD = 0.76; Mean = 38.33, SD = 4.68; Mean = 5.09, SD = 1.78, respectively). It was found that gender and educational background were not related to quality of life, while sufficiency of income was associated with quality of life with statistical significance at .05. Moreover, symptom severity was negatively related to quality of life and palliative self-care behaviors were positively related to quality of life, with statistical significance (r = -.632, r = .763, p < 0.01, respectively). The study findings revealed that quality of life of older adults with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy was at a moderate level. Therefore, nurses should assess sufficiency of income, symptom severity, and self-care behaviors of patients so as to more effectively devise a plan to assist older patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy to ensure their quality of life