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Hope and symptom burden of women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: A cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Li Yuan,
Ni Na,
Zhou Zijun,
Dong Jianyu,
Fu Ying,
Li Jiaxin,
Luan Ze,
Peng Xin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.15759
Subject(s) - breast cancer , medicine , cross sectional study , coping (psychology) , physical therapy , chemotherapy , cancer , breast cancer chemotherapy , family medicine , clinical psychology , pathology
Aim This research aimed to explore the level of hope and symptom burden of breast cancer women undergoing chemotherapy, and predictive factors of hope were also investigated. Background Chemotherapy brings physical and psychological stress to breast cancer patients. As an effective coping strategy, hope gives them the courage to overcome difficulties and improve prognosis and survival. Therefore, efforts are needed to raise hope. Design/Methods A total of 450 women who were undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy participated in this cross‐sectional study. Sociodemographic data, disease characteristics, and measures of hope and symptom burden were collected using questionnaires. Hope was assessed using the validated Herth Hope Index, and the previously validated Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was used to assess symptom burden. This paper adhered to the STROBE guidelines. Results Chinese breast cancer chemotherapy women hope average scores of 30.15 ± 4.82 were in the medium range of the Hearth Hope Index as specified by Herth to be 24–35. Patients with age ≤45, religious beliefs and lighter symptom burden have a higher level of hope. These variables explained a total of 22.9% of the variation in hope. Conclusions The level of hope for women undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy still needs to be further improved. Symptom burden can negatively predict hope. Relevance to clinical practice If nurses can decrease breast cancer chemotherapy women symptom burden, there is an impact on increasing levels of hope.