2021 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 53-61
Objective : To explore how cancer patients practicing the Okada Health and Wellness Program perceive and cope with their illness, and their outcomes.
Methods : A total of 10 one-on-one interviews were conducted, and sense of coherence (SOC) was measured, among 8 cancer patients (7 females) who were qualified to practice the Okada Health and Wellness Program proposed by MOA International. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory analysis.
Results : Five of the six individuals whose SOC was measured, indicated scores that were higher than the national average for the general population. 170 codes were generated, which were grouped into 15 subcategories and further classified into five categories as follows : Ⅰ. assessment of own illness ; Ⅱ. coping behaviors based on assessment ; Ⅲ. help from others ; Ⅳ. reassessment of one’s own illness ; and Ⅴ. outcomes obtained through own coping behavior.
Conclusion : It was shown that the anxiety and fear of the disease at the beginning of illness was replaced by a sense of satisfaction as the meaning of the disease changed through the continuation of various coping behaviors. In addition, a sense of coherence was maintained in most of the cancer patients who participated in this study.
