Relationship between Self-care Behavior and Self-efficacy of Cancer Patients undergoing Outpatient Chemotherapy

Abstract

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the relationship between self-care behavior and self-efficacy of cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. A self-report questionnaire survey was conducted on a total of 56 cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy who were given explanations on their disease condition and chemotherapy at one of two hospitals in Prefecture A. Patients had a mean age of 62.1 ± 13.4 years, and 80% of them had digestive system cancer or breast cancer. The mean score for self-care behavior was 142.9 ± 14.8 (range, 101-170), which was higher compared to previous studies, and approximately half of the patients were in the “overall high score group” based on cluster and discriminant analysis. Self-care behavior was related to personal variables of gender, duration of intervals between chemotherapy cycles, and source of guidance (doctor). Specifically, scores for self-care behavior were significantly higher for women compared to men (p<.05), patients with a long interval between chemotherapy cycles compared to those with a short interval (p<.05), and for patients who consult doctors compared to those who consult other sources (p<.01). The mean score for self-efficacy was 27.6 ± 4.2 (range, 20-39), which was lower compared to previous studies for cancer patients. No significant correlations were observed between self-care behavior and overall self-efficacy as well as the efficacy of daily living activities and emotional control.

These findings indicate that patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy were sufficiently aware of the importance of preventing side effects during chemotherapy which is highly aggressive, and that they engaged in self-care behavior despite having a low self-efficacy. Nurses must provide care by considering the background of patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy as well as the burden of self-care.