A Longitudinal Study on the Health Related Quality of Life and Constitution Among Cancer Patients Before and After Chemotherapy

• Main Authors: Hsueh-Wen Chung, 鐘雪文
• Other Authors: Li-Yin Chien
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17569540525148989302

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 臨床暨社區護理研究所 === 99 === Background：Constitution is an important concept in traditional Chinese medicine, but it has rarely been studied as a health outcome among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in health related quality of life and constitution before and after chemotherapy among cancer patients and to examine factors associated with health related quality of life and constitution. Method：A longitudinal study was carried out with 123 cancer patients who received their first chemotherapy at four teaching hospitals in Taipei and Yilan. Data were collected from January 2009 to March 2010. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the participants 3 days before and 2 weeks after the first chemotherapy. The Body Constitution questionnaire was used to measure Yang-deficiency, Ying-deficiency, and Phlegm-silt constitutions, with higher scores indicating higher deficiency. Health related quality of life was assessed by the SF-36, which yielded physical component scores (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS) covering 8 subscales: physical functioning (PF), role physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), gerneal health (GH), vitality (VT), role emotional (RE), social functioning (SF), and mental health (MH), with higher scores indicating better quality of life. Data were analyzed by using linear regression and the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE). Results：After chemotherapy, cancer patient had more deficient constitution that their yang-deficiency, ying-deficiency and phlegm-silt consititutions were all significanty increased. Their PCS decrased significantly, but their MCS did not differ significantly before and after chemotherapy. GEE model showed that older age, higher education, VT and GH were associated with Yang-deficiency. VT and RE were negatively associated with Ying-deficiency. Patients who worked and whose VT and BP being lower had higher Phlegm-silt. Patients who had abnormal HGB and higher deficiency constitution scores had lower PCS. Paitents who had higher deficiency constitution scores had lower MCS. Conclusion and implications：After chemotherapy, the cancer patient had worse phsycial component of health realted quality of llife and more deficient constitution including Yang-deficiency, Ying-deficiency, and Phlegm silt. The significant association between health related quality of life and constitution suggested that deficiency consititution could be a valide health outcome among cancer patients. Medical staffs should strengthen care for physical health and develop strategies to decrease deficiency constitutions among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Whether improving vitality could decrase deficiency constitution or decreasing deficiency constitution could improve health related quality of life merits further studies.