The Relationship of Physical Symptoms, Quality of Sleep and Uncertainty in Patients with Breast Cancer

• Main Authors: CHIANG,CHIA-FEN, 江佳芬
• Other Authors: LEE,TE-FEN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/91327064559075611329

碩士 === 經國管理暨健康學院 === 健康產業管理研究所 === 104 === The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine the levels of physical symptoms, sleep quality and uncertainty, their associated factors, relationships between them and predictors among breast cancer patients. A total of 150 breast cancer women were enrolled at a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. The instruments used included Personal Data Questionnaire, the Physical Symptoms Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Uncertainty in Illness Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistic, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation and Stepwise regression. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years (SD 9.4) who were 5.3 years post-diagnosis for breast cancer (SD5.2). With regard to cancer stage, 34.7% had StageⅡ and 34% StageⅠ. Most participans (76.7%) were received at least one type of cancer treatment. The results showed that women without obvious physical symptom distress (mean 0.38), lower levels of uncertainty (mean 2.01), and poor sleep quality (PSQI=6.53). Religion and recurrence were statistically associated with physical symptoms. Education and health status were statistically associated with sleep quality. Health status, recurrence and metastasis were statistically associated with physical symptoms. Sleep quality and uncertainty were significant predictors of physical symptoms, which could explain 26.9% of the total variance. Physical symptoms, education years and uncertainty were significant predictors of sleep quality, which could explain 31.9% of the total variance. Sleep quality, social support from health care providers and physical symptoms were significant predictors of uncertainty, which could explain 19.2% of the total variance. The subjects had poor sleep quality who slept less than seven hours per night. They may be worried about the side effects of long-term taking sleeping pills. Thus, this study suggested that the clinical nurses should provide information on complementary and alternative therapies. They also encourage patients to use sleeping pills properly. Improving sleep quality may be an important way to reduce the uncertainty and physical symptom distress among breast cancer patients.