PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of stress, perception of occurrence risk of cancer and cancer preventive health behavior in three-shift nurses. METHODS: The participants of this study were 252 three shifts nurses working at three medium and small sized hospitals with 100 to 300 beds. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from September to October 2014. RESULTS: The mean score for stress was 24.35+/-7.93. The mean score of perception for occurrence risk of cancer was 12.63+/-4.12 and cancer preventive health behavior was 58.07+/-8.87. Stress had a positive relationship with the perception of occurrence risk of cancer (r=.40, p<.001); the perception of occurrence risk of cancer had a positive relationship with the preventive health behavior against it (r=.31, p<.001); and stress had a positive relationship with preventive health behavior against it (r=.33, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The findings show that participants stress levels were high and degrees of perceptions of occurrence risk and cancer preventive health behaviors were low. Significant correlations were found among these variables. On the basis of these findings, development of intervention is required to reduce stress and enhance the perception of occurrence risk of cancer and cancer preventive health behavior among three shifts nurses.
Health Behavior*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics in patients with VTE confirmed with cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify differences associated with the development, between the pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) groups. RESULTS: From January 2009 to December 2014, a total of 103 patients with VTE were included in the final analysis: mean age, 70.6+/-11.8 years; female, 56.3%. Most of the patients had a solid cancer (95.1%), and half of all patients had distant metastasis (50.5%). Proportion of patients with VTE who received chemotherapy within a year was 64.1%. Central venous catheters were applied to 59 patients within 6 weeks before the diagnosis of VTE. The proportion of patients with DVT only among VTE patients was 21.4%. In logistic regression analysis, central venous catheter insertion (OR=2.66, 95% CI=1.09, 6.49; p=.032), as well as lung metastasis (OR=2.94; 95% CI=1.06, 8.18; p=.039) were significant predictors for PE rather than DVT only. CONCLUSION: VTE developed in patients with advanced stage cancer. Further studies analyzing the effects of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with cancer in regards to development of VTE are recommended.
Central Venous Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Venous Thromboembolism* ; Venous Thrombosis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore educational needs for sexual health, to identify relations among educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life, and to identify the factors affecting quality of life in patients with prostate cancer aged > 40 years. METHODS: A sample of 78 patients was recruited from a university hospital in Seoul. A cross-sectional design was used in which participants completed the questionnaires to assess educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: The quality of life of participants differed significantly by occupation status before and after diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, underlying disease, performance status, and in the Gleason sum score. Stepwise regression analysis of the data showed that depression, sexual interaction, Gleason sum score, and occupation since diagnosis were the statistically significant factors associated with quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. This regression model explained 55.1% of the quality of life. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that depression and sexual interaction had the greatest impact on quality of life in prostate cancer patients. In clinical practice, we recommend that healthcare professionals take the initiative to provide adequate and accurate information about sexual health to prostate cancer survivors.
Delivery of Health Care ; Depression* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Needs Assessment ; Occupations ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Quality of Life* ; Reproductive Health* ; Seoul ; Survivors

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a discharge education program for hospitalized readmitted patients with chemotherapy-in terms of sick role behavior and educational satisfaction. METHODS: The data were collected with a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design and were analyzed with a nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design. The subjects included 49 patients with cancer, 25 in the experimental group, and 24 in the control group. Data were analyzed with spss win 21, chi2-tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The experimental group was educated according to their needs at discharge, and they showed higher compliance with sick role behavior. CONCLUSION: To improve compliance with sick role behavior, readmitted hematologic neoplasms chemotherapy patients should receive discharge education according to their needs at the clinic by using an educational manual.
Compliance* ; Drug Therapy* ; Education* ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction ; Sick Role*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and to examine the relationship between CIPN and depression. METHODS: A purposive sample of 105 patients treated with chemotherapy were recruited in the cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The instruments used were the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The most frequent suffering symptom of CIPN was 'tingling feeling in the hand and foot'. Of the motor symptoms, 'muscle weakness' was the most frequent symptom and 'muscle or joint aches' was the strongest suffering symptom of CIPN. The mean score for suffering of CIPN was 4.1. The mean score was 1.04 for depression and the prevalence was 48.5%. CIPN was significantly positively correlated with depression (r=.38, p<.001). The result of simple regression analysis revealed that CIPN was predictive of depression (R2=.136, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, nursing intervention programs focusing on CIPN management and alleviating depression are recommended.
Anxiety ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression* ; Drug Therapy ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Nursing ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore subjective structure of sexual life of woman with breast cancer after mastectomy and to provide basic data for educational programs and psycho-social support. METHODS: A Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing subjectivity was used. 30 selected Q-statements from each of the 30 women for breast cancer treatment were normal distributed using a 9-point scale. Subjectivity of sexuality was analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: We identified five types of sexuality among the participants. These five types can be called 'sex of misunderstanding', 'sex of breast preference', 'sex of communication', 'only sexual intercourse', 'meaningless sex'. CONCLUSION: Educational programs or counselling programs that will help the concerned people, including the patients' husbands are needed to address each of the sexual problems identified.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Mastectomy* ; Needs Assessment ; Sexuality ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of distress and to investigate the related problems in breast cancer patients at the end of primary treatment. METHODS: A sample of 118 participants was recruited among outpatients who had successfully completed primary treatment of breast cancer. Data were collected between July, 2013 and October, 2014 using the Distress Thermometer (DT) scale and problem lists. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze data. RESULTS: Among the 118 patients that participated in this study, 34 patients (28.8%) suffered from elevated distress using the previously validated cut point > or =4 for the DT. Problems most frequently encountered were fatigue (68.8%), worry (59.3%), appearance (51.7%) and memory/concentration (48.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that depression (OR=9.55), worry (OR=8.34), fatigue (OR=8.19) and age (OR=1.14) were independent predictors for elevated distress scores. CONCLUSION: Utilizing the DT, onethird of breast cancer patients screened met criteria for distress at the end of the primary treatment. Breast cancer patients with depression, worry, fatigue and older age should be targeted for distress screening and management.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Survivors ; Thermometers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify trends in nursing research on children and adolescents with cancer in Korea and suggest the direction for future research. METHODS: A COSI model was used to guide the search process between the years 1988 and 2014, using the keywords 'cancer', 'malignancy', 'leukemia', 'HSCT', 'BMT', 'children', 'adolescent' and 'nursing'. RESULTS: Of 104 papers, 10 were doctoral dissertations, 34 were master's theses and 60 were from academic journals. Quantitative research accounted for 91.3% while qualitative research accounted for 7.7%. The most frequently used research designs were quasi-experimental (84.6%) for experimental research and surveys (75.6%) for non-experimental research. As survival rates improved, the focus shifted to descriptive studies examining the adjustment of childhood cancer survivors. CONCLUSION: The overall findings of this study suggest that future research should include more well-designed experimental studies and repeated studies to confirm the effect of previous study findings. Longitudinal studies are recommended to determine long-term child adjustment. Supporting systems and funding are required to help activate research of clinical nurses.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Financial Management ; Humans ; Korea* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Nursing Research* ; Nursing* ; Qualitative Research ; Research Design ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence on medication adherence to oral anticancer drugs. METHODS: 147 cancer patients receiving oral anticancer drugs were surveyed. The survey content included medication adherence, social support, depression, self-efficacy and symptom experience. RESULTS: The mean medication adherence was 6.77 based on 8 points (84.6 based on 100 points). The influencing factors on medication adherence were symptom experience (beta=-.19), decision of oral chemotherapy (beta=.25) and social support (beta=.21), and 17.0% of the variance in medication adherence was explained by these three factors in stepwise multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The level of medication adherence to oral anticancer drugs was relatively high, and increased by decreasing symptom experience, and increasing social support. Considering the medication adherence is related with positive treatment outcome, nursing effort to improve medication adherence by decreasing symptom experience, and increasing social support is needed.
Depression ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Medication Adherence* ; Mouth ; Nursing ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: This study was examined to identify the relationship between mood state, interaction anxiety, and quality of life of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia. METHODS: The participants were 115 cancer patients. Data were collected from August to December 2012, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, t-test, ANOVA and Duncan's multiple test. RESULTS: The mean scores of mood state (119.17+/-35.94), interaction anxiety (45.57+/-11.73), and global health status (38.08+/-22.45), functional scales (45.41+/-20.98), symptom scales (57.96+/-18.28) in quality of life were moderate or below. Negative correlations were found between mood state and quality of life, interaction anxiety and quality of life, but positive correlation were found between mood state and interaction anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that mood state and interaction anxiety are important factors to improve quality of life of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia, And it is meaningful in that this study prepared basic data for development of nursing intervention programs for effective management of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
Alopecia* ; Anxiety* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Weights and Measures