PURPOSE: This study was to examine the impact of spiritual health and fatigue on the depression among breast cancer patients. The research design was descriptive study. METHODS: Data were collected through three structured questionnaires: the 'Spiritual Health Scale', developed by Highfield, 'Fatigue Scale' developed and revised by Piper, 'Depression Scale' developed by Zung. The participants of this study were 161 breast cancer patients of both in-patient and out-patient units from two general hospitals in B metropolitan city. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and Stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Participants with higher depression had lower scores for spiritual health (r= -.71, p<.001) and higher scores for fatigue (r=.57, p<.001). The factors seen as contributing to depression were spiritual health, fatigue and cancer insurance. These variables were explained 57.4% of the variance in depression. spiritual health were explained 50.5%. CONCLUSION: The depression of breast cancer patients can be reduced if spiritual health is impoved and fatigue is decreased. Therefore, we suggest developing nursing intervention program that leads to improve spiritual health and decrease fatigue of breast cancer patients for reducing depression.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Depression* ; Fatigue* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Insurance ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Piper ; Research Design ; Spirituality ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate relationships among distress, family support, and health promotion behavior in breast cancer survivors. The research design was a descriptive study. METHODS: Data were collected through three structured questionnaires: the 'Distress' by Distress management version 1 (National Comprehensive Cancer Network, NCCN), 'Family support' developed by Cobb, and Health promotion behavior developed by Walker, Sechrist and Pender. The subjects were 213 breast cancer survivors from two general hospitals in B metropolitan city from July. 15 to August 15 2013. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0, specifically descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used. RESULTS: The mean score of distress was 3.91+/-2.59. 50.2% of the subjects reported a distress score of 4 or more. Among these, the most common problems were emotions. Moderate family support and health promotion behavior. Distress showed negative correlations with Family support (r = - .34, p<.001), and health promotion behavior (r= - .23, p=.002). Family support showed positive correlations with health promotion behavior (r=.43, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The health promotion behavior of breast cancer survivors can be improved if family support is improved and distress is decreased. Therefore, a nursing intervention program that leads to improving family support and decreasing the distress of breast cancer survivors is needed to improve health promotion behavior.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Health Promotion* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Research Design ; Survivors* ; Surveys and Questionnaires