Self-advocacy Behaviors and Needs in Women with Advanced Cancer: Assessment and Differences by Patient Characteristics.
Int J Behav Med
; 30(2): 211-220, 2023 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35794411
BACKGROUND: Self-advocacy skills allow individuals with cancer to overcome challenges related to their health, care, and well-being. Understanding the self-advocacy behaviors and needs of individuals with cancer is critical to addressing the lack of evidence-based self-advocacy interventions. The aims of this study are to describe (1) self-advocacy behaviors and needs of women with advanced cancer and (2) associations between self-advocacy and sociodemographic, cancer, and patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a clinical trial among women within 3 months of a metastatic breast or stage III or IV gynecologic cancer diagnosis. Descriptive and correlational statistics and tests of group difference were calculated for measures of self-advocacy (Female Self-Advocacy in Cancer Survivorship Scale), sociodemographic characteristics, quality of life (FACT-G), symptom burden (M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory), and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). RESULTS: Participants (N = 78) reported self-advocacy behaviors including making decisions based on their priorities, asking questions to their healthcare providers, and comparing their experiences to others' experiences. Self-advocacy needs focused on finding health information and talking with healthcare providers. Self-advocacy behaviors and needs did not differ by participants' sociodemographic characteristics or mood. Higher self-advocacy behaviors were associated with higher quality of life (p ≤ .01) and lower symptom severity (p < .05) with a trend for cancer recurrence (p = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Women with advanced cancer report engaging in self-advocacy behaviors and these are associated with higher quality of life and lower symptom burden. Future research should determine if self-advocacy behaviors and needs change over time and how patient characteristics impact self-advocacy behaviors and needs.
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Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Sobreviventes de Câncer
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Female
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Behav Med
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos