Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Korean Version of the Body Image After Mastectomy Scale.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and validity of the Korean version of the Body Image After Mastectomy Scale (K-BIMS). METHODS: This validation study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 included the translation of the K-BIMS according to the World Health Organization recommendations, investigation of content validity by five experts, and a pilot study involving 10 participants for the final list of K-BIMS items. The study participants included 156 women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria to verify the validity-reliability of the K-BIMS. Phase 2 included a validity-reliability analysis of the K-BIMS. This included convergent validity, known-group validity, construct validity assessed by confirmatory factor analysis, and item-total score correlation. We assessed internal consistency using the Cronbach α. RESULTS: The K-BIMS confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fitness of indices and validity including content validity, convergent validity, and known-group validity was satisfactory. Internal consistency reliability was satisfying with a Cronbach α reliability of .89. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that the K-BIMS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing appearance-based behaviors and beliefs about body image distress among women who underwent reconstructive surgery after mastectomy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: To identify individuals who exhibit maladaptive symptoms and are at risk of developing long-term body image problems, the K-BIMS can be used as a point-of-care screening tool. Therefore, the K-BIMS can be used as an early screening tool to proactively offer accessible and affordable solutions.

Technology-based self-management interventions for women with breast cancer: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Since technology-based interventions can facilitate convenient access to healthcare for women with breast cancer, it is crucial to understand innovative approaches to maintaining the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of technology-based self-management interventions for women with breast cancer in six countries. We analyzed the characteristics of these interventions and examined their diverse health outcomes. METHODS: Six databases were systematically searched to extract research articles using the keywords "breast cancer," "technology," and "self-management." The search was carried out up until June 12, 2023. From the 1,288 studies retrieved from the database search, 10 eligible papers were identified based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted and compared the data from these articles, resolving any discrepancies through discussion. RESULTS: Most of the 10 studies utilized web- or mobile-based technology, and one used artificial intelligence-based technology. Among the 12 health-related outcome variables, quality of life and symptom distress were the most frequently mentioned, appearing in six articles. Furthermore, an analysis of the intervention programs revealed a variety of common constructs and the involvement of managers in the self-management intervention. CONCLUSION: Incorporating key components such as self-management planning, diary keeping, and communication support in technology-based interventions could significantly improve the self-management process for breast cancer survivors. The practical application of technology has the potential to empower women diagnosed with breast cancer and improve their overall quality of life, by providing timely and sustainable interventions, and by leveraging available resources and tools.

The Relationship Between Taste and Smell Alterations and Quality of Life Among Women With Breast Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To understand taste and smell alterations (TSAs) and their relationship with quality of life among women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. SAMPLE & SETTING: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 121 women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, and data were collected through an online survey. METHODS & VARIABLES: The Taste and Smell Survey was used to measure TSAs, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast was used to measure quality of life. RESULTS: More than half of the participants experienced severe TSAs. The longest-lasting taste after the start of chemotherapy was a bitter taste, and participants experienced it more strongly after starting chemotherapy than before. The more severe the TSAs, the lower the overall quality of life, particularly physical well-being and functional well-being. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses should be vigilant about whether people with cancer receiving chemotherapy are experiencing TSAs. It is recommended to educate women in this population about avoiding bitter foods and foods with strong smells. Providing information about TSAs before treatment can help people with cancer cope.

Computerized programs for cancer survivors with cognitive problems: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to review and identify characteristics and lessons learned from studies on computerized cognitive interventions for cancer survivors (CSs) with cognitive dysfunction, exploring the content and results of interventions. METHODS: Studies were collected from the CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases. RESULTS: Seven articles that met the inclusion criteria were included. Reviewed studies measured objective cognitive function, subjective cognitive function, and psychological aspects. Computerized interventions for CSs with cognitive decline were effective for executive function, memory, working memory, and speed of thought in the domain of objective cognitive function. Some subjective cognitive functions also showed significant improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Computerized cognitive interventions have a positive impact on objective, subjective, and psychological aspects of cognitive problems. Further research needs to include more men as well as different cancer types. Programs also should include more than one target domain. Future researchers need to develop mobile applications that can effectively use computerized cognitive interventions. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Results of this study should help provide optimal approaches to develop and apply effective computerized-cognitive-intervention programs. Health care providers need to be involved in these types of interventions and methods to encourage CSs to proactively practice cognitive-function training need to be developed.

Impact of Cognitive Function and Cancer Coping on Quality of Life among Women with Post-chemotherapy Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify effects of cognitive function and cancer coping on quality of life among women with breast cancer treated with antineoplastic agents. METHODS: The study was correlational research and participants were 145 women with breast cancer who had received antineoplastic agents. Data were collected from October to November, 2015 via online replies. Cognitive function was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function Version-3 (FACT-Cog), cancer coping, with the Korean Cancer Coping Questionnaire (K-CCQ), and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Version-4 (FACT-B). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, ANCOVA, Bonferroni test, partial correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression with SPSS 21. RESULTS: Cognitive functions, total individual coping, and interpersonal coping explained 42% of quality of life. Cognitive function (ß=.35, p<.001) was the best predictor of quality of life, followed by total individual coping (ß=.34, p<.001), and interpersonal coping (ß=.26, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that cognitive function and cancer coping are meaningful factors for quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Therefore when developing intervention programs for these women, content on cognitive function and coping skills as well as coping resources should be included.

Health behaviors and related demographic factors among Korean adolescents.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to explore health behaviors, examine health behaviors in relation to demographic factors, and investigate the relationships between health risk behaviors (e.g., tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and sexual experience) among Korean adolescents. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional descriptive relational design and a population-based data collection of 1,716 middle and high school Korean adolescents. The 72-item Korean Adolescent Health Behavior Scale was used for data collection, while descriptive statistics, t test and chi-square test were used in the data analyses. RESULTS: Females were doing better on weight control, hygiene, safety, and computer use than were males. Males were doing better on physical activity. Adolescents living in cities were more likely to be addicted to computer but were consuming alcohol and using tobacco less than adolescents in rural areas were. In addition, religion, grade level, and living area also made the adolescents' health behavior significantly different. CONCLUSION: As the result suggested, gender, religion, grade level, and region need to be considered when designing health promotion interventions among Korean adolescents.

A double whammy: health promotion among cancer survivors with preexisting functional limitations.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the experience of living with a preexisting functional disability and a cancer diagnosis and to identify strategies that promote health in the growing population of cancer survivors. RESEARCH APPROACH: Qualitative, descriptive. SETTING: Four sites in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 19 female cancer survivors with preexisting disabling conditions. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Four focus groups were conducted. The group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed and analyzed using content analysis techniques. FINDINGS: Analytic categories included living with a cancer diagnosis, health-promotion strategies, and wellness program development for survivors with preexisting functional limitations. Participants described many challenges associated with managing a cancer diagnosis on top of living with a chronic disabling functional limitation. They identified strategies to maintain health and topics in health-promotion programs tailored for this unique group of cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: The "double whammy" of a cancer diagnosis for people with preexisting functional limitations requires modification of health-promotion strategies and programs to promote wellness in this group of cancer survivors. INTERPRETATION: Nurses and other healthcare providers must attend to patients' preexisting conditions as well as the challenges of the physical, emotional, social, and economic sequelae of a cancer diagnosis. KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION: Cancer survivors with preexisting functional disabilities had difficulties finding cancer care providers who could manage their unique needs. That may be because some cancer-care providers are inadequately prepared to care for patients with cancer who have complex preexisting conditions. Cancer survivors with preexisting conditions may benefit from health-promotion programs that emphasize self-advocacy strategies, management of the economic impact of multiple diagnoses, and wellness activities adapted to their unique functional limitations.

Using an e-health intervention to promote the health of cancer survivors with preexisting disabling conditions.

Although there has been research on the use of e-health for cancer patients and those living with disabilities, no interventions focus on cancer survivors who had a disabling condition prior to their cancer. Therefore, we developed and piloted the feasibility of the online health-promotion program LiveAble. Based on a theoretically driven health-promotion program previously shown to be effective among people with various chronic conditions, LiveAble was adapted to be an e-heath intervention for cancer survivors with preexisting disabilities. Eleven cancer survivors reviewed LiveAble and provided feedback. The participants' average age was 54 years. Most had neuromuscular impairments prior to their cancer; about half were breast cancer survivors. Average scores on the Self-efficacy for Health Practices Scale increased. Participants rated LiveAble useful, attractively presented, and relevant to people with disabilities. Their feedback also suggested areas for change, such as a system that was easier to navigate and more individualized. Only 51% of these participants agreed that LiveAble motivated them to take action to improve their health. To turn information into action, participants may need additional assistance and encouragement. Although preliminary results were promising, future efforts should determine the efficacy of LiveAble with larger and more diverse groups of survivors.

Predictors of quality of life for long-term cancer survivors with preexisting disabling conditions.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore whether measures of resources, barriers, and health-promoting behaviors would add significantly to the prediction of health-related quality of life among survivors with disabilities that occurred prior to their cancer diagnosis once contextual factors were controlled for. DESIGN: A descriptive correlational study. SETTING: Adult cancer survivors with preexisting disabling conditions who had completed active treatment were recruited from throughout the United States. SAMPLE: Most of the 145 respondents were breast cancer survivors with preexisting neuromuscular conditions such as polio and multiple sclerosis. The average time since cancer diagnosis was nine years. METHODS: Respondents completed a mailed survey. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Health-promoting behaviors, self-efficacy, barriers to health promotion, social support, functional limitations, cancer-related variables, depression, and quality of life. FINDINGS: The sample reported poorer physical well-being than other cancer survivors without preexisting disabling conditions. Health-promoting behaviors and psychosocial factors, such as depressive symptoms and self-efficacy, added significantly to the prediction of physical, social, emotional, and functional components of health-related quality of life after contextual factors entered the equations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of providing this population with the means to promote their health to the greatest extent possible, given the multiple threats to their health status. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses may be able to help survivors with preexisting disabling conditions reduce the negative influence of poorer health status and functional limitations on quality of life by providing interventions that reduce depression and build perceived ability to engage in health-promoting behaviors.

The post-treatment experience of cancer survivors with pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the cancer experience of survivors with pre-existing diagnoses of heart and/or lung disease following active treatment. METHOD: The Lance Armstrong Foundation recruited cancer survivors throughout the United States to complete a web-based survey to provide insight into post-treatment supportive care needs. Experts in survey methodology and oncology, as well as cancer survivors, provided input into the survey. RESULTS: Among the 2,307 respondents, 137 individuals had been told by their physicians that they had heart or lung problems. They were 50 years old on average, and most were more than 5 years past active treatment. Two thirds of these respondents reported pain for long periods, and 20% of them agreed that they now need help with everyday tasks that they did not need help with before their cancer. Among those who were tired, had no energy, or had trouble sleeping and/or resting, less than half (47%) agreed that they had received help with this problem. One third of these respondents indicated that they had decreased their physical activity since their cancer diagnosis because of fatigue, and 26% decreased their activities because of pain. More respondents indicated that their needs were met during their cancer treatment than afterwards. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers and healthcare providers are urged to consider the unmet supportive care needs of cancer survivors with co-morbid conditions following active treatment, particularly the necessity for careful monitoring of their complex health conditions.