Association between self-management efficacy and supportive care needs in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the association between supportive care needs (SCNs) and self-management efficacy in patients with breast cancer (BC) receiving chemotherapy.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 160 BC chemotherapy patients in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were selected using convenience sampling. The general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the 34-item Short-Form Supportive Care Needs Survey, and Strategies Used by People to Promote Health were used for investigation. One-way ANOVA, t-test, and hierarchical regression analysis were used for data analysis. This study adheres to STROBE reporting guidelines.

Results: The total score of SCNs of BC chemotherapy patients was 192.96 (54.95). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the score of self-management efficacy was negatively correlated with the score of SCNs (P < 0.01, r = - 0.691). When the demographic variables were controlled, self-management efficacy, which was tested in model 2, explained an additional 28.4% of the variance in SCNs. BC chemotherapy patients, who received fewer number of chemotherapy cycles (β = - 0.187, P < 0.01), were younger (β = - 0.115, P < 0.05), had no family history of breast cancer (β = - 0.109, P < 0.05), had lower levels self-management efficacy (β = - 0.583, P < 0.001), and had higher SCNs.

Conclusion: BC chemotherapy patients have reported a high level of unmet SCNs. Medical staff should improve their self-management efficacy by assessing and taking targeted nursing measures, thereby reducing their SCNs and enhancing their quality of life.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Needs; Nursing; Self-management efficacy; Supportive care.