Factors Related to Activation in Chinese Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Factors associated with shame and stigma among head and neck cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often suffer from shame and stigma due to treatment limitations or due to societal factors. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived body image, depression, physical and psychosocial function, and self-stigma, as well as to identify factors that predicted shame and stigma in patients with HNC.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited 178 HNC patients from the outpatient radiation department of a medical center in Northern Taiwan. Patients were assessed for patient reported outcomes using the Body Image Scale (BIS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression Subscale (HADS-Depression Subscale), the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale (UW-QOL) version 4.0, and the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS). Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, Pearson's product-moment correlation, and multiple regression.

RESULTS

The two top-ranked subscales of shame and stigma were: "speech and social concerns" and "regret". Shame and stigma were positively correlated with a longer time since completion of treatment, more body image concerns, and higher levels of depression. They were negatively correlated with being male and having lower physical function. Multiple regression analysis showed that female gender, a longer time since completing treatment, higher levels of body image concern, greater depression, and less physical function predicted greater shame and stigma. These factors explained 74.7% of the variance in shame and stigma.

CONCLUSION

Patients' body image concerns, depression, time since completing treatment, and physical function are associated with shame and stigma. Oncology nurses should assess and record psychological status, provide available resources, and refer appropriate HNC patients to counselling.

Factors of Influence on Diabetes Awareness in Older People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Comorbid With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common comorbidity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been associated with an increased risk of mortality in this population.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to investigate the predictive factors of diabetes awareness (DA), including diabetes knowledge (DK), and diabetes care behaviors (DCB) among older people with both COPD and T2DM.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional descriptive correlation study. One hundred thirty-three older-age patients with COPD comorbid with T2DM receiving treatment at a chest hospital were enrolled as participants. Both DK and DCB were utilized to measure DA. The Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire was utilized to measure DK, and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities was used to evaluate DCB.

RESULTS

The average glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was 7.68% ( SD = 1.55%), with 74 (55.6%) participants having a level > 7%. The average DA was 46.46% ( SD = 13.34%), the average DK was 53.42% ( SD = 18.91%), and the average DCB was 39.50% ( SD = 16.66%). In terms of demographic variables, age, diabetes education, diabetes shared care, and HbA1c were all significantly associated with DA, DK, and DCB (all p s < .05). The overall variance in DA was significantly explained by diabetes education and HbA1c (all p s < .05). The overall variance in DK was significantly explained by age, diabetes education, and HbA1c. The overall variance in DCB was significantly explained by diabetes education and HbA1c (all p s < .05).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Our study findings indicate that older adult patients with COPD comorbid with T2DM are at elevated risks of poor glycemic control and low DA. Healthcare professionals should be aware of these issues and develop appropriate DA plans to prevent poor glycemic control in this population. Providing accurate information on diabetes to older adults with COPD comorbid with T2DM is important to improving their DK and promoting better DCB.

Quality of life in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving IMRT vs IMPT: a multicenter prospective longitudinal study

PURPOSE

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients may experience symptom distress and depression during and after radiation therapy, which negatively impacts quality of life (QOL). We sought to identify trajectories of symptom distress, depression, social support, and QOL in patients with NPC receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) vs intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT).

METHODS

A multicenter prospective longitudinal study recruited NPC patients from two leading medical centers in Taiwan. The 121 NPC patients were followed from before RT (T0), at 4 weeks after beginning RT (T1), at 6 weeks of RT or the end of treatment (T2), and at 4 weeks post-RT (T3). Generalized estimating equation analysis was used to identify the factors related to QOL.

RESULTS

Patients' symptom distress and depression increased from T0, peaked at T2, and decreased at T3. Physical-QOL and psychosocial-QOL decreased from T0 to T2, then increased by T3. Patients who had early-stage cancer, received a lower RT dose, had less symptom distress, and had less depression were more likely to have better QOL. Greater physical-QOL was associated with IMPT receipt, higher education level, early cancer stage, lower radiation dose, less symptom distress, and less depression. Patients who had good physical performance, received a lower radiation dose, had less symptom distress, and had less depression were more likely to have better psychosocial-QOL.

CONCLUSION

Radiation dose, symptom distress, and depression were the most important factors affecting QOL in patients with NPC. Understanding the factors associated with the trajectory of QOL can guide care during radiation treatment.

The Influence of Social Support in PROMs of Patients with COPD in Primary Care: A Scoping Review

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and multidimensional disease with symptoms that greatly influence patients' health. Healthcare professionals utilize patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to classify and better manage the disease. Despite the value of PROMs, they inadequately represent some important dimensions of COPD, like social support and healthcare access/utilization. This is important, especially for social support, since it can positively influence PROMs results and the overall health of patients with COPD. Therefore, a scoping review was conducted to determine how social support affects PROMs of patients with COPD in primary care. The PRISMA-Scoping approach was adopted, and we sought articles published in MEDLINE and COHRANE. We screened 2038 articles for inclusion and finally included a total of 10 articles. Most of the articles were conducted in the U.S. and Norway. Social support had a strong positive impact on PROMs. Additionally, different types of social support were observed. Moreover, higher levels of social support were linked to better quality of life, mental health, self-care behaviors, self-management, functionality, and less severe COPD. Consequently, this scoping review highlights the value of social support in patients with COPD and its underrepresentation and misrepresentation in PROMs literature.