The Lifestyle Change Experiences of Cancer Survivors

10.1097/jnr.0000000000000178

Shiow-Luan Tsay；Wang-Sheng Ko；Kuan-Pin Lin

lifestyle ； cancer survivors ； qualitative study

The Journal of Nursing Research

25卷5期（2017 / 10 / 01）

328 - 335

英文

Background: Leading a healthy lifestyle not only alleviates the physical problems but also improves the quality of life of cancer survivors. Healthcare professionals should understand the benefits of altering lifestyle behaviors to provide effective intervention programs to assist cancer survivors to improve their health. Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of cancer survivors in changing their lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted on 13 cancer survivors who were sampled purposively from a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Data were collected using in-depth interviews that were guided by semistructured, open-ended questions and analyzed using content analysis. Results: The analysis of interview data revealed four main themes: motivation of lifestyle change, exploring ways toward a healthy lifestyle, making adjustments in lifestyle, and feeling the benefits of lifestyle changes. In striving for survival, an unwillingness to bear the suffering from treatment and their acceptance of responsibility and gratitude to family members prompted most of the participants to change their lifestyle proactively. They had received inadequate lifestyle guidance and sought health lifestyle information on their own. After a period of research and self-contemplation, most of the participants adopted a consistently healthy lifestyle, changed their dietary consumption habits, abstained from tobacco and alcohol, and managed emotional problems that were caused by the disease. Participants who changed to a healthy lifestyle realized benefits in the physical, emotional, and life domains. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: It is hoped that these findings help healthcare professionals to better appreciate that a cancer diagnosis is a critical opportunity to link the disease to lifestyle choices in the minds of cancer survivors. Healthcare professionals should ask cancer survivors about their lifestyle and then provide appropriate advice and education on healthy lifestyles and related benefits.

1. Lin, H. R.,Lin, H. C.,Lin, W. C.(2015).Middle-aged female spouses of patients with metastatic cancer: Lived experiences.The Journal of Nursing Research,23(2),135-144.
   連結：
2. Lu, H. Y.(2014).Determinants of intentions among Taiwanese women to seek information regarding cervical cancer.The Journal of Nursing Research,22(2),101-110.
   連結：
3. WorldHealth Organization. (2015). Fact sheet no.297: Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/
4. Au, A.,Lam, W.,Tsang, J.,Yau, T. K.,Soong, I.,Yeo, W.,Fielding, R.(2013).Supportive care needs in Hong Kong Chinese women confronting advanced breast cancer.Psycho-Oncology,22,1144-1151.
5. Beehler, G. P.,Rodrigues, A. E.,Kay, M. A.,Kiviniemi, M. T.,Steinbrenner, L.(2014).Perceptions of barriers and facilitators to health behavior change among veteran cancer survivors.Military Medicine,179(7),998-1005.
6. Bellizzi, K. M.,Rowland, J. H.,Jeffery, D. D.,McNeel, T.(2005).Health behaviors of cancer survivors: Examining opportunities for cancer control intervention.Journal of Clinical Oncology,23(34),8884-8893.
7. Cebeci, F.,Yangin, H. B.,Tekeli, A.(2012).Life experiences of women with breast cancer in south western Turkey: A qualitative study.European Journal of Oncology Nursing,16,406-412.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(2012).Surveillance of demographic characteristics and health behaviors among adult cancer survivors-Behavioral risk factors surveillance system, United States, 2009.Surveillance Summaries,61(1),1-23.
9. Connerty, T. J.,Knott, V.(2013).Promoting positive change in the face of adversity: Experiences of cancer and post-traumatic growth.European Journal of Cancer Care,22,334-344.
10. Demark-Wahnefried, W.,Morey, M. C.,Sloane, R.,Snyder, D. C.,Cohen, H. J.(2009).Promoting health lifestyles in older cancer survivors to improve health and preserve function.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,57(2, Suppl.),s262-s264.
11. Demark-Wahnefried, W.,Rock, C. L.,Patrick, K.,Byers, T.(2008).Lifestyle interventions to reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes.American Family Physician,77(11),1573-1578.
12. Hawkins, N. A.,Smith, T.,Zhao, L.,Rodriguez, J.,Berkowitz, Z.,Stein, K. D.(2010).Health-related behavior change after cancer: Results of the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors (SCS).Journal of Cancer Survivorship,4,20-32.
13. Hennessy, E. M.,Stevinson, C.,Fox, K. R.(2005).Preliminary study of the lived experience of exercise for cancer survivors.European Journal of Oncology Nursing,9(2),155-166.
14. Karvinen, K. H.,Courneya, K. S.,Plotnikoff, R. C.,Spence, J. C.,Venner, P. M.,North, S.(2009).A prospective study of the determinants of exercise in bladder cancer survivors using the Theory of Planned Behavior.Supportive Care in Cancer,17,171-179.
15. Kostopoulou, V.,Katsouyanni, K.(2006).The truth-telling issue and changes in lifestyle in patients with cancer.Journal of Medical Ethics,32(12),693-697.
16. Kucukkaya, P. G.(2010).An exploratory study of positive life changes in Turkish women diagnosed with breast cancer.European Journal of Oncology Nursing,14(2),166-173.
17. Lim, J. W.,Baik, O. M.,Ashing-Giwa, K. T.(2012).Cultural health beliefs and health behaviors in Asian American breast cancer survivors: Amixed-methods approach.Oncology Nursing Forum,39(4),388-397.
18. Lincoln, Y. S.,Guba, E. G.(1985).Naturalistic inquiry.Beverly Hills, CA:Sage.
19. Maley, M.,Warren, B. S.,Devine, C. M.(2013).A second chance: Meanings of body weight, diet, and physical activity to women who have experienced cancer.Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior,45(3),232-239.
20. Park, C. L.,Edmondson, D.,Fenster, J. R.,Blank, T. O.(2008).Positive and negative health behavior changes in cancer survivors: A stress and coping perspective.Journal of Health Psychology,13(8),1198-1206.
21. Park, C. L.,Gaffey, A. E.(2007).Relationships between psychosocial factors and health behavior change in cancer survivors: An integrative review.Annals of Behavioral Medicine,34(2),115-134.
22. Pinto, B. M.,Trunzo, J. J.(2005).Health behaviors during and after a cancer diagnosis.Cancer,104(11, Suppl.),2614-2632.
23. Qiu, W. L.,Lin, P. J.,Ruan, F. Q.,Wu, X.,Lin, M. P.,Liu, L.,Lin, K.(2013).Requests for health education from Chinese cancer patients during their recovery period: A crosssectional study.Journal of Cancer Education,28,428-434.
24. Sander, A. P.,Wilson, J.,Izzo, N.,Mountford, S. A.,Hayes, K. W.(2012).Factors that affect decisions about physical activity and exercise in survivors of breast cancer: A qualitative study.Physical Therapy,92(4),525-536.
25. Schroevers, M. J.,Helgeson, V. S.,Sanderman, R.,Ranchor, A. V.(2010).Type of social support matters for prediction of posttraumatic growth among cancer survivors.Psycho-Oncology,19,46-53.
26. Smith-McLallen, A.,Fishbein, M.(2008).Predictors of intentions to perform six cancer-related behaviours: Roles for injunctive and descriptive norms.Psychology, Health & Medicine,13(4),389-401.
27. So, W. K.,Chan, C. W.,Choi, K. C.,Wan, R. W.,Mak, S. S.,Chair, S. Y.(2013).Perceived unmet needs and health-related quality of life of Chinese cancer survivors at 1 year after treatment.Cancer Nursing,36(3),E23-E32.
28. Speziale, H. S.,Carpenter, D. R.(2007).Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative.Philadelphia, PA:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
29. Vallance, J. K.,Courneya, K. S.,Plotnikoff, R. C.,Mackey, J. R.(2008).Analyzing theoretical mechanisms of physical activity behavior change in breast cancer survivors: Results from the activity promotion (ACTION) trial.Annals of Behavioral Medicine,35(2),150-158.
30. Xie, B.,Su, Z.,Liu, Y.,Wang, M.,Zhang, M.(2015).Health information wanted and obtained from doctors/nurses: A comparison of Chinese cancer patients and family caregivers.SupportiveCare inCancer,23,2873-2880.