• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.296-306
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• 2022

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, self-care ability, and disturbances to daily life on quality of life (QoL) among gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The participants included 144 patients with gynecological cancer undergoing anticancer chemotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from December 1, 2021 to January 28, 2022. Convenience sampling was used to recruit patients who had received 4 or more cycles of chemotherapy using a paclitaxel-platinum regimen, and a self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis were performed. Results: Most of the participants had ovarian cancer (70.1%) or endometrial cancer (14.6%), and the most common number of treatment cycles was 6 to 10 (29.2%). The mean QoL (60.83±19.89) was greater than the midpoint. The regression model analyzing the patients' QoL was statistically significant (F=15.38, p<.001) with an explanatory power of 56.7%. Self-care ability (β=.39, p<.001), disturbances to daily life (β=-.38, p<.001), the duration of peripheral neuropathy symptoms (β=2.14, p=.034), and regular exercise (β=-2.12, p=.036) were found to significantly affect QoL. Conclusion: Efforts to improve the self-care ability of gynecological cancer patients who have experienced peripheral neuropathy after receiving chemotherapy and mitigate disturbances to their daily life can improve their QoL. Healthcare professionals should identify peripheral neuropathy symptoms and examine the effects of the symptoms on patients' daily lives. Improving the self-care ability of patients and alleviating their limitations in daily life may improve QoL.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.314-322
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of life reported by patients with multiple myeloma and secondly to identify the factors that impact the quality of life (QoL). Methods: 189 patients with multiple myeloma completed survey questionnaires. Quality of life was evaluated using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core (EORTC QLQ-C) 30 and Multiple Myeloma (MY) 20. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, Duncan test and the Mann-Whitney test. Results: The mean score for each subscale of EORTC QLQ-C30 was 53.35 for global health status, 73.37 for functional scale, and 31.29 for symptom scale. The mean score for each subscale of EORTC QLQ-MY20 was 60.49 for future perspective, 59.78 for body image, 20.25 for disease symptom and 24.99 for side effect of treatment. Quality of life was reported to be significantly lower among females, unemployed, dependence on a sibling for financial support for treatment, a diagnosis of anemia, having treatment, high score on Eastern Coorperative Oncology Group and high grade peripheral neuropathy. Conclusion: The results of the survey can identify characteristics impacting the QoL of patients with multiple myeloma. Developing appropriate educational strategies and nursing interventions would enhance their QoL.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the effects of a self-monitoring rehabilitation program based on the Bandura's self-efficacy theory on the activities of daily living (ADL), 6-minute walking distances, self-efficacy and quality of life (QoL) among stroke patients after three to six months. Methods: The participants consisted of 29 patients in the experiment group and 28 patients in the control group who admitted at rehabilitation specific hospital. Self-monitoring program developed by the researcher lasted twice a week for 8 weeks from August to September, 2013. Results: ANCOVA showed that all of dependent variables of this study, ADL and 6-minute walking distances as a physical function, self-efficacy and QoL for intervention group were higher than those for control group(p<.001). Conclusion: The self-monitoring rehabilitation program based on the self-efficacy theory was found to be effective in improving physical function, self-efficacy and QoL for early post-stroke patients. Early rehabilitation program for stroke patients was recommended to consider the self-monitoring of current physical and psychosocial status as a strategy of self-management.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1034-1038
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• 2007

To examine the difference of health-related quality of life (QoL) of obese patients between before and after treatment of Korean traditional medicine. This study was assessed in 18 obese-women (age 29.72${\pm}$7.38) treated by acupuncture and herbal medicine using SF-36 quality of life questionnaire between January and July 2006, a 36 item instrument yielding 8 dimensions (Social functioning, Role limitation-Physical, Role limitation-Emotion, Mental health, Vitality, Bodily pain, and General health) and a total score. Their weight was measured by Inbody 3.0 (Biospace co. Korea). QoL and body composition was assessed twice at baseline (B) and 4 weeks after treatment. Auricular acupuncture and electrical needle stimulation to abdomen, thigh, and arm fat was used twice a week and complex herb formula was prescribed according to their constitution and symptoms for 4 weeks. Herb medication was taken 2 times a day. Respective variables were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed ranks test and the level set for statistical significance was p <0.05. The mean of the body weight (P=0.000;B64,68${\pm}$6.86, 4 WKs 60.47${\pm}$5.69), fat percentage (P=0.000;B33.14${\pm}$4.86, 4 WKs 30.16${\pm}$5.34), body mass index (P=0.000;B25.18${\pm}$2.44, 4 WKs 23.46${\pm}$2.09) and fat weight (P=0.000;B21.66${\pm}$5.06, 4 WKs 18.41${\pm}$4.57) of some obese patients decreased significantly between before and after treatment for 4 weeks. Physical functioning (P=0.48;B27.06${\pm}$3.17, 4 WKs 28.00${\pm}$1.71), Mental health (P=0.01 ;B18.83${\pm}$5.25, 4 WKs 22.00${\pm}$3.73), Vitality (P=0.028;B13.89${\pm}$3.03, 4 WKs 15.44${\pm}$2.53), Bodily pain (P=.0014;B8.84${\pm}$1.75, 4 WKs 10.15${\pm}$1.78), and the total scores (P=0.001;B104.99${\pm}$12.60, 4 WKs 114.58${\pm}$11.11) of SF-36 were increased significantly after treatments. These data show some differences in QoL and BMI between before and after treatment on obesity and suggest that the treatment with acupuncture and herbal medicine have a positive impact on several domains of QoL of some obese patients. Further randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including follow-up are needed to examine whether acupuncture and herb medicine have a positive effect on QoL of treatment group compared with control group.