title: Patients' use of prevention behaviors in managing side effects related to chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of prevention and early detection behaviors related to the side effects of chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, descriptive, and secondary analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large university hospital and university-affiliated community hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  46 adult patients with cancer starting a cycle of IV chemotherapy who were predominantly white, married, and female.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report utilizing a 17-item, self-administered prevention and early detection questionnaire called the Prevention Behaviors Questionnaire (PBQ); questionnaires were completed two days and five days after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevention and early detection behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients reported using an average of 8.8 prevention behaviors two days after chemotherapy and 9.2 behaviors five days after chemotherapy. "Tried to think more positively" was the most frequently used behavior. Internal consistency and test-retest correlation coefficients on the questionnaire were calculated to be 0.81 and 0.78, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PBQ had adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Patients reported using many prevention and detection behaviors, although very little is known about the efficacy of these behaviors in reducing or preventing the side effects of chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This exploratory study does not have direct implications for practice but identifies an area for future research that may affect what nurses teach patients and how they assist patients to cope with treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Cancer Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Fieler
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nail
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents