The effects of sense of coherence, demands of illness, and social support on quality of life after surgery in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) as an index of adaptation status and concepts related to self-care skills of patients who have been diagnosed with and undergone surgery for digestive system cancer: sense of coherence (SOC), social support, demands of illness, and the thought "Why me?"


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
General hospitals in Japan.


METHODS
60 patients who had been newly diagnosed with digestive system cancer and had undergone surgery.


METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to participants whose discharge date had been determined. The questionnaires were returned through the mail within two weeks of the discharge date.


METHODS
QOL, SOC, social support, demands of illness, and the thought "Why me?"


RESULTS
QOL was strongly correlated with SOC and the demands of illness and was moderately correlated with social support. The only variable that was negatively correlated with SOC was the question, "Why me?" SOC and demands of illness accounted for 54% of the variance in QOL; social support was not a significant factor.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that SOC is positively correlated with QOL and the demands of illness are negatively correlated with QOL among study participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Nursing interventions focusing on SOC and illness demands may have a significant effect on QOL of patients following cancer surgery.
Mizuno
Michiyo
M
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba Ibaragi, Japan. michiyo0611@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
Kakuta
Miho
M
Inoue
Yumiko
Y
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires