Factors influencing health-promoting behaviors in Korean breast cancer survivors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among internal health locus of control, depression, social support, and health-promoting behaviors in Korean breast cancer survivors and to identify factors influencing health-promoting behaviors.


METHODS
A predictive design was used. The data were collected by questionnaires from a convenience sample of 258 breast cancer survivors in Korea during 2007. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression.


RESULTS
When differences of health-promoting lifestyle based on demographic and illness-related characteristics were examined, no significant differences were found except for undergoing chemotherapy. Internal health locus of control, depression, and social support were correlated significantly with the health-promoting lifestyle. As a result of stepwise multiple regression analysis, social support, depression, and chemotherapy were discovered to account for 34.98% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyle. The variable that most affected a health-promoting lifestyle was social support, followed by chemotherapy and depression.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study clearly demonstrate the importance of social support and depression in explaining the occurrence of a health-promoting lifestyle among Korean breast cancer survivors.
College of Nursing & Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, 28 Yongon-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, Republic of Korea. donam@snu.ac.kr
Myungsun
M
Yi
Jeongeun
J
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents