title: Stress reactivity, health behaviors, and compliance to medical care in breast cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore relationships among quality of life (QOL), stress reactivity, health behaviors, and compliance to medical care in breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-time descriptive laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A visual motor laboratory at a rural university in the southeastern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in a laboratory setting and completed questionnaires at home prior to and after the laboratory session. main research variables: Changes in heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol, and state anxiety from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) estimated stress reactivity. Health behaviors, QOL, and trait anxiety were determined by questionnaires. Compliance to medical care was determined from medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) indicated that QOL scores were higher for participants with lower compared to higher stress reactivity (p < 0.05). In addition, ANOVAs revealed that participants high in compliance to medical care indicated a lower stress response as determined by HRV (p < 0.01) and the STAI (p < 0.05) compared to those low in compliance. No significant differences were noted in any of the health behaviors based on stress reactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that breast cancer survivors who indicate the greatest stress reactivity tend to have the poorest compliance to medical care and lowest QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses may wish to provide additional support to breast cancer survivors who indicate high stress reactivity in the hopes of improving compliance to medical care and QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that supportive care strategies that reduce stress could potentially improve compliance to medical care in breast cancer survivors. In addition, strategies for managing stress may result in improvements in QOL. Health behaviors, according to the data, do not seem to be influenced by stress reactivity.
authors: School of Physical and Health Education, Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. kristinak@nipissingu.ca
authors: Kristina H
authors: KH
authors: Karvinen
authors: Nicholas P
authors: NP
authors: Murray
authors: Hyder
authors: H
authors: Arastu
authors: Ron R
authors: RR
authors: Allison
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology