Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of death in American men. Patients with localized prostate cancer may experience unique and multidimensional symptoms that are distressful from treatment and thereafter. This cross-sectional correlational study aimed to investigate the relationships among stress, symptoms, symptom distress, and symptom self-management and identify the effective strategies of symptom self-management in men with localized prostate cancer following prostatectomy or radiation therapy.Eight saliva samples and 3 questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale, Symptom Indexes, and Strategy and Effectiveness of Symptom Self-Management) were obtained from each participant between 1 and 3 months following their first prostate cancer treatment. The sample consisted of 53 men with localized prostate cancer. Mean salivary cortisol concentrations for the entire sample ranged from 0.3 to 0.08 ug/dL. Cortisol was secreted in a circadian rhythm with heightened activity in the early morning and lowered activity late in the day. The circadian pattern of cortisol secretion was similar in both the prostatectomy and radiation therapy groups, although the values were slightly different. Two areas Under the Curve (AUC) of salivary cortisol were calculated. Three cortisol circadian rhythms were identified, but the majority of the sample had a typical negative consistent circadian rhythm.Patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy had low perceived stress. Perceived stress was positively correlated with AUCg, noon salivary cortisol concentrations, and afternoon salivary cortisol concentrations. Subjects reported a moderate degree of symptoms and symptom distress on urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction 1-3 months following treatments. The most effective strategies of urinary symptom management were pad and kegel exercise; the most effective strategy of bowel symptom management was rest or endure; the most effective strategies of sexual dysfunction management included express their feelings or find alternative ways to express their affection. The symptom self-management strategies were significantly and positively correlated with symptom self-management effectiveness.Symptom distress and AUCg were significant and strong predictors of symptom self-management. Findings can help health care providers develop effective strategies for symptom self-management that enhance health related quality of life among men with localized prostate cancer.

The hospice care population with cancer are often older adults who report many cancer-related symptoms experienced often in clusters. Most prevalent of these symptoms is fatigue and often it co-occurs with depressive symptoms and poor physical functioning. This dissertation examined fatigue, symptom clusters, depression, physical activity, and functional status in older adults with cancer. The aims of the literature review were to understand the relationship among physical functioning, cancer fatigue, fatigue-related symptom clusters, and their relationship with functional status In older adults. The literature related to these associations is insufficient and inconclusive. The methods section aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression scale, Boston Short Form (CESD-10). Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for confirmatory factor analysis, the factor structure of responses in a cross-sectional sample (N = 200) of adults with different types and stages of cancer was examined. Internal consistency reliability estimate Cronbach’s alpha =0.737. The CESD-10 four-factor model (positive affect, depressive affect, somatic complaints, and interpersonal challenges) fits the data well. The CESD-10 was a valid and reliable measure for assessing depressive symptoms in this study. The final section examined fatigue related symptom clusters and their relationships with functional status in older adult hospice patients with cancer (N=519). The fatigue-related symptom cluster (lack of energy, feeling drowsy and lack of appetite), significantly predicted poor functional status. Experiencing physical and psychological symptoms has a significant impact on functional dependence. Hospice healthcare professionals should be alert to older adults’ symptom cluster experience during assessment and management.

The National Institutes of Health recommends the development of conceptual models to increase rigor and improve evaluation in research. Validated models are essential to guide conceptualizations of phenomena, selection of variables and development of testable hypotheses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a methodology useful in model testing due to its ability to account for measurement error and test latent variables. The purpose of this study was to test a model of The Geriatric Cancer Experience in End of Life as adapted from Emanuel and Emanuel's framework for a good death using SEM. It was hypothesized that the model was a five-factor structure composed of clinical status, physical, psychological, spiritual and quality of life domains and that quality of life is dependent on the other factors. The sample was comprised of 403 hospice homecare patients. Fifty six percent were male, 97% were white with a mean age of 77.7. Testing of the model used AMOS statistical software. The initial five-factor model was rejected when fit indices showed mis-specification. A three-factor model with quality of life as an outcome variable showed that 67% of the variability in quality of life is explained by the person's symptom experience and spiritual experience. As the number of symptoms and the associated severity and distress increase, the person's quality of life significantly decreases (ß -0.8). As the spiritual experience increases (the expressed need for inspiration, spiritual activities, and religion) the person's quality of life significantly increases (ß 0.2). This is significant to nursing because the model provides a useful guide for understanding the relationships between symptoms, spiritual needs, and quality of life in end of life geriatric cancer patients and suggests variables and hypotheses for research. This study provides evidence for a strong need for symptom assessment and spiritual assessment, development of plans of care inclusive of symptom control and spiritual care, and implementation and evaluation of those plans utilizing quality of life as an indicator for the outcome of care provided by nurses.

There is evidence of a relationship between pain and associated symptoms, specifically constipation and dyspnea, and quality of life. Literature supports that endstage lung cancer patients suffer more symptoms than those with other types of cancers, and the course of treatment is primarily palliative, as many of these diagnosed patients cannot be cured. The purpose of this secondary analysis of data was to evaluate the relationships between pain and other common symptoms in end stage lung cancer patients in hospice care, and the relationships among pain, dyspnea, constipation and quality of life. The study sample included fifty lung cancer patients admitted to a hospice program, reporting pain. A series of Pearson’s correlations were used to analyze relationships between the variables pain intensity, pain distress, dyspnea intensity, dyspnea distress, constipation intensity and the relationships of these variables with quality of life. The results showed positive significant correlations between pain intensity and pain distress (r = .44, p = .002), dyspnea intensity and dyspnea distress (r = .47, p = .001), and constipation intensity and quality of life (r = -.57, p = .013). Pain and the relief of pain have been studied extensively in cancer patients, yet little research has been done in the way of side effects of opioid use, specifically constipation. This study reinforces to vi nursing the importance of a thorough assessment upon admission to hospice, and at each subsequent nursing visit, which includes a bowel habit history, current medications in use, potential risk for developing constipation and management of constipation once it is present. Hospice patients with lung cancer are reporting a decrease in quality of life secondary to constipation. Prevention or rapid alleviation of this symptom will provide comfort and allow the patient to focus on important end of life tasks.

While the duration of the cancer illness may be shorter than that of other serious diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer caregivers provide many more hours of care during a week. Research directed at the intensive experience of caregiving of hospice cancer patients is needed as there is limited research of predictors of hospice cancer caregiver depression symptomatology. The purpose of the study was to examine predictors of depression symptomatology in caregivers of hospice cancer patients. A secondary analysis was conducted using baseline assessment data of patients and caregivers from a larger study of patient/caregiver dyads from two large hospices (NIH 5R01 NR 008252). Statistical methods included Pearson's, point bi-serial, and phi correlation. Multiple regression and logistic regression were used to examine prediction. The variables of wife caregiver, patient symptom global distress, and caregiver support satisfaction accounted for 13% of the variance in caregiver depression symptomatology as measured by the CES-D 10 (M = 2.97, SD = 2.15) in the patient/caregiver dyad sample (n = 578). Approximately 38% of the 578 caregivers had CES-D 10 scores of 4 or greater upon patient admission to hospice. CES-D 10 scores 4 or greater have been found predictive for a diagnosis of depression (Irwin, Artin and Oxman, 1999). Examining odd ratios, wife caregiver was positively predictive and caregiver support satisfaction was negatively predictive of CES-D 10 scores of 4 or greater. The results support the need for depression symptom screening of caregivers, the importance of support satisfaction and the need to examine additional caregiver factors, along with patient factors, that may contribute to depression symptomatology in caregivers of hospice cancer patients.

This study aimed to examine the quality of life (QOL) and well-being of haemodialysis patients and the relationship of two components of perceived expressed emotion (criticism/hostility and emotional over-involvement) and other psychosocial resources within the Conservation of Resources Model. Demographic variables and haemodialysis related information of patients, classified as resources, were also included in the study. One hundred and six haemodialysis patients voluntarily participated in the study. Before the main study, for evaluating the psychometric properties of the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS), Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), and Perceived Expressed Emotion Scale (PEES) a pilot study was conducted with the fifty-three haemodialysis patients. Results of the pilot study provided support for the reliability and validity of scales. For the main study, optimism, self-esteem, and perceived social support were taken as resources and were also included as measures. In order to test the main hypothesis of the studies a series of regression analyses were conducted. The results of the analysis revealed that predictors of well-being were age, self esteem, criticism/hostility factor of perceived expressed emotion and coping self-efficacy / predictors of physical health component of QOL were age, education, presence of additional diagnosis, and coping self-efficacy. Moreover, it was found that predictors of mental health component of QOL were the presence of additional diagnosis and coping self-efficacy / and predictors of the mean score of QOL were age, presence of additional diagnosis, self-esteem, and coping self-efficacy. Directions of the relationship between age, education, presence of additional diagnosis, and criticism/hostility were negative with the outcome variables, whereas, directions of the relationship between self-esteem and coping self-efficacy were positive with the outcome variables. The mediational role of coping self-efficacy in the association between resources and outcome variables were also investigated. Mediator effect of coping self-efficacy was found only for two variables. Firstly, the effect of duration of haemodialysis treatment was mediated by the coping self-efficacy for the well being measure. Second, coping self-efficacy carries the influence of the family income to the mean score of QOL. After discussing the findings of the present study in the light of the literature, the limitations and the clinical implications of the results and directions for the future studies were suggested.

No description available.

Background and aims: Constipation for patients in palliative care is common and described with variations in prevalence. Side -effects from opioid- treatment, is considered to be one of the main factors leading to constipation. The overall aim of the thesis was to study constipation among patients admitted to specialized palliative care- settings in Sweden. The specific aims of the thesis were 1) To describe and explore the prevalence, definition and symptom distress of constipation by applying different definitions of constipation, in patients admitted to specialized palliative care settings in Sweden. 2) To identify factors related to constipation in patients in specialized palliative care and comparing these factors for patients with different types of constipation to patients without constipation. Methods: A literature- search were conducted where prevalence of- and factors related to constipation was explored and included in a questionnaire, developed for this thesis. Data was collected in a cross- sectional design with a response rate of 50% and analysed with logistic regression. Results: A total of 485 patients from 38 specialized palliative care- units in Sweden participated. Prevalence of constipation for patients in specialized palliative care varied between 7- 43 % depending on definition used. Two different constipation- groups were identified: Medical constipation- group 23% (MCG) and Perceived constipation- group 35% (PCG). Three sub- groups was also identified: patients with i) only ≤ 3 defecations/week, 7%, ii) only perception of being constipated, 19%, and iii) patients with both ≤ 3 defecations/ week and perception of being constipated,16%. Several factors were found to be related to constipation as hospitalisation, absence of laxative- treatment, haemorrhoids, poor appetite, hard stool form and opioids. Conclusions: Prevalence of constipation may differ depending on definitions used. Distress from constipation and other factors related to constipation, than opioids, needs to be incorporated into the clinical constipation- assessment. Validated constipation assessment tool needs to be developed. / <p>The series name <em>Linköping University, Studies in Health Sciences, Thesis</em> in the Licentiate thesis is incorrect. The correct name is <em>Linköping Studies in Health Sciences. Thesis</em>.</p>