Using latent transition analysis in nursing research to explore change over time

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Quantitative Methods

Background:

• Latent transition analysis (LTA) is a statistical method for modeling changes in categorical variables over time.
• While established in social sciences, LTA has not been widely adopted in nursing research.
• This study introduces LTA to nursing by applying it to a cancer pain management intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of latent transition analysis (LTA) in nursing research.
• To analyze a secondary dataset from a randomized control trial on a psychoeducational intervention for cancer pain management barriers.
• To identify patient subgroups benefiting from the intervention and the direction of change in attitudinal barriers and pain symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Latent transition analysis (LTA) was employed to model changes in patient attitudes.
• A class structure was defined based on individuals' barrier patterns.
• Demographic predictors and pain outcomes were incorporated, and transitions between classes were modeled.

Main Results:

• Two distinct patient classes emerged: Low Barriers and High Barriers.
• Older, less educated individuals were more prevalent in the High Barriers class at baseline.
• While pain outcomes did not differ significantly between classes, intervention recipients were more likely to transition to the Low Barriers class.

Conclusions:

• Latent transition analysis (LTA) provides valuable insights into intervention effectiveness for specific patient groups.
• LTA is a powerful tool for nursing researchers, simplifying complex categorical data into interpretable patterns.
• The method offers flexibility and extensions for deeper understanding of change processes in healthcare interventions.