Predictors of self-care in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy

The purpose of this study was to examine, within a theoretical framework derived from Orem's conceptual model of nursing, whether self-care can be predicted jointly by social support and the selected basic conditioning factors of age, marital and socioeconomic status, living arrangements, and stage and site of cancer. A convenience sample of 112 adult cervical and head/neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy was obtained from radiotherapy outpatient clinics in three hospitals located in Bangkok, Thailand. Multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Socioeconomic status and social support were significant predictors of self-care, whereas stage and site of cancer seemed to predict self-care indirectly through social support. The findings are discussed in terms of the validity of Orem's self-care model. Implications for practice and further study are explored.