A Study of Self-Care Practice in Routine Radiotherapy Care: Identifying Differences Between Practitioners and...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Patient Care
• Health Behaviors

Background:

• Self-care is crucial for managing cancer treatment side effects.
• Understanding self-care practices during radiotherapy is essential for patient support.
• Variations in self-care may exist based on patient characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe self-care practices among cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
• To identify differences in self-care based on sociodemographic, clinical, functional, and quality-of-life factors.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study involving 439 patients undergoing radiotherapy.
• Patients completed questionnaires on self-care, sociodemographics, clinical factors, function, and quality of life.
• Response rate was 87%.

Main Results:

• 43% of patients practiced at least one self-care strategy, with 332 practices identified across 14 categories.
• Common self-care strategies included physical activity, recovery, healthy eating, distraction, and skincare.
• Patients who were married, older than 69, less educated, received combined radiotherapy, experienced fewer symptoms, or had better quality of life were less likely to practice self-care.

Conclusions:

• Slightly less than half of patients undergoing radiotherapy engage in self-care.
• Older and less-educated patients are less likely to practice self-care.
• Healthcare providers should focus on supporting these specific patient groups with their self-care needs.