Experiences of weight management during rehabilitation in breast cancer survivors: A qualitative study

Weight management plays an important role in the recovery period of breast cancer patients, which has a positive impact on prognosis and survival. This study aims to explore the weight management experience in terms of cognitive and emotional dimensions under the guidance of Experience Based Co-Design (EBCD).

This study used a purposive sampling method to select 26 breast cancer patients in the breast department of a tertiary general hospital in Shanghai, China, who were recovering from breast cancer from May 2023 to October 2023; semi-structured interviews were conducted using the phenomenological research method; and Van Manen's hermeneutic-phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data and refine the themes.

A total of 3 themes and 9 sub-themes have been extracted: 1) Orientation to encounter difficulties and seek solutions (sub-themes were "Knowing but not doing", "Avoiding exercise due to illness" and "Reshaping Dietary Rules"); 2) Nascence to face reality bravely (sub-themes were "Health above all", "Power of role models" and "Release from being a patient"); and 3) Self-renewal to transcend the ego (sub-themes were "Responsibility to be healthy", "Spiritual growth" and "Sustenance of life").

By means of EBCD, the experience of weight management during breast cancer rehabilitation is influenced by emotion, habit and culture. Patients demonstrate a clear need for weight management, facing various facilitators and obstacles related to physical, mental, and social aspects. Key factors that encourage breast cancer patients to engage in weight management include guidance, emotional support, and proactive behavior. These insights can inform the development of targeted interventions to enhance the weight management experience for breast cancer survivors.