A Structural Model for Health Promotion and Quality of Life in People with Cancer

Oh, Pok Ja

Abstract

It has been noted that a genetic alteration of cells influenced by unhealthy lifestyle in addition to a series of other carcinogens increases the incidence of various neoplasmic diseases. Therefore the importance of a lifestyle that minimizes such an impact on health should be emphasized. Since stomach cancer, the most common neoplasmic disease in Korea, is related to personal lifestyle and as there is a possibility of its recurrence, patients with stomach cancer need to lead a healthy lifestyle. Also the quality of life which patients experience is negatively affected by the side effects of treatments and the possibility of recurrence. Therefore an effective nursing intervention to enhance quality of life and encourage healthy lifestyle is needed. The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for nursing intervention strategies to promote health and thus enhance quality of life. A hypothetical model for this purpose was constructed based on Pender's Health Promotion Model and Becker's Health Belief Model, with the inclusion of some influential factors such as hope for quality of life and health promoting behavior. The aims of study were to: 1) evaluate the effectiveness of patient's cognitive-perceptual factors on health promoting behaviors and quality of life; 2) examine the causal relationships among perceived benefit, perceived barrier, perceived susceptibility and severity, internal locus of control, perceived health status, hope, health concept, self efficacy, self esteem, health promoting behaviors and quality of life; 3) build and test a global hypothetical model. The subjects for this study were 164 patients who were being treated for stomach cancer were approached in the outpatient clinic on a University Hospital. The data from the completed questionnaires were analyzed using Linear Structural Relationships (LISREL). The results of research are as follows: 1) Hypothetical model and the modified model showed a good fit to the empirical data, revealing considerable explanational power for health promoting behaviors(54.9%) and quality of life(87.6%) 2) Self efficacy and hope had significant effects on health promoting behaviors. Of these, hope was affected indirectly through self efficacy and self esteem. 3) Perceived health status, hope and self esteem had significant direct effect on the quality of life. Of these variables, perceived health status was the most essential factor affecting general satisfaction in life. 4) Self-efficacy, as a mediating variable, was positively affected by perceived benifit and hope. 5) Self-esteem, as a mediating variable, was positively affected by perceived health status and hope. 6) Hope was the main variable affecting self efficacy, self esteem, health promoting behaviors and quality of life. The derived model in this study could effectively be used as a reference model for further study and could suggests a direction for nursing practices.