Asian Nurs Res.  2017 Sep;11(3):174-179. 10.1016/j.anr.2017.07.001.

Protective Factors of Demoralization among Cancer Patients in Taiwan: An Age-matched and Gender-matched Study

• Li YC
• Ho CH
• Wang HH

• KMID: 2416439
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2017.07.001

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to explore the protective factors of demoralization in cancer patients via investigation of cancer patients' demographic and disease characteristics.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. We used a structured questionnaire, which contained items on demographic and disease characteristics, as well as the Demoralization Scale Mandarin Version (DS-MV), with a cutoff of 30 or more indicating high demoralization. Data were analyzed with age-matched and gender-matched conditional logistic regression analysis. For the study, 428 questionnaires were delivered and 411 were recovered. After being age-matched and gender-matched, 182 participants of high demoralization (DS-MV > 30) and low demoralization (DS-MV ≤ 30) were obtained respectively, for a total of 364 participants.
RESULTS
Cancer patients' demoralization was significantly related to family support (p = .019), education (p = .049), and monthly income (p = .001). Family support [odds ratio = 0.38; p = .028; 95% confidence interval (0.16, 0.91)] and monthly income [odds ratio = 0.49; p = .009; 95% confidence interval (0.29, 0.84)] were protective factors of demoralization in cancer patients.
CONCLUSION
Early and appropriate demoralization assessment of cancer patients' demographic and disease characteristics is very important in clinical settings. Healthcare providers might regularly monitor demoralization in cancer patients, and develop related nursing care guidelines or treatment for demoralization in cancer patients. The study results can be a reference for healthcare providers who work with cancer patients.

Keyword

cancer; odds ratio; protective factors

MeSH Terms

Education
Health Personnel
Humans
Logistic Models
Nursing Care
Odds Ratio
Protective Factors*
Taiwan*