Korean J Health Promot.  2022 Jun;22(2):84-92. 10.15384/kjhp.2022.22.2.84.

Nurses’ Attitude and Practice Regarding Sexual Health Care in Patients with Cancer

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Clinical Nursing, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Background
The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of attitude and practice regarding sexual health care in patients with cancer among nurses.
Methods
This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. Participants were 152 nurses who care patients with cancer at a general hospital in Gangwon province. Data were collected from November 7 to 10, 2016 using self-report questionnaire including each 17 item of sexual health care scale-practice and attitude.
Results
The subjects’ average age was 29.8±6.3 years, and oncology nursing experience was 7.3±6.2 years. Nurses’ attitude was the average score of 26.6 out of 51. Practice was 2.63 out of 21. Formal education about sexual health care (t=2.01, P=0.048) had significant influenced on nurses’ attitude and age (F=4.45, P=0.013) and working site (F=3.28, P=0.013) on nurses’ practice. The relationship between nurses´attitude and practice toward cancer patients´ sexual health nursing was statistically significant (r=0.33, P=0.001).
Conclusions
The findings of this study indicate that it is imminent for nurses to acquire various information about sexual problems with patients during cancer treatment. Educational programs for sexual health care for nurses need to be developed to provide cancer patients to improve their sexual health.

Keyword

Sexual health; Attitude; Practice; Neoplasm; Nurse

Reference

1. Statistic Korea. Deaths and death rates by cause [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistic Korea;2020. [cited Feb 10, 2022]. Available from: https://kosis.kr/statisticsList/statisticsListIndex.do?vwcd=MT_ZTITLE&menuId=M_01_01.
2. Lavin M, Hyde A. Sexuality as an aspect of nursing care for women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer in an Irish context. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2006; 10(1):10–8.
Article
3. World Health Organization. World Health Organization. Sexual and reproductive health [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization;2022. [cited Jun 18, 2022]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/sexual-health#tab=tab_2.
4. Kim HW, Jung YY, Park S. Evaluation and application of the Korean version of the sexuality attitudes and beliefs survey for nurses. J Korean Acad Nurs. 2012; 42(6):889–97.
Article
5. Algier L, Kav S. Nurses' approach to sexuality-related issues in patients receiving cancer treatments. Turk J Cancer. 2008; 38(3):135–41.
6. Cort EM, Attenborough J, Watson JP. An initial exploration of community mental health nurses' attitudes to and experience of sexuality-related issues in their work with people experiencing mental health problems. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2001; 8(6):489–99.
Article
7. Magnan MA, Reynolds KE, Galvin EA. Barriers to addressing patient sexuality in nursing practice. Medsurg Nurs. 2005; 14(5):282–9. quiz 290.
8. Lee SY. A study on sexual life of cancer patients [dissertation]. Seoul: Ewha Womans University;2006. Korean.
9. Chae YH, Song YO, Oh ST, Lee WH, Min YM, Kim HM, et al. Sexual health care attitudes and practices of nurses caring for patients with cancer. Asian Oncology Nursing. 2015; 15(1):28–36.
Article
10. Kim JH, Kim S, Kang HS. Development of a sexual health care scale-practice (SHCS-P) for oncology nursing care. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2010; 16(4):360–9.
Article
11. Kim S, Kang HS, Kim JH. A sexual health care attitude scale for nurses: development and psychometric evaluation. Int J Nurs Stud. 2011; 48(12):1522–32.
Article
12. Lion EM. Human sexuality in nursing process. Seoul: Hyunmoonsa;2002.
13. Stead ML, Brown JM, Fallowfield L, Selby P. Lack of communication between healthcare professionals and women with ovarian cancer about sexual issues. Br J Cancer. 2003; 88(5):666–71.
Article
14. West E, Barron DN, Reeves R. Overcoming the barriers to patient-centred care: time, tools and training. J Clin Nurs. 2005; 14(4):435–43.
Article
15. Kim JH. Gender role attitudes and barriers in korean nurses when addressing patients’ sexual health. J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs. 2009; 16(3):282–9.
16. Fogel CI, Lauver D. Sexual health promotion. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Saunders;1989.
17. Vadaparampil ST, Gwede CK, Meade C, Kelvin J, Reich RR, Reinecke J, et al. ENRICH: a promising oncology nurse training program to implement ASCO clinical practice guidelines on fertility for AYA cancer patients. Patient Educ Couns. 2016; 99(11):1907–10.
Article
18. Kim MK. Application and development of fertility preservation among young breast cancer patients [unpublished manuscript]. Seoul: University of Ulsan;2018. Korean.
19. Annon JS. The PLISSIT model: a proposed conceptual scheme for the behavioral treatment of sexual problems. J Sex Educ Ther. 1976; 2(1):1–15.
Article
Full Text Links
  • KJHP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr