Managing One's Symptoms: A Qualitative Study of Low-Income African Americans With Advanced Cancer.
Managing One's Symptoms: A Qualitative Study of Low-Income African Americans With Advanced Cancer.
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DOI：
10.1097/ncc.0000000000000284
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发表时间：
2016-07
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Bauer-Wu S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Yeager KA;Sterk CE;Quest TE;DiIorio C;Vena C;Bauer-Wu S
非洲裔美国人罹患晚期癌症的比率高得不成比例，在较低的社会经济阶层中也有不成比例的比例。这些人努力管理症状，以便发挥作用并拥有令人满意的生活质量。这项研究的目的是发现患有晚期癌症的低收入非裔美国成年人在日常生活中是如何缓解和管理症状的。这项研究将这些人视为专家，询问他们的不是被告知要做什么，而是他们实际做了什么。有目的的样本27人参加了由两名研究采访者进行的半结构式访谈。这种定性描述方法使用内容分析来开发描述症状自我管理的主题。参与者描述了两种方法：不断调整和通过灵性找到稳定。为了从症状的痛苦中寻求安慰，他们不断地改变自己的活动和微调策略。他们调整了医疗方案，改变了日常活动的速度和选择，包括舒适措施和饮食调整。相比之下，他们的灵性是他们生活中持续存在的东西，为他们不稳定的症状体验提供了平衡。这项研究表明，晚期癌症患者积极采取多种复杂的自我管理策略来应对症状。当提供者评估个人如何管理他们的症状时，他们必须找到支持这些努力的方法。然后，提供者将认识到晚期癌症患者在管理多种症状、活动和家庭责任的同时获得最佳生活质量所面临的挑战。
African Americans endure disproportionately high advanced cancer rates and also are disproportionately represented in the lower socioeconomic strata. These individuals work to manage symptoms in order to function and have a satisfactory quality of life. The purpose of this study was to discover what low-income African American adults with advanced cancer do on a day-to-day basis to relieve and manage symptoms. This study viewed the individuals as experts and asked them not what they are told to do, but rather what they actually do. A purposive sample of 27 individuals participated in semi-structured interviews conducted by two research interviewers. This qualitative descriptive approach used content analysis to develop themes to describe symptom self-management. Participants described two approaches: making continual adjustments and finding stability through spirituality. In seeking comfort from the distress of their symptoms, they were constantly altering their activities and fine-tuning strategies. They adjusted medical regimens and changed the speed and selection of daily activities, including comfort measures and diet modifications. In contrast, their spirituality was a consistent presence in their lives that provided balance to their unstable symptom experience. This study illustrates that people with advanced cancer actively engage in multiple complex self-management strategies in response to symptoms. As providers assess how individuals manage their symptoms, they must find ways to support those efforts. Providers then will recognize the challenges faced by advanced cancer patients in obtaining the best quality of life while managing multiple symptoms, activities, and family responsibilities.