Effects of Rehabilitation Program on Quality of Life, Sleep, Rest-Activity Rhythms, Anxiety, and Depression of Patients With Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

BackgroundEsophageal cancer patients experience severe symptoms and poor quality of life.ObjectiveWe examined the effects of a rehabilitation program on quality of life, sleep, rest-activity rhythms, anxiety, and depression of esophageal cancer patients.MethodsForty-four patients with esophageal cancer were randomly assigned to an experimental group, which underwent a 12-week brisk walking and diet education program, or a control group, which received standard care. Health-related quality of life, subjective and objective sleep quality, rest-activity rhythms, anxiety, and depression were assessed at baseline and post intervention.ResultsA generalized estimating equation analysis revealed that, after intervention, compared with the control group, the experimental group exhibited significantly improved reflux (P = .022; effect size, 0.32) and marginally improved emotional (P = .069; effect size, 0.27) and social (P = .069; effect size, 0.27) functions; constipation (P = .050; effect size, 0.29), eating difficulty (P = .058; effect size, 0.27), anxiety (P = .050; effect size, 0.29), and total sleep time (P = .068; effect size, 0.39).ConclusionsThe rehabilitation program may improve health-related quality of life and sleep and alleviate anxiety in patients with esophageal cancer.Implications for PracticeA rehabilitation program comprising exercise and diet education is a feasible and low-cost intervention for improving quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer. Healthcare team members may consider it as a nonpharmacological treatment option for patients.

Factors That Influence Occupational Engagement of Young Adults Who Are Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study

“…A majority of participants felt that there were times when they did not get enough rest or sleep. This information is consistent with the current literature regarding occupations (Chen et al, 2022; Megari, 2021; Neo et al, 2017). The occupation of rest and sleep was desired and often necessary for participants who reported sleep difficulties, low energy level, and resulting fatigue.…”

Predictors of adherence, contamination and dropout in home‐based walking by lung and oesophageal cancer patients from two randomised control trials: An exploratory study

“…We analysed two published parent studies (Chen et al, 2016(Chen et al, , 2021, both of which were two-armed, parallel- and November 2021. We investigated the follow-up data obtained during Week 13 of the intervention to assess exercise adherence and its predictors in the walking group, contamination rate and its predictors in the control group and dropout rate and its predictors in all groups.…”

“…We analysed two published parent studies (Chen et al, 2016, 2021; Chen, Tsai, et al, 2015), both of which were two‐armed, parallel‐designed RCTs of 12‐week home‐based walking interventions offered to lung and oesophageal cancer patients. The two RCTs were registered online at http://www.chictr.org.cn/enIndex.aspx (No.…”

“…The exercise protocol is available on the British Journal of Cancer website at https://www.nature.com/articles/bjc2016356 (Chen et al, 2016), in the section titled ‘Supplementary Material B: Instructions for a home‐based walking exercise program’ in the Supplementary Information document. Details of the exercise programme have been published in three articles (Chen et al, 2021, 2016; Chen, Tsai, et al, 2015).…”

“…One study showed that age and depression levels influenced dropout rates in prostate cancer patients (Culos‐Reed et al, 2010). Two others found that higher pretrial depression scores, poorer rest‐activity circadian rhythms and poorer pretrial physical functioning influenced dropout rates among patients with lung and oesophageal cancers (Chen et al, 2021; Chen, Tsai, et al, 2015). However, research on the predictors of dropout rates in home‐based walking interventions among lung and oesophageal cancer patients is limited.…”