The Relationship Between Demographic And Clinical Factors And Cancer-Related Fatigue

Abstract

Introduction and Objective: One of the most common and debilitating cancer-related problems experienced by patients at any stage of the disease is fatigue. The present study aimed at determining the relationship between demographic and clinical factors with cancer-related fatigue in patients referring to oncology clinics of selected hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2018.Methods: The present study is a descriptive-correlational one. As many as 160 cancer patients entered the present study. These patients had already referred to oncology clinics of selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2018. The participants were selected based convenience sampling. Data collection tools included demographic information and a multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory short form, the validity of which was assessed by ten professors of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, at Shahid Beheshti University. Moreover, for the reliability of the questionnaire by internal consistency method, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was reported to be 81%. After collecting data, the data obtained from the study were analyzed using SPSS-22.Results: According to the results of the present study in which 160 cancer patients entered, the mean age of patients was 55.51 ± 14.27 years; Most of the patients were married men. The results of independent t-test to compare the mean total score of fatigue in patients with a family history of cancer and patients without a history showed a significant difference (P = 0.016, t = 2.429). However, no significant difference was observed between the mean total score of fatigue in patients with a history of drug use and patients with no history of drug use (P = 0.314, t = -1.010). The results of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there was no significant difference between marital status and general level of fatigue (P = 0.122, F = 1.961).Conclusion: In the present study, the type of treatment and family history of cancer were factors that were associated with cancer-related fatigue. Therefore, in addition to providing physical care and nursing interventions, giving due attention to the demographic and clinical components of cancer patients can play an effective role in treating fatigue in these patients.