The evaluation of sleep and life quality in patients who have gastrointestinal system cancer diagnosis

THE EVALUATION OF SLEEP AND LIFE QUALITY IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM CANCER DIAGNOSIS This study was conducted as a descriptive study in order to investigate, evaluate and improve sleep and quality of life in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal system cancer. A total of 65 inpatients diagnosed with GIS cancer were included in the study at the General Surgery Department of a training and research hospital located in the European region of Istanbul between 01 March and 01 June 2018. The min-max age limits of the patients in the sample group were 35-85; the mean age was 62.87 ± 11.96. 40% of the patients are women and 60% are men. The mean duration disease of patients was 18.03 ± 34.20. The data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 21 questions, face to face interview using EORTC QLQ C-30 Quality of Life Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was found to be highly reliable at 0.857 in the general health score in the reliability analysis of EORTC-QLQ-C30 general quality of life scale. On the PSQI scale, the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was found to be highly reliable at 0.636. The functional quality of life scores of the patients was found 64.78% and the general health score was 40.38%. Sleep disorders are known to have a effect on gastrointestinal cancer disease process, sleep-wake cycle and sleep quality. It was found that the difficulty of sleeping in patients between 45-64 years of age was high. Nausea, vomiting, infections caused by cancer treatment, complications that may occur as a result of treatment and long term hospital stay were found to have a negative effect on the quality of life. It was found that the duration of sleep was shortened with increased nausea and vomiting (r: -,253, p: 0,042, p˂0,05). It has been found that the decrease in general well-being together with the difficulty in falling a sleep has increased (r: -,261, p: 0,036, p˂0,05). Key words: Gastrointestinal System Cancers, Quality of Life, Sleep Quality