Evalation of chemotherapy induced alopecia perception and holistic well being in cancer patients

Daha sonra doldurulacaktır.ABSTRACT "Evalation of Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia Perception and Holistic Well Being in Cancer Patients", Trakya University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Master's Thesis, Edirne, 2024. Background and Aim: This descriptive and cross-sectional study examined the effect of chemotherapy on cancer patients' perceptions of alopecia and holistic well-being. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 207 patients treated in the Medical Oncology Clinic of a university hospital between October 2022 and March 2023. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information questionnaire, the Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Quality of Life Scale, the Alopecia Management Scale, and the Holistic Well-Being Scale, Descriptive statistics (number, percentage, mean, etc.) were used for categorical variables. The data were analyzed using the independent-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation test and multivariate linear regression modeling. Results: Participants had a mean age of 58.93±11.88 years. Most participants were women (72.9%) and married (83.1%). More than half of the participants were diagnosed with gynecological cancer (56%). Most participants experienced severe alopecia (84%). Participants had a mean Alopecia Management Scale score of 57.49±4.62. They had a mean Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Quality of Life Scale score of 64.05±17.65. They had a mean Holistic Well-Being Scale score of 145.60±17.01. Age, living alone, knowing that one's hair will grow back, and seeing hair loss as a deficiency affected their Alopecia Management Scale scores (p<0.05). Gender, alcohol consumption, diagnosis, level of hair loss, seeing hair loss as a deficiency, and needing psychological support affected their Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Quality of Life Scale scores (p<0.05). Education, working actively, performance score, receiving additional chemotherapy, and seeing hair loss as a deficiency affected their Holistic Well-Being Scale scores (p<0.05). Participants with higher perceptions of alopecia had significantly lower quality of life (r=; -0.355; p<0.001) and holistic well-being (r=-0.202; p=0.003). In addition, participants with higher chemotherapy-induced alopecia quality of life had significantly higher holistic well-being (r=0.532; p<0.001). Living alone and seeing hair loss as a deficiency affected their perceptions of alopecia. Increased holistic well-being and seeing hair loss as a deficiency affected their alopecia-related quality of life. High educational level and high alopecia-related quality of life increased their holistic well-being (p<0.05). Conclusion: Patients had moderate perceptions of alopecia and holistic well-being. There is a negative correlation between perception of alopecia and holistic well-being. Sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics (age, gender, diagnosis, hair loss level, education level, employment status, etc.) affect their perceptions of alopecia and holistic well-being. The results suggest that alopecia affects cancer patients physically, mentally, and socially. Therefore, nurses should evaluate the symptoms of alopecia by taking into account the sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics of patients with cancer and plan appropriate nursing interventions. Keywords: Cancer patient, chemotherapy, alopecia, well being, nursing care.