A study on life quality and related factors of patients who take chemotherapy in the units of adult oncology and hematology of Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Balcalı Hospital

ABSTRACTA Study on Life Quality and Related Factors of Patients Who Take Chemotherapyin the Units of Adult Oncology and Hematology of Cukurova University, Facultyof Medicine, Balcalı HospitalThe Life Quality, which is defined as perception of one?s own situation inhis culture and in the system his values, also comprises one?s meeting all needs,satisfaction of life, self-respect, good performance in social and inter personalrelations. This work aims to study life quality and related factors of patients whotake chemotherapy.The universe of our study, which is planned as descriptive, is the patientswho take chemotherapy in the units of adult oncology and hematology ofÇukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Balcalı Hospital. A data formconsisting socio-demographic information of patients and a questionnaireconsisting questions according to EORTC QLO-C30 Life Quality Scale is alsoapplied to 150 patients who have accepted to participate with the permission ofhospital administration, during November 2005 and February 2006.Age average of patients who have participate in the study is 39.60±14.51and 36.0% of them graduated from elementary school, 76.7% of them aremarried, 46.0% of them have 1-3 children, 53.3% of them lives in towns, 43.3% ofthem has SSK as social security, 85.3% of them defined their economical status asmedium, 40.0% of them are housewife, 59.3% of them lives with their spouse andchildren at home and 82.7% of them state that chemotherapy handicaps theirresponsibilities at home. When the life quality points of patients are examined,there was no meaningful relation with gender, marital status, social security andworking situations, but when the relation with education status is examined, as thelevel of education is raised, the life quality also raises, age and general well-beingsituation (p=0.02) and economical situation (p=0.01) has meaningful correlation,when the relation with therapy situations is examined, it is statistically meaningful(p=0.01) and getting training about chemotherapy, positively effects patients?thoughts (59.3%) for the future.As a result of this study, it is observed that, the life quality of patients isaffected in general speaking. The results will be used in the training about whatkind of nursing care the patients should take during chemotherapy.Keywords: Patient, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Scale, Life Qualityxii