Determination of factors associated with quality of life in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Kayıkcı Gül, E., Determination of Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplanted Individuals, Hacettepe University Graduate School of Health Sciences Surgical Diseases Nursing Program Master's Thesis, Ankara, 2023. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the factors associated with quality of life in individuals undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The population of the study consisted of patients who underwent HSCT at least 2 months before the study date in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Oncology Hospital. The study included 80 patients who met the criteria for inclusion in the sample with a known sample calculation. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the "Patient Identifying Information Form" and "Cancer Treatment Functional Assessment Scale- Bone Marrow Transplantation" forms. Descriptive statistics (number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median), Kruskal-Wallis, Mann Whitney-U tests were used in the statistical analysis of the data. All patients reported experiencing fatigue and anxiety. Weight loss, disturbance in sleep patterns, pain, loss of taste and disturbance in sexual function were the most frequently reported symptoms, while itching and dizziness were the least common symptoms. The FACT-BMT total scale score (89.84±24.99) indicates that patients' quality of life was moderately affected. Social/Family Well-Being (21.41±4.92) was the least affected quality of life domain in patients who underwent HSCT. Functional Well-Being (14.60±6.64), Emotional Well-Being (15.75±6.41) and Physical Well-Being (18.50±7.65) were found to be the most negatively affected QoL domains. Sociodemographic characteristics such as education level, marital status, income status and treatment process characteristics such as having a history of rehospitalization after transplantation and prolonged length of stay were found to affect quality of life (p<0.05). According to the results of the study, it is recommended to determine the factors affecting the quality of life of patients after HSCT, to evaluate the process with a holistic approach in terms of physical, social and emotional aspects, to eliminate the problems and to improve the quality of life of patients with nursing care.