A longitudinal study on the changes in the self-efficacy of breast cancer patients during adjuvant chemotherapy.
Chiao-Chi Kuan, Wen-Hung Kuo, Shu-Hui Chang and 1 others
PMID 36448570WHAT IT FOUND
Patients starting breast cancer chemotherapy reported lower confidence before the first cycle than before later cycles.
Confidence rose after the first cycle and stayed similar before the final cycle.
Key findings
01Self-efficacy was significantly higher before the second and final chemotherapy cycles than before the first cycle, after adjusting for religious belief.
02Self-efficacy did not differ significantly between before the second and before the final chemotherapy cycles.
03Religious belief was the only demographic factor significantly linked to self-efficacy before the first cycle, with mean scores 2.84 and 2.50.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Patients were recruited from one medical centre in northern Taiwan using purposive sampling, so the results may not represent other breast cancer populations. The study included 130 completed participants and excluded patients with a history of mental illness, so generalisability is limited. The design observed self-efficacy over time. It did not test a treatment or nurse-led intervention, so it cannot show what caused the change. Quality of life was not measured during the first chemotherapy cycle. Family support was mentioned by patients but was not measured as a variable. Religious belief was significantly associated only before the first cycle and was not significant after adjustment, so its role is unclear.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the increase in self-efficacy after the first chemotherapy cycle as evidence that a nurse-led education or support programme works. The study only measured patients' self-reported confidence at three time points and did not test an intervention.