Congress Abstracts 2003

58

SLEEP, FATIGUE, AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND MATCHED HEALTHY WOMEN EXPERIENCING HOT FLASHES. Julie Elam, RN, MSN, OCN^®, Janet S. Carpenter, PhD, RN,Shelia H. Ridner, PhD(c), RN, Pamela Carney, BSN, RN, Gloria J. Cherry, BA, RN, Heather Cucullu, BSN, RN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN.

Purpose/Objectives: (1) to compare sleep quality and disturbance, fatigue and depressive symptoms between breast cancer survivors (BCS) and healthy women (HW) experiencing hot flashes and (2) to examine relationships between sleep and remaining variables (fatigue, depressive symptoms,and hot flash frequency).

Theoretical/scientific framework: Lenz Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative study.

Sample: 15 BCS and 15 HW matched on age, race, and menopausal status from a University based outpatient setting. All women had untreated hot flashes (no hormone replacement therapy or other hot flash treatments).

Methods: Questionnaires (sleep quality and disturbance, fatigue, and depression), two ambulatory 24-hour sternal skin conductance monitoring sessions (hot flash frequency), and medical records review.

Data analysis: t-tests, chi square, Mann -Whitney, Pearson correlation,and nonparametric Spearman’s rho. Findings: The majority evidenced poor sleep quality and high sleep disturbance (73% of BCS and 67% of HW above a cutoff score of 5). Sleep duration was significantly shorter for BCS in comparison to HW (p < .05). Nighttime flashes were experienced by 67% of BCS and 37% of HW. No group differences were found fatigue, depressive symptoms, or objective hot flash frequency. Global sleep scores were significantly correlated with fatigue and depression, but not with hot flash frequency.

Conclusions: Findings suggest sleep disturbance is common in menopausal BCS and HW, is not necessarily related to hot flashes, and may stem from a multifactorial etiology.

Implications for Nursing Practice: Menopausal BCS who present with any one of these symptoms should be screened for all symptoms both during and after treatment.