Congress Abstracts 2006

84

THE RELATIONSHIP OF FATIGUE AND MEANING IN LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER. Paige Thompson, RN, DNSc(c), St. Luke's School of Nursing at Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA.

Fatigue has been reported as a frequent and significant side effect in cancer survivors. Patients who are confronted with a serious illness such as cancer tend to search for a meaning in that experience. A sense of meaning in life may be a psychological factor that influences the experience of fatigue. The results of this study suggest that a sense of meaning in life may be associated with decreased fatigue and overall symptoms in cancer survivors.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cancer-related fatigue and a sense of meaning in life. It was hypothesized that cancer survivors who report a greater sense of meaning in life would report less fatigue. This study contributes to the ONS research agenda in the area of cancer symptoms and psychosocial research in cancer survivors.

The middle range theory of unpleasant symptoms was used to guide this study. According to this theory, three categories of variables influence the various dimensions of unpleasant symptoms. These three variables are physiological factors, psychological factors, and situational factors.

This study used a cross-sectional, correlational design. Participants in this study were females 18 years of age and older who had completed their last treatment for primary breast cancer in the last 16 months. Instruments included the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), Life Attitude Profile (LAP), Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), and the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlation coefficients, and analysis of variance.

Significant negative correlations (p < .05) were found between the PFS total and two subscales and three of the LAP scales. Significant differences in mean scores on the PFS were found for stage of disease and use of anti-depressants. Significant differences in mean scores on the MSAS were found for stage of disease, religion, number of household members, and use of nutritional supplements. Findings suggest that meaning in life may contribute to cancer-related fatigue and overall symptoms and should be further studied and possibly be the focus of interventions for fatigue.

Funding Sources: Amgen