Optimizing eHealth breast cancer interventions: which types of eHealth services are effective?

Little is known about the effective elements of Interactive Cancer Communication Systems (ICCSs). A randomized trial explored which types of services of a multifaceted ICCS benefited patients and the nature of the benefit. Women with breast cancer (N=450) were randomized to different types of ICCS services or to a control condition that provided internet access.

Associations with worry about dying and hopelessness in ambulatory ovarian cancer patients.

Objective: Women with ovarian cancer face a poor prognosis, with prolonged periods of treatment but relatively high levels of physical functioning. Their thoughts and feelings regarding the prospect of dying are complex and have not been adequately studied. Various demographic, medical and psychosocial factors were examined to determine their independent associations with fear of dying and hopelessness in a cross-sectional design.

Effects of treatment factors, comorbidities and health-related quality of life on self-efficacy for physical activity in cancer survivors.

Objective: The physical and psychological benefits of exercise for cancer survivors are well documented. Researchers have examined self-efficacy (SE) as a target for promoting exercise; however, the predictors of SE, including treatment factors and comorbidities, have not been examined extensively. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to examine how variables related to cancer and cancer treatment, comorbid health problems, health-related quality of life (QOL), and depression relate to SE for physical activity in cancer survivors.

Sexual dysfunction and spousal communication in couples coping with prostate cancer.

Objective: To characterize the sexual function of both prostate cancer patients and their partners, and to examine whether associations between sexual dysfunction and psychosocial adjustment vary depending on spousal communication patterns.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 116 prostate cancer patients and their partners completed psychosocial questionnaires.

Results: Patients and partners reported high rates of sexual dysfunction.

Effects of relationship maintenance on psychological distress and dyadic adjustment among couples coping with lung cancer.

Objective: Relationship maintenance strategies help to ensure the continuation of valued relationships by keeping them at a certain level of intimacy. This study evaluated how lung cancer patients' and spouses' efforts to maintain their relationships affected their psychological and marital adjustment over time.

Design: Psychosocial questionnaires were administered within 1 month of lung cancer treatment initiation (baseline) and 3 and 6 months later to 158 lung cancer patients and their spouses.

Lung cancer patients and their spouses: psychological and relationship functioning within 1 month of treatment initiation.

Background: Lung cancer morbidity and mortality may increase the risk for distress in couples facing this malignancy.

Purpose: We examined the prevalence of psychological and relationship distress in lung cancer patients and their spouses, predictors of psychological distress for both, and whether relationship satisfaction moderated the relation between patient and spouse distress.

Methods: Participants (169 patients and 167 spouses) completed questionnaires provided during clinic appointments at baseline (within one month of treatment initiation) and through the mail 3 and 6 months later.

Does talking about their relationship affect couples' marital and psychological adjustment to lung cancer?

Introduction: Relationship talk refers to talking with a partner about the relationship, what one needs from one's partner, and/or the relationship implications of a shared stressor. This prospective study examined the effects of relationship talk on couples' psychosocial adaptation to lung cancer.

Methods: A total of 169 patients (63% male) and 167 of their partners completed a series of questionnaires within 4-weeks of treatment initiation for newly diagnosed lung cancer (baseline).

A social comparison theory analysis of group composition and efficacy of cancer support group programs.

Group-based psychosocial programs provide an effective forum for improving mood and social support for cancer patients. Because some studies show more benefit for patients with initially high psychosocial distress, and little or no benefit for patients with initially low distress, support programs may better address patient needs by only including distressed patients. However, distressed patients may benefit particularly from the presence of nondistressed patients who model effective coping, an idea many researchers and extensions of social comparison theory support.

Mode effects in the center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D) scale: personal digital assistant vs. paper and pencil administration.

As interest grows in creating computerized versions of established paper-and-pencil (P&P) questionnaires, it becomes increasingly important to explore whether changing the administration modes of questionnaires affects participants' responses. This study investigated whether mode effects exist when administering the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale by a personal digital assistant (PDA) versus the classic P&P mode. The Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) procedure identified mode effects on the overall test and individual items.

Moderator analyses of participants in the Active for Life after cancer trial: implications for physical activity group intervention studies.

Background: Prostate cancer patients on hormonal therapy experience significant treatment-related physical and psychological sequelae.

Purpose: We examined moderator variables to determine whether certain participants demonstrated quality of life (QOL) benefits from a group-based lifestyle physical activity program compared to a group-based educational support program and standard care.

Methods: Participants were 134 prostate cancer patients on continuous androgen ablation in a controlled trial that used adaptive allocation.

Randomized pilot test of a lifestyle physical activity intervention for breast cancer survivors.

Objective: This paper will report the results of a pilot test of a 6-month, 21-session intervention to increase breast cancer survivors' physical activity by teaching them to incorporate short periods of moderate activity into their daily routines (lifestyle intervention). The effect of the intervention on physical performance, quality of life, and physical activity are reported.

Methods: Sixty breast cancer survivors were randomized to either a lifestyle intervention or a standard care control group.

Mood states associated with transitory physical symptoms among breast and ovarian cancer survivors.

This study used electronic diaries to examine patterns of mood and physical symptoms within and across days in two independent samples of cancer patients. Twenty-three breast cancer survivors (post-treatment) and 33 ovarian cancer survivors (on chemotherapy) recorded mood and physical symptoms 4 times daily for 7 consecutive days. A series of repeated-measures multilevel models using SAS Proc Mixed were calculated to estimate the degree to which physical symptoms (e.

Active for Life After Cancer: a randomized trial examining a lifestyle physical activity program for prostate cancer patients.

Background: Active for Life After Cancer is a randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of a 6-month group-based lifestyle physical activity program (Lifestyle) for prostate cancer patients to improve quality of life (QOL) including physical and emotional functioning compared to a group-based Educational Support Program and a Standard Care Program (no group).

Method: A total of 134 prostate cancer patients receiving continuous androgen-ablation were randomly assigned to one of the three study conditions.

Results: Results indicated no significant improvements in QOL at 6 or 12 months.

Social constraints and spousal communication in lung cancer.

The Social Cognitive Processing Model suggests that talking with others facilitates cognitive and emotional processing of experiences such as cancer if the social context in which these discussions take place is supportive and positive. Despite this, patients and spouses may inadvertently constrain each other's attempts to process and cope with the disease. To our knowledge, no previous studies have directly examined the effect of lung cancer on the spousal relationship.

Stage of change movement across three health behaviors: the role of self-efficacy.

Purpose: In this study, we examined the influence of self-efficacy in predicting stage of change (SOC) movement, without intervention, over a 1-month period for smoking cessation, exercise adoption, and dietary fat reduction.

Design: The design of this study was longitudinal. Patients' stage of change and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline, and stage of change was reassessed at a 1-month follow-up.

Quality of life intervention for prostate cancer patients: design and baseline characteristics of the active for life after cancer trial.

Prostate cancer patients receiving androgen ablation therapy experience significant physical and psychological sequelae associated with their disease and treatment. Because physical activity improves physical and psychological well-being, a lifestyle physical activity intervention may help slow or reverse the associated decline in quality of life (QOL). No studies have evaluated an intervention to improve multiple QOL domains in patients receiving androgen ablation therapy.

Predictors of sexual functioning in ovarian cancer patients.

Purpose: To characterize sexual functioning of ovarian cancer patients and identify factors predicting sexual activity, functioning or satisfaction, discomfort, and habit or frequency.

Patients And Methods: Data were collected on 232 women with epithelial ovarian cancer, 47% of whom were receiving treatment.

Results: Fifty percent of the patients had engaged in sexual activity in the past month.

Congruence of readiness to change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance for physical activity and dietary fat reduction.

Purpose: The current study examines the relations between decisional balance and self-efficacy variables on stage of change between the behaviors of avoiding dietary fat and increasing exercise.

Design: A cross-sectional design was used.

Setting: The current study took place in public primary care clinics from four sites across Louisiana.

Changing multiple health behaviors: smoking and exercise.

Background: Previous stage of change research examining health behaviors has tended to examine one behavior at a time. However, one recent study by King et al. (1996) examined the relationship between smoking and exercise across cognitive-behavioral mediators (i.

Applying exercise stage of change to a low-income underserved population.

Objectives: To validate the transtheoretical model for exercise behavior and the constructs of decisional balance and self-efficacy for exercise in a low-income, poorly educated primary care sample.

Methods: Patients attending public primary-care clinics from 4 separate sites in Louisiana were interviewed regarding their health behaviors.

Results: The data provide equivocal support for applying the transtheoretical model for exercise and integrating it with other models of behavior change within this population.