Self-Management for Elderly Woman with Endometrial Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy: An Educational Intervention

Abstract

Background & Aim: Endometrial cancer affects mainly post-menopausal women and ranks the 12th most frequent cancer among elderly women. Effective self-management requires elderly women to have the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in self-care tasks.

Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in radiotherapy department at the cardiac and chest Hospital at Sednawy hospital, zigzag university hospital at Zagazig City. The study sample composed of 50 elderly women with endometrial cancer, purposively assigned according to study inclusion criteria. Twelve sessions for small groups (3 to 5 elderly patients in each group) were held as part of the program's implementation in the current study.

Tools: Two tools were  used in the present study; Tool I was a structured interview questionnaire consisted of two parts and Tool II was Radiotherapy self-management scale.

Results: The results revealed post intervention statistically significant improvements in studied elderly women information about endometrial cancer and radiotherapy, as well as improving their self-management experience. Also, there was improvement in total mean score of elderly women’s self-management domains post program with a highly statistically significant difference (P< 0.01) between pre and post program. Additionally, there was statistical significant positive correlations between the studied elderly patients’ total self-management knowledge and total self-management.

Conclusion: The applied educational program was effective in increasing self-management knowledge level and promoting self-management among studied elderly women with endometrial cancer undergoing radiotherapy.