Effect of continuous care model on the lifestyle of cancer patients: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of continuous care model on the lifestyle of cancer patients. A quasi-experimental investigation was conducted at the Islamic Azad University of Chalus, Iran. This study involved 30 cancer patients attending chemotherapy centers, categorized into two groups: an intervention group comprising 15 individuals and a control group also consisting of 15 patients, in the 2020. The data collection instruments utilized in this study comprised a demographic questionnaire encompassing variables such as age, gender, cancer history, marital status, and literacy level, alongside Miller and Smith's Lifestyle Questionnaire. In the intervention group, the mean age of the patients was 57.46 (SD=15.9), while in the control group, it stood at 62.52 (SD=12.03). Regarding the history of cancer, the mean was 4.8 (SD=1.8) in the intervention group and 5.26 (SD=3.63) in the control group. The Wilcoxon test indicated a significant difference in lifestyle scores before and after the intervention (P=0.01) in the intervention group. Here, the Wilcoxon test revealed no significant disparity between pre-and post-intervention (P=0.34) in the control group. Before the intervention, the Mann-Whitney test did not exhibit a significant difference between the intervention and control groups (P=0.09). However, following the intervention, the Mann-Whitney test demonstrated a noteworthy discrepancy between the intervention and control groups (P=0.02). In sum, given the efficacy observed in enhancing the lifestyle of cancer patients, the continuous care model holds promise as a health behavior applicable in both the prevention and rehabilitation of chronic patients.