Factors Predicting the Quality of Sleep in Women with Breast Cancer After Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

          This study was cross-sectional descriptive research which aimed at investigating factors included co-morbidity, fatigue and depression predicting the quality of sleep in women with breast cancer after receiving chemotherapy. The sample consisted of 77 women with breast cancer after receiving chemotherapy who had been treated at outpatient departments of two tertiary hospitals in Bangkok and the vicinity. Data were collected by using a demographic questionnaire, Charlson Criteria Index questionnaire, Piper Fatigue Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Content validity index and reliability coefficients of scale were between 0.8 - 1.0 and 0.81 - 0.93, respectively. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Stepwise multiple regression analysis.

          In this study, the mean age of the participants was 54 years old. Fifty percent had been diagnosed with breast cancer for less than one year. Sixty-one percent of participants were undergoing chemotherapy with an adriamycin-based regimen. The participants had mild fatigue (M = 3.92, SD = 1.18), less burden of co-morbidity (M = 0.54, SD = 0.58), and mild depression (M = 16.74, SD = 6.11). The subjects also had poor quality of sleep (M = 13.76, SD = 2.82). This study found that fatigue significantly correlated with quality of sleep (r = .48; p = 0.01). Depression also significantly correlated with low quality of sleep. (r = .23; p = 0.05). However, co-morbidity did not correlate with quality of sleep.    (r = .098; p = 0.19). Thus, depression and co-morbidity could not significantly predict quality of sleep. Only fatigue could predict the quality of sleep by 23%.

          The results of this study found that women with breast cancer after receiving chemotherapy mostly had the poor quality of sleep. Good quality of sleep is very important for restoration physical and psychological. Nurses should be increase awareness of the importance of assessing sleep quality and various factors which may lead to poor sleep quality include fatigue and depression. Additionally, this assessment will be useful for nurses to establish care plans and developing programs to reduce or management fatigue for promote quality of sleep to breast cancer patients after receiving chemotherapy.