Need and demand for nutritional counselling and their association with quality of life, nutritional status and eating-related distress among patients with cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study
Menée au Japon par questionnaire auprès de 151 patients atteints d'un cancer traité par chimiothérapie ambulatoire (âge médian : 66,5 ans), cette étude transversale analyse les facteurs psychologiques associés à leurs demandes en matière de conseils nutritionnels
Purpose : Patients with cancer often experience general nutritional problems as the disease progresses. We aimed to examine if there is a need and demand for nutritional counselling among cancer outpatients, and explore relevant psychological factors pertaining to eating and nutrition. Methods : A survey was conducted among adult patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital. The participants completed self-report questionnaires, which included questions on their nutritional state (Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form), experience of eating-related distress and quality of life (QOL) (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30). Results : Of the 151 (median age, 66.5 years) participants, 42 had a demand for nutritional counselling. Patients’ experience of eating-related distress and demand for nutritional counselling were significantly associated, particularly in regard to ‘conflicts over food between patients and the people surrounding them’ (p = 0.005), ‘concerns about food’ (p = 0.007) and ‘self-motivated effect related to nutrition’ (p = 0.018). A significant association was also observed between the demand for nutritional counselling and global health status (p = 0.028), emotional functioning (p = 0.022), cognitive functioning (p = 0.028) and social functioning (p = 0.040) in terms of QOL. Patients with a low QOL tended to demand nutritional counselling. Conclusions : The demand for nutritional counselling was associated with QOL and eating-related distress. Therefore, medical staff caring for patients with cancer, such as attending physicians, dietitians, nurses, clinical psycho-oncologists, social workers and psychiatric oncologists, should collaborate and share information to provide nutritional counselling.