HEALTH SERVICE RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
FRIDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Mao JJ, Palmer SC, Barg FK.
Breast cancer survivors with unmet psychosocial needs
are more likely to use complementary therapies.
University of Pennsylvania maoj@uphs.upenn.edu
PURPOSE: Despite the fact that breast cancer
(BC) survivors use complementary therapies extensively, little is known
about whether such use is associated with unmet needs in the health
care system. The objective of this study is to determine if BC survivors
with unmet needs since their cancer diagnoses are more likely to use
complementary therapies.
METHODS: Cross sectional study of 144 BC survivors
identified through a cancer registry. Respondents completed a 93-item
survey in which they were asked whether they had unmet needs in 15 psychosocial
domains along with their use of complementary therapies.
RESULTS: Participants were primarily white (87%),
middle aged (M = 60 yrs), and were diagnosed between 3.5 and 4.5 years
prior to this study. Sixty-four percent of BC survivors used at least
one type of complementary therapy, and 27% used 3 or more simultaneously.
Other than use of megavitamins (44%), the most commonly reported modalities
were deep breathing (28%), herbal products (25%), and meditation (24%).
Respondents who identified an unmet need in any of the psychosocial
domains were more likely to report use of at least one complementary
therapy (Relative Risk [RR] = 1.89, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.30-2.75).
This association was present even after adjustment for age, race, education,
and income. Use of these modalities was greater among individuals with
unmet physical, nutritional, and social support needs (p<0.01) as well
as among those with unmet emotional needs (p=0.046). People who had
unmet psychosocial needs during conventional cancer treatments such
as radiation or chemotherapy were especially prone to use complementary
therapies (p<0.001). Interestingly, people with financial and insurance
unmet needs used these modalities more (p<0.01), but those with unmet
spiritual needs did not.
CONCLUSION: BC survivors who had unmet psychosocial
needs were more likely to use complementary therapies. This association
raises the question of whether integrating these modalities into the
current health care system may help address the psychosocial demands
of individuals who face with cancer.
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