Relationships among Malnutrition, Depression and Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecologic Cancer receiving Chemotherapy

Ju-Hee Nho; Sung Reul Kim; Gyeong Seon Kang; Yong Soon Kwon

doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2014.20.2.117

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Nho, Kim, Kang, and Kwon: Relationships among Malnutrition, Depression and Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecologic Cancer receiving Chemotherapy

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2014; 20(2): 117-125.

Published online: 30 June 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2014.20.2.117

Relationships among Malnutrition, Depression and Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecologic Cancer receiving Chemotherapy

Ju-Hee Nho¹, Sung Reul Kim², Gyeong Seon Kang³, Yong Soon Kwon⁴

¹Department of Nursing, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.

²College of Nursing, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.

³Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.

⁴College of Medicine, University of Ulsan·Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kim, Sung Reul. College of Nursing, Chonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 561-756, Korea. Tel: +82-63-270-3118, Fax: +82-63-270-3127, srkim@jbnu.ac.kr

Received 24 January 2014 Revised 28 March 2014 Accepted 10 April 2014

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify nutritional status, and relationships among malnutrition, depression and quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer who were receiving chemotherapy.

Methods

For this study a descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 111 women who were enrolled and agreed to undergo a face-to-face interviews including administration of the structured questionnaires: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G).

Results

Mean body mass index was 23.3 and mean body weight was 56.5 kg. Sixty-three (57%) of the 111 patients were malnourished according to the PG-SGA. The malnourished patients showed higher levels of depression and lower quality of life compared to the non-malnourished patients. In addition, malnutrition was associated with BMI level, depression, appetite and quality of life.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that the prevalence of malnutrition is high and malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer influences depression and adversely affects the quality of life of these women. To improve the patient's quality of life, nutritional assessment and appropriate management is important to decrease malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Keywords: Chemotherapy, Gynecologic neoplasm, Malnutrition, Depression, Quality of life

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General Characteristics in Patients with Chemotherapy (N=111)

Table 2

Nutritional Status, Depression, and Quality of Life of Patients with Chemotherapy (N=111)

PG-SGA=patient-generated subjective global assessment; BMI=body mass index; SNAQ=simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire; BDI=Beck depression inventory; FACT-G=functional assessment of cancer therapy-general; PWB=physical well-being; SWB=social/family well-being; EWB=emotional well-being; FWB=functional well-being.

Table 3

Malnutrition, Depression and Quality of Life by General Characteristics of Participants (N=111)

BMI=body mass index; PG-SGA=patient-generated subjective global assessment; BDI=Beck depression inventory; FACT-G=functional assessment of cancer therapy-general.

^†Kruskal-Wallis test; ^‡Mann-Whitney test; ^§Tested using Scheffé.

Table 4

Depression and Quality of Life by Malnutrition (N=111)

BDI=Beck depression inventory; FACT-G=functional assessment of cancer therapy-general; PWB=physical well-being; SWB=social/family well-being; EWB=emotional well-being; FWB=functional well-being.

Table 5

Relationships among Study Variables (N=111)

SNAQ=simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire; PG-SGA=patient-generated subjective global assessment; FACT-G=functional assessment of cancer therapy-general; BDI=Beck depression inventory.

Summary Statement

▪ What is already known about this topic?

Malnutrition is a major problem for cancer patients in general, and the same is true for patients with gynecologic cancer who are on chemotherapy.

▪ What this paper adds?

Malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer was found to influence depression and adversely affect quality of life in these patients.

▪ Implications for practice, education and/or policy

As the prevalence of malnutrition is high, nutritional assessment using a validated tool such as PG-SGA is essential for patients with gynecologic cancer who are receiving chemotherapy.

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