Effect of Sexual Function Improvement Program for Breast Cancer Survivors on Sexual Distress, Sexual Satisfaction and Marital Intimacy

Duck Hee Moon

doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2016.22.1.30

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Moon: Effect of Sexual Function Improvement Program for Breast Cancer Survivors on Sexual Distress, Sexual Satisfaction and Marital Intimacy

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2016; 22(1): 30-38.

Published online: 26 March 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2016.22.1.30

Effect of Sexual Function Improvement Program for Breast Cancer Survivors on Sexual Distress, Sexual Satisfaction and Marital Intimacy

Duck Hee Moon

Department of Nursing, Gwangju University, Gwangju, Korea.

Corresponding author: Moon, Duck Hee. Department of Nursing, Gwangju University, 277 Hyodeok-ro, Nam-gu, Gwangju 503-703, Korea. Tel: +82-62-670-2635, Fax: +82-62-670-2058, duckimoon@naver.com

Received 24 November 2015 Revised 22 December 2015 Accepted 8 March 2016

(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

This study was conducted to examine effects of a sexual function improvement program on sexual distress, sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy among breast cancer survivors.

Methods

With quasi-experimental design, a total of 54 women after breast surgery were assigned into experimental group (n=28) and control group (n=26) after recruited via convenience sampling. They were endocrine surgery outpatients in university hospital at Chonnam province. Experimental group received a sexual function improvement program 5 sessions over 5 weeks. Sexual distress, sexual satisfaction, and marital intimacy were examined with self-report structured questionaries. Data were analyzed using χ² test, Fisher's exact, independent t-test, and analysis of covariance with SPSS 17.0/window program.

Results

Women who participated in the sexual function improvement program had lower sexual distress (F=27.29, p<.001), higher sexual satisfaction (t=3.09, p=.003) higher marital intimacy (F=17.51, p<.001) than the women who did not participate.

Conclusion

Results suggest that a sexual function improvement program can be effective strategy to improve sexual distress, sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy. Therefore, this program can be regarded as useful nursing intervention program for breast cancer survivors.

Keywords: Breast cancer survivors, Sexual distress, Sexual satisfaction, Marital intimacy

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Sexual function improvement program by session.

Table 1

Homogeneity of General Characteristics between Experimental and Control Group

Variables	Categories	Exp. (n=28)	Cont. (n=26)	x² or t	p
Variables	Categories	n (%) or M±SD	n (%) or M±SD	x² or t	p
Age (year)		45.46±5.98	44.08±5.78	0.87	.391
	≤39	5 (17.8)	5 (19.2)
	40~49	15 (53.6)	17 (65.4)
	50~59	8 (28.6)	4 (15.4)
Educational level	≥High school	20 (71.4)	19 (73.1)	-	.920^†
Educational level	≤Middle school	8 (28.6)	7 (26.9)	-	.920^†
Monthly income (10,000 won)	≥250	8 (28.6)	6 (23.1)	0.21	.645
Monthly income (10,000 won)	≤251	20 (71.4)	20 (76.9)	0.21	.645
Employment	Employed	7 (25.0)	7 (26.9)	0.03	.872
Employment	Unemployed	21 (75.0)	19 (73.1)	0.03	.872
Religion	Have	23 (82.1)	19 (73.1)	-	.685^†
Religion	Have not	5 (17.9)	7 (26.9)	-	.685^†
Children	Have	28 (100.0)	26 (100.0)	-	-

^†Fisher's exact test.

Table 2

Homogeneity of Disease related Characteristics between Experimental and Control Group

Variables	Categories	Exp. (n=28)	Cont. (n=26)	x²	p
Variables	Categories	n (%)	n (%)	x²	p
Current menopausal status	Yes	23 (82.1)	18 (69.2)	1.23	.267
Current menopausal status	No	5 (17.9)	8 (30.8)
Type of surgery	Mastectomy	17 (60.7)	13 (50.0)	-
Type of surgery	BCS	11 (39.3)	13 (50.0)		.409^†
Cancer stage	Stage 1	13 (46.4)	8 (30.8)	-	.399^†
	Stage 2	8 (28.6)	12 (46.2)
	Stage 3	6 (21.4)	6 (23.0)
	Stage 4	1 (3.6)	0 (0.0)
Years since completion of treatment	1	3 (10.7)	1 (3.8)	-	.783^†
	2	12 (42.9)	12 (46.2)
	3	4 (14.3)	4 (15.4)
	4	2 (7.1)	4 (15.4)
	5	7 (25.0)	5 (19.2)
Recurrence experience	Yes	1 (3.6)	0 (0.0)	-	>.999^†
Recurrence experience	No	27 (96.4)	26 (100.0)
Hormonal therapy (Nolvadex®)	Yes	9 (32.1)	11 (42.3)	0.60	.440
Hormonal therapy (Nolvadex®)	No	19 (67.9)	15 (57.7)

^†Fisher's exact test; BCS=breast conserving surgery.

Table 3

Homogeneity of Sexual Distress, Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Intimacy on Pretest

Variables (range)	Exp. (n=28)	Cont. (n=26)	t	p
Variables (range)	M±SD	M±SD	t	p
Sexual distress (0~64)	23.96±14.41	35.73±8.67	-3.67	.001
Sexual satisfaction (1~68)	36.54±12.50	33.42±6.27	1.17	.249
Marital intimacy (1~32)	19.32±4.81	19.62±2.98	2.51	.016

Table 4

Effect of Sexual Function Improvement Program on Sexual Distress, Sexual Satisfaction, and Marital Intimacy between Experimental and Control Group (N=54)

Variables (range)	Groups	Pretest	Posttest	Difference	t or F	p
Variables (range)	Groups	M±SD	M±SD	M±SD	t or F	p
Sexual distress^† (0~64)	Exp.	23.96±14.41	19.07±9.14	-4.89±15.99	27.29	<.001
Sexual distress^† (0~64)	Cont.	35.73±8.67	34.27±8.53	-1.46±11.39	27.29	<.001
Marital intimacy^† (1~32)	Exp.	19.32±4.81	21.21±4.13	1.89±6.51	17.51	<.001
Marital intimacy^† (1~32)	Cont.	19.62±2.98	16.88±2.61	0.27±3.32	17.51	<.001
Sexual satisfaction (1~68)	Exp.	36.54±12.50	45.11±8.97	8.57±13.38	3.09	.003
Sexual satisfaction (1~68)	Cont.	33.42±6.27	32.77±6.53	-0.65±7.45	3.09	.003

^†Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used.

Notes

This article is a revision of the first author's doctoral thesis from Chonnam National University.

Summary Statement

▪ What is already known about this topic?

Existing sexual function improvement program for breast survivors women were run to 8 weeks that focus on a psychological issue.

▪ What this paper adds?

The sexual function improvement program for 5 weeks was effective approach to improve sexual distress, sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy.

▪ Implications for practice, education and/or policy

This program would be useful nursing intervention program for managing sexual function problems in women with breast surgery due to breast cancer.

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