Quality of life,self-care knowledge access,and selfcare needs in patients with colon stomas one month post-surgery in a Chinese Tumor Hospital

Objective:This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the quality of life(QoL),selfcare knowledge access,and self-care needs of colorectal cancer patients after colostomy.Methods:A total of 142 colorectal cancer patients in the Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province were invited to this survey one month post-colostomy.QoL of the participants was assessed using the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument(WHOQOL-BREF).A self-prepared questionnaire was also administered to explore the sources of self-care knowledge and self-care needs of this population.Results:Response mean scores of the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF,namely,physical health,psychological health,social relations,and environmental health were 53.49,57.95,65.78 and 50.75,respectively.No significant differences were found in the gender,age,education level,and occupation type in QoL scale among the groups using the u test and ANOVA(p>0.05).However,female colostomates scored higher grades in the physical area of QoL than male patients;the participants who willingly attended the self-care courses obtained higher scores in social area than those who were not willing.Conclusion:The QoL of this population was not favorable.Self-care program can be developed in accordance with the needs and educational background of the colostomates.