{"id":{"repo_id":"cork","oai_identifier":"oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/2026"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cork/oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/2026","repository":{"repo_id":"cork","name":"University College Cork","base_url":"https://cora.ucc.ie/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Cancer related fatigue and self-care while undergoing chemotherapy: patients&apos; perspectives","abstract":"Background: Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is considered the most severe, debilitating and under-managed symptom of cancer. Patients receiving chemotherapy experience high levels of CRF which profoundly impacts on their lives. Aim: 1). To explore and measure CRF and determine the most effective self-care strategies used to combat CRF in a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of cancer (breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) 2). To explore self-care agency and its relationship to CRF. Method: A mixed methods study which incorporated a descriptive, comparative, correlational design and qualitative descriptions of patients’ (n=362) experiences gleaned through open ended questions and use of a diary. The study utilised The Revised Pipers Fatigue Scale, the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency and a researcher developed Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale, Fatigue Self-Care Survey, and Diary. Findings: Having breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; using the strategies of counselling, taking a 20–30 minute nap, resting and sleeping, self-monitoring and complementary therapies were all associated with increased odds of developing fatigue. Increased self-care agency; being in the divorced / separated cohort; being widowed; increased length of time since commencement of chemotherapy; engagement in exercise, and socializing were associated with a reduced risk of developing fatigue. Females had 20% higher fatigue levels than males (p=&lt;.001). Receiving support was the strategy used most frequently and rated most effective. Fatigue was very problematic and distressing, four key qualitative categories emerged: the behavioural impact, affective impact, the sensory impact, and the cognitive impact. Keeping a diary was considered very beneficial and cathartic. Conclusions: Fatigue severely impacted on the daily lives of patients undergoing chemotherapy. There are a range of self-care strategies that patients should be encouraged to use e.g. exercise, socializing, and enhancement of psychological well-being. The enhancement of self-care agency and use of diaries should also be considered.","abstract_html":"Background: Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is considered the most severe, debilitating and under-managed symptom of cancer. Patients receiving chemotherapy experience high levels of CRF which profoundly impacts on their lives. Aim: 1). To explore and measure CRF and determine the most effective self-care strategies used to combat CRF in a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of cancer (breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) 2). To explore self-care agency and its relationship to CRF. Method: A mixed methods study which incorporated a descriptive, comparative, correlational design and qualitative descriptions of patients’ (n=362) experiences gleaned through open ended questions and use of a diary. The study utilised The Revised Pipers Fatigue Scale, the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency and a researcher developed Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale, Fatigue Self-Care Survey, and Diary. Findings: Having breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; using the strategies of counselling, taking a 20–30 minute nap, resting and sleeping, self-monitoring and complementary therapies were all associated with increased odds of developing fatigue. Increased self-care agency; being in the divorced / separated cohort; being widowed; increased length of time since commencement of chemotherapy; engagement in exercise, and socializing were associated with a reduced risk of developing fatigue. Females had 20% higher fatigue levels than males (p=&amp;lt;.001). Receiving support was the strategy used most frequently and rated most effective. Fatigue was very problematic and distressing, four key qualitative categories emerged: the behavioural impact, affective impact, the sensory impact, and the cognitive impact. Keeping a diary was considered very beneficial and cathartic. Conclusions: Fatigue severely impacted on the daily lives of patients undergoing chemotherapy. There are a range of self-care strategies that patients should be encouraged to use e.g. exercise, socializing, and enhancement of psychological well-being. The enhancement of self-care agency and use of diaries should also be considered.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["O&apos;Regan, Patricia"],"institution":"University College Cork","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hegarty, Josephine"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014","date_published":"2014","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:46:20Z","subjects":["Chemotherapy","Cancer related fatigue","Self care","Patients&apos; perspectives","Nursing care"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["© 2014, Patricia O&apos;Regan."],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10468/2026","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hegarty, Josephine"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["O&apos;Regan, Patricia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-11-04T12:26:36Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University College Cork"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Doctoral thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["PhD (Medicine and Health)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Chemotherapy","Cancer related fatigue","Self care","Patients&apos; perspectives","Nursing care"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2014, Patricia O&apos;Regan."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10468/2026"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is considered the most severe, debilitating and under-managed symptom of cancer. Patients receiving chemotherapy experience high levels of CRF which profoundly impacts on their lives. Aim: 1). To explore and measure CRF and determine the most effective self-care strategies used to combat CRF in a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of cancer (breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) 2). To explore self-care agency and its relationship to CRF. Method: A mixed methods study which incorporated a descriptive, comparative, correlational design and qualitative descriptions of patients’ (n=362) experiences gleaned through open ended questions and use of a diary. The study utilised The Revised Pipers Fatigue Scale, the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency and a researcher developed Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale, Fatigue Self-Care Survey, and Diary. Findings: Having breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; using the strategies of counselling, taking a 20–30 minute nap, resting and sleeping, self-monitoring and complementary therapies were all associated with increased odds of developing fatigue. Increased self-care agency; being in the divorced / separated cohort; being widowed; increased length of time since commencement of chemotherapy; engagement in exercise, and socializing were associated with a reduced risk of developing fatigue. Females had 20% higher fatigue levels than males (p=&lt;.001). Receiving support was the strategy used most frequently and rated most effective. Fatigue was very problematic and distressing, four key qualitative categories emerged: the behavioural impact, affective impact, the sensory impact, and the cognitive impact. Keeping a diary was considered very beneficial and cathartic. Conclusions: Fatigue severely impacted on the daily lives of patients undergoing chemotherapy. There are a range of self-care strategies that patients should be encouraged to use e.g. exercise, socializing, and enhancement of psychological well-being. The enhancement of self-care agency and use of diaries should also be considered."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cancer related fatigue and self-care while undergoing chemotherapy: patients&apos; perspectives"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hegarty, Josephine"],"dc:creator":["O&apos;Regan, Patricia"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-11-04T12:26:36Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is considered the most severe, debilitating and under-managed symptom of cancer. Patients receiving chemotherapy experience high levels of CRF which profoundly impacts on their lives. Aim: 1). To explore and measure CRF and determine the most effective self-care strategies used to combat CRF in a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of cancer (breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) 2). To explore self-care agency and its relationship to CRF. Method: A mixed methods study which incorporated a descriptive, comparative, correlational design and qualitative descriptions of patients’ (n=362) experiences gleaned through open ended questions and use of a diary. The study utilised The Revised Pipers Fatigue Scale, the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency and a researcher developed Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale, Fatigue Self-Care Survey, and Diary. Findings: Having breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; using the strategies of counselling, taking a 20–30 minute nap, resting and sleeping, self-monitoring and complementary therapies were all associated with increased odds of developing fatigue. Increased self-care agency; being in the divorced / separated cohort; being widowed; increased length of time since commencement of chemotherapy; engagement in exercise, and socializing were associated with a reduced risk of developing fatigue. Females had 20% higher fatigue levels than males (p=&lt;.001). Receiving support was the strategy used most frequently and rated most effective. Fatigue was very problematic and distressing, four key qualitative categories emerged: the behavioural impact, affective impact, the sensory impact, and the cognitive impact. Keeping a diary was considered very beneficial and cathartic. Conclusions: Fatigue severely impacted on the daily lives of patients undergoing chemotherapy. There are a range of self-care strategies that patients should be encouraged to use e.g. exercise, socializing, and enhancement of psychological well-being. The enhancement of self-care agency and use of diaries should also be considered."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10468/2026"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["University College Cork"],"dc:rights":["© 2014, Patricia O&apos;Regan."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"],"dc:subject":["Chemotherapy","Cancer related fatigue","Self care","Patients&apos; perspectives","Nursing care"],"dc:title":["Cancer related fatigue and self-care while undergoing chemotherapy: patients&apos; perspectives"],"dc:type":["Doctoral thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["PhD (Medicine and Health)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:46:20Z"}