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A recent study outlined lifestyle counseling strategies to enhance adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations for patients with endometrial cancer.
In a qualitative study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, Anne M. de Korte, MSc, and colleagues identified behavioral changes, strategies, and intervention methods that could improve adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations for patients living with endometrial cancer.
For the study, de Korte and colleagues recruited patients with endometrial cancer from the Netherlands. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 patients who had early-stage endometrial cancer (stage I-II). Patients were 18 years and older, had completed their primary treatment, and had no recurrence.
Endometrial Cancer Insights
The interviews focused on four main topics: current lifestyle, lifestyle changes, the need to talk about lifestyle during treatment or follow-up, and preferences for help and lifestyle interventions.
Patients described success using small steps to gradually form new habits as opposed to focusing on specific goals or quick fixes. Past experiences also influenced patients’ motivation (eg, past failures to change behaviors).
Patients frequently reported a knowledge gap on appropriate healthy lifestyles and behaviors relating to their cancer diagnosis. Patients commonly experienced physical discomfort and limitations, which hurt their self-confidence and contributed to stress.
The researchers also found that social support was a positive motivator for patients and noted that patients felt less motivated to change their unhealthy habits when family or friends held similar or worse habits.
Patients shared that having “good, open communication” with their clinicians could motivate them to focus more on lifestyle changes. Identity also contributed to motivation. The researchers explained that when patients experience multiple setbacks, they begin to believe they are incapable of changing.
The researchers reported that these barriers and facilitators “appear to be dependent on one another and all contribute to decisions in patients with endometrial cancer.”
As for interventions for this patient population, the researchers recommended education, persuasion, training, environmental restructuring, and enablement. Suitable behavioral change techniques to deliver the intervention functions include information about the consequences of certain behaviors, feedback on behavior, credible sources, graded tasks, habit formation, goal setting, and action planning.