Factors Associated with Adherence to Complete Decongestion Therapy in Women with Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Abstract

Background. Adherence to complete decongestion therapy (CDT) is of utmost importance for patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). However, past studies have demonstrated that adherence to CDT in BCRL patients is less than satisfactory. Our study aimed to describe the level of adherence to CDT among BCRL patients and utilize the Health Belief Model to analyse the key factors that influence adherence. Methods. We employed a convenient sampling method to select 158 patients with BCRL who were in the maintenance stage of CDT in a grade A tertiary tumour hospital in Guangzhou. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate patients’ adherence to CDT, as well as their sociodemographic characteristics, medical history characteristics, disease knowledge, and health beliefs. Results. The CDT adherence score of BCRL patients was 96.46 ± 18.46 points, with an average score of 2.61 ± 0.50 points per item. The adherence rate was 65.18 ± 12.47%, indicating a moderate level of adherence. Factors that significantly influenced CDT adherence in BCRL patients included age under 45 years, having 0 or 1 child, experiencing 9 lymphedema symptoms, and having low levels of disease knowledge and health beliefs ( p < 0.05 ). Conclusions. The level of adherence to CDT in BCRL patients is moderate and requires improvement. To enhance adherence to CDT, medical professionals should focus on patients who are younger, have fewer children, exhibit fewer symptoms of lymphedema, possess limited disease knowledge, and have weak health beliefs.