Background/Objective: Although some studies conducted in Western cultures have identified positive influences of\r\nsocial support on the psychological and physical states of elderly women with breast cancer, few studies have investigated\r\nthe relationships between social support and its effects on health outcomes in elderly Japanese women with breast cancer.\r\nThe purpose of this study was to describe and investigate the relationships among social support, social support network,\r\nand psychological and physical states among elderly Japanese women with breast cancer.\r\nMethods: Elderly Japanese women with breast cancer (n=65) participated in the study. Measures used in this study were\r\nthe Japanese versions of instruments with established reliability and validity: (1) the Social Support Scale for Japanese\r\nElderly (SSSJE); (2) the Visual Analogue Scale for Social Support (VASSS); (3) the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)\r\nand (4) the Physical States Interview Form (PSIF). Data analysis included descriptive, t-tests, and Pearson�s correlations.\r\nResults: Descriptive statistics showed that the size of the social support network ranged from 2 to 34 (M=9.09; SD=6.57).\r\nComparisons of psychological states showed a significant difference between the women who were over and under 70\r\nyears old. Psychological states significantly correlated with social support network and conflict among elderly Japanese\r\nwomen with breast cancer.\r\nConclusions: The results reveal that there are significant relationships among social support, social support network, and\r\npsychological and physical states among elderly Japanese women with breast cancer. The results reveal that there are\r\nsignificant relationships among social support, social support network, and psychological and physical states among\r\nelderly Japanese women with breast cancer. Nurses should provide information on social support as an important factor to\r\nhelp elderly Japanese women with breast cancer.
Loading....