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Objectives: This study aims to evaluate self-care practices, sociodemographic and clinical factors that affect self-care and patient education among women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Patients and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included a total of 102 women with BCRL (median age: 59 years; range, 35 to 80 years) who received lymphedema (LE) treatment at least once between July 2014 and May 2016. A Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Form and the Lymphedema Self-care Survey were used to collect data via face-to-face interviews. Results: The median LE self-care practices score for women was 10 (range, 5 to 14). A total of 39.1% of the women implemented regular self-care. A statistically significant relationship was found between the score for perceived benefit of LE self-care and the score for self-care practice. No statistically significant difference was found among the self-care scores of the women with LE in terms of sociodemographic and clinical factors, except for education status. A total of 90.2% of the women with LE received self-care education, mostly from a physical therapy specialist and a physiotherapist. There was a statistically significant difference among self-care scores between patients who were educated and uneducated about LE. Conclusion: It is recommended that healthcare professionals should educate patients diagnosed with breast cancer to reduce LE risk and promote the implementation of self-care practices following the breast cancer surgery. Interventions should be made to increase the perceived benefits and reduce the perceived barriers and burden towards self-care behaviors to prevent and manage LE.

Background Quality-of-life measures are needed for clinicians and researchers to identify quality of women’s life with breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). Objective To adapt Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema–Arm into Turkish (TR) and to test its validity and reliability. Methods This is a methodological and cross-sectional study and was conducted in the lymphedema outpatient clinic of a university hospital. The study included 109 women with BCRL. After linguistic validity of the scale was achieved, confirmatory factor analyses and known group validity were used to test its construct validity. Reliability of the scale was tested with Cronbach’s α, item-total correlations, and Spearman-Brown coefficient. Results After linguistic validity was achieved, opinions requested from 5 experts specializing in lymphedema showed that item and content validity indexes of the scale were 1. Fit indexes of confirmatory factor analysis were as follows: χ 2/df = 1.86, root mean square error of approximation = 0.089, standardized root mean square residual = 0.09, and comparative fit index = 0.81. Known group validity analysis showed a significant difference in the mean scores for the subscales of Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema–Arm-TR, symptom, function, and body image/appearance in terms of lymphedema stages (P < .05). The internal reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.78 and 0.86. The item-total correlation coefficients ranged between 0.36 and 0.73. Conclusion Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema–Arm-TR was found to be valid and reliable in the TR population. It could be used in research to evaluate the quality of life in patients with BCRL. Implications for Practice The scale can be used to evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions directed toward patients developing breast cancer–related lymphedema in clinical settings and studies.

The purpose of study was to develop the Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Self-Care Scale to evaluate the self-care practices of women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BRCL); and to examine the psycholinguistic and psychometric characteristics of this scale. The item pool of the scale was created based on the literature in this descriptive study. Content validity, explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses used in evaluation of the validity; and item analyzes, the Cronbach’s Alpha and Split Half analyzes were made for reliability in the study. The content validity index was found to be above 0.80. In the Explanatory Factor Analysis, a four-factor structure was obtained. In Confirmatory Factor Analysis, fit indices were found to be acceptable. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of the sub-dimensions of the scale varied between 0.62 and 0.86. It was determined the Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Self-Care Scale was a valid and reliable scale for women with BRCL.