Prevalence and Correlates of Unmet Supportive Needs of Nigerian Patients With Cancer

Abstract

PURPOSE Diagnosis and treatment of cancer are associated with significant psychological distress, and patients face a broad range of challenges that create a vacuum of unmet needs felt by patients, such as a loss of personal control and frustration. The aim of the current study was to determine the magnitude, distribution, and correlates of unmet needs in Nigerian patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using a descriptive cross-sectional approach, we assessed 205 patients with cancer who attended oncology outpatient clinics at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Eligible patients were administered the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS) –Short Form 34 with a focus on five domains of need: psychological, health system and information, physical and daily living, patient care and support, and sexuality. RESULTS Mean age was 47.4 ± 12.3 years and patients were predominantly female (96.6%). The most common diagnosis was breast cancer (92.2%), and mean duration since diagnosis was 20.9 ± 21.9 months for all patients. Mean SCNS score was 83.9 ± 24.8 and at least 46% of participants indicated unmet needs in 15 items of the SCNS. The most frequent unattended needs were related to the health information (53.4%), physical and daily living (49.4%), psychological (48.5%), sexuality, and patient care and support domains. None of the factors considered—age, sex marital status, family type, educational attainment, employment status, economic status, the presence of financial support, social support, and cancer type—was significantly predictive of unmet needs in these patients ( P > .05). CONCLUSION Nigerian patients with cancer experience considerable levels of unmet needs. These needs require urgent and long-term interventions to help patients achieve increased care satisfaction and a better quality of life.

Twelve-Month Prevalence of Psychiatric Morbidity in Cancer Patients in a Nigerian Oncology Centre

“…Among a sample of Korean patients with cancer, the prevalence of high DT score was 28.8% [41], while the prevalence of high GHQ score from another study was 35.1%, with varying rate from 43.4% for lung cancer to 29.6% for gynecological cancers [42]. The high prevalence of psychological and psychosocial distress in our sample could be adduced to several factors, including the lack of adequate cancer support system and crises intervention network that handle psychosocial problems among cancer patients leading to a high unmet needs [43]. The emotional responses may also be due to physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, lymphoedema, and other distressing symptoms of the disease and unwanted side effects of cancer treatment.…”

Association of Sociodemographic Factors, Breast Cancer Fear, and Perceived Self-Efficacy With Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Middle-Aged Nigerian Women

“…Such unmet BCS needs include the inadequate provision of specific BC information needs, inadequate provision and use of BC prevention services, patients’ experiences and satisfaction with service provision, and inefficiencies in service delivery. 52 , 53 Addressing these needs through appropriate health interventions by healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, and community health workers), stakeholders in the health sector, Federal and State Ministries of Health could allay BCS fear and boost self-efficacy for BCS uptake among middle-aged Nigerian women.…”

Factors associated with unmet supportive care needs of oncology patients at Dessie Referral Hospital, 2020

“…Similarly, a study done in the United Kingdom stated that onequarter of the patients reported unmet supportive care needs [14]. According to a survey done in Africa, nearly 46% of the participants indicated supportive care unmet needs [15]. Unmet needs have been categorised into these major domains: physical, psychological, informational, patient care and sexual needs [16].…”

“…Different researchers have found that the largest unmet needs are related to the psychological needs domain [17][18][19], and in much lesser frequency is found in patient care and sexual domains [20,21]. A systematic review in Asia and Africa showed that psychological, physical and healthcare service/information domains were the three most commonly reported domains of unmet needs for cancer patients [15,18].…”

“…Similarly, a study done in the United Kingdom stated that one-quarter of the patients reported unmet supportive care needs [ 14 ]. According to a survey done in Africa, nearly 46% of the participants indicated supportive care unmet needs [ 15 ].…”