Quality of life, self-care knowledge access, and self-care needs in patients with colon stomas one month post-surgery in a Chinese Tumor Hospital

Objective: This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the quality of life (QoL), self-care knowledge access, and self-care needs of colorectal cancer patients after colostomy. Methods: A total of 142 colorectal cancer patients in the Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province were invited to this survey one month post-colostomy. QoL of the participants was assessed using the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). A self-prepared questionnaire was also administered to explore the sources of self-care knowledge and self-care needs of this population. Results: Response mean scores of the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF, namely, physical health, psychological health, social relations, and environmental health were 53.49, 57.95, 65.78 and 50.75, respectively. No significant differences were found in the gender, age, education level, and occupation type in QoL scale among the groups using the u test and ANOVA (p > 0.05). However, female colostomates scored higher grades in the physical area of QoL than male patients; the participants who willingly attended the self-care courses obtained higher scores in social area than those who were not willing. Conclusion: The QoL of this population was not favorable. Self-care program can be developed in accordance with the needs and educational background of the colostomates