Knowledge, belief, and practice in prevention of lymphedema in postoperative breast cancer patients and analysis of associated factors.

PURPOSE: To investigate the knowledge-belief-practice (KBP) regarding lymphedema prevention among postoperative breast cancer patients and identify its psychosocial determinants.

METHODS

Postoperative patients were selected using a convenience sampling method. A general information collection, questionnaires, a Chinese version of the Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. Multivariate linear regression was used.

RESULTS

The total scoring rate of knowledge, belief, and practice was 58.51%, with the lowest for knowledge and highest for belief. The level of knowledge, belief, and practice was positively correlated with self-representation and negatively with anxiety and depression. The multivariate linear regression showed that receiving health education on the knowledge, family income, anxiety, depression, and self-expression levels were the critical factors influencing lymphedema.

CONCLUSION

The level of knowledge, belief, and practice is at the lower-to-middle level in China, with poor knowledge mastery, and the level of practice needs to be improved. Healthcare personnel should conduct health education to improve patients' knowledge level related to lymphedema and enhance the correct health beliefs of the patients. Meanwhile, they should also pay attention to their psychological health status to help them improve the level of self-expression and carry out personalized interventions according to the influencing factors.