The Effect of Individual and Group Self-Care Education on Anxiety in Patient Receiving Chemotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Anxiety is one of the most common problems in patient with cancer that could be increased by chemotherapy and its side effects. Group education despite having many advantages is less used in these patients due to their desire for not being in the group. To compare the effect of individual and group self-care education on the anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy in Omid Hospital between 2006 and 2008. In this randomized controlled clinical trial one hundred and two patients with breast, esophagus and stomach cancer referred to Chemotherapy Unit in Omid Hospital was randomly assigned to two groups including individual (51) and group self-care education (51). Individual self-care education group received three education sessions. Three group educations were also conducted for the second group. The anxiety level was measured through interview in three sequential cycles of chemotherapy using EORTC anxiety questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 14 using Chi-square and repeated measurement test. The level of significance was considered to be 95% (p<0.05). The mean age of the individual and group self-care education groups were 46/6± 3/9 and 48/7±1/32, respectively. Using repeated measurement test, no significant difference was found in the anxiety scores over time between the two groups in three sequential cycles of chemotherapy. Despite the impact of chemotherapy on the anxiety level, self care education could maintain the anxiety level during chemotherapy period the same as pre chemotherapy level. In this regard there was no difference between two groups. Health care providers could use these two methods interchangeably according to the institute conditions and the patient's needs and preferences.