Coping Strategies and its Perceived Effect on Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life in a Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria

Cancer is a disease that not only affects the physical health, but also distresses the mental and emotional state of an individual. If beneficial coping strategies are not employed, the life quality of patients could be deteriorated. The present study seeks to examine various coping strategies adopted by cancer patients and design health promotion interventional strategies that will ameliorate the life quality of cancer patients.
Between February 2017 and March 2017, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the various coping strategies employed by cancer patients and its perceived effect on the quality of life. 90 cancer patients attending the cancer registry in Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, within the study time frame were recruited. Data were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics.
Various coping strategies as identified by respondents were attendance of social gathering (73.3%), engaging in physical activities (85.6%), spending time with family members (87.8%), participating in religious programs (88.9%), and solitude (50%). Overall, 88.9% and 87.8% respectively believed that attending religious programs and spending time with family members played a vital role in coping with cancer. However, only a few (37%) of these patients belonged to cancer support groups.
Few patients belong to cancer support groups, hence the recommendation that cancer patients be enlightened and encouraged to become members of cancer support groups.