Article

Spiritual Well-Being and Practices Among Women With Gynecologic Cancer

Aida J. López

Ruth McCaffrey

Mary T. Quinn Griffin

Joyce J. Fitzpatrick

spirituality, gynecologic cancer, gynecologic malignancies
ONF 2009, 36(3), 300-305. DOI: 10.1188/09.ONF.300-305

Purpose/Objectives: To identify spiritual well-being and spiritual practices in women with gynecologic cancer.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional.

Setting: Urban and rural communities in southeast Florida.

Sample: Convenience sample of 85 women (X age = 65.72 years) with some form of gynecologic cancer.

Methods: Participants completed questionnaires to assess spiritual well-being and spiritual practices while attending a healthcare clinic.

Main Research Variables: Spiritual well-being, spiritual practices.

Findings: The level of overall spiritual well-being was high, as were the levels of self-efficacy and life scheme (meaningfulness), as measured with two subscales. Most women reported use of several spiritual practices, including family activities, exercise, and listening to music.

Conclusions: Additional study of the spiritual well-being and practices of women with cancer and comparisons with other groups of women are needed.

Implications for Nursing: Nurses can assume a role in encouraging spiritual practices and enhancing spiritual well-being in women with cancer.

Jump to a section

    References

    Anandarajah, G., & Hight, E. (2001). Spirituality and medical practice: Using the HOPE questions as a practical tool for spiritual assessment. American Family Physician, 63(1), 81-89.
    Ashing-Giwa, K.T., Padilla, G., Tejero, J., Kraemer, J., Wright, K., Coscarelli, A., et al. (2004). Understanding the breast cancer experience of women: A qualitative study of African American, Asian American, Latina and Caucasian cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 13(6), 408-428.
    Beery, T.A., Baas, L.S., Fowler, C., & Allen, G. (2002). Spirituality in persons with heart failure. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 20(1), 5-30.
    Büssing, A., Matthiessen, P.F., & Ostermann, T. (2005). Engagement of patients in religious and spiritual practices. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 3(1), 53-63.
    Chan, C.W., Molassiotis, A., Yam, B.M., Chan, S.J., & Lam, C.S. (2001). Traveling through the cancer trajectory: Social support perceived by women with gynecologic cancer in Hong Kong. Cancer Nursing, 24(5), 387-394.
    Chao, C.S., Chen, C.H., & Yen, M. (2002). The essence of spirituality of terminally ill patients. Journal of Nursing Research, 10(4), 237-245.
    Chiu, L., Emblen, J.D., Van Hofwegen, L., Sawatzky, R., & Meyerhoff, H. (2004). An integrative review of the concept of spirituality in the health sciences. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 26(4), 405-428.
    Daaleman, T.P., & Frey, B.B. (2004). The spirituality index of well-being: A new instrument for health-related quality-of-life research. Annals of Family Medicine, 2(5), 499-503.
    Daaleman, T.P., Frey, B.B., Wallace, D., & Studenski, S.A. (2002). Spirituality Index of Well-Being scale: Development and testing of a new measure. Journal of Family Practice, 51(11), 952.
    Daaleman, T.P., & Kaufman, J.S. (2006). Spirituality and depressive symptoms in primary care outpatients. Southern Medical Journal, 99(12), 1340-1344.
    Daaleman, T.P., Perera, S., & Studenski, S.A. (2004). Religion, spirituality, and health status in geriatric outpatients. Annals of Family Medicine, 2(1), 49-53.
    Ferrell, B.R., Smith, S.L., Juarez, G., & Melancon, C. (2003). Meaning of illness and spirituality in ovarian cancer survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 30(2), 249-257.
    Fitzpatrick, J.J. (2008). Meaning in life: Translating nursing concepts to research. Asian Nursing Research, 2(1), 1-4.
    Flannelly, L.T., Flannelly, K.J., & Weaver, A.J. (2002). Religious and spiritual variables in three major oncology nursing journals: 1990-1999. Oncology Nursing Forum, 29(4), 679-685.
    Fry, P.S. (2000). Religious involvement, spirituality, and personal meaning for life: Existential predictors of psychological well-being in community-residing and institutional care elders. Aging and Mental Health, 4(4), 375-387.
    Gioiella, M.E., Berkman, B., & Robinson, M. (1998). Spirituality and quality of life in gynecologic oncology patients. Cancer Practice, 6(8), 333-338.
    Griffin, M.T., Lee, Y., Salman, A., Seo, Y., Marin, P.A., Starling, R.C., et al. (2007). Spirituality and well-being among elders: Differences between elders with heart failure and those without heart failure. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2(4), 669-675.
    Griffin, M.T., Salman, A., Lee, Y., Seo, Y., & Fitzpatrick, J.J. (2008). A beginning look at the spiritual practices of older adults. Journal of Christian Nursing, 25(2), 100-102.
    Hermann, C.P. (2006). Development and testing of the spiritual needs inventory for patients near the end of life. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33(4), 737-743.
    Meraviglia, M. (2004). The effects of spirituality on well-being of people with lung cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 31(1), 89-94.
    Meraviglia, M. (2006). Effects of spirituality in breast cancer survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33(1), E1-E7. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from http://www.ons.org/Publications/journals/ONF/Volume33/Issue1/pdf/330137… http://www.ons.org/Publications/journals/ONF/Volume33/Issue1/pdf/330137.pdf
    Molassiotis, A., Browall, M., Milovics, L., Pantelis, V., Patirakis, E., & Fernandez-Ortega, P. (2006). Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with gynecological cancers in Europe. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 16(Suppl. 1), 219-224.
    Molassiotis, A., Chan, C.W., Yam, B.M., & Chan, S.J. (2000). Quality of life in Chinese women with gynaecological cancers. Supportive Care in Cancer, 8(5), 414-422.
    Puchalski, C.M. (2001). Reconnecting the science and art of medicine. Academic Medicine, 76(12), 1224-1225.
    Ramondetta, L.M., & Sills, D. (2004). Spirituality in gynecologic oncology. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 14(2), 183-201.
    Renz, M., Mao, M.S., & Cerny, T. (2005). Spirituality, psychotherapy and music in palliative cancer care. Supportive Care in Cancer, 13(12), 961-966.
    Rippentrop, A.E., Altmaier, E.M., & Burns, C.P. (2006). The relationship of religiosity and spirituality to quality of life among cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 13(1), 31-37.
    Skalla, K.A., & McCoy, J.P. (2006). Spiritual assessment of patients with cancer: The moral authority, vocational, aesthetic, social, and transcendent model. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33(4), 745-751.
    Spannuth, W.A., Estes, J.M., Powell, L., Straughn, J.M., Partridge, E.E., & Parham, G.P. (2006). Use of complementary and alternative medicine and spiritual practices among women with ovarian carcinoma in the southeastern United States [Abstract 15048]. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from http://meeting.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/18_suppl/15048
    Stephenson, P.L., Draucker, C.B., & Martsolf, D.S. (2003). The experience of spirituality in the lives of hospice patients. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 5(1), 51-58.
    Stewart, D.E., Duff, S., Wong, F., Melancon, C., & Cheung, A.M. (2001). The views of ovarian cancer survivors on its cause, prevention, and recurrence. Medscape Women's Health, 6(5), 5.
    Taylor, E.J. (2001). Spirituality, culture, and cancer care. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 17(3), 197-205.
    Taylor, E.J. (2003a). Nurses caring for the spirit: Patients with cancer and family caregiver expectations. Oncology Nursing Forum, 30(4), 585-590.
    Taylor, E.J. (2003b). Spiritual needs of patients with cancer and family caregivers. Cancer Nursing, 26(4), 260-266.
    Taylor, E.J. (2003c). Spiritual quality of life. In C.R. King & P.S. Hinds (Eds.), Quality of life: From nursing and patient perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 93-116). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
    Taylor, E.J. (2005). Spiritual complementary therapies in cancer care. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 21(3), 159-163.
    Taylor, E.J. (2006). Prevalence and associated factors of spiritual needs among patients with cancer and family caregivers. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33(4), 729-735.
    Taylor, E.J., & Mamier, I. (2005). Spiritual care nursing: What cancer patients and family caregivers want. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 49(3), 260-267.
    Westlake, C., & Dracup, K. (2001). Role of spirituality in adjustment of patients with advanced heart failure. Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 16(3), 119-125.