IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND MANAGING FATIGUE IN GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION: A FOCUS ON PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Abstract

Objective: To explore the impact of comprehensive health education on managing cancer-related fatigue and enhancing the quality of life in gastric cancer patients, with a focus on physical and mental well-being. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 30 gastric cancer patients from January 2022 to January 2023, comparing the outcomes of routine health education (control group) with those receiving full-course health education (observation group). Metrics assessed included disease awareness, emotional well-being, cancer fatigue, comfort levels, sleep quality, overall quality of life, and patient satisfaction with nursing care. Results: Post-intervention, the observation group demonstrated significantly improved scores in disease awareness (87.36 ± 12.19) and comfort (97.49 ± 13.21) compared to the control group (74.85 ± 10.32, 83.37 ± 10.65) (P<0.05). Notably, scores for anxiety, depression, cancer-induced fatigue, and sleep quality were markedly better in the observation group than the control group, indicating reduced psychological stress and improved physical conditions. Furthermore, the dimensions of physical function, mental health, social relationships, and living environment in the observation group exceeded those of the control group, reflecting a holistic enhancement in quality of life (P<0.05). Nursing satisfaction was also higher in the observation group (93.33%) compared to the control group (73.33%) (P<0.05). Conclusion: Full-course health education substantially improves physical and psychological outcomes in gastric cancer patients, significantly outperforming routine educational approaches. This indicates the vital role of structured health education in not only alleviating cancer-related symptoms but also in enhancing patient engagement and overall quality of life, critical for recovery and physical activity participation.