TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the perceptions of omani women regarding life after a breast cancer diagnosis
AU - Al-Riyami, Asya
AU - Abdulhadi, Nadia N.
AU - Al-Azri, Mohammed
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Sultan Qaboos University. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - Objectives: There is a rising burden of breast cancer (BC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), and its sociopsychological impact is a quickly growing health concern in this region. Because understanding cancer patients’ perceptions of life is integral to their treatment, they are also a concern for healthcare providers. This qualitative study, therefore, explored changes in Omani women’s perceptions of life after a BC diagnosis. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with 21 Omani women undergoing treatment for BC at the Oncology Ward of Muscat’s Royal Hospital from March to May 2017. The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: After their cancer diagnosis, the women appeared to pass through three main stages in their coping processes. First, they passed through a stage of severe psychosocial distress and diminishment in personal identity. Next, they evolved strategies for coping based on cultural, religious and family resources. Finally, the women experienced acceptance and submission to the reality of the cancer as God’s will with changes in attitudes and perceptions of the meaning of life. Conclusion: A BC diagnosis impacts Omani women severely, affecting their lives dramatically. They adopt coping strategies based on cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs. Healthcare providers need to acknowledge and facilitate women’s spiritual and cultural coping strategies as an integral part of their treatment which holds potential to improve their prognosis. Such strategies should be individualised to suit each woman’s experiences, perceptions and needs.
AB - Objectives: There is a rising burden of breast cancer (BC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), and its sociopsychological impact is a quickly growing health concern in this region. Because understanding cancer patients’ perceptions of life is integral to their treatment, they are also a concern for healthcare providers. This qualitative study, therefore, explored changes in Omani women’s perceptions of life after a BC diagnosis. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with 21 Omani women undergoing treatment for BC at the Oncology Ward of Muscat’s Royal Hospital from March to May 2017. The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: After their cancer diagnosis, the women appeared to pass through three main stages in their coping processes. First, they passed through a stage of severe psychosocial distress and diminishment in personal identity. Next, they evolved strategies for coping based on cultural, religious and family resources. Finally, the women experienced acceptance and submission to the reality of the cancer as God’s will with changes in attitudes and perceptions of the meaning of life. Conclusion: A BC diagnosis impacts Omani women severely, affecting their lives dramatically. They adopt coping strategies based on cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs. Healthcare providers need to acknowledge and facilitate women’s spiritual and cultural coping strategies as an integral part of their treatment which holds potential to improve their prognosis. Such strategies should be individualised to suit each woman’s experiences, perceptions and needs.
KW - Breast neoplasm
KW - Culture
KW - Life
KW - Oman
KW - Perceptions
KW - Women
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U2 - 10.18295/squmj.2020.20.04.013
DO - 10.18295/squmj.2020.20.04.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 33414942
AN - SCOPUS:85100126695
SN - 2075-051X
VL - 20
SP - e360-e367
JO - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
JF - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
IS - 4
ER -