Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, 4222, Australia.
Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Support Care Cancer. 2019 Feb;27(2):677-685. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4358-z. Epub 2018 Jul 28.
The degree to which peer support is used and accepted as a supportive care approach by women with breast cancer is unclear. We examine peer support use across three major modalities (i.e. support groups, online platforms, one-on-one) and identify enablers and barriers to peer support using the beliefs framework of the theory of planned behaviour. A population-based sample of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 3105) who were on average 54.08 weeks since diagnosis completed mailed surveys at baseline measuring beliefs about peer support and intention. Peer support use was measured via telephone interview at baseline and prospectively at 12-month follow-up (n = 2780). In all, 37% of women had used at least one peer support service since diagnosis (support group = 20%, online = 18%, one-on-one = 10%). A path analysis examined what beliefs enabled or acted as barriers to peer support use at follow-up adjusting for past behaviour (i.e. baseline use), sociodemographic characteristics, and treatment. In order of relative strength, enablers included beliefs that peer support is an outlet for honest expression of feelings (β = .35), a source of empathy (β = .30), approved by doctors (β = .07), and approved by family/partner (β = .04). Barriers were beliefs that it encourages dwelling about breast cancer (β = - .06) and involves exposure to negative stories about this disease (β = - .04). Strategies which communicate the potential emotional support benefits of a shared illness experience and social approval by others, particularly the medical profession, may help to promote acceptance of peer support and encourage service uptake in breast cancer.
同伴支持作为一种支持性护理方法，在乳腺癌女性中被使用和接受的程度尚不清楚。我们通过三种主要模式（即支持小组、在线平台、一对一）检查同伴支持的使用情况，并使用计划行为理论的信念框架确定同伴支持的促进因素和障碍。一个基于人群的新诊断为乳腺癌的女性样本（n=3105），平均在诊断后 54.08 周完成了基线邮寄问卷，测量对同伴支持的信念和意图。同伴支持的使用通过基线时的电话访谈和 12 个月随访时的前瞻性测量（n=2780）来衡量。总共有 37%的女性自诊断以来至少使用过一种同伴支持服务（支持小组=20%，在线=18%，一对一=10%）。路径分析考察了在调整过去行为（即基线使用）、社会人口特征和治疗的情况下，哪些信念可以促进或阻碍随访时的同伴支持使用。按相对强度顺序，促进因素包括认为同伴支持是坦诚表达感受的出口（β=0.35）、同理心的源泉（β=0.30）、得到医生认可（β=0.07）和得到家人/伴侣认可（β=0.04）。障碍是认为它鼓励对乳腺癌的思考（β=-0.06）和涉及接触关于这种疾病的负面故事（β=-0.04）。传达共享疾病经历的潜在情感支持益处和他人（特别是医疗专业人员）的社会认可的策略，可能有助于促进对同伴支持的接受，并鼓励在乳腺癌中使用服务。
