Nurse Manager, Head of Nursing, Awali Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Associate Professor in Nursing, Director for Masters in Nursing, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Medical University Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain), Kingdom of Bahrain.
Semin Oncol Nurs. 2022 Aug;38(4):151307. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2022.151307. Epub 2022 Jun 7.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among women in Middle Eastern countries. In Bahrain, breast cancer is the second-leading cause of death and first among women. Prior research has shown that Middle Eastern women will often delay seeking treatment for breast cancer and subsequently hide the diagnosis from friends and family. As a result, women rely heavily on their spouses for support and care. There is limited research on spouses' experience of breast cancer, especially in the Middle East. This study explored the lived experience of Arab men following their wives' diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer in Bahrain.
Data from semi-structured interviews with Arab men (n = 6) were analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA). Participants' wives had completed their treatment 3 to 6 months prior to the interviews.
Three main themes emerged: Perceptions of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, coping strategies, and impact on quality of life. Findings revealed that Arab men in Bahrain relied on family and friends for support and drew on religious beliefs to give them hope so they could better support their wives. Findings also highlighted the unique culturally related coping strategies used by Arab men. This study highlights the specific needs of Arab men following their wives' diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. Faith and beliefs were overwhelmingly a foundation for coping and support. Therefore, this must be considered within the health care service to improve support strategies for Arab patients and their spouses in treatment and care plans encompassing a holistic interprofessional, multidisciplinary, and communicative approaches including the need for culturally sensitive care pathways that are cognizant of the care needs through help-seeking and information-sharing throughout the illness. Nurses should provide the education and encourage open communication among the couple and their family.
Findings can be used by nurses and other health care professionals to provide better support and holistic care to Arab women with breast cancer and their spouses.
乳腺癌是中东国家女性死亡和发病的主要原因。在巴林，乳腺癌是第二大死因，也是女性中的第一大死因。先前的研究表明，中东女性往往会延迟寻求乳腺癌的治疗，并随后向朋友和家人隐瞒诊断结果。因此，女性严重依赖配偶的支持和照顾。关于配偶乳腺癌经历的研究有限，尤其是在中东地区。本研究探讨了在巴林，阿拉伯男性在妻子被诊断和治疗乳腺癌后的生活经历。
采用解释现象学方法（IPA）对 6 名阿拉伯男性（n=6）的半结构式访谈数据进行了分析。参与者的妻子在接受采访前 3 至 6 个月已完成治疗。
出现了三个主要主题：对乳腺癌诊断和治疗的看法、应对策略以及对生活质量的影响。研究结果表明，巴林的阿拉伯男性依靠家人和朋友获得支持，并借助宗教信仰给予他们希望，以便更好地支持他们的妻子。研究结果还突出了阿拉伯男性使用的独特的与文化相关的应对策略。本研究强调了阿拉伯男性在妻子被诊断和治疗乳腺癌后的具体需求。信仰和信念是应对和支持的基础。因此，这必须在医疗保健服务中得到考虑，以改善对阿拉伯患者及其配偶的支持策略，包括制定涵盖整体、跨专业、多学科和沟通方法的治疗和护理计划，包括需要制定对文化敏感的护理途径，以了解通过整个疾病过程中的寻求帮助和信息共享来满足护理需求。护士应提供教育，并鼓励夫妻及其家人之间进行开放的沟通。
研究结果可被护士和其他医疗保健专业人员用于为患有乳腺癌的阿拉伯女性及其配偶提供更好的支持和整体护理。
