The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Faculty of Health, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 22;19(8):e0309218. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309218. eCollection 2024.
To investigate the effects of a multimodal couple-based sexual health intervention for premenopausal women treated for breast cancer and their partners to provide personalised psychosexual care, and to understand participants' experience of, and adherence to, the intervention.
This is an assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Premenopausal women treated for breast cancer (N = 160) and their partners will be recruited. Dyads will be randomised into an intervention (n = 80) or attention control (n = 80) group. The intervention group will receive the multimodal couple-based sexual health intervention over eight weeks. The intervention comprises five face-to-face and virtual individual couple counselling sessions combined with online reading, a chat-based discussion forum, and telephone calls. The intervention is based on level I-II evidence and a robust theoretical framework. The attention control group will receive usual care plus telephone calls comprising general greetings and reminders to complete follow-up surveys. Sexual adjustment, relationship quality and quality of life will be measured at baseline, after completion of the intervention, three months and six months post-intervention. The project will adhere to the CONSORT-EHEALTH checklist. Qualitative interviews will explore the participants' experience of, and adherence to, the intervention.
This study will provide the first pragmatic evidence of the effectiveness of a multimodal couple-coping intervention to support premenopausal women and their partners to improve sexuality, relationship quality and quality of life after treatment for breast cancer.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND /OR PATIENT CARE: Sexual health is a neglected area in clinical practice, for patients and partners. The ever-growing population of women treated for breast cancer at younger age has created a more pressing need for the development of tailored sexual health interventions. If effective, this intervention could be incorporated into routine cancer care to provide better support and care for this patient population to enhance sexual health, intimacy and overall well-being.
ISRCTN35481498; prospectively registered on 08/05/2023.
研究一种多模式基于夫妻的性健康干预措施对接受乳腺癌治疗的绝经前妇女及其伴侣的影响，以提供个性化的性心理护理，并了解参与者对干预措施的体验和依从性。
这是一项评估者盲法、随机对照试验。将招募接受乳腺癌治疗的绝经前妇女（N=160）及其伴侣。将对夫妇进行随机分组，分为干预组（n=80）或对照组（n=80）。干预组将在八周内接受多模式基于夫妻的性健康干预。该干预措施包括五次面对面和虚拟的个体夫妻咨询会议，结合在线阅读、基于聊天的讨论论坛和电话通话。该干预措施基于 I 级-II 级证据和强大的理论框架。对照组将接受常规护理加电话通话，包括一般问候和提醒完成随访调查。在基线、干预完成后、三个月和六个月后测量性调整、关系质量和生活质量。该项目将遵循 CONSORT-EHEALTH 清单。定性访谈将探讨参与者对干预措施的体验和依从性。
本研究将提供第一个关于多模式夫妻应对干预措施有效性的实用证据，以支持绝经前妇女及其伴侣在接受乳腺癌治疗后改善性、关系质量和生活质量。
对专业人员和/或患者护理的影响：性健康是临床实践中被忽视的领域，无论是对患者还是伴侣而言。越来越多的年轻乳腺癌患者的出现，使得为特定患者群体开发定制化的性健康干预措施的需求变得更加迫切。如果有效，这种干预措施可以纳入常规癌症护理中，为这一患者群体提供更好的支持和护理，以增强性健康、亲密感和整体幸福感。
ISRCTN35481498；于 2023 年 5 月 8 日前瞻性注册。
