Relationships among Mood Status, Social Support, Symptom Experience and Quality of Life in Colorectal Cancer Patients - based on the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms

PURPOSE: This study is to determine the effects of Colorectal Neoplasms patients' stage, location of disease, functional status (physiological factor), mood (psychological factor), and social support (situational factor) on their symptom experience, and to verify the relationship between symptom experience and the quality of life. METHODS: The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms was the framework for the study. A descriptive correlational design was used in analysis of data obtained from a sample of 113 Colorectal Neoplasms patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. RESULTS: Total mood disturbance and symptom experiences were negatively correlated with physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) of quality of life (r −.33 to r=−.51, p<.001; r=.40 to r=.50, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the functional status and symptoms interference variables explained 29.2% of the variance in PCS of quality of life. Symptoms interference and age explained 30.6% of the variance in MCS of quality of life. CONCLUSION: Although overall depression levels were low in this sample, these findings suggest that insomnia and fatigue are related to depression and that depression is more closely associated with quality of life than are insomnia and fatigue.

Association of nasal inflammation and lower airway responsiveness in schoolchildren based on an epidemiological survey

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We sought to increase our understanding of the rhinitis-asthma relationship and improve strategies for the treatment of patients with these diseases. The aim of this study was to identify a connection between upper airway inflammation and lower airway responsiveness. METHODS: We counted eosinophils on nasal smears, and performed spirometry, allergic skin tests, and methacholine challenge tests in 308 schoolchildren plus a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. The methacholine concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (PC20 0.05). No difference in BHR was detected when comparing subjects with and without nasal eosinophils. There were significant differences in the PC20 between subjects with greater than 50% nasal eosinophils and without nasal eosinophils (11.01 +/- 2.92 mg/mL vs. 17.38 +/- 0.61 mg/mL; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that nasal eosinophilic inflammation might contribute to lower airway responsiveness in schoolchildren, based on an epidemiological survey.