The Epidemiology of Smoking in Older Adults: A National Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Older smokers account for the greatest tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the USA, while quitting smoking remains the single most effective preventive health intervention for reducing the risk of smoking-related illness. Yet, knowledge about patterns of smoking and smoking cessation in older adults is lacking. OBJECTIVE: Assess trends in prevalence of cigarette smoking between 1998 and 2018 and identify patterns and predictors of smoking cessation in US older adults. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 55+ enrolled in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, 1998-2018 MAIN MEASURES: Current smoking was assessed with the question: "Do you smoke cigarettes now?" Quitting smoking was defined as having at least two consecutive waves (between 2 and 4 years) in which participants who were current smokers in 1998 reported they were not currently smoking in subsequent waves. KEY RESULTS: Age-adjusted smoking prevalence decreased from 15.9% in 1998 (95% confidence interval (CI) 15.2, 16.7) to 11.2% in 2018 (95% CI 10.4, 12.1). Among 2187 current smokers in 1998 (mean age 64, 56% female), 56% of those living to age 90 had a sustained period of smoking cessation. Smoking less than 10 cigarettes/day was strongly associated with an increased likelihood of quitting smoking (subdistribution hazard ratio 2.3; 95% CI 1.9, 2.8), compared to those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes/day. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking prevalence among older persons has declined and substantial numbers of older smokers succeed in quitting smoking for a sustained period. These findings highlight the need for continued aggressive efforts at tobacco cessation among older persons.

Multi-Staged Data-Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis for Symptom Science Research.

The incorporation of omics approaches into symptom science research can provide researchers with information about the molecular mechanisms that underlie symptoms. Most of the omics analyses in symptom science have used a single omics approach. Therefore, these analyses are limited by the information contained within a specific omics domain (e.g., genomics and inherited variations, transcriptomics and gene function). A multi-staged data-integrated multi-omics (MS-DIMO) analysis integrates multiple types of omics data in a single study. With this integration, a MS-DIMO analysis can provide a more comprehensive picture of the complex biological mechanisms that underlie symptoms. The results of a MS-DIMO analysis can be used to refine mechanistic hypotheses and/or discover therapeutic targets for specific symptoms. The purposes of this paper are to: (1) describe a MS-DIMO analysis using "Symptom X" as an example; (2) discuss a number of challenges associated with specific omics analyses and how a MS-DIMO analysis can address them; (3) describe the various orders of omics data that can be used in a MS-DIMO analysis; (4) describe omics analysis tools; and (5) review case exemplars of MS-DIMO analyses in symptom science. This paper provides information on how a MS-DIMO analysis can strengthen symptom science research through the prioritization of functional genes and biological processes associated with a specific symptom.

Impact of exergames on psychiatric symptoms in older adults with serious mental illness.

OBJECTIVES: Older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to have high body mass index (BMI) and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle, which may be attributed to pharmacologic side effects and the symptoms of mental illness, has been difficult to treat. Patients experiencing negative symptoms (e.g. apathy, anhedonia) may be more likely to exercise in a group setting with activities that are designed to stimulate the mind and encourage engagement. "Exergames," or exercise-based videogames, are an interactive and stimulating method to provide aerobic activities. Exercise has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a 10-week exergame program on depressive and negative symptoms in older adults with SMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-group pretest posttest study was conducted with 52 older adults diagnosed with SMI. Participants engaged in group exergame activities for 50-minute sessions three times a week for 10 weeks. The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) were conducted at enrollment, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks. RESULTS: Participants achieved statistically significant reductions in self-reported depressive symptoms (-0.83, LL -1.46, UL -0.12) and observed negative symptoms (-5.29, LL -7.67, UL -3.14) over a 10-week period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest utilization of exergames as an adjunct treatment can be an effective, engaging, and cost-efficient method to reducing depressive and negative symptoms in older adults with SMI.

The Lived Experience of Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes-Related Distress.

An older, more diverse population and longer lifespans are major contributors to the anticipated tripling of diabetes prevalence by 2050. Diabetes-related distress affects up to 40% of people with diabetes and may be a higher risk for older adults due to greater prevalence of comorbidities. The objective of the current phenomenological study was to describe how diabetes-related distress might be uniquely experienced by older adults (age ≥65) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Interpretive phenomenology guided the research design and analysis. Everyday life experiences of living with T2DM and elevated diabetes distress were investigated with interpretive interviews. The most prevalent lived experiences were strained relationships with health care providers, guilt, fear, loneliness, and forgetfulness. These experiences created challenges in managing diabetes and increased diabetes-related distress. Improving knowledge regarding the lived experience of older adults with diabetes-related distress may allow health care providers to tailor treatment to this population, thus improving outcomes. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(3), 37-44.].

Symptom Experience of Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Distress.

BACKGROUND: An older, more diverse population and longer life spans are major contributors to the anticipated tripling of Type 2 diabetes prevalence by 2050. Diabetes-related distress affects up to 40% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and may be a greater risk for older adults due to greater prevalence of comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this phenomenological study was to describe how diabetes-related distress in older adults (≥65 years) with Type 2 diabetes might be uniquely experienced. METHODS: Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Interpretive phenomenology guided the research design and analysis. With interpretive interviews, we investigated the everyday health, symptoms, and life experiences of living with Type 2 diabetes and elevated diabetes distress. RESULTS: Among the older adults in this study, the most prevalent symptoms were fatigue, hypoglycemia, diarrhea, pain, loss of balance, and falling. These diabetes-related symptoms led to substantial loss of independence, decreased quality of life, and constrained social lives due to restricted activities. DISCUSSION: Diabetes-related distress presents with some unique symptoms and responses in older adults. Improving knowledge regarding the symptom experience of older adults with diabetes-related distress may allow healthcare providers to tailor treatment and thus improve outcomes for older adults struggling with diabetes.

Double Whammy for Older Smokers: Marginalized by Tobacco Control and Valued by the Tobacco Industry.

In the last 20 years, the United States has made stunning progress reducing the rate of adult smoking. However, the smallest reduction is among older adults. Compared to younger smokers, older smokers are more likely to be lower socioeconomic status (SES), have several tobacco related comorbidities, and are less likely to be treated for tobacco addiction yet, in tobacco policy, they are not considered a marginalized group. The tobacco industry's interest in older smokers contrasts with the lack of interest shown by tobacco control. A double whammy is a set of two bad events or situations that have an effect at the same time. The purposes of this article are to use the health disparity paradigm to (a) discuss the "double whammy" of marginalization by tobacco control and valuation by the tobacco industry on the health of older smokers and (b) provide strategies to promote health equity for older smokers.

Out of the silos: identifying cross-cutting features of health-related stigma to advance measurement and intervention.

BACKGROUND: Many health conditions perceived to be contagious, dangerous or incurable, or resulting in clearly visible signs, share a common attribute - an association with stigma and discrimination. While the etiology of stigma may differ between conditions and, sometimes, cultural settings, the manifestations and psychosocial consequences of stigma and discrimination are remarkably similar. However, the vast majority of studies measuring stigma or addressing stigma through interventions employ a disease-specific approach. MAIN BODY: The current paper opposes this siloed approach and advocates a generic concept of 'health-related stigma' in both stigma measurement and stigma interventions. Employing a conceptual model adapted from Weiss, the current paper demonstrates the commonalities among several major stigmatized conditions by examining how several stigma measurement instruments, such as the Social Distance Scale, Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue, Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness, and Berger stigma scale, and stigma reduction interventions, such as information-based approaches, contact with affected persons, (peer) counselling, and skills building and empowerment, were used successfully across a variety of conditions to measure or address stigma. The results demonstrate that 'health-related stigma' is a viable concept with clearly identifiable characteristics that are similar across a variety of stigmatized health conditions in very diverse cultures. CONCLUSION: A more generic approach to the study of health-related stigma opens up important practical opportunities - cross-cutting measurement and intervention tools are resource saving and easier to use for personnel working with multiple conditions, allow for comparison between conditions, and recognize the intersectionality of many types of stigma. Further research is needed to build additional evidence demonstrating the advantages and effectiveness of cross-condition approaches to stigma measurement and interventions.

Lung cancer stigma: A concept with consequences for patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung cancer (LC) report lower quality of life (QoL) and higher levels of psychological distress compared with other cancer populations. Lung cancer stigma (LCS) may in part explain these findings. AIM: We investigated the prevalence of patient-perceived lung cancer stigma (LCS) and its relationships to symptom burden/severity, depression, and deficits in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). METHODS: In this descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study, 201 participants were sent questionnaires. These included the Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale (CLCSS), the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and the Quality of Life Inventory. RESULTS: Participants were on average 69 years old, 52% women, 95% ever smokers, and 18.5% current smokers. The mean total CLCSS score was 53.1 (SD = 14.1; range = 31-94). LCS was significantly correlated with younger age (P < .001), greater social deprivation (P < .05), being unemployed (P < .001), depression (P < .001), symptom burden (P < .001), and HR-QoL deficits (P < .001). Symptom burden explained 18% of variance in LCS (P < .001). LCS explained 8.5% and 14.3% of the variance in depression (P < .001) and HR-QoL (P < .001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with lung cancer are vulnerable to LCS. Symptom burden can directly contribute to greater perceived LCS. Greater perceived LCS can be directly related to greater levels of depression and lower HR-QoL. A tailored approach is required to screen for LCS and implement interventions to enhance the psychosocial well-being of patients with perceived LCS.

Older Smokers' Beliefs About e-Cigarettes and Intent to Quit Conventional Cigarettes.

To explore associations between older smokers' attitudes and beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and tobacco use behavior, descriptive and correlational analysis of a cross-sectional survey of a random national sample of current smokers (age ≥45 years [considered "older" herein]) was performed. Of 498 older smokers, 75% wanted to quit smoking cigarettes and 60% had tried e-cigarettes. The 108 current e-cigarette users believed e-cigarettes help quit cigarettes (p < 0.001), are safer than cigarettes (p = 0.002), and are acceptable to friends (p = 0.010) and family (p = 0.007). Smokers not considering cessation believed friends and family think it is okay to smoke cigarettes (p < 0.001). Among older smokers: (a) most want to quit cigarettes; (b) e-cigarette use is increasing; (c) most believe e-cigarettes are healthier than cigarettes and effective for cessation; and (d) perceived social acceptability modifies tobacco use behavior by influencing initiation and maintenance of conventional cigarette and e-cigarette use. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(12), 17-24.].

An exploratory study of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke among women in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: By 2030, the Sub-Saharan African region is projected to be the epicenter of the tobacco epidemic. While smoking prevalence is currently low among women (< 2%), the prevalence among men (7.7% overall and up to 27% depending on region) makes exposure to secondhand smoke a pressing concern for women and children. To prevent the uptake of smoking among women and address tobacco-related risks, including secondhand smoke exposure, a greater understanding of women's related perceptions is needed. The purpose of this study was to explore Ethiopian women's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, and the potential influence of contextual factors including; khat use, exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco messaging, and religious affiliation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a systematic household sampling technique and an adapted interviewer-administered survey was conducted in Southern Ethiopia. The survey was administered to 353 women, 18-55 years of age, in Aleta Wondo town and surrounding districts between August-October 2014 (95.2% cooperation rate). RESULTS: General awareness of harm associated with personal tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke was high (> 94%); however, specific knowledge of associated health-risks was limited. More than 96% perceived female tobacco use as socially unacceptable. At the same time, more than 70% were able to name potential benefits of using tobacco for both personal consumption and non-personal use. Respondents reported greater experimentation with khat versus tobacco and 73% reported that their religion significantly influenced their tobacco-related attitudes. Overall, there were higher reports of exposure to anti-tobacco (70%) versus pro-tobacco (49%) messaging, in the last 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: The high level of awareness of health risks associated with tobacco use and SHS exposure and the high exposure to anti-tobacco messaging are community-level strengths that can proactively be built on to prevent the projected disease burden associated with tobacco. Findings have implications for the development of contextualized gender-specific tobacco control interventions, particularly in relation to the promotion of smoke-free homes.

Pain and Emergency Department Use in the Last Month of Life Among Older Adults With Dementia.

CONTEXT: Pain may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for expensive and burdensome emergency department (ED) visits near the end of life for older adults with dementia. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of pain and unmet need for pain management on ED visits in the last month of life in older adults with dementia. METHODS: This is a mortality follow-back study of older adults with dementia in the National Health and Aging Trends Study who died between 2012 and 2014, linked to Medicare claims. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-one National Health and Aging Trends Study decedents with dementia met criteria (mean age 86 years, 61% female, 81% white). Fifty-seven percent had at least one ED visit in the last month of life, and 46.5% had an ED visit that resulted in a hospital admission. Almost three out of four (73%) of decedents experienced pain in the last month of life, and 10% had an unmet need for pain management. After adjustment for age, gender, race, educational attainment, income, comorbidities, and impairment in activities of daily living, pain was not associated with increased ED use in the last month of life (adjusted incident rate ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.64-1.17). However, decedents with unmet need for pain management had an almost 50% higher rate of ED visits in the last month of life than those without unmet needs (adjusted incident rate ratio 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-1.99). CONCLUSION: Among older adults with dementia, unmet need for pain management was associated with more frequent ED visits in the last month of life.

Marijuana and Prescription Pain Reliever Use among Cigarette Smokers.

Due to marijuana's analgesic effects and its growing national legal status, it is likely that marijuana's rising prevalence will impact prescription pain reliever (PPR) use. The present study investigates the relationship between marijuana and PPR use among U.S. adult current cigarette smokers. Data were analyzed from the Tobacco and Attitudes Beliefs Survey II, with 348 current cigarette smokers, aged 24-88. Logistic regression was used to examine the likelihood of current (past 30 days) PPR use by marijuana use (never, ever, and current) among cigarette smokers. Among PPR users (N = 76), we also investigated whether marijuana use frequency predicted current PPR use. Compared to never marijuana users, participants were more likely to report past 30-day PPR use if they have ever used marijuana (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.51-4.43) or have used marijuana in the past 30 days (AOR: 3.38, CI: 1.76-6.49). No significant relationship was found between marijuana use frequency and PPR use. Thus, in this sample of adult cigarette smokers, past and current marijuana users were two to three times more likely to report PPR use than never marijuana users. These findings can help inform policymakers and healthcare providers in their fight against the opioid epidemic.

Relationships Among Palliative Care, Ethical Climate, Empowerment, and Moral Distress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit nurses experience moral distress when they feel unable to deliver ethically appropriate care to patients. Moral distress is associated with nurse burnout and patient care avoidance. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate relationships among moral distress, empowerment, ethical climate, and access to palliative care in the intensive care unit. METHODS: Intensive care unit nurses in a national database were recruited to complete an online survey based on the Moral Distress Scale-Revised, Psychological Empowerment Index, Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, and a palliative care delivery questionnaire. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 288 initiated surveys, 238 were completed. Participants were nationally representative of nurses by age, years of experience, and geographical region. Most were white and female and had a bachelor's degree. The mean moral distress score was moderately high, and correlations were found with empowerment (r = -0.145; P = .02) and ethical climate scores (r = -0.354; P < .001). Relationships between moral distress and empowerment scores and between moral distress and ethical climate scores were not affected by access to palliative care. Nurses reporting palliative care access had higher moral distress scores than those without such access. Education, ethnicity, unit size, access to full palliative care team, and ethical climate explained variance in moral distress scores. CONCLUSIONS: Poor ethical climate, unintegrated palliative care teams, and nurse empowerment are associated with increased moral distress. The findings highlight the need to promote palliative care education and palliative care teams that are well integrated into intensive care units.

Cigarette and e-cigarette dual use and risk of cardiopulmonary symptoms in the Health eHeart Study.

E-cigarettes are promoted as healthier alternatives to conventional cigarettes. Many cigarette smokers use both products. It is unknown whether the additional use of e-cigarettes among cigarette smokers (dual users) is associated with reduced exposure to tobacco-related health risks. Cross-sectional analysis was performed using baseline data from the Health eHeart Study, among English-speaking adults, mostly from the United States. Cigarette use (# cigarettes/day) and/or e-cigarette use (# days, # cartridges, and # puffs) were compared between cigarette only users vs. dual users. Additionally, we examined cardiopulmonary symptoms/ conditions across product use: no product (neither), e-cigarettes only, cigarettes only, and dual use. Among 39,747 participants, 573 (1.4%) reported e-cigarette only use, 1,693 (4.3%) reported cigarette only use, and 514 (1.3%) dual use. Dual users, compared to cigarette only users, reported a greater median (IQR) number of cigarettes per day, 10.0 (4.0-20.0) vs. 9.0 (3.0-15.0) (p < .0001), a lower (worse) median (IQR) SF-12 general health score, 3.3 (2.8-3.8) vs. 3.5 (2.8-3.9) (p = .0014), and a higher (worse) median (IQR) breathing difficulty score in the past month, 2.0 (1.0-2.0) vs. 1.0 (1.0-2.0) (p = .001). Of the 19 cardiopulmonary symptoms/ conditions, having a history of arrhythmia was significantly different between cigarette only users (14.2%) and dual users (17.8%) (p = .02). In this sample, dual use was not associated with reduced exposure to either (i) cigarettes, compared to cigarette only users or (ii) e-cigarettes, compared to e-cigarette only users. E-cigarette only use, compared to no product use, was associated with lower general health scores, higher breathing difficulty scores (typically and past month), and greater proportions of those who responded 'yes' to having chest pain, palpitations, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, COPD, and asthma. These data suggest the added use of e-cigarettes alone may have contributed to cardiopulmonary health risks particularly respiratory health risks.

Quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal cancers undergoing chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Findings regarding changes in the quality of life (QOL) of patients with gastrointestinal cancers (GI) undergoing chemotherapy (CTX) are inconclusive. Purpose was to evaluate for changes in QOL scores of patients with GI cancers over two cycles of CTX. METHODS: Patients (n = 397) completed disease-specific [i.e., Quality of Life-Scale-Patient Version (QOL-PV)] and generic [12-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey (SF-12)] measures of QOL a total of six times over two cycles of CTX. Changes in these QOL scores were evaluated using bootstrapped multilevel regression with full information maximum likelihood estimation. Treatment group (i.e., with or without targeted therapy), age, number of metastatic sites, time from cancer diagnosis, number of prior cancer treatments, GI cancer diagnosis (i.e., colon/rectum/anal vs. other), and CTX regimen were evaluated as covariates in the conditional models for each of the QOL scores. RESULTS: During the second cycle of CTX, QOL-PV scores decreased in the week following CTX administration, and then increased the following week. For both cycles of CTX, the physical component summary and mental component summary scores of the SF-12 decreased in the week following CTX administration and then increased the following week. Increased time from cancer diagnosis and a higher number of prior cancer treatments resulted in worse QOL-PV and SF-12 scores at enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: While changes in QOL scores over the two CTX cycles were statistically significant, the differences were not clinically meaningful. Future studies need to determine the optimal timing of QOL assessments to assess changes associated with cancer treatments.

Please Ask Gently: Using Culturally Targeted Communication Strategies to Initiate End-of-Life Care Discussions With Older Chinese Americans.

BACKGROUND: Health-care providers (HCPs) find facilitating end-of-life (EOL) care discussions challenging, especially with patients whose ethnicities differ from their own. Currently, there is little guidance on how to initiate and facilitate such discussions with older Chinese Americans (≥55 years) and their families. OBJECTIVE: To explore communication strategies for HCPs to initiate EOL care discussions with older Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. DESIGN: This qualitative (focused) ethnographic study included field observations and individual semistructured interviews with 14 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans who lived independently at home, 9 adult children, and 7 HCPs. Responses were analyzed using open coding, memos, and comparison across participants. RESULTS: The study participants emphasized the importance of assessing readiness for early EOL care discussions. All recommended using indirect communication approaches to determine older Chinese Americans' readiness. Indirect communication can be culturally targeted and applied at both system-wide (ie, health-care system) and individual (ie, HCP) levels. To institutionalize the practice, health-care facilities should implement EOL care discussion inquiries as part of routine during check-in or intake questionnaires. In individual practice, using depersonalized communication strategies to initiate the discussion was recommended to determine older Chinese Americans' readiness. CONCLUSION: Assessing readiness should be an essential and necessary action for early EOL care discussions. Culturally targeted assessment of older Chinese Americans includes using indirect communication approaches to initiate an EOL care discussion to determine their readiness. In addition to health-care system integration, providers should implement and evaluate proposed EOL discussion initiation prompts with their older Chinese American patients.

Can We Talk About It Now? Recognizing the Optimal Time to Initiate End-of-Life Care Discussions with Older Chinese Americans and Their Families.

INTRODUCTION: Older Chinese Americans often defer end-of-life care discussions. Researchers sought to explore how to engage older Chinese Americans and their families in end-of-life care discussions and to understand the optimal timing to initiate such discussions. METHODS: Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans, 9 adult children, and 7 clinicians. The data were collected and analyzed using focused ethnographic methodology. RESULTS: Older Chinese Americans and their families would discuss end-of-life care when introduced at "optimal times," which included after-triggering events (e.g., death of loved ones, fall accidents), changes in health status, or advanced age. DISCUSSION: Adult children are not expected to initiate end-of-life care discussions with their parents. Thus, culturally congruent health care that could better engage Chinese Americans in such discussions would be optimized by having clinicians proactively assess their patients' readiness and initiate such discussion at optimal times.

Differences in symptom clusters before and twelve months after breast cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: Given the inter-relatedness among symptoms, research efforts are focused on an evaluation of symptom clusters. The purposes of this study were to evaluate for differences in the number and types of menopausal-related symptom clusters assessed prior to and at 12-months after surgery using ratings of occurrence and severity and to evaluate for changes in these symptom clusters over time. METHODS: Prior to and at 12 months after surgery, 392 women with breast cancer completed the Menopausal Symptoms Scale. Exploratory factor analyses were used to identify the symptom clusters. RESULTS: Of the 392 women evaluated, the mean number of symptoms (out of 46) was 13.2 (±8.5) at enrollment and 10.9 (±8.2) at 12 months after surgery. Using occurrence and severity, three symptom clusters were identified prior to surgery. Five symptom clusters were identified at 12 months following surgery. Two symptom clusters (i.e., pain/discomfort and hormonal) were relatively stable across both dimensions and time points. Two symptom clusters were relatively stable across both dimensions either prior to surgery (i.e., sleep/psychological/cognitive) or at 12 months after surgery (i.e., sleep). The other four clusters (i.e., irritability, psychological/cognitive, cognitive, psychological) were identified at one time point using a single dimension. CONCLUSIONS: While some menopausal-related symptom clusters were consistent across time and dimensions, the majority of symptoms clustered together differently depending on whether they were evaluated prior to or at 12 months after breast cancer surgery. An increased understanding of how symptom clusters change over time may assist clinicians to focus their symptom assessments and management strategies.

Influence of Menopausal Status on the Symptom Experience of Women Before Breast Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer treatments can change women's hormonal milieu and alter their symptom experience. Little is known about associations between menopausal status and menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer before surgery. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress of symptoms between premenopausal and postmenopausal women before breast cancer surgery. METHODS: A total of 312 women with breast cancer completed the Menopausal Symptoms Scale, a self-report measure that evaluated the occurrence, severity, and distress of 46 common symptoms associated with menopause. Regression analyses were used to evaluate for between-group differences in these symptoms. RESULTS: Of the 312 patients enrolled, 37.4% (n = 116) were premenopausal, and 62.6% (n = 196) were postmenopausal. In the multivariate analysis that adjusted for 7 covariates, premenopausal patients reported higher occurrence rates for urinary frequency (P = .006) and reported lower occurrence rates for joint pain/stiffness (P = .011), difficulty falling asleep (P = .025), and vaginal dryness (P = .002). A significant interaction was found between age and menopausal status for hot flashes (P = .002), wake during the night (P = .025), and headache (P = .040). CONCLUSION: Regardless of menopausal status, women reported high occurrence rates for several menopausal symptoms. Associations between some symptom occurrence rates and menopausal status depended on the patients' age. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: As part of a preoperative symptom assessment, clinicians need to consider a woman's menopausal status and salient demographic and clinical characteristics. The identification of women with a higher symptom burden will assist with more effective management.