EXPLORING THE SOCIO-SPIRITUAL MEANING AND COPING STRATEGIES OF OLDER ADULTS LIVING WITH CANCER IN NIGERIA

IF 4.9 3区医学 Q1 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY

Innovation in Aging Pub Date : 2023-12-01 DOI:10.1093/geroni/igad104.3337

Obinna Odo, Kingsly Udeh, Jonathan Okolie, Runcie C W Chidebe

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract The growing cancer mortality, poor access to palliative care, treatment hesitancy, poor survivorship, and limited oncology healthcare infrastructure have been investigated in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, the orthodox treatment and management of cancer is still greatly influenced by superstitious belief and spiritual connotations. Yet, the socio-spiritual and culturally sensitive meanings attached to cancer and treatment are still lacking in the literature. This study explored the socio-spiritual strategies of older adults living with cancer in Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative approach and data were collected through a semi-structured interview with 15 older adults from the Oncology unit, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu State, Nigeria. The data were managed and inductively coded using NVivo 12 and analyzed thematically. The findings of our study show that cancer is traditionally conceptualized as the aftermath of a disconnection with supernatural/ancestral forces. By implication, such misconceptions affect the level of dispositions and steps taken toward diagnosis and treatment. To this end, our study argues that blending spiritual needs, social support, and culturally sensitive cancer education could improve the quality of life and coping capacity of older adults living with cancer. The study recommends the infusion of socio-spiritual interventions to cancer treatment for older adults in Nigeria.

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探索尼日利亚老年人癌症患者的社会精神意义和应对策略

摘要在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，癌症死亡率不断上升、难以获得姑息治疗、治疗犹豫不决、存活率低以及肿瘤医疗保健基础设施有限等问题已得到调查。在尼日利亚，正统的癌症治疗和管理仍然深受迷信和精神内涵的影响。然而，有关癌症和治疗的社会精神和文化敏感含义的文献仍然缺乏。本研究探讨了尼日利亚老年癌症患者的社会精神策略。研究采用定性方法，通过对尼日利亚埃努古州尼日利亚大学教学医院（UNTH）肿瘤科的 15 名老年人进行半结构化访谈收集数据。我们使用 NVivo 12 对数据进行了管理和归纳编码，并进行了专题分析。我们的研究结果表明，癌症在传统观念中被认为是与超自然/祖先力量脱节的后果。这种误解影响了人们对诊断和治疗的态度和步骤。为此，我们的研究认为，将精神需求、社会支持和具有文化敏感性的癌症教育结合起来，可以提高患癌老年人的生活质量和应对能力。研究建议在尼日利亚老年人的癌症治疗中注入社会精神干预措施。

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来源期刊

Innovation in Aging GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY-

CiteScore

4.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

15 weeks

期刊介绍： Innovation in Aging, an interdisciplinary Open Access journal of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), is dedicated to publishing innovative, conceptually robust, and methodologically rigorous research focused on aging and the life course. The journal aims to present studies with the potential to significantly enhance the health, functionality, and overall well-being of older adults by translating scientific insights into practical applications. Research published in the journal spans a variety of settings, including community, clinical, and laboratory contexts, with a clear emphasis on issues that are directly pertinent to aging and the dynamics of life over time. The content of the journal mirrors the diverse research interests of GSA members and encompasses a range of study types. These include the validation of new conceptual or theoretical models, assessments of factors impacting the health and well-being of older adults, evaluations of interventions and policies, the implementation of groundbreaking research methodologies, interdisciplinary research that adapts concepts and methods from other fields to aging studies, and the use of modeling and simulations to understand factors and processes influencing aging outcomes. The journal welcomes contributions from scholars across various disciplines, such as technology, engineering, architecture, economics, business, law, political science, public policy, education, public health, social and psychological sciences, biomedical and health sciences, and the humanities and arts, reflecting a holistic approach to advancing knowledge in gerontology.