DETERMINANTS OF ANTICIPATORY NAUSEA AND ANTICIPATORY VOMITING IN ADULTS RECEIVING CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY: A NURSING INVESTIGATION.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 182
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery.; Psychology, Clinical.; Health Sciences, Oncology.
Description: There is a need for further empirical investigation of variables that may contribute to the occurrence of anticipatory nausea and/or anticipatory vomiting (AN/AV) in persons receiving cancer chemotherapy. The research question for this study is: What combination of the following factors (symptom distress, mood disturbance, stage of disease, sensitivity to conditioning cues, emetic potential of antineoplastic drugs, severity of post-treatment nausea and/or vomiting, age, psychosocial stress and ability to cope) will most accurately predict the occurrence of AN/AV in adults receiving an initial course of cancer chemotherapy in an outpatient setting? The theoretical framework for this study is based on a synthesis of a cognitive-phenomenological approach to stress, appraisal, and coping (Lazaraus & Folkman, 1984); and classical conditioning theory.

The data collection procedures for this study were guided by the prospective design and the theoretical framework. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires. A convenience sample (n = 50) was drawn from adult medical oncology outpatient clinics.

Demographic data were obtained prior to the subject's first chemotherapy treatment. Measures of selected variables (symptom distress, mood disturbance, sensitivity to conditioning cues, psychosocial stress and ability to cope) were obtained prior to administration of chemotherapy on "Day 1" of the first, fourth, and fifth consecutive treatment cycles. In addition, assessment of nausea and vomiting were obtained prior to administration of chemotherapy along with the other measures.

Multivariate statistics were used to examine the contribution of the variables to the prediction of AN/AV. Both standard and stepwise discriminant function analyses for 2 groups were performed with all predictors entered into the equation. Analysis of the data revealed that 53% of the variance accounted for was contributed by the following combination of variables: emetic potential of drug, level of symptom distress, mood disturbance, stress and ability to cope (p =.001). The total percentage of cases correctly classified was 88.3%. This combination of variables correctly classified 100% of patients who experienced anticipatory nausea (n = 15). Eighty-two percent of patients who did not experience anticipatory nausea and/or anticipatory vomiting (n = 28) were classified correctly.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-01, Section: B, page: 0163.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1990.

School code: 0227.