BEHAVIORAL CORRELATES OF LUNG CANCER PAIN.
Contributors: University of California, San Francisco.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 198
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Reflex behaviors are known protective responses to noxious stimuli, but little is known about voluntary behavioral responses to pain. Research data suggest pain behaviors are used to communicate pain to other people, to control pain, or because pain prevents usual behavior.

In a descriptive, correlational study, 45 patients with lung cancer pain were used to identify pain behaviors and examine relationships between the behaviors and selected variables. After completing the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Cancer Specific Locus of Control (locus), and Coping Strategies Questionnaire, patients were asked to sit, stand, walk, and recline for ten minutes while video cameras recorded behaviors. Tapes were scored using behavioral definitions. Then, patients were interviewed to determine their intent for using the behaviors.

Patients verbally expressed pain to others (43%) or tried not to express their pain (45%). Both groups had similar pain, anxiety, and locus scores. However, patients who tried not to express their pain reported more frequent use of coping strategies.

Pain was controlled by 42 behaviors. The number of different pain reduction behaviors was significantly correlated with intensity (r =.44), quality (r =.45-.64), and some coping strategies (r =.37-.48), but was not associated with anxiety or locus scores. Multiple regression indicated that patients with complex qualities of pain and longer pain duration were likely to use greater numbers of different behaviors to reduce pain.

Most patients (84%) reported pain prevented them from completing none of the protocol activities, but that pain prevented work and recreational activities. The number of behaviors prevented by pain was significantly correlated with intensity (r =.41), quality (r =.39-.58), and anxiety (r =.55), but was not associated with locus or most coping strategies scores. Multiple regression indicated that patients with higher anxiety, complex qualities of pain, and ability to decrease pain were likely to report that pain prevented larger numbers of behavior.

This research helped to clarify the pain behavior construct. Further research is needed to examine the nature of lung cancer pain behaviors over time and to evaluate the effectiveness of specific lung cancer pain control behaviors.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-01, Section: B, page: 0166.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1990.

School code: 0034.