| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 57
| Issue : 3 | Page : 253-261 |
Changes in social support among patients with hematological malignancy undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Souzhou, China
Yongchun Liang1, Mingming Zhou1, Wei Yu1, Haifang Wang2
1 School of Nursing, Taihu University of Wuxi, Wuxi, China
2 Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence Address:
Haifang Wang
Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu
China
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijc.IJC_443_18
Background: Evidence regarding social support in patients is mostly from cross-sectional studies. Very few studies have focused on the change in social support systems before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Methods: A total of 191 patients were investigated before transplantation and at 30, 90 and 180 days post-transplantation. The social support for patients was evaluated by the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS).
Results: The overall PSSS scores showed a continuous decline in means from 71.29 ± 9.73 before the transplantation to 69.44 ± 10.61, 68.73 ± 10.04, and 66.37 ± 12.02 at 30, 90 and 180 days post-transplantation, respectively. In comparison to the baseline, the overall PSSS scores decreased significantly at 90 and 180 days post-transplantation (P < .05). The Generalized Estimated Equation (GEE) analysis found that patients with no transplant-related complications, higher household income, and better educational status had preferable social support.
Conclusion: Social support presented a marked downward trend during the six month period. Patients with no transplant-related complications, higher household income and better educational status had preferable social support. Therefore, social support as a high-priority quality of life should be given close attention in the early phase of transplantation. Positive measures should be taken to improve social support in the early phase of transplantation especially among individuals undergoing this procedure for the first time.
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