Effect of a behavioral strategy program on quality of life: A quasiexperimental study in women with cognitive impairment receiving chemotherapy
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Abstract
Background: Women who undergo chemotherapy for cancer frequently develop cognitive problems referred to as chemo brain. These cognitive deficits harm memory functions and attention skills as well as processing speed, which leads to decreased quality of life (QoL). Behavioral approaches are non-drug solutions that show promise in enhancing cognitive abilities and everyday functioning in this specific group.
Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral strategy program compared with conventional occupational therapy in improving quality of life among women with chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment.
Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental pre- post study design was employed. Thirty women aged 45-60 years undergoing chemotherapy were recruited from Madras Cancer Care Foundation, Kumaran Hospital, Chennai. Participants were allocated into two groups (N=15 each): an experimental group receiving structured behavioral strategies and a control group receiving conventional occupational therapy for 12 weeks (36 sessions). Quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U test).
Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in quality of life following intervention. The control group improved from 49.53±6.14 to 52.27±7.36 (p=0.029), while the experimental group improved from 47.33±5.58 to 59.73±6.58 (p=0.001). Between-group comparison showed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group (p=0.015). Effect size analysis demonstrated large improvements in the experimental group.
Conclusion: Behavioral strategies showed greater improvement in quality of life compared with conventional occupational therapy among women with chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Integrating structured behavioral interventions into oncology rehabilitation may enhance patient outcomes.
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Personal views expressed by the contributors in their articles are not necessarily those of the Journal of Associated Medical Sciences, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
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