Occupational therapy to improve quality of life for colorectal cancer survivors: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the potential effects of a healthy lifestyle education provided by occupational therapists on quality of life (QoL), activities of daily living, and healthy lifestyle behavior in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors.

Methods: Sixty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an occupational therapy (OT) intervention or a non-intervention group (in a 1:1 ratio). Participants in the OT intervention group were given an OT consultation based on a healthy lifestyle education handbook for CRC at discharge and at a 1-month and 3-month clinic follow-up; participants in the non-intervention group were given the same CRC education handbook only at discharge preparation without further consultation. The primary outcome was based on the QoL measured using the World Health Organization QoL-BREF (WHOOQOL-BREF). Outcomes were examined at discharge preparation as baseline and at a 1-month as well as 3-month clinic follow-up.

Results: After controlling for demographic and income variables, we found statistically significant improvement in the scores on two items in the WHOQOL-BREF, including "overall quality of life" and "negative feelings" (p < 0.05) in the OT intervention group.

Conclusions: OT consultation sessions based on healthy lifestyle at discharge and in the first 3 months after discharge may improve the QoL of CRC survivors.

Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03521765?cond=Quality+of+Life+in+colorectal+cancer+survivors&rank=1.

Keywords: A randomized clinical trial; Colorectal cancer survivors; Education handbook; Healthy lifestyle education; Occupational therapy; Quality of life.