Effect of Empowerment Program on Quality of Life, Self-Efficacy, and Stress in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Objective: Patient empowerment is important in chronic disease management. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of a family-centered empowerment program on quality of life, self-efficacy, and stress in patients with cancer.

Methods: This study used a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group. A total of 51 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for the first time between July 2020 and August 2021 were included in the study. For the empowerment group, an education program, relaxation exercises, counseling, and follow-up were conducted according to the family-centered empowerment model. Data were collected using the Introductory Form, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life–C30, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. A repeated-measures ANOVA test was used to determine whether the pretest–posttest mean scores of the groups changed over time and to determine the effect of group time.

Results: The general well-being scores and cognitive function mean scores of the empowerment group were higher than the control group, and the time and groups interaction were statistically significant (F = 5.298, P = .023; F = 6.624, P = .012). It was found that the mean scores of the total general self-efficacy were significantly higher in the empowerment group than in the control group (F = 7.162; P = .09). The mean scores of the total stress scale did not differsignificantly between groups (P > .05).

Conclusion: As a result of this study, it was observed that the general well-being and self-efficacy of patients who participated in the empowerment program increased during the chemotherapy process. Using empowering interventions for the patient can guide healthcare professionals and improve patients’ quality of life and self-efficacy.

Cite this article as: Uysal N, Çayir Yilmaz M, Pirhan Y, Pirhan H. Effect of empowerment program on quality of life, self-efficacy, and stress in cancer patients. Arch Health Sci Res. 2026, 13, 0181, doi:10.5152/ArcHealthSciRes.2026.25181.