Musab Ghaderi
1 
, Arman Azadi
2 , Azad Rahmani
3* , Zohreh Sanaat
4 , Hosein Nazemiyeh
5 , Afzal Shamsi
6 , Leila Nabiolahi
71 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
3 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Faculty of nursing and midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Oncologiest, Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6 Department of Anesthesiology, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Shohada Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the major problems experienced by cancer patients. Identifying the prevalence and factors associated with CRF may be effective in designing appropriate interventions to reduce this problem. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of CRF and its related factors among Iranian cancer survivors.
Methods: The samples of this descriptive cross-sectional study included 131 cancer survivors referred to outpatient clinic of Shahid Gazi Hospital affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 13, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis.
Results: The mean (SD) fatigue score was 6.41 (1.68) and 89% of survivors reported that they had suffered from CRF. The factors affecting CRF included blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, anemia, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), marital status, type of cancer, and physical activity.
Conclusion: High level of CRF in cancer survivors requires special attention and designing effective interventions through considering the identified factors associated with CRF.