Abstract
Purpose: We examined underlying psychosocial processes of a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) of prostate cancer survivors.
Design: Secondary analysis of data collected from a clinical trial.
Sample: Two hundred forty-four prostate cancer survivors who participated in a clinical trial of behavioral intervention to UI as intervention or control subjects.
Methods: The participants had a 3-month behavioral intervention or usual care and were followed up for an additional 3 months. They were assessed at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Latent growth curve models were performed to examine trajectories of each study variable and relationships among the variables.
Findings: Increasing self-efficacy and social support were significantly and independently associated with more reduction of urinary leakage frequency over time.
Implications for psychosocial oncology: Providing problem-solving skills and social support, including peer support, are essential for empowering patients to reduce UI.
Compliance with ethical standards
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. There are no financial disclosures from the authors.
Acknowledgement
Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the MetroHealth System, which are all affiliated with Case Western Reserve University, provided support for patient access.
Dataset status
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, AZ. The data are not publicly available due to inclusion of information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.