Effect of Self-Transcendence Theory Combined with Comprehensive Nursing Intervention under Tumor Nutrition Education on Symptom Improvement, Nutritional Status, and Positive Psychology of Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer

Objective: To explore the value of self-transcendence theory combined with comprehensive nursing intervention under oncological nutritional education on improvement in symptoms, nutritional status, and positive psychology of elderly patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: A total of 98 elderly patients with GC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2021 to December 2021 were enrolled. All these patients were arbitrarily assigned into the observation group (n = 49) and control group (n = 49). The controlled patients accepted the regular oncological nutritional education. The cases of the observation group were given comprehensive nursing care based on the self-transcendence theory and oncological nutrition education. The symptom remission rate, subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) score, self-transcendence scale score, incidence of malnutrition, Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scale score, Hamilton Depression (HAMD) scale score, and Newcastle satisfaction with nursing scale (NSNS) score were observed.

Results: The remission rate of symptoms in the observation group was higher than that of the control group after the nursing care. Following nursing, the PG-SGA score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The score of the self-transcendence scale in the observation group was higher than that of the control group after nursing (p < 0.05). The incidence of malnutrition in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group. After nursing, the scores of the HAMA scale and HAMD scale in the observation group were lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The NSNS score of the observation group was statistically higher than that of the control group following nursing.

Conclusion: The application value of self-transcendence theory combined with comprehensive nursing care under oncological nutritional education is more significant in elderly patients with GC, which is more helpful to enhance symptoms and nutritional status and control the incidence of malnutrition. Thus, it is able to reduce anxiety and depression and the rate of adverse reactions related to surgery-assisted chemotherapy as well.