Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Reactions of Breast Cancer Survivors to an Online Positive Affect Based Training Program to Support Anti-Hormonal Medication Adherence

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https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/sn00b0722
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Abstract
  • One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime in the United States. A majority of breast cancer cases are hormonal breast cancers, leading them to be treated with anti-hormonal medications. Among breast cancer survivors, adherence to anti-hormonal medications is low and depression symptoms are common. To address this, 34 breast cancer survivors were recruited to participate in an online positive affect based program to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and potential to help breast cancer survivors adhere to their anti-hormonal medications. This study was a mixed methods design that sought to evaluate participants' reactions and responses to the program to see how it could be improved. Medication adherence, positive affect, and depression scores all improved over the course of the study. Additionally, qualitative data revealed two broad parent themes of “Helpful” and “Unhelpful” and multiple corresponding sub themes. The most common themes indicated that the program was easy and convenient. Participants generally liked both modules and the design of the program, but wished for more education on how to specifically manage side effects. Limitations of this study are mainly that it was a small, non-randomized trial in a homogenous sample. Future studies should seek to pilot a longer, randomized, more in depth program in more diverse samples of breast cancer survivors and include suggestions generated from this study, while retaining the aspects that were widely appreciated.

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  • 2025-04-09
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  • 2025-04-13
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  • Boulder, Colorado, United States
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