"Smoking Behaviors of Women after Diagnosis with Lung Cancer" by Sarna (1995).
I. Purpose and Significance, Research Questions and/or Hypotheses
The purpose of the study was specifically stated "to describe the smoking behavior of women with a recent diagnosis or recurrence of lung cancer" (p. 35). Additionally the study investigated relationships among smoking behavior, symptoms distress, and physical functions, and it explored changes in family member smoking behaviors following the diagnosis. Formal research questions and hypotheses were not offered.
The authors provided background information and explained the significance of the study. The references cited were current and up-to-date, and the main variables (smoking behavior in women and lung cancer) were discussed. They explained that while literature has repeatedly provided evidence that lung cancer is related to smoking, women more than men are less inclined to refrain from smoking. Studies regarding smoking cessation following cancer diagnosis are less prevalent. Studies have shown that continued smoking following this diagnosis is linked with increased risk of cancer recurrence or new cancer. Some studies have shown the relationship between decreased survival and smoking after lung cancer diagnosis. Some dimensions of smoking behavior have been identified and studied, while other factors such as effects of the diagnosis on family member smoking behaviors, have not been studied. Nursing diagnoses and interventions focus on tobacco use and cessation interventions. Thus a study was needed to fill in the gaps in the literature, which described interactions between functional status, life quality, and symptom distress in women with lung cancer, and described smoking behavior following lung cancer diagnosis.
II. Sample, Setting, and Human Subjects Issues
The sample was convenience rather than random and included 65 women that had a recent diagnosis o...