Brief culturally informed smartphone interventions decrease breast cancer symptom burden among Latina breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Objective: Latina breast cancer survivors (BCS) report more symptom burden and poorer health-related quality of life than non-Latina BCS. However, there are few evidence-based and culturally informed resources that are easily accessible to this population. This study aimed to establish the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the My Guide and My Health smartphone applications among Latina BCS. Both applications are culturally informed and contain evidence-based information for reducing symptom burden and improving health-related quality of life (My Guide) or healthy lifestyle promotion (My Health).

Methods: Participants (N = 80) were randomized to use the My Guide or My Health smartphone applications for 6 weeks. Assessments occurred at baseline (T1) after the 6-week intervention (T2) and 2-week post-T2 (T3). Outcomes were participant recruitment and retention rates, patient-reported satisfaction, and validated measures of symptom burden and health-related quality of life.

Results: Recruitment was acceptable (79%), retention was excellent (>90%), and over 90% of participants were satisfied with their application. On average, participants in both conditions used the applications for more than 1 hour per week. Symptom burden declined from T1 to T2 across both conditions, but this decline was not maintained at T3. Breast cancer well-being improved from T1 to T2 across both conditions and was maintained at T3.

Conclusions: Latina BCS who used the My Guide and My Health applications reported temporary decreases in symptom burden and improved breast cancer well-being over time, though there were no differential effects between conditions. Findings suggest that technology may facilitate Latina BCS engagement in care after breast cancer treatment.

Keywords: breast cancer; eHealth; health-related quality of life; psychosocial intervention; symptom burden.

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Figures

FIGURE 1

CONSORT diagram with study flow and retention by study condition

FIGURE 2

(A) Breast cancer symptom burden significantly declined from T1 to T2 for both My Guide and My Health after controlling for covariates; (B) breast cancer well‐being significantly improved from T1 to T2 and T3 for both My Guide and My Health after controlling for covariates