ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
THE EFFECT OF RECOVERY STATUS AND LIFE CONDITIONS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS WITH STOMA: A PATH ANALYSIS
Provisionally accepted
- Sakarya University, Sakarya, Türkiye
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Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between postoperative recovery and quality of life in colorectal cancer patients with a stoma using path analysis. Methods: The study included 70 colorectal cancer patients who underwent stoma surgery in the General Surgery Department of a university hospital. Of the participants, 58.6% were male, 41.4% female, with a mean age of 62.3 ± 10.8 years. Quality of life was the dependent variable, while psychological activities, physical activities, work/social life, stoma function, bowel symptoms, and desire symptoms were independent variables. Data were collected using standardized scales, and path analysis was applied to assess direct and indirect effects. Results: Work/social life significantly negatively affected psychological (β = −0.41, p < 0.01) and physical activities (β = −0.36, p < 0.05). Both work/social life (β = −0.33, p < 0.05) and stoma function (β = −0.40, p < 0.01) negatively influenced desire symptoms. Additionally, stoma function negatively impacted bowel symptoms (β = −0.37, p < 0.05). The model demonstrated good fit (χ²/df = 2.10, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.94). Discussion: The findings highlight that stoma-related functional difficulties and disruptions in work/social life may adversely affect psychological and physical recovery, ultimately reducing quality of life. These results support prior evidence suggesting that adaptation to stoma is multifactorial, involving both physical management and psychosocial adjustment. A holistic care approach that addresses these multidimensional challenges is essential. Conclusions: Tailored education, psychosocial support, and individualized postoperative care can improve adaptation, recovery, and quality of life in stoma patients.
Keywords: colorectal cancer, Quality of Life, postoperative recovery, stoma, Postoperative Care
Received: 03 Sep 2025; Accepted: 03 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 CENGİZ AÇIL, ÇELİK YILMAZ and AYGİN. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: HANDE CENGİZ AÇIL
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