Effectiveness of Postoperative Dietary Intervention in Patients with Gastric Cancer who Underwent Gastrectomy: Quasi-Experimental Study Design

Objectives: This article aims to investigate the effects of a postoperative dietary intervention on fatigue, self-efficacy in managing gastrointestinal side effects, self-efficacy for nutritional management, self-care activity, and unmet nursing needs among patients with gastric cancer who have undergone gastrectomy. Methods: We used a quasi-experimental study design (nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest). Data were collected from 59 patients with gastric cancer (30 in the experimental group and 29 in the control patients) hospitalized for gastrectomy in Daegu, South Korea. The control group completed a preintervention survey, received routine care, and then completed a postintervention survey. After the control group finished their routine care and tests, the experimental group received a postoperative dietary intervention. This intervention included individual face-to-face education and telephone counseling on managing gastrectomy side effects, eating methods to prevent symptoms, foods to avoid, ways to consume sufficient calories, maintaining a balanced diet, and pledge writing. The control group served as a waitlist control. After all interventions and tests for the experimental group were completed, the same dietary intervention was offered to the control group upon their request. This experimental study was conducted from June 2021 to February 2023. Results: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in fatigue (P = .005), self-efficacy in managing gastrointestinal side effects (P < .001), self-efficacy for nutritional management (P = .03), self-care activity (P < .001), and unmet nursing needs (P < .001). Conclusion: Postoperative dietary interventions contribute to improving self-efficacy, fatigue levels, and self-care activity among patients with gastric cancer. Implications for Nursing Practice: Upon discharge, implementing a needs-based and loss-framed message-based dietary intervention, alongside routine discharge education, for patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer can enhance fatigue levels, self-efficacy in managing nutrition and gastrointestinal side effects, self-care activity, and unmet nursing needs.