Effects of a mobile health coaching intervention on symptom experience, self-management, and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed with breast cancer in South Korea have a longer post-diagnosis survival period compared to those in the United States and Europe. Therefore, it is essential to establish an effective posttreatment care system to enhance their quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile health coaching intervention designed to improve symptom experience, self-management, and QOL in patients with breast cancer following the active phase of their treatment. METHODS: This study was a quasi-experimental, pre-post design conducted with breast cancer patients receiving treatment at a tertiary general hospital in Korea from July 2021 to June 2022. Participants were sequentially assigned to the control and intervention groups. Those in the intervention group participated in a 12-week mobile health coaching intervention comprising education sessions, peer support groups, and recording a health diary. The outcome variables were symptom experience, self-management, and QOL. Data were collected at baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1), and 3 months after the intervention (T2) and compared using repeated analysis of variance. RESULTS: Seventy-four participants (mean age 46.93 years) who had completed the active phase of cancer treatment were included. The intervention group showed a significant decrease in symptom experience, from 1.57 +/- 0.46 (T0) to 1.03 +/- 0.46 (T1) (P = .006), and a decrease in psychological symptoms from 1.71 +/- 0.93 (T0) to 1.66 +/- 0.69 (T2) (P = .049). Self-management scores significantly increased from 74.43 +/- 10.72 (T0) to 76.90 +/- 11.99 (T2) (P = .028). QOL improved from 95.83 +/- 18.62 (T0) to 96.40 +/- 15.35 (T2) (P = .015), and emotional well-being increased from 17.42 +/- 4.91 (T0) to 17.50 +/- 3.63 (T2) (P < .001), with all showing significant group x time interactions. CONCLUSIONS: The 12-week mobile health coaching program significantly reduced symptoms, improved self-management, and enhanced overall QOL and emotional well-being in breast cancer survivors who had completed primary treatment. These findings highlight the program's potential to support posttreatment recovery. Further research is needed to assess its long-term effects across diverse patient populations and cancer types to validate its broader effectiveness.