Nuno Miguel Peixoto
Specialist nurse in Medical-Surgical Nursing

Health Promotion Behaviors In Cancer Survivors: Development Of An Educational Nursing Intervention
What was the main goal of this study?

This research aimed to develop an educational Nursing intervention to optimize the health behaviors of cancer survivors in Portugal, a topic that remains underexplored in national studies. Following the recommendations of the Medical Research Council, the study was carried out in four stages.
In the first stage, a scoping review identified the characteristics of Nursing interventions described in the literature, highlighting the importance of health education in raising awareness and motivating survivors. In the second stage, an expert panel emphasized the need for personalized interventions focusing on promoting healthy behaviors, preventing risky behaviors, and adapting to the individual needs of survivors. In the third stage, the experts reached a consensus that the intervention should consist of eight sessions and allow for the participation of family members. They also outlined several areas of focus and Nursing interventions based on the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) related to health behavior change and health promotion behaviors. The fourth stage resulted in the development of a protocol to test the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, defining sample sizes, eligibility criteria, and evaluation instruments.

What are the main results of the study?

The results underscored the importance of an individualized educational approach based on solid theoretical models aimed at optimizing health behaviors, and allowed to conclude that this intervention can significantly improve the quality of life and longevity of cancer survivors by promoting healthier behaviors. In addition, the study provides a solid foundation for future research to test, refine, and implement the intervention, contributing to more effective ongoing follow-up and health promotion among survivors.

You can access the full version at: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/157744.

Nuno Miguel Peixoto has been a specialist nurse in Medical-Surgical Nursing at the Emergency Department of ULS Santo António since 2015. He has published several scientific articles in national and international journals, focusing on the management of chronic diseases (especially cancer) and the teaching-learning processes of nursing students. He has been a guest lecturer at the Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto since 2016, where he teaches Nursing Care of Critically Ill Patients and Nursing Care of Patients with Chronic Diseases in the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing and the Master's Degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing. He holds postgraduate degrees in Clinical Supervision in Nursing, Advanced Nursing, and Nursing Service Management. He obtained his Doctorate in Nursing Science at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of the University of Porto in March 2024.