Effectiveness of pain self-management support intervention in enhancing quality of life among cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a pain self-management intervention on quality of life among cancer patients in Vinh Phuc Province six weeks post-discharge. Participants and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 116 cancer patients at Vinh Phuc Provincial General Hospital (January–December 2023). The intervention, delivered through health education counseling, included pain-related education, skill-building, and self-care support. Data were collected at baseline and six weeks post-discharge. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 (p < 0.05). Baseline comparisons utilized the Independent Samples t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test, while Paired t-test and Independent Samples t-test assessed within- and between-group differences. Results: The pain self-management intervention significantly improved the quality of life in cancer patients. In the intervention group, there were statistically significant differences in the mean scores of quality of life domains between pre-intervention and six weeks post-discharge (p < 0.05). Additionally, significant differences were observed in the mean scores between the intervention and control groups across most quality of life domains (p < 0.05). The effect sizes for quality of life domains ranged from moderate to high (0.57 < Cohen’s d < 0.98). Conclusions: The pain self-management intervention effectively improved the quality of life in cancer patients. Integrating pain self-management support into cancer care is essential to help patients enhance their quality of life.