Incidence and Risk Factors of Delayed Chemotherapy‐Induced Nausea and Vomiting Among Adult Patients: A Cross‐Sectional Study

AIM: To assess the incidence of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and identify key risk factors among adult patients. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional design. METHODS: A total of 326 adult patients undergoing chemotherapy were recruited using consecutive sampling from a nearly 4000-bed tertiary general hospital in Shanghai, China, between July 2023 and April 2024. Demographic and health status data were collected within 24 h of patient admission. Clinicopathologic information was retrieved from nursing documents and electronic medical records. Delayed CINV was measured on the third day post-chemotherapy via telephone interviews using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE 5.0). Statistical analyses included univariate analysis, random forest modelling, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 326 participants, 113 (34.7%) reported delayed nausea and/or vomiting, with 32.2% (n = 105) experiencing delayed nausea and 13.2% (n = 43) experiencing delayed vomiting. The step-by-step analysis identified anxiety, motion sickness and high emetogenicity of chemotherapy agents as key risk factors for delayed CINV. Post hoc analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) and history of delayed nausea or vomiting during previous chemotherapy cycles emerged as important predictors that should be considered when assessing the risk of delayed CINV. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers should be vigilant in recognising patients at high risk for delayed CINV. Early and targeted prophylactic interventions are recommended to mitigate the risk of delayed CINV. REPORTING METHOD: The study followed the STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.