Postoperative knowledge, attitudes, and practices of thyroid cancer patients regarding self-management

Purpose This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of thyroid cancer patients concerning self-management. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between 27 January, 2025, and 18 April, 2025, at the author’s Hospital. Data were collected using a self-developed KAP questionnaire designed to evaluate patients’ understanding, perspectives, and behaviors related to self-management. Results A total of 373 valid responses were obtained, yielding a response rate of 93.25%. Of the respondents, 278 (74.53%) were female, 242 (64.88%) were diagnosed at stage I, and 286 (76.68%) had undergone surgery more than 1 year prior to participation. The median (P25, P75) knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 12 (11, 13) (possible range: 0–13), 30 (29, 31) (possible range: 8–40), and 42 (40, 44) (possible range: 11–55), respectively. However, knowledge deficits were identified in postoperative neck exercises (69.97% correct) and laryngeal nerve injury management (75.34% correct). Attitude scores were lowest regarding lifestyle changes (mean: 2.35 ± 0.70). For the negatively worded early-mobilization item (P4), 53.35% agreed or strongly agreed that postoperative pain led them to refuse getting out of bed early. Disagreement was reported by 8.58% for regular neck exercises (P3) and 7.77% for alcohol limitation (P8). Several subgroup comparisons reached statistical significance, but median score differences were no more than approximately one point and the corresponding effect sizes were small. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between knowledge scores and attitude scores ( r = 0.224, p < 0.001) and between knowledge scores and practice scores ( r = 0.175, p < 0.001), and a weak-to-moderate positive correlation between attitude scores and practice scores ( r = 0.303, p < 0.001). Conclusion Thyroid cancer patients demonstrated generally adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and proactive self-management practices. The modest associations across KAP dimensions suggest that postoperative support should extend beyond basic factual knowledge dissemination to incorporate practical rehabilitation training and behavioral motivation strategies. Future studies could examine whether targeted practical instruction and behavioral support improve postoperative self-management.