Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study is aimed to analyze the trend of research on nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients in Korea, suggest direction for future research of nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients.
METHODS
74 studies published from 1991 to 2001 were examined according to the year of publication, types of journal, research design, types of disease, care methods, major concepts, tool and research findings.
RESULTS
1) The number of studies related nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients had increased rapidly since the 1996's(78.4%). 2) 42 nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients studies(56.1%) were done for a thesis for a degree and 32 were nondegree research studies(43.9%). 3) 70 studies(94.7%) were quantitative study, which included in 40 descriptive studies(54.1%), 22 experimental studies (29.75), 5 correlative studies(6.8%), 2 comparative studies(2.7%) and 1 case study(1.4%), and 4 studies(5.3%) were qualitative study, which included in 3 content analysis studies(3.9%) and 1 phenomenological study(1.4%). 4) Researches about cancer more than 2 were the most by 48 studies(66.1%), following leukemia researches were 8 studies(10.8%), breast cancer researches were 7 studies(9.5%), gastric cancer researches were 4 studies(5.4%), pediatric cancer researches were 3 studies(4.1%), uterine cancer researches were 2 studies(2.7%). 5) Researches about chemotherapy were the most by 39 studies (52.6%), following analgesic researches were 14 studies(18.9%), researches that do not present treatment method were 9 studies(12.2%), radiation researches were 7 studies(9.5%). 6) In 22 experimental studies, the effects of 13 types of nursing interventions were tested. Research findings were effective almost but muscle relaxation therapy to decrease nausea and vomiting was no effect.
CONCLUSION
We need more researches about research of nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients, especially need to prove the effect of intervention or program for nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients by experimental research designs and need more qualitative researches to identify indepth the meaning of nutrition, pain and fatigue of cancer patients.