Abstract
Prostate cancer diagnosis can result in patients losing control who then make efforts to cope by seeking information, social and medical support and changing their health behaviour. The objective of the Thesis is to investigate the psychosocial processes that influence prostate cancer patients’ coping process with an emphasis on dietary change. A mixed methods approach was used comprising of five studies. The first (Chapter 4) recruited 98 patients and significant others who completed an online survey. It found significant others to develop a need for treatment and interaction-specific information earlier than patients who were more in need for treatment and disease-specific information. Education predicted the time of information needs’ development. The second study (Chapter 5) recruited 126 GPs to an online survey and compared their responses to patients’ and significant others’. It found that GPs’ underestimate the time patients develop an interest in information whereas gender and years of practice can explain GPs’ perceptions of patients’ information needs. The third study (Chapter 6) systematically reviewed the literature to identify an association between dietary changes and quality of life identifying ten randomised-control trials and proposing that an association exists which needs further establishment on the pathways of the relationship. The fourth study (Chapter 7) recruited 95 patients on an online and paper survey and found that socio-demographic factors, cognitive functioning, external locus of control and cancer symptoms (dyspnea) can explain whether patients will change their diet after diagnosis but only cognitive functioning can explain changes after therapy has started. Finally, the fifth study (Chapter 8) used semi-structured interviews with eight patients and found that they develop an underlying mechanism that includes the determinants and the resulted evaluations of dietary change. Findings from the Thesis suggest that a holistic and patient-centred approach when targeting prostate cancer patients’ needs should be considered.