REHABILITATION SERVICE UTILIZATION AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG ADULT CANCER PATIENTS ATTENDING AT ONCOLOGY UNIT IN HAWASSA COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL, SIDAMA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

For cancer patients, rehabilitation is patient-centered care that optimizes patient’s functional status and quality of life through preventive, restorative, supportive, and palliative care. In Ethiopia, there is inadequate information and unmet need on rehabilitation services at national level in general and it is worse in the study area. Objective: This study was aimed to assess rehabilitation service utilization and associated factors among adult cancer patients attending oncology unit in Hawassa Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study design was employed by using systematic sampling technique. Data were collected from June 25-July 25, 2021. The data were checked, coded, cleaned, and doubled entered EpiData Version 4.6 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science Version 23 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable analysis was conducted and P-value less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant. Results: The overall rehabilitation service utilization at least once for the last 1month was 108 (33.2%) (95% CI; 27.93-41.25). Having cancer information during the past one year (AOR=5.763; 95% CI: 2.601,12.750), involvement in cancer patient care (AOR=2.561; 95% CI: 1.047, 6.260), activity of daily living (AOR=2.683; 95% CI: 1.201, 5.99), psychosocial support (AOR=3.491; 95% CI: 1.620,7.524), rehabilitation education (AOR=2.119; 95% CI: 1.080, 7.524), nutritional support (AOR=2.437; 95% CI: 1.209, 4.912) and physiotherapy (AOR=4.984; 95%CI: 1.876, 13.230) had statistically significant association to rehabilitation service utilization. Conclusion: In this study, about one-third of the patients with cancer received rehabilitation service at least once. Cancer information in the past one year, involvement in cancer patient care, performing activity of daily living, psychosocial support, rehabilitation education, nutritional support and physiotherapy were factors that facilitate the utilization of cancer rehabilitation service