The Effect of Hippotherapy on The Development of Life Satisfaction, Health Literacy and Healthism Attitude of Young Adults After Cancer Treatment

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Hippotherapy: Hippotherapy, also known as horse-assisted therapy, is a form of animal-assisted therapy. It consists of regularly scheduled sessions designed to enhance functionality in individuals' lives and contribute to their overall health improvement.

Study summary

This research aims to evaluate the impact of hippotherapy on life satisfaction, health literacy, and health culture among young adults who have undergone cancer treatment. The study underscores the importance of providing support to patients post-cancer treatment. While the literature extensively supports the use of animal-assisted interventions in nursing care plans and practices, there is a notable absence of studies examining the holistic effects of hippotherapy on cancer survivors, both nationally and globally. Given that nurses play a pivotal role in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation stages of all diseases, and strive to enhance patient quality of life through comprehensive care, the findings of this project are expected to not only bolster the visibility and professional efficacy of nurses but also inspire similar future research. The research tools employed will determine how complementary supportive practices influence the life satisfaction, health literacy, and health culture of young adults during critical life-shaping periods. These results could provide significant evidence of the nurse's role in patient education, support, and overall care improvement.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in the health literacy level of young adults with hippotherapy effectiveness — 12 weeks
  The Health Literacy Scale consists of three sub-dimensions: Functional Health Literacy (Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Interactive Health Literacy (Items 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), and Critical Health Literacy (Items 11, 12, 13, 14). Each item on the scale is scored from "strongly disagree" (1 point) to "strongly agree" (5 points) on a five-point Likert scale. Scores on the scale range from 14 to 70. Higher total scores indicate an increase in the level of health literacy. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the Health Literacy Scale is 0.85.
• Change in the life satisfaction level of young adults with hippotherapy effectiveness — 12 weeks
  The Life Satisfaction Scale consists of a total of 21 items, one of which is reversed. The scale is designed as a five-point Likert type (1=Not at all suitable, 2=Not suitable, 3=Somewhat suitable, 4=Suitable, 5=Completely suitable). Item 6 of the scale is scored in reverse. The possible scores from the Life Satisfaction Scale range from 21 to 105. Higher scores on the scale indicate that the individual has positive perceptions regarding their own life. The scale has five sub-dimensions: the first sub-dimension is general life satisfaction (Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6); the second is relationship satisfaction (Items 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11); the third is self-satisfaction (Items 12, 13, 14, and 15); the fourth is social environment satisfaction (Items 16, 17, and 18); and the fifth is job satisfaction (Items 19, 20, and 21). The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scale is calculated as .89.
• Change in the Healthism Attitude level of young adults with hippotherapy effectiveness — 12 weeks
  The Healthism Attitude scale consists of 14 items, each rated from "completely disagree" (1 point) to "completely agree" (5 points) on a five-point Likert scale. The scale has two sub-dimensions: the Critique of Individual Actions (Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and Judgment sub-dimension (Items 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). As scores on the scale increase, so does the level of knowledge about the culture of being healthy. The internal consistency coefficient of the Healthism Attitude scale is found to be .891.

Trial sites (1)

Other trials for the same condition