THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH PROMOTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: To review the effectiveness of interventions for health promotion and quality of life improvement in oncology patients.
Methods: The review of scientific publications was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was performed in the PubMed database to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in English between 2019 and 2025 that investigated interventions targeting oncology patients and their family members. This article presents findings from a broader systematic literature review, focusing on the effectiveness of interventions for health promotion and quality of life improvement in this target population.
Results: Fourteen publications were included in the review. The evaluated interventions aimed to improve health behaviours, physical condition, and emotional well-being among oncology patients, enhance symptom management, and increase health literacy. In some studies, patients’ family members and caregivers were also involved in the interventions. The interventions were delivered individually or in groups by healthcare specialists through face-to-face, remote, or hybrid formats, as well as using various digital technologies. The duration of interventions ranged from single sessions to programmes lasting up to two years. Multicomponent approaches combining physical activity, nutritional counseling, behaviour change strategies, and psychological support were found to be the most effective. These interventions most frequently improved patients’ physical condition, particularly through weight reduction and maintenance of physical activity. Pharmacological smoking cessation interventions combined with behavioural support were more effective in helping patients quit smoking. The most commonly applied behaviour change techniques included goal setting, action planning, and social support. Structured psychological support interventions, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy, music therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and peer support groups, reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Individual or group educational programmes delivered by healthcare specialists, particularly those incorporating gamification elements and digital technologies, improved patients’ knowledge, involvement in decision-making, self-efficacy, and communication with healthcare professionals. The effectiveness of one-time digital interventions was either not established or insufficiently evaluated.
Conclusions: The literature review demonstrates that the most effective interventions for oncology patients were generally multicomponent approaches focusing on health behaviour change, improving physical and psychological well-being, and strengthening patients’ health literacy. Interventions showed greater effectiveness when patients received continuous support from healthcare professionals, motivation and behaviour change techniques were applied, and family members were actively involved in the process. Additionally, the use of digital, visual, and gamification-based tools in educational interventions improved patients’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and active participation in the treatment process.