Older adults with advanced gastrointestinal cancer face diverse physical challenges associated with the disease, treatments, and aging. Maintaining morale is crucial for these patients, as it enables them to sustain psychological well-being and a sense of fulfillment. We aimed to assess the relationships between appetite, coping strategies, and changes in morale after three months of follow-up in older adults with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. A three-month longitudinal observational study was conducted among 79 older adults (aged 70 and over) with advanced gastrointestinal cancer receiving chemotherapy as outpatients at a hospital in Japan between 2022 and 2024. We assessed morale using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, appetite using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire, coping strategies using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, frailty using the Geriatric 8 scale, and symptoms using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. A linear mixed-effects model was used to estimate the difference in change in morale from baseline to three months later between high- and low-appetite groups. Data from 66 participants who completed the follow-up were analyzed. The participants (mean age = 76.8 years) had a mean nutritional appetite score of 14.3, morale score of 12.0, and frailty score of 11.7. Acceptance was the most frequently used coping strategy. At three months from baseline, morale was lower in the low-appetite group than in the high-appetite group. While the change in morale over three months did not differ significantly between the two appetite groups, the use of substances as a coping strategy was significantly associated with lower morale after three months (p = 0.01). While low baseline appetite was associated with lower morale, it was not significantly associated with changes in morale over three months. Instead, reliance on substance use as a coping strategy appeared more important. Therefore, monitoring substance use may be useful for identifying patients who need greater psychological support. Additionally, considering support methods that enable older adults to enjoy eating aligned with their values might be beneficial. These results serve as a foundation for future research aimed at understanding and supporting the morale of older adults with gastrointestinal cancer.
Yagasaki et al. (Tue,) studied this question.