Illness acceptance and adaptation in adults with an intestinal stoma in Poland: a cross-sectional pilot study

Aim To examine the level of illness acceptance among adults living with an intestinal stoma and to identify factors associated with adaptation. Design Quantitative, cross-sectional, pilot study. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 at the Multispecialist Hospital in Inowrocław, Poland, among 60 adult patients with a stoma. A self-designed questionnaire, the Barthel Index, and the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) were applied. Group comparisons were conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and χ 2 test; a significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted. This study is reported by the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. Results The mean AIS score was 23.86 ± 7.07 points, indicating moderate acceptance overall. Low, moderate, high, and very high acceptance levels were observed in 31.7%, 56.7%, 11.6%, and 11.6% of participants, respectively. The highest AIS scores were reported by patients aged 41–55 years, while the lowest were in those aged ≥71 years. Age was significantly associated with illness acceptance, but the type of stoma was not. Family support was reported by 71.7% of participants, and 55% evaluated the impact of hospital education positively. Conclusion Age, education, and social support are critical determinants of adaptation to life with a stoma. Nursing practice should address not only technical aspects of stoma care but also psychosocial and relational dimensions. This study highlights that hospital-based education plays a key role in improving psychosocial adaptation and illness acceptance, which may translate into better quality of life and reduced care burden. Strengthening stoma care education is particularly important in an aging population, where early support may help prevent complications, rehospitalizations, and long-term functional decline.