THEORIES
UNDERLYING
HEALTH PROMOTION
INTERVENTIONS
AMONG CANCER
SURVIVORS
BERNARDINE M. PINTO AND ANDREA FLOYD
THERE is growing interest in promoting healthy behaviors
among patients treated for cancer. Various interventions
have been offered to help cancer survivors stop smoking,
eat healthy, exercise regularly, and reduce alcohol intake. The use
of theory-based interventions within this patient population has
shown variability across the behaviors that have been targeted.
Nonetheless, it is possible to identify both the theories that have
been applied in the development of specific interventions and their
potential utility to intervention efficacy. Theories can significantly
contribute to the knowledge base for guiding the development of
new interventions. They can be used to inform the intervention
and help in identifying the ‘‘active’’ ingredients of those interventions.
Nurse researchers can build on the knowledge base already
available by familiarizing themselves with the theoretical underpinnings
of intervention studies.