O enfrentamento dos pacientes oncológicos hospitalizados com doença progressiva e avançada frente as atitudes alimentares

Abstract

Objective: To identify eating attitudes in hospitalized cancer patients with progressive and advanced disease. Method: It is a qualitative and exploratory research, through semi-structured and projective interviews, based on guiding questions and with images, carried out in an oncology inpatient unit of a university hospital in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul with patients being treated chemotherapy, from august 2019 to january 2020. Results: There were the participation of five people, and from the interviews categories emerged involving the meanings about eating, which were difficult and mandatory; dietary adaptations after cancer diagnosis, where all participants showed the need for changes, mainly due to symptoms of nutritional impact; the feelings related to food during the illness and hospitalization process, where the majority did not mention negative emotions; and affection for food, in which he had speeches related to his favorite food, bringing memories, desire, reframing and socialization. Final considerations: Cancer patients have positive eating attitudes, since, taking into account the individual as a whole and the environment that surrounds him, it was possible to observe some coping strategies for the disease process related to food.