Love, joy and necessity - A phenomenological study of food and meals in adolescents and young adults with cancer receiving high-emetogenic chemotherapy.
Abstract Purpose This study explored how the phenomenon of meals appeared in the interrelationship between adolescents and young adults (AYAs) receiving high-emetogenic chemotherapy, their next of kin and health professionals in the clinical setting. Method Data were collected by 140 h of participant observation conducted to gain insights into the nature of how meals appeared in the interrelationship between 12 AYAs (age 15–29 years), their next-of-kin and health professionals. The AYAs were patients with oncological and haematological diseases recruited from three university hospital departments. Data analysis was guided by van Manen's hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. Results The ess…
Walking a tightrope - as a next-of-kin to an adolescent or young adult with cancer facing eating difficulties
Purpose: Eating difficulties cause reduced food intake and poor quality of life among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. Therefore, next-of-kin eating support is crucial. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of being close to AYAs with cancer in the context of eating when they are at home between high-emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) sessions. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 next-of-kin to AYAs (15–29 years old) with oncological or haematological diseases, treated with HEC. Van Manen’s hermeneutic-phenomenological approach guided the design. Results: The essential meaning of the next-of-kin experiences is reflected in the overarching t…