Disgust and Its Effect on Quality of Life and Adjustment to Stoma in Individuals with Ileostomy and Colostomy

AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of disgust sensitivity on the quality of life of patients with ileostomy and colostomy, and their adaptation to stoma. METHOD: This study has a cross-sectional and correlational design. The sample consists of 167 patients being treated in a state hospital and a private foundation hospital, who meet the research inclusion criteria. The Patient Information Form, Disgust Sensitivity Scale, Ostomy Adjustment Inventory, and Ostomy Quality of Life Scale (OQLS) are used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, and correlation analysis are used in data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 86% of the participants diagnosed with cancer, 60% had undergone ileostomy and 40% had undergone a colostomy; 46% of the patients declared that they were capable of handling their own stoma care and 53% stated that they felt self-efficient about care. Participants who were female (88.55 ± 23.17), single (88.40 ± 20.98), or university graduates (93.34 ± 22.92) had higher disgust sensitivity scores. The study found no significant correlation between disgust sensitivity, quality of life, and stoma adjustment scores (p > .05). CONCLUSION: The findings proved believe that recognizing the disgust sensitivity will help meet the physical and psychological needs of stoma patients and understand their quality of life and adjustment to stoma. This will help in guiding both patients and healthcare workers, and lead clinical studies.