Study (First Author, Year, Country) | Aim | Classification of support activity used in qualitative synthesis | Condition | Data collection (IV, FG, OP, PO) and sample size | Methodological approach | Sample (size, sex, condition details, age, ethnicity, locality/settlement, SES, employment, sexuality, relationship) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adamsen [41] Denmark | Men's experiences of a tailored intervention involving physical activity and information relay for men with cancer | lifestyle | cancer - any | FG 10 men, PO 17 men, Total 17 men | descriptive/interpretive | range of cancers and varying stages; mean age 56.5 yrs (range 21-71); ethnicity n/r; “broad range” of education, employment, relationship status |
Arrington [42] USA | Communication practices of Man to Man prostate cancer support groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | PO n/r (20 groups of men) | discourse analysis | all “senior citizens”; “almost exclusively retired, elderly”; no further details reported |
Baird [43] USA | Self-care factors influencing adherence to a cardiac rehabilitation programme | lifestyle | cardiac - coronary artery disease | IV 5 men | phenomenology | majority myocardial infarction (4 myocardial infarction, 1 sudden cardiac arrest; one was Post-Cerebral-Vascular Accident (CVA); two were post-percutaneous-transluminal-coronary angioplasty, and one was post-coronary-artery-bypass-graft surgery); aged 60-70 yrs; 80% Caucasian (4 Caucasian, 1 African American); 100% retired; mix of previous 'blue-collar' and 'white-collar' occupations; 100% married |
Barlow [44] UK | Patients' with multiple sclerosis experiences of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course | lifestyle | multiple sclerosis | IV 3 men 7 women | descriptive/interpretive (part of mixed methods study) | disease duration 4-19 yrs; aged 35-60 yrs |
Barlow [45] UK | Patients' with myocardial infarction experiences of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course and cardiac rehabilitation | lifestyle | cardiac - myocardial infarction | IV 10 men 9 women | descriptive/interpretive (part of mixed methods study) | 14 with co-morbidity; median age 68 yrs (range 59-74); 1 employed; majority (16) married/ residing with partner; all had attended at least 5 of the 6 intervention sessions. |
Bedell [46] USA | Daily life experiences of gay men with HIV/AIDS living alone in New York City | support group (face-to-face) | HIV/AIDS | IV 8 men | descriptive/interpretive | varying severity (6 diagnosed with AIDS for ≥ 2 yrs, 2 not yet developed); all had prior/current difficulty with daily activities; aged 25-50 yrs; majority white (6 white, 2 African American); all urban; majority “middle-class”; education ranged 1 yr college to doctorate; 4 employed, 3 on public assistance, 1 neither; all gay; all lived alone. |
Bell [47] Canada | Composition, processes and patients' views of differently designed and structured cancer support groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer – 1) women with metastatic cancer; 2) Colorectal cancer patients; 3) Chinese patients with cancer) | IV 3 men and 17 women. PO Metastatic group: 0 men, 25 women; Colorectal group: 14 men, 16 women; Chinese group: 35 men, 61 women (incl. 48 caregivers). | descriptive/interpretive | interview sample: time since diagnosis 3 months-3 yrs, 13 in treatment, 7 post treatment; time in group 1 month-4yrs; median age 50s (range 40s-70s); ethnicity n/r; metastatic observation sample: 0 men, 25 women; 25 in treatment; median age 50s (range 30s-60s); majority white; colorectal observation sample: 14 men, 16 women; 1 pretreatment, 8 in treatment, 12 post treatment; median age 50s (30s-70s); majority white; Chinese observation sample: 35 men; 61 women; 5 pretreatment, 30 in treatment, 15 post treatment; median age 50s (20s-80s); all Chinese. |
Bourke [48] UK | Men's experiences of a lifestyle intervention for men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen suppression therapy | lifestyle | cancer - prostate | FG 12 men (3 groups) | descriptive / interpretive | all T3-T4 prostate cancer receiving androgen suppression therapy ≥ 6 months; details n/r but linked trial reports for intervention group of 25: mean treatment 30 months (sd 31); mean age 71.3 yrs (sd 6.4) |
Broom [49] Australia | Impact of Internet use on disease experience of prostate cancer and the doctor-patient relationship | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - prostate | I V33 men | descriptive / interpretive | “range” of prognoses and treatments; “varying ages” |
Chambers [50] Australia | Men's experiences of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group intervention in men with advanced prostate cancer | psychological | cancer - prostate | IV 12 men | descriptive / interpretive | n/r for interview sample therefore based on 19 men taking part in intervention. Time since diagnosis mean 68.9 months (sd 51.2, range 1-167); majority had hormone treatment; range of surgery and radiotherapy (16 received hormone therapy incl. 9 ongoing; 11 external beam radiation therapy, 3 brachytherapy, 3 radical prostatectomy surgery, 1 orchidectomy); mean age 67.0 yrs (sd 6.5 yrs, range 58-83); 79% completed university, college, or vocational training; 37% employed, 63% retired; 84% married or in a relationship, 16% widowed, divorced, or separated. |
Chenard [51] USA | Impact of stigma on self-care behaviours of HIV-positive gay men | support group (face-to-face) | HIV/AIDS | IV 15 men, FG 5 men (1 group), Total 20 men | grounded theory | all HIV+ ≥1 yr, 85% ≥5 yrs; median age 44 yrs (range 26-62; 70% over 30 yrs); all gay. |
Corboy [52] Australia | Perceived barriers to using psychosocial support services in men with cancer living in rural Australia | various | cancer - prostate | IV 9 men (82 surveyed and subsample interviewed) | descriptive / interpretive | men with ‘any’ cancer eligible but all participants had prostate cancer; mean age 69 yrs (sd 9.3); all rural (5 accessible, 4 moderately based on ARIA+ classification); all married; 2 employed, 1 sick leave, 6 retired. |
Cramer [53] UK | Men's experiences of depression and anxiety groups and the role of health professionals in accessing support | support group (face-to-face) | depression/anxiety | IV 17 men, PO 30 (4 groups, unclear if this includes some women), Total 38 (may include women) | descriptive / interpretive | details n/r; sampling described as aiming to increase ethnic diversity and diversity in type of help sought |
Experiences of patients with cancer using the Internet for information and support to manage self-care, including symptom management | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - any | IV 20 women (intended as mixed but only managed to recruit women) - linked study | phenomenology | various cancer types (11 breast, 3 gynecologic, 1 gastrointestinal, 3 lymphomas, 2 hematological; 7 new diagnosis, 7 in treatment, 6 survivors (>5 yrs); mean age 52.3 yrs (sd 8.7, range 34-65); mean education 15 yrs (sd 2, range 12-18); mean 14 hours weekly Internet use (sd 12, range 2-40); mean 6 yrs using Internet (range 2-10). | |
Dickerson [55] USA | Experiences of men with cancer using the Internet | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - any | IV 15 men (comparison made with 20 women in above study) | phenomenology | majority prostate cancer (14 prostate, 1 leukemia); 1 new diagnosis, 4 in treatment, 10 survivors (>5 yrs); mean age 63 yrs (sd 10, range 47-78); mean education 17 yrs (sd 3, range 12-20); mean 11 hours weekly Internet use (sd 10, range 1-35); mean 7 yrs using Internet (range 1-10); 10 attend 'Us, Too' face-to-face support group |
Eldh [56] Sweden | Phenomena of participation and non-participation in nurse-led clinic for chronic heart failure, as observed in visits and experienced by patients and nurses | lifestyle | cardiac - heart failure | IV 3 men, PO 3 men (11 visits), Total 3 men | phenomenology | classed as II/III using New York Heart Association classes of heart failure; aged 53, 77, 79 yrs |
Emslie [57] UK | Experiences of men and women with depression in articulating emotional distress and engaging with health professionals | various | depression | IV 16 men 22 women | descriptive/interpretive | majority (34/38) experienced multiple/prolonged depressive episodes; 18/38 hospitalised; 10/38 bipolar depression; wide age range (<30-66+; 3 <30, 14 30-40, 11 41-55, 6 56-65, 4 66+ yrs); majority White British (33/38 - others 1 each of Black, Asian, South European, North European, American). |
Evans [58] UK | Acquisition and evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information in men with cancer | information | cancer - any | IV 34 men (total sample is 43 but paper focus is on 34 who did use CAM) | descriptive/interpretive | various cancer types (10 colorectal, 10 prostate, 3 lung, 11 other - thymic, tonsillar, pancreatic, bone, lymphoma, bladder, renal, oesophageal, leukaemia); varying stages (10 localised, 10 remission, 8 metastatic, 6 palliative care); mean age 57 yrs (range 31-83), all white; 'range' of manual, non-manual and professional occupational backgrounds (over half professional); 22 used CAM before diagnosis. |
Ferrand [59] France | Motives for regular physical activity in men and women with type 2 diabetes using the French patients' association Move for Health | lifestyle | diabetes - type 2 | IV 9 men 14 women | descriptive/interpretive | men: 6 diagnosed ≥5 yrs; 6 medicated including 2 insulin; mean age 67.0 yrs (sd 6.1); 6 post-secondary education; 1 employed, 8 retired; 7 married, 1 widowed, 1 never married; women mean 56.3 yrs (sd 9.5), total range 35-78 yrs; 13 diagnosed ≥5 yrs; 10 medicated including 4 insulin; mean age 56.3 (sd 9.5); 4 post-secondary education; 3 employed, 7 retired, 4 homemaker; 7 married, 1 widowed, 5 separated/divorced, 1 never married. |
Galdas [60] Canada | Canadian Punjabi Sikh men's experiences of adopting lifestyle changes following myocardial infarction | lifestyle | cardiac - myocardial infarction | IV 27 men | descriptive/interpretive | majority reported comorbidity (10 diabetes, 8 high blood pressure, 7 high cholesterol, 3 depression); mean age 65.7 yrs (range 41-86); all Canadian Punjabi Sikh; lived in Canada mean 20 yrs (range 2-42); majority retired, 7 employed, 13 receiving pension or disability income; 24 married, 3 widowed; 15 attended cardiac rehabilitation. |
Gibbs [61] Australia | Factors influencing utilisation of self-management services in men with arthritis | various | arthritis | IV 17 men | grounded theory (and participatory research) | time since diagnosis 4 months-25 yrs; varied health status (self-reported 3 poor, 8 fair, 6 good); median age 41-60 yrs (2 18-25, 3 26-40, 7 41-60, 3 61-75, 2 75+); majority Anglo/Celtic (12 Anglo/Celtic incl. 1 also Aboriginal; 1 UK/European, 1 Greek, 1 Chilean, 1 Italian, 1 Filipino/Asian); varied education (1 primary school only, 5 completed secondary, 1 passed secondary, 7 vocational, 3 university, 3 n/r); 9 employed, 6 retired, 1 student, 1 unemployed; range of employment roles (health services, research, managerial, information technology, motor mechanics, farming); sexuality not asked but 1 homosexual, 1 bisexual, others referred to female partners although acknowledge may not identify as heterosexual; varied involvement in self-management programmes (0 to 4 different programmes). |
Gibbs [23] Australia | Work as a barrier to accessing self-management services in men with a chronic illness (arthritis) | various | arthritis | IV 17 men | grounded theory (and participatory research) | see 2005 paper (pooled) |
Gooden [62] Australia | Comparison of ways in which men with prostate cancer and women with breast cancer share issues online | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - prostate (men) and breast (women) | OP 77 men (591 postings) 69 women (272 postings) | descriptive/interpretive (part of mixed methods) | no sample characteristics due to methods; however quality of writing in postings suggested “reasonably well educated and articulate” |
Gray [63] Canada | Comparison of men's experiences of prostate cancer self-help groups and women's experiences of breast cancer self-help groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate (men) and breast (women) | I V12 men, IV/FG 27 women | descriptive/interpretive | men: “representation from among long-term survivors and men with advanced disease”; aged 45-80; women: range of time since diagnosis (4 <1 year, 11 < 3yrs, 10 longer term); range of severity including 6 with recurrence; aged 33-73 yrs (15 aged <50); all white reflecting groups; “predominantly middle class and well educated” (3 had less that high school). |
Men's experiences of prostate cancer self-help groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | IV 12 men | descriptive/interpretive | see above | |
Women's experiences of breast cancer self-help groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - breast (women) | IV/FG 27 women - linked study | descriptive/interpretive | see above | |
Harris [66] Canada | Experiences of counselling and peer support services in gay men with HIV/AIDS | various | HIV/AIDS | IV 12 men | phenomenology | mean 9.75 yrs since diagnosis (range 4-15); mean age 43 yrs (range 27-56); range of education (4 some high school credits, 5 completed high school, 3 “completed some” university/college education); 7 employed, 2 retired, 3 not working; varied income (5 <$20,000, 3 $30,000-$49,999, 1>$50,000, 3 n/r); all gay (5 previously married to women); all involved in local community-based agencies; most reported following their antiretroviral medications; 6 men had used peer support 1-2 times per week for 8 yrs on average; 7 men had received counselling 1-2 times per fortnight for 4 yrs on average. |
Iredale [67] UK | Perceptions of information needs in men with breast cancer | information | cancer - breast (male) | IV 30 men (subsample of n161 men surveyed in full study) | descriptive only (supplement to quantitative study) | details for interview sample n/r; details for full sample surveyed (n161): mean 35 months since diagnosis (range 2-120); 55% current breast cancer; mean age 67.3 yrs (range 27-88); 64% secondary education or above; 78% married/ residing with partner, 8% single, 6% divorced/separated, 8% widowed. |
Kendall [68] USA | Experiences of community support groups in gay men with HIV/AIDS | support group (face-to-face) | HIV/AIDS | IV 29 men | descriptive/interpretive | mean 3 yrs 2 months since HIV diagnosis (range 3 months-9 yrs); range of disease severity (8 asymptomatic; 8 mild, transient symptoms; 8 “full-blown AIDS, not terminal”, 8 “full-blown AIDS in terminal stage”); mean age 37 yrs (range 25-58); majority Caucasian (27 Caucasian, 2 African American); majority highly educated (mean 16 yrs education; only 1 without college education); 53% employed, 46% disability allowance; all gay; 11 in a relationship (length ranging 1 month-14 yrs); 31% strong family support, 46% strong friend support but “in general … did not feel well-supported”; mean 3 HIV-support groups attended (range 1-8). |
Kronenwetter [69] USA | Men's experiences of a prostate cancer lifestyle trial for men with early prostate cancer | lifestyle | cancer - prostate | IV 26 men | descriptive/interpretive | mean age 67 yrs (range 50-85); majority Caucasian (>90%); majority college education, university education or “specialised training” (>90%); “over half” retired; 21 (81%) had “partners/spouses”. |
Martin [70] UK | Men's experiences of a nurse-led workshop for men with testicular cancer | lifestyle | cancer - testicular | IV 6 men | descriptive/interpretive | mean age 35 yrs (range 29-45) |
Mfecane [71] South Africa | Phenomenon of therapeutic citizenship in HIV/AIDS support groups, as observed in visits and experienced by men in rural South Africa | lifestyle | HIV/AIDS | IV 25 men; PO n n/r (14 months, presumably includes some women) | ethnography | interview sample: aged 28-50 yrs; all South African; all rural; all “poor, working-class community”; majority unemployed; approximately half single (6 married, 4 cohabitating, 3 partners living apart, 12 single); all had ≥1 child but minority lived with their children. |
Oliffe [72] Canada | Factors influencing sustainability of prostate cancer support groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | PO 333 men (15 groups of men and partners) | ethnography | details of group members n/r |
Oliffe [72] Canada | How prostate cancer support groups simultaneously facilitate health promotion and illness demotion | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | PO 333 men (15 groups of men and partners), IV 52 men, Total 333 men | ethnography | interview sample: mean 6.8 yrs since diagnosis; majority received treatment (49); mean age 70 yrs (range 53-87); 25 Anglo-Canadian, 25 Northern European; majority retired (42); all attended ≥2 meetings in past year (inclusion criteria); mean 5.3 yrs accessed support groups; 16 were long-term members (had been attending for more than 12 months), and 16 were short-term members (had been attending for less than 12 months); 20 held leadership roles (e.g. facilitator, secretary). |
Oliffe [73] Canada | How men who attend prostate cancer support groups engage with health literacy and consumerism | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | PO n n/r (16 groups of men and partners), IV 54 men, Total n n/r | ethnography | interview sample: majority received treatment (50); mean age 71 yrs (range 53-87); all Canadian, “many” Northern European ancestry; majority retired (44); all attended ≥2 meetings in past year (inclusion criteria); 16 were long-term members (had been attending for more than 12 months), and 16 were short-term members (had been attending for less than 12 months), 22 held leadership roles (e.g. facilitator, secretary). |
Ramachandra [[74] UK | Acceptability of a brief self-led psychological intervention in patients with cancer | psychological | cancer - metastatic prostate (men) and metastatic breast (women) | IV unclear if 4 men 3 women or 3 men 2 women (46 in total trial - 24 men 22 women; unclear if feedback at 6 weeks or 12 weeks) | descriptive only (supplement to quantitative study) | interview sample details n/r; full trial details: men: mean age 72.4 yrs; women: mean age 60.8 yrs. |
Sandstrom [75] USA | Utilisation of peer support groups by gay men with HIV/AIDS | support group (face-to-face) | HIV/AIDS | IV 25 men | grounded theory | all advanced diagnoses; 10 symptomatic HIV (including 3 with severe complications), 15 diagnosed with AIDS; age ranged 20-56 yrs (7 20s, 11 30s, 6 40s, 1 50s); majority white (2 African American); 12 “attended college or completed college degrees”; 20 urban; all gay; 16 had used support groups at some time, including 9 briefly (“usually 1-4 months”) and 7 for ≥1 year. |
Seale [76] UK | Compare the language of men and women with cancer in research interviews and online support groups | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - prostate (men) and breast (women) | IV 52 men 47 women, OP 900 men, 153 women, Total 952 men, 200 women | descriptive / interpretive | interview sample details n/r; online postings sample details n/r; Ziebland 2004 (cited by authors) reports interview sample details for 49 men and 37 women as respective mean age 62 yrs (range 51-83) and 44 yrs (range 19-75) |
Seymour-Smith [20] UK | How men and women negotiate their identities as members of cancer self-help groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - testicular (men) and breast (women) | IV 4 men 7 women | discourse analysis | men aged 26-31, women aged 33-64 yrs; all White UK; men's sample includes 1 group leader. |
Smith 2002 [77] USA | Views of African American men with prostate cancer who do not use the Man to Man support group | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - prostate | FG 4 men | descriptive only (supplement to quantitative study) | all African American; all members of '100 Black Men' organisation. |
Sullivan [78] USA | Comparison of communication practices of men with prostate cancer and women with ovarian cancer supporting each other online | Internet (information and/or support) | cancer - prostate (men) and ovarian (women) | OP 176 men (616 postings) 134 women (1256 postings) (not extracted re: HCPs and others) | descriptive/interpretive | sample details not known (due to methods) |
Trapp [79] USA | Men's preferences for cancer support groups | support group (face-to-face) | cancer - any | IV 5 men | descriptive/interpretive | various cancer types (2 melanoma, brain cancer, lymphoma, leukemia); various stages (2 metastatic, 1 stage III); 4 had previous cancer diagnosis; aged 30-69 yrs (30, 62, 62, 64, 69); all Caucasian USA; urban; majority highly educated (1 high school, 2 graduate, 2 postgraduate); all had been employed (some retired/unable to work); 2 married, 2 single, 1 widowed |
Vanable [80] USA | Views of men with HIV who have sex with men about sexual risk reduction programmes, to develop a tailored intervention | various | HIV/AIDS | IV 21 men, FG 31 men, Total 52 men | descriptive/interpretive | mean 8 yrs since diagnosis; 50% reported undetectable viral load; mean age 41.4 yrs (sd 8.1, range 24-63, “mostly middle-aged”); majority Caucasian (61% Caucasian, 33% African American, 6% other); 48% employed, 48% unemployed; mean monthly income $1023 (sd 699); all men who have sex with men; 33% cohabiting, 19% relationship but living apart, 48% “did not have a primary partner”; mean 4.8 sexual partners in past year (sd 10.9). |
Wallace [81] USA | Psychosocial needs of men with prostate cancer | various | cancer - prostate | FG 16 men (2 groups) | descriptive/interpretive | mean 4.3 yrs since diagnosis (range 6 months-12 yrs); mean age 66.8 yrs (range 49-81); majority Caucasian (1 African American, 1 other); range of education (8 high school, 5 college, 3 graduate school); annual income ranged $20,000-$100,000; majority married (15 married, 1 divorced). |