Factors Influencing Interoception in Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation

BACKGROUND: Interoception is essential for symptom appraisal, emotional regulation, and self-management in cancer care. Patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy face substantial physical and psychological burdens that may disrupt interoceptive processing, yet related evidence remains limited. OBJECTIVE: Guided by the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation, this study examined interoception levels and associated factors in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 352 patients at a tertiary hospital in China. Interoception was measured using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness. Illness perception, anxiety, depression, social support, coping, and symptom burden were assessed with validated instruments. Multivariable regression, random forest, and Bayesian network analyses were used to identify predictors and structural relationships. RESULTS: The mean interoception score was 18.89 ± 2.80, indicating a low level. Regression explained 88.2% of the variance (adjusted R2 = 0.882, P <.001). Lower interoception was associated with advanced stage, more chemotherapy cycles, higher symptom burden, negative illness perception, anxiety, depression, maladaptive coping, and alcohol use, whereas social support and confrontation coping were protective. Bayesian network analysis identified depression as the central hub linking clinical and psychosocial factors. CONCLUSIONS: Interoception in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy is shaped by interacting emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and treatment-related factors, with emotional distress playing a central role. IMPLICATIONS FOR ONCOLOGY NURSING PRACTICE: Nursing interventions should prioritize emotional regulation, cognition reappraisal, and adaptive coping to enhance interoceptive engagement, ultimately improving self-management outcomes for patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.