Postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation compliance among patients with lung cancer: a cross-sectional survey

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation plays a pivotal role in optimizing post-operative recovery outcomes for patients with lung cancer; however, suboptimal compliance continues to pose a significant barrier to its clinical effectiveness. This study aimed to assess the current status of postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation compliance among lung cancer patients and identify the key influencing factors. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with lung cancer patients who underwent surgery, using a validated scale to assess pulmonary rehabilitation compliance. Correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the influencing factors. Results A total of 262 lung cancer patients were enrolled in this study (response rate 87.9%, as detailed in Supplementary File 1 ). The overall pulmonary rehabilitation compliance score was moderate, at 57.08 ± 9.84, with significant differences across three dimensions; notably, “active advice-seeking” had the lowest average item score (3.48 ± 1.04). Correlation analysis showed that compliance was strongly associated with age ( r = -0.621, p = 0.024), educational level ( r = -0.598, p = 0.017), marital status ( r = 0.602, p = 0.040), place of residence ( r = 0.647, p = 0.001), average monthly household income per capita ( r = -0.591, p = 0.031), and lung cancer histological type ( r = -0.574, p = 0.045). Multivariate linear regression analysis identified independent predictors of poorer compliance, including older age, lower educational level, unmarried/widowed/divorced status, rural residence, lower household income, and specific lung cancer classifications. The regression model demonstrated good fit ( R ²=0.591, F = 28.558, p < 0.001). Conclusion Postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation adherence among lung cancer patients still has considerable room for improvement, highlighting the need for multi-dimensional, targeted strategies to enhance patient compliance.