Abstract: Objective: To explore the current status of stoma odor and distress disclosure in enterostomy patients, analyze the correlation between them and provide evidence for clinical intervention. Methods: From March 2024 to March 2025, 223 enterostomy patients in the ostomy clinic of a tertiary grade A hospital in Shaanxi province were recruited by convenience sampling method. The general data questionnaire, the ostomy odor rating scale, the Distress Disclosure Index, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used to investigate. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of distress disclosure. Results: The stoma odor in enterostomy patients were mainly grade 3 and grade 4, while the total average distress disclosure score was (35.70±5.93) points. Multiple linear regression showed stoma leakage frequency, peristomal skin complication frequency, stoma odor level, and perceived social support level significantly affected distress disclosure (P<0.05). Conclusion: Stoma odor negatively impacts distress disclosure in enterostomy patients, and distress disclosure is influenced by multiple factors. Healthcare professionals can enhance patients' stoma care ability through precise preoperative stoma siting and postoperative stoma-specific health education, thereby reducing stoma odor. Furthermore, they can guide patients in adopting effective distress disclosure strategies to alleviate psychological burden and facilitate postoperative recovery.

Key words: enterostomy patients; stoma odor; distress disclosure