Measurement of illness behaviour in patients on haemodialysis and awaiting cardiac surgery

Abstract

A 34-item, self-administered questionnaire, designed to measure aspects of illness behaviour, was completed by 30 patients admitted for cardiac surgery. Analysis of the data from 27 of the items was carried out and a comparison made with results of a previous study of 30 patients undergoing long-term haemodialysis. Principal components analyses of the data from the two groups, both separately and combined, yielded ‘dimensions’ of illness behaviour defined by their patterns of factor loadings of items. Encouraging similarities were found between the cardiac and dialysis patients on 8 dimensions which were labelled: “hostility to illness as destructive enemy”, “distressing preoccupation”, “helpless non-involvement”, “positive appraisal and involvement”, “surrender”, “acceptance/rejection of illness”, “fight”, and “helpless dependence”. Differences between the groups generally corresponded with clinical experience.