Psychometric assessment of the Chinese version of the brief illness perception questionnaire in breast cancer survivors.

Na Zhang,Wendy Wing Tak Lam,Conrad Lee,Wing Kin Sze,Inda Soong,Janice Tsang,Karen K K Chan,Alice Ng,Victor Lee,Richard Fielding,Ali Montazeri

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174093

Abstract

ObjectiveThe eight-item Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) supposedly evaluates cognitive and emotional representations of illness. This study examined the validity and reliability of a traditional Chinese version of the B-IPQ in Hong Kong Chinese breast cancer survivors.Methods358 Chinese breast cancer survivors who had recently ended their primary treatment completed this B-IPQ Chinese version. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested the factor structure. The internal consistency, construct, predictive and convergent validities of the scale were assessed.ResultsCFA revealed that the original three-factor (cognitive-emotional representations and illness comprehensibility) structure of the B-IPQ poorly fitted our sample. After deleting one item measuring illness coherence, seven-item gave an optimal two-factor (cognitive-emotional representations) structure for the B-IPQ (B-IPQ-7). Cronbach’s alpha for the two subscales were 0.653 and 0.821, and for the overall seven-item scale of B-IPQ was 0.783. Correlations of illness perception and physical symptom distress, anxiety, depression and known-group comparison between different treatment status suggested acceptable construct validity. The association between baseline illness perception and psychological distress at 3-month follow up supported predictive validity.ConclusionsB-IPQ-7 appears to be a moderately valid measure of illness perception in cancer population, potentially useful for assessing illness representations in Chinese women with breast cancer.

Highlights

Individuals constructor elaborate illness representations involving both cognitive and emotional elements when facing a health threat or illness [1]
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the original three-factor structure of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ)) poorly fitted our sample
Additional emotional elements of representations include individual’s concern about, and perceived emotional impact of their illness. These cognitive and emotional components of illness representations were significantly associated with coping behaviors [3], psychological distress [4], and quality of life [5, 6] in previous studies of cancer patients

Summary

Introduction

Individuals constructor elaborate illness representations involving both cognitive and emotional elements when facing a health threat or illness [1]. Several core cognitive elements of illness representations have been proposed: consequences, timeline, control, identity, and causes [2]. Consequences reflect anticipated or perceived effects or outcomes of illness on an individual’s life. Identity captures elements including concrete symptoms manifestations and abstract symptom conception and patient beliefs about the illness characteristics. Causes reflect patients’ beliefs about why the illness developed. Additional emotional elements of representations include individual’s concern about, and perceived emotional impact of their illness. These cognitive and emotional components of illness representations were significantly associated with coping behaviors [3], psychological distress [4], and quality of life [5, 6] in previous studies of cancer patients

Methods

Results

Conclusion