류마티스 관절염 환자가 지각하는 불확실성 개념의 요인분석

Factor Analysis of Uncertainty Experienced by Patients having Rheumatoid Arthritis

This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of uncertainty in patients having rheumatoid arthritis. Subjects of the study constituted 528 patients who visited outpatient clinics of two university hospitals and one general hospital in Seoul. A self report questionnaire was used to measure the uncertainty. Reliability coefficients of this instrument was found Cronbach's ${\alpha}=.84$. In data analysis, SPSS PC 6.0 computer program was utilized for descriptive statistics and factor analysis. Three factors were appointed on the basis of literature review for the principal component factor analysis method and Varimax Orthogonal Rotation. The results of factor analysis were as follows ; 1) Three factors for uncertainty were identified through the principal component analysis and varimax rotation, and these contributed 37.4% of the valiance in the total score. Twenty six items among the whole items in the scale loaded above .39 on one of 3 factors. 2) The naming of each factor was as follows : Factor 1 was 'ambiguity' and has 12 items, factor 2 was 'lack of information' and has 8 items, factor 3 was 'unpredictability' and has 7 items. 3) Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was .84 for the total items and .81, .80, .50 for each of three subscales in that order.