Model Construction of Perceived Uncertainty in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

류마티스 관절염 환자가 지각하는 불확실성에 관한 모형 구축

Rheumatoid arthritis, unlike other chronic diseases, causes the patients to experience uncertainty in their daily lives and thus to feel threat on their emotional comfort because of inconsistent and unpredictable symptoms such as pain. Therefore, a theoretical framework is needed for explanation of uncertainty in patients having rheumatoid arthritis. A hypothetical model was constructed on the basis of Mishel's Uncertainty Theory and other literature review. The model included 9 theoretical concepts and 19 paths. Subjects of the study constituted 330 partients who visited outpatient clinics of two university hospitals and one general hospital in Seoul. Self report questionnaires were used to measure the variables affecting uncertainty. Reliability coefficients of these instruments were found Cronbach's Alpha=$.70{\sim}.94$. In data analysis, SAS program and PC-LISREL 8.03 computer program were utilized for descriptive statistics and covariance structure analysis. The results of covariance structure analysis for model fitness were as follows : 1) Hypothetical model showed a good fit to the empirical data : Chi-square($X^2$)=41.81 (df=11, P=.000), Goodness of Fit Index=.974, Root Mean Square Residual=.049, Normed Fit Index=.928, Non Normed Fit Index=.814. 2) For the validity and the parcimony of model, a modified model was constructed by appending 2 paths and deleting 5 paths according to the criteria of statistical significance and meaningfulness. 3) The results of hypothesis testing were as follows : (1) Educational level, event familiarity and severity of illness had a direct effect on uncertainty : Event congruency had both direct and indirect effect on uncertainty : Credible authority and symptom consistency had a nonsignificant direct effect on uncertainty, (2) Illness duration, symptom consistency, and event congruency had a direct effect on severity of illness ; Credible authority had a both direct and indirect effect on severity of illness ; Event congruency had the greatest effect on severity of illness, and event familiarity had a nonsignificant direct effect on severity of illness.