Mukda Detprapon. Testing the uncertainty in illness theory to predict quality of lifein Thai patients with head and neck cancer. Doctoral Degree(Nursing ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Testing the uncertainty in illness theory to predict quality of lifein Thai patients with head and neck cancer
Abstract:
Head and neck cancer and its treatments have been reported as impacting on symptom
experience and uncertainty. Buddhist practices are one of the factors which help patients
prevent and reduce depression as well as enhance quality of life (QOL).This cross-sectional
descriptive study was conducted using convenience sampling to test the Uncertainty in Illness
Theory (UIT) and to determine the factors influencing QOL in Thai patients with head and
neck cancer. The selected variables were symptom experience, Buddhist practices, uncertainty,
depression, and QOL. A sample of 240 patients who had completed at least one month of
treatment but no more than one year and had come to follow up at the otolaryngological and
radiological outpatient clinics of five hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand was recruited. The
instruments were: Set Test; Demographic Questionnaire; Modified Symptom Experience
Scale; Buddhist practices Scale; Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community version;
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; and Functional Assessment of Cancer
Therapy-General Scale version 4.
The hypothesized model was tested by LISREL 8.52. The results showed that the
modified model was performed to fit the empirical data at χ2 = 28.00, df = 21, χ2/df = 1.33, p
= .14, GFI = .981, AGFI = .929, RMSEA = .037. The final model could explain 66% of
variance in uncertainty, 93% in depression, and 92% in QOL. The findings indicated that two
out of five of the research hypotheses were supported. It was found that symptom experience
had a strong direct positive impact on uncertainty (γ = .81, p<.001) and an indirect impact on
depression and QOL mediated through uncertainty (β = .66; -.68, p<.001, respectively). In
addition, uncertainty had a strong direct negative impact on QOL (β = -.85, p<.001) and a
strong direct positive impact on depression (β = .82, p<.001). Buddhist practices did not have
a direct negative impact on symptom experience; had neither a non-significant direct negative
impact on uncertainty (γ = -.11, p>.05) nor depression (γ = -.42, p>.05). Buddhist practices
had a non-significant direct positive impact on QOL (γ = .37, p>.05). Furthermore, they had
neither an indirect effect on uncertainty through symptom experience nor an indirect effect on
depression and QOL through uncertainty (γ = .09, p>.05 and γ = -.09, p>.05, respectively).
These findings will help in managing symptom experience and uncertainty and thus
contribute to preventing and reducing depression, and enhancing QOL in head and neck
cancer. Results also provide a starting point to test a newly emergent concept of religious
participation (Buddhist practices) coming from the UIT in 2003.