Understanding the Illness Attitude Scales in Students and Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Alexander Crössmann, Paul Pauli
Primary Institution: University of Wuerzburg
Hypothesis
The study aimed to analyze the factor structure of the Illness Attitude Scales in a German student and a patient population using exploratory factor analysis.
Conclusion
The study suggests that the Illness Attitude Scales are best represented by a four-factor solution in student samples and a two-factor solution in patient samples.
Supporting Evidence
- The study found a four-factor solution in the student sample and a two-factor solution in the patient sample.
- All scales derived from the analyses reached good to acceptable reliability coefficients.
- The scales could distinguish between chronic pain patients and normal controls.
Takeaway
This study looked at how people think about their health and found different patterns in students and patients. It helps us understand how to better assess health-related fears.
Methodology
Participants completed the Illness Attitude Scales, and the data was analyzed using principal components analyses with oblique rotations.
Limitations
The study had a relatively small sample size for the mixed patient sample and some items could not be incorporated due to complex loadings.
Participant Demographics
The student sample consisted of 296 participants (67.9% female, average age 24.7 years), and the patient sample included 130 participants (49.2% female, average age 45.2 years).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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