ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate illness uncertainty state and explore its influencing factors in hospitalized children and adolescents with cancer.Methods A cross-sectional survey was performed in 112 children and adolescents with cancer aged 7～18 years old from two hospitals with the Chinese version of Uncertainty Scale for Kids-20 and the self-designed demographic questionnaire.Results The mean total scores of illness uncertainty was (45.16±6.67) points.The results of single-factor analysis showed that the factors influencing the uncertainty in illness of children and adolescents with cancer were as follows:age,personality characteristics,course of disease,the methods of treatment,current disease status,absence from school or not,the times of hospitalization,family monthly income,and the extent of parents' understanding about the disease-related knowledge.Multi-factor stepwise regression analysis showed that the main influencing factors of the uncertainty in illness were the current condition,family monthly income,absence from school or not and the extent of parents' understanding about the disease-related knowledge.Conclusions Illness uncertainty is common in children and adolescents with cancer.Nurses should attach importance to the impacts of illness uncertainty,and take effective interventions to decrease it,alleviate psychological pressure and improve quality of life in children and adolescents with cancer.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Uncertainty Scale for Kids-22 (USK-22).Methods The Uncertainty Scale for Kids was translated and adapted according to Chinese culture.The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of USK were tested in 117children and adolescents with cancer.Results The rate of recovery was 100％.The rote of effective questionnaire was 95.7％.The patients were easily to understand and it cost them average 8 minutes to finish the questionnaires.Three factors were extracted by factor analysis and could explain 57.043％ of total variance.The correlations between each item and subscale ranged from 0.526 to 0.762.The Cronbach α of USK was 0.872 and the Cronbach α of each subscale ranged from 0.774 to 0.826.The testretest reliability was 0.835.Conclusions The Chinese version of USK is reliable and valid,and can be used to measure the level of uncertainty among Chinese children and adolescents with cancer.