| Popis: |
Poorer disease knowledge and greater illness uncertainty are related to poorer health- related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased psychological distress among patients with chronic illness. This cross-sectional study examined the association of disease knowledge (including future health risk and general health information) and uncertainty related to illness events with psychological distress and HRQoL ( as measured with mental component (MCS) and physical component scales (PCS)) among patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). CHD patients (N = 169, ages 15-39; 56% female; 30% simple, 40% moderate, 30% complex lesions) were recruited during routine medical visits and completed measures of general disease knowledge, disease-related risk knowledge, illness uncertainty, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, MCS, and PCS. A series of mediation analyses were conducted to assess the influence of disease knowledge on MCS and PCS via psychological distress; moderation analyses were conducted to test the conditional effect of illness uncertainty in the relationship of disease knowledge and HRQoL (MCS and PCS), and moderated mediation analyses were conducted to test the conditional effect of illness uncertainty in the relationship of disease knowledge and HRQoL (MCS and PCS) via psychological distress. Results demonstrated that greater knowledge of risk in the context of greater illness uncertainty was associated with lower MCS (b = -.57, p = .02, 95% CI = [-1.05, -.09]). Furthermore, greater knowledge of risk interacted with greater illness uncertainty to predict anxiety symptoms, which predicted lower MCS (b = -5.33, 95% CI = [-10.43, -.63]. Patients with CHD exhibiting poorer risk knowledge in the presence of greater illness uncertainty may be at elevated risk of anxiety and lower mental quality of life. |
