Illness perception among Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Objective: To explore illness perception (IP) and its predictors among Chinese patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: The revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) was used in the present study. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was employed. The study was conducted in four major hospitals in Guangzhou (China) with a sample of 193 MI patients. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation, t test, one-way ANOVA, factor analysis and multiple linear regression were used.

Results: Among the 12 common symptoms of MI, on average only 3.37 were recognized by the subjects. Among the six factors of the cause dimension, "immune factors" received the highest score, followed by "gene and chance", "behavioral factors", "psychological factors", "environmental factors", and "physical factors". Subjects perceived MI as a chronic, cyclic illness with serious consequences that could be controlled through treatment, and believed that they had a negative affective response to MI. Furthermore, the dimensions of patients' IP were correlated, and illness-related factors and socio-demographic factors acted as predictors of IP.

Conclusion: The IP of Chinese patients with MI needs to be improved.

Practice implications: Based on our findings, effective interventions can be designed to promote MI patients' IP to facilitate their coping strategies after an episode of MI.