J Korean Community Nurs.  2002 Jun;13(2):249-259.

A Study on the Impact of Mastery on Appraisal of Uncertainty in Women Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Yoo KH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mastery on appraisal of uncertainty in women patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
METHODS
The study subjects consisted of 168 patients who were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a rheumatic center in Seoul. Self report questionnaires were used to measure the study variables that included uncertainty, mastery, danger appraisal of uncertainty, and opportunity appraisal of uncertainty. Cronbach's alpha reliabilities of these instruments ranged from .72 to .93. For data analysis, the SPSSWIN 10.0 program was utilized to exam descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis.
RESULTS
The results were as follows.: 1) The uncertainty scores of the subjects ranged from 33 to 87 with the mean score of 63.27. 2) The mastery scores of the subjects ranged from 10 to 27 with a mean score of 18.70. 3) The danger appraisal of uncertainty scores of the subjects ranged from 8 to 32 with a mean score of 20.22. 4) The opportunity appraisal of uncertainty scores of the subjects ranged from 7 to 28 with a mean score of 17.80. 5)Significant factors that explained the danger appraisal of uncertainty were mastery (=-.444, p<.001), and education level (=-.184, p<.05). 6) Significant factor that explained the opportunity appraisal of uncertainty was level of uncertainty (=-.328, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
Among the independent variables, the most significant factor that explained the danger appraisal of uncertainty in the women patients with rheumatoid arthritis was mastery. Therefore, a nursing intervention with strategies to improve sense of mastery should be developed for women patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*
Education
Female
Humans
Nursing
Surveys and Questionnaires
Self Report
Seoul
Statistics as Topic
Uncertainty*