Table 3.
Results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for uncertainty about disease and treatment (N=360)
| Factors | Item | Factor loading | h2* | M±SD | Skew (kurtosis) | λ** | %variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-uncertainty | I am not certain about my ability to perform my daily activities considering the type of treatment I am receiving for my disease | 0.875 | 0.440 | 10.46±4.6 | 0.15(-1.22) | 3.799 | 22.34 |
| I am not certain if I can effectively utilize strategies to deal with the side effects associated with my treatment | 0.829 | 0.578 | |||||
| I am not certain of my ability to be prepared to handle crisis situations related to hemodialysis | 0.600 | 0.687 | |||||
| I am not certain if I can accept other treatment methods for my disease | 0.390 | 0.310 | |||||
| Uncertain situation | At times, when I become exhausted from the conditions associated with hemodialysis, I am unsure about continuing with it | 0.880 | 0.596 | 10.86±4.6 | 0.16(-1.16) | 3.087 | 18.15 |
| I am not certain that I can pursue my life goals and aspirations based on the type of treatment I am receiving. | 0.559 | 0.633 | |||||
| I am not certain about having a favorable social or family status in the future due to my disease or hemodialysis | 0.499 | 0.520 | |||||
| I am in a state where nothing in my life can be relied upon with certainty | 0.473 | 0.361 | |||||
| Uncertain future | I am not certain of what not to do in the future for my treatment | 0.617 | 0.575 | 9.45±3.83 | -0.01(-.94) | 2.547 | 14.98 |
| Whenever an issue arises regarding my treatment, I find it difficult to make a decision about it easily | 0.582 | 0.662 | |||||
| I have many unanswered questions about the future of my treatment | 0.557 | 0.246 | |||||
| Uncertainty of treatment outcomes | I am not certain whether hemodialysis is a suitable approach for extending my lifespan | 0.989 | 0.733 | 6.97±3.49 | 0.71(-0.46) | 2.511 | 14.77 |
| I am not certain whether educating the treatment team can reduce the complications of hemodialysis | 0.384 | 0.301 | |||||
| I am not certain whether adhering to treatment will result in a longer lifespan | 0.346 | 0.200 | |||||
| Information uncertainty | I am not certain whether I have enough information about kidney transplantation or not | 1.003 | 0.930 | 6.7±3.21 | 0.64(-0.5) | 2.027 | 11.92 |
| I am not certain if a kidney transplant is better than hemodialysis | 0.451 | 0.230 | |||||
| I am not certain about my knowledge of my vascular access information | 0.437 | 0.279 |
h2* =Communalities; λ** =Eigenvalue