Table 3.
Factor structure obtained by principal components analysis of the BMQ-AET-specific items (highest factor loading indicated in emboldened text).
| Factor 1 | Factor 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Specific concerns | ||
| I sometimes worry about long-term effects of taking hormone treatment | .848 | −.242 |
| Having to take hormone treatment worries me | .863 | −.201 |
| I sometimes worry about having hormone treatment over a long period of time | .890 | −.212 |
| Taking hormone treatment disrupts my life | .658 | −.023 |
| Hormone treatment is a mystery to me | .283 | −.011 |
| Specific necessity | ||
| Taking hormone treatment makes me feel I am taking positive steps to remain well | −.484 | .541 |
| Without taking hormone treatment, I would be more likely to develop breast cancer again | −.157 | .734 |
| My health at present depends on me taking hormone treatment | −.001 | .784 |
| Hormone treatment protects me from becoming ill | −.161 | .781 |
| My health in the future will depend on me taking hormone treatment | −.128 | .817 |
| Total variance explained | 35.375 | 21.562 |
BMQ: Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire; AET: adjuvant endocrine therapy.