TABLE 3.

Illness perception scores among patients with myasthenia gravis according to sociodemographic characteristics

Item	n	Illness identity	Timeline (acute/chronic)	Consequence	Personal control	Treatment control	Illness coherence	Timeline cyclical	Emotional representation
Gender (n)
Male	54	3.57 ± 2.31	17.85 ± 4.67	18.11 ± 3.83	20.41 ± 3.59	18.33 ± 1.57	12.59 ± 4.12	11.85 ± 3.40	20.20 ± 5.01
Female	36	3.75 ± 2.02	19.00 ± 4.04	19.28 ± 3.00	19.33 ± 2.90	17.72 ± 1.37	13.56 ± 4.20	13.44 ± 2.42	21.69 ± 3.25
t‐Value		0.138	1.451	2.368	2.244	3.636	1.161	5.910**	2.487
Age (years)
≤ 40	7	4.29 ± 2.75	19.14 ± 2.27	18.00 ± 4.20	19.00 ± 4.12	17.72 ± 0.76	16.86 ± 1.35	11.57 ± 3.74	18.29 ± 3.77
41−50	15	3.87 ± 1.64	19.27 ± 3.31	19.93 ± 3.52	18.53 ± 4.56	17.47 ± 1.06	15.00 ± 3.46	13.47 ± 2.85	20.67 ± 3.24
51−60	29	4.21 ± 1.90	19.17 ± 4.15	17.34 ± 3.11	19.97 ± 304	18.24 ± 1.64	12.83 ± 4.27	12.27 ± 3.24	20.83 ± 4.40
> 60	39	3.03 ± 2.78	17.15 ± 5.12	19.08 ± 3.59	20.72 ± 3.40	18.36 ± 1.58	11.62 ± 4.00	12.08 ± 3.04	21.28 ± 4.92
F‐statistic		1.993	1.591	2.311	1.805	2.095	5.294	0.987	0.908
Marital status
Married	82	3.70 ± 2.24	17.99 ± 4.42	18.43 ± 3.46	20.07 ± 3.41	18.10 ± 1.42	12.78 ± 4.06	12.41 ± 3.18	20.68 ± 4.46
Others	8	3.13 ± 1.62	21.63 ± 3.29	20.13 ± 4.29	19.00 ± 3.78	18.00 ± 2.39	15.00 ± 4.87	13.25 ± 2.61	20.66 ± 4.14
t‐value		0.491	5.115**	1.680	0.744	0.030	2.104	0.517	0.642
Education level
Primary school and below	14	3.47 ± 2.36	17.25 ± 4.98	19.00 ± 3.01	20.44 ± 3.11	18.00 ± 1.52	11.88 ± 3.71	13.06 ± 2.79	21.75 ± 4.51
Middle school and above	76	3.74 ± 2.11	18.90 ± 4.04	18.24 ± 3.80	19.722 ± 3.48	18.14 ± 1.52	13.59 ± 4.29	12.17 ± 3.28	20.28 ± 4.34
t‐Value		2.895*	0.317	1.472	0.931	0.170	3.596	1.683	2.318
Family monthly income
≤ 3000 RMB/month	24	3.00 ± 1.95	19.10 ± 3.75	18.94 ± 3.53	19.65 ± 3.22	17.94 ± 1.29	13.90 ± 4.17	12.42 ± 2.84	21.94 ± 3.73
3001−5000 RMB/month	40	3.89 ± 2.19	18.67 ± 4.40	18.53 ± 3.72	19.83 ± 3.65	18.11 ± 1.49	12.72 ± 4.23	12.44 ± 3.55	20.81 ± 4.41
> 5000 RMB/month	26	4.13 ± 2.38	16.70 ± 5.11	18.17 ± 3.42	20.65 ± 3.08	18.26 ± 1.84	12.13 ± 3.96	12.65 ± 2.92	19.26 ± 5.01
F‐statistic		2.191	2.178	0.305	0.645	0.308	1.324	0.042	2.487
Disease duration
0−1 year	30	4.47 ± 1.87	17.67 ± 4.28	17.60 ± 2.72	20.20 ± 3.70	18.53 ± 1.57	11.33 ± 3.87	11.93 ± 3.43	19.20 ± 4.52
1−2 years	24	3.46 ± 2.57	19.92 ± 3.30	19.83 ± 3.00	19.08 ± 3.86	18.00 ± 1.25	13.42 ± 3.90	11.67 ± 3.13	21.08 ± 4.10
2−3 years	12	3.33 ± 2.50	16.33 ± 4.89	18.50 ± 4.03	21.33 ± 2.93	17.50 ± 0.52	13.33 ± 3.60	13.17 ± 2.72	22.83 ± 4.76
≥ 3 years	24	2.96 ± 1.76	18.50 ± 5.07	18.58 ± 4.44	19.92 ± 2.34	17.92 ± 1.89	14.42 ± 3.54	13.67 ± 2.62	21.50 ± 4.05
F‐statistic		2.449	2.144	1.809	1.280	1.638	2.802*	2.286	2.500
Type
Purely ocular	32	3.89 ± 2.19	18.67 ± 4.40	18.53 ± 3.72	19.83 ± 3.65	18.11 ± 1.49	12.72 ± 4.23	12.44 ± 3.55	20.81 ± 4.41
Mild generalized	51	3.46 ± 2.57	19.92 ± 3.30	19.83 ± 3.00	19.08 ± 3.86	18.00 ± 1.25	13.42 ± 3.90	11.67 ± 3.13	21.08 ± 4.10
Moderate generalized	7	3.13 ± 1.62	21.63 ± 3.29	20.13 ± 4.29	19.00 ± 3.78	18.00 ± 2.39	15.00 ± 4.87	13.25 ± 2.61	20.66 ± 4.14
F‐statistic		1.653	2.121	3.657*	1.290	1.277	1.115	2.076	1.892
Coping style
Positive	58	3.59 ± 2.00	19.00 ± 3.80	18.45 ± 3.76	19.69 ± 3.24	18.14 ± 1.54	14.03 ± 3.85	12.38 ± 3.55	19.72 ± 4.38
Negative	32	3.75 ± 2.54	17.06 ± 5.25	18.81 ± 3.18	20.50 ± 3.56	18.00 ± 1.48	11.06 ± 4.06	12.66 ± 2.21	22.75 ± 3.86
t‐Value		0.114	4.060*	0.215	1.206	0.170	11.823**	0.198	10.668**

^* p < .05;

^** p < .01.