Table 2 Illness Perception items
From: Lifetime utilization of mammography among Maltese women: a cross-sectional survey
| Â | LIFETIME SCREENERS versus NON-SCREENERS | |
|---|---|---|
Illness Perceptions | χ2 | p-value |
The presence of a lump or thickening in the breast | 1.8 | 0.611 |
Nipple discharge | 2.3 | 0.509 |
Sudden nipple retraction | 1.1 | 0.769 |
Change in shape or appearance of the nipple | 1.2 | 0.743 |
Breast swelling, dimpling, redness or soreness of the skin | 0.9 | 0.826 |
Skin changes of the breast | 1.7 | 0.641 |
A sudden change in breast size | 1.5 | 0.688 |
Aching breasts | 1.5 | 0.820 |
Stress or worry | 3.0 | 0.223 |
Your mental attitude (e.g. thinking about life negatively) | 2.0 | 0.580 |
Family problems or worries | 2.9 | 0.233 |
Overwork | 7.9 | 0.052 |
Your emotional state (e.g. feeling down, lonely, anxious, empty) | 12.9 | 0.002* |
Your personality | 3.0 | 0.391 |
Hereditary - it runs in the family | 9.7 | 0.021* |
Diet or eating habits | 1.5 | 0.679 |
Poor medical care in the past | 0.8 | 0.847 |
Your own behaviour | 12.7 | 0.002* |
Ageing | 1.9 | 0.395 |
Smoking | 1.8 | 0.601 |
Alcohol | 1.2 | 0.538 |
A germ or virus | 9.4 | 0.009* |
Pollution in the environment | 1.4 | 0.709 |
Altered immunity | 2.5 | 0.469 |
Chance or bad luck | 3.0 | 0.562 |
Accident or injury | 3.6 | 0.460 |
Breast cancer will last a short time | 5.8 | 0.120 |
Breast cancer is likely to be permanent rather than temporary | 0.9 | 0.650 |
A patient with breast cancer goes through cycles in which her illness gets better and worse | 5.8 | 0.215 |
Breast cancer has major consequences on a patient’s life | 9.9 | 0.019* |
Breast cancer will not have much effect on your life | 6.1 | 0.189 |
Breast cancer would strongly affect the way others see you | 7.8 | 0.100 |
Breast cancer has serious economic and financial consequences | 5.0 | 0.174 |
Breast cancer would strongly affect the way you see yourself as a person | 0.9 | 0.826 |
Breast cancer would threaten a relationship with your husband or partner | 2.5 | 0.641 |
If you had breast cancer, your whole life would change | 5.6 | 0.133 |
If you developed breast cancer, the chances of living a long life would decrease | 4.9 | 0.179 |
There is a lot which you can do to control the symptoms if Breast Cancer occurs | 0.7 | 0.948 |
The course of Breast Cancer will depend on your actions | 2.9 | 0.400 |
Your actions will have an effect on the outcome of Breast Cancer | 4.0 | 0.261 |
There is no treatment that will help to improve Breast Cancer | 4.0 | 0.400 |
The treatment provided will be effective in controlling or curing Breast Cancer | 3.1 | 0.371 |
The negative effects of Breast Cancer can be prevented or avoided by the treatment given | 1.5 | 0.822 |
You have a clear picture and understanding of Breast Cancer | 4.5 | 0.211 |
Breast Cancer is a mystery to you | 2.1 | 0.720 |
You get anxious when you think about Breast Cancer | 8.3 | 0.040* |
Breast Cancer makes you feel afraid | 8.3 | 0.039* |
You get worried when you think about Breast Cancer | 4.3 | 0.231 |