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The meaning of illness questionnaire: reliability and validity
G B Browne1, C Byrne, J Roberts
1School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Canada.
Nursing Research
|November 1, 1988
Summary
The Meaning of Illness Questionnaire (MIQ) demonstrates strong reliability and validity for assessing illness perceptions in chronically ill patients. Its findings suggest illness meaning is a significant predictor of adjustment to chronic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Health Psychology
Background:
- The Meaning of Illness Questionnaire (MIQ) was developed based on Lazarus and Folkman's work.
- Understanding patients' perceptions of their illness is crucial for effective chronic illness management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the reliability and validity of the newly developed Meaning of Illness Questionnaire (MIQ).
- To evaluate the MIQ's ability to measure diverse meanings attributed to illness in chronically ill populations.
Main Methods:
- 320 chronically ill patients completed the 33-item MIQ and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness--Self-Report Scale (PAIS-SR).
- Test-retest reliability was assessed in 70 subjects.
- Nurse clinicians evaluated the reliability of categorizing qualitative data from the MIQ.
Main Results:
- The MIQ demonstrated substantial test-retest reliability (kappa = .45 to 1.00) and reliable categorization by clinicians (kappa = .64).
- Factor analysis supported the questionnaire's underlying theoretical assumptions.
- Illness meaning factors (R2 = .46) and specific items (R2 = .60) were more powerful predictors of adjustment than coping behaviors.
Conclusions:
- The MIQ is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring illness meanings in patients with cancer, rheumatological, and gastroenterological disorders.
- Illness perception significantly influences adjustment to chronic illness, potentially more than coping strategies.