Confirmatory Factor Analysis of MUIS-C Scale Among Baby Boomers With Hepatitis C

Area of Science:

• Psychometric validation
• Health psychology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection impacts baby boomers.
• Understanding patient uncertainty is crucial for managing chronic conditions like HCV.
• The Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community (MUIS-C) is a tool to measure illness uncertainty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community (MUIS-C) as a reliable two-factor instrument.
• To assess the suitability of MUIS-C for baby boomers diagnosed with HCV infection.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to test the MUIS-C.
• Robust maximum likelihood estimation using Wishart distribution was utilized.
• The study involved 130 participants to examine factor structure and model fit.

Main Results:

• A very good model fit was achieved, indicated by TLI=0.977, CFI=0.983, RMSEA=0.036, and SRMR=0.057.
• All indicators demonstrated significant positive factor loadings.
• Standardized coefficients ranged from 0.511 to 0.868.

Conclusions:

• The MUIS-C is confirmed as a reliable two-factor instrument.
• The MUIS-C is suitable for assessing illness uncertainty in the baby boomer population with HCV.
• This validation supports the use of MUIS-C in clinical and research settings for this demographic.