Factors predicting fear of illness progression among patients with acute myocardial infarction
Keywords:
fear of illness progression, anxiety, uncertainty in illness, acute myocardial infarctionAbstract
The objective of this predictive correlational research was to identify factors predicting fear of illness progression among patients with acute myocardial infarction. A purposive sampling was used to recruit 214 persons diagnosed with AMI from outpatient departments from 2 tertiary hospitals in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Data was collected using 9 questionnaires including: 1) Demographic data form 2) Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire short version 3) Perceived chest pain questionnaire 4) Brief illness perception questionnaire 5) Fear of illness progression questionnaire - Short Form 6) Cardiac Anxiety 7) Uncertainty in illness 8) Social support questionnaire and 9) Self - efficacy questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple regression statistics.
The results were as follows: 1) Patients with acute myocardial infarction had a moderate fear of illness progression. (Mean = 36.92, SD = 9.89) 2) significant predictors of fear of illness progression among patients with acute myocardial infarction including illness perception (β = 0.12, p value = 0.013), anxiety (β = 0.37, p value < 0.001), uncertainty in illness (β = 0.28, p value < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = -0.31, p value < 0.001). They could explain 69.6 of the fear of illness progression among patients with acute myocardial infarction. (Adjusted R2 = 0.696, p-value < 0.05).
This study suggests that nurses can assess anxiety and develop a self-efficacy promotion program to reduce fear of illness progression in patients with acute myocardial infarction so that patients can adhere to the treatment plan and can change their behavior to reduce or delay the progression of the disease.
References
Ministry of Public Health. Public Health Statistics 2021 [Internet]. [cited 2023 October 16]. Available from: https://spd.moph.go.th/wpcontent/uploads/2022/11/Hstatistic64.pdf. (in Thai).
Heng Rasami K. Acute coronary syndrome critical care standards 2017. Bangkok: Sukuvit printing co., ltd; 2017. (in Thai).
Hanjon J. Brain & Emotion: A Miracle Connection. Ratchaphruek Journal. 2015;13(3):1-19. (in Thai).
Nilpruk U. A Study of Post-traumatic Stress in Patients after Acute Myocardial Infarction. Royal Thai Navy Medical Journal. 2561;45(2):289-310. (in Thai).
Fait K, Vilchinsky N, Dekel R, Levi N, Hod H, Matetzky S. Cardiac-disease-induced PTSD and Fear of illness progression: Capturing the unique nature of disease-related PTSD. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2018;53:131-8. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2018.02.011.
Pattamanuch U, Polsook R. Selected factors relating to fear of illness progression among patients with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Royal Thai Navy Medical Journal. 2022;49(1):150-66. (in Thai).
Mehnert A, Herschbach P, Berg P, Henrich G, Koch U. Progredienzangst bei Brustkrebspatientinnen--Validierung der Kurzform des Progredienzangstfragebogens PA-F-KF [Fear of progression in breast cancer patients--validation of the short form of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q-SF)]. Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2006;52(3):274-88. German. doi: 10.13109/zptm.2006.52.3.274. PMID: 17156600.
Messerli-Burgy N, Molloy GJ, Poole L, Wikman A, Kaski JC, Steptoe A. Psychological coping and recurrent major adverse cardiac events following acute coronary syndrome. Br J Psychiatry. 2015;207(3):256-61. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.154419.
Phaisantum P. Experiences of lifestyle modification among patients with acute myocardial infarction post Coronary stent placement. Thai Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Nursing. 2561;29(1):96-109. (in Thai).
Iles-Smith H, Deaton C, Campbell M, Mercer C, McGowan L. The experiences of myocardial infarction patients readmitted within six months of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. J Clin Nurs. 2017;26(21-22):3511-8. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13715.
Shim EJ, Lee JW, Min YH. Does depression decrease the moderating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between illness perception and fear of progression in breast cancer? Psychooncology. 2018;27(2):539-47. doi: 10.1002/pon.4532.
Dinkel A, Herschbach P. Fear of progression in cancer patients and survivors. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2018;210:13-33. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-64310-6_2.
Dinkel A, Marten-Mittag B, Kremsreiter K. Association between daily worry, pathological worry, and fear of progression in patients with cancer. Front Psychol. 2021;12:648623. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.
Mishel MH. Uncertainty in illness. Image J Nurs Sch. 1988;20(4):225-32. doi: 10.1111/j.547-5069.1988.tb00082.x.
Ghisi GLdM, Sandison N, Oh P. Development, pilot testing and psychometric validation of a short version of the coronary artery disease education questionnaire: The CADE-Q SV. Patient Educ Couns. 2016;99(3):443-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.11.002.
Inyoo A, Polsook R. Validity and reliability of the Thai version of the cardiac anxiety questionnaire-revised among Thai cardiac patients. JHSMR. 2022;40(4):607-15.
Broadbent E, Petrie KJ, Main J, Weinman J. The brief illness perception questionnaire. J Psychosom Res. 2006;60(6):631-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.10.020.
Sowattanangoon N, Kotchabhakdi N, Petrie KJ. The influence of Thai culture on diabetes perceptions and management. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2009;84(3):245-51.
Wongkuan D. Factors predicting sleep disturbances in acute myocardial infarction survivors. [Master Thesis of Nursing Science]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2017. (in Thai).
Eifert GH, Thompson RN, Zvolensky MJ, Edwards K, Frazer NL, Haddad JW, et al. The cardiac anxiety questionnaire: development and preliminary validity. Behav Res Ther. 2000;38(10):1039-53. doi: 10.16/s0005-7967(99)00132-1.
Somjaivong B. The influence of symptoms, social support, uncertainty, and coping on health-related quality of life among cholangiocarcinoma patients in northeast Thailand. [Dissertation of Doctor Of Philosophy]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2010. (in Thai).
Sullivan MD, LaCroix AZ, Russo J, Katon WJ. Self-efficacy and self-reported functional status in coronary heart disease: a six-month prospective study. Psychosom Med. 1998;60(4):473-8. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199807000-00014.
Olanwat K. Selected factors related to depression on patients with acute coronary syndrome, Hospital. [Master Thesis of Nursing Science]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2018. (in Thai).
Zimet GD, Dahlem NW, Zimet SG, Farley GK. The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. J Pers Assess. 1988;52(1):30-41. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2.
Wongpakaran N, Wongpakaran T. A revised Thai Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Span J Psychol. 2012;15(3):1503-9.
Sharpe L, Michalowski M, Richmond B, Menzies RE, Shaw J. Fear of progression in chronic illnesses other than cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a transdiagnostic construct. Health Psychol Rev. 2022:1-20. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2022.2039744.
Dinkel A, Herschbach P. Fear of progression. Psycho-oncology. 2014;197:11-29. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-40187-9_2.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Thai Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Nursing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
บทความนี้ยังไม่เคยตีพิมพ์หรืออยู่ในระหว่างส่งไปตีพิมพ์ในวารสารอื่น ๆ มาก่อน และกองบรรณาธิการขอสงวนสิทธิ์ในการตรวจทาน และแก้ไขต้นฉบับตามเกณฑ์ของวารสาร ในกรณีที่เรื่องของท่านได้ได้รับการตีพิมพ์ในวารสารฉบับนี้ถือว่าเป็น ลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารพยาบาลโรคหัวใจและทรวงอก