OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the utility of latent profile analysis of illness perception, in comparison to treating illness perception as several dimensions, to predict breast cancer-related lymphedema risk management behaviours among Chinese breast cancer patients.
METHODS: This is a 3-month longitudinal study. From August 2019 to January 2021, patients who recently underwent breast cancer surgery including axillary lymphadenectomy were recruited. Illness perception and risk management behaviours were measured by breast cancer-related lymphedema specific questionnaires before discharge following surgery (n = 268) and at 3 months postsurgery (n = 213), respectively.
RESULTS: Treating illness perception as several dimensions, \'illness coherence\' and \'timeline (cyclical)\' dimensions were found to be significantly associated with breast cancer-related lymphedema risk management behaviours. Using the latent profile analysis, two illness perception profiles were identified and significant differences were revealed in breast cancer-related lymphedema risk management behaviours between them. Overall, illness perception profiles explained smaller amounts of variability in breast cancer-related lymphedema risk management behaviours than illness perception dimensions.
CONCLUSIONS: Future studies could combine these two different perspectives of illness perception regarding breast cancer-related lymphedema into the design of interventions to improve breast cancer-related lymphedema risk management behaviours.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive effects of illness perceptions on vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in Chinese glaucoma patients.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 97 patients with glaucoma completed the brief illness perception questionnaire (BIPQ), the glaucoma quality of life-15 (GQL-15) questionnaire, and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic and clinical information. A correlation analysis and hierarchical linear regression analysis were performed.
RESULTS: The BIPQ total score was positively correlated with the total score of the GQL-15 questionnaire and the scores of its four dimensions. Chronic comorbidities, the type of glaucoma, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the mean defect (MD) of visual field in the better eye, and identity in the BIPQ were critical predictors of VRQoL. Illness perceptions independently accounted for 7.8% of the variance in the VRQoL of glaucoma patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stronger illness perceptions and those who perceive themselves as having more glaucoma symptoms are likely to experience worse VRQoL. Illness perceptions in glaucoma patients deserve clinical attention, and further studies are needed to examine whether cognitive interventions targeting illness perceptions can improve VRQoL.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that predisposes patients to substantially increased risk of early-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. FH risks can be minimized through regular participation in three self-management. BEHAVIORS: physical activity, healthy eating, and taking cholesterol lowering medication.
The present study tested the effectiveness of an integrated social cognition model in predicting intention to participate in the self-management behaviors in FH patients from seven countries.
Consecutive patients in FH clinics from Australia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, and UK (total N = 726) completed measures of social cognitive beliefs about illness from the common sense model of self-regulation, beliefs about behaviors from the theory of planned behavior, and past behavior for the three self-management behaviors.
Structural equation models indicated that beliefs about behaviors from the theory of planned behavior, namely, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, were consistent predictors of intention across samples and behaviors. By comparison, effects of beliefs about illness from the common sense model were smaller and trivial in size. Beliefs partially mediated past behavior effects on intention, although indirect effects of past behavior on intention were larger for physical activity relative to taking medication and healthy eating. Model constructs did not fully account for past behavior effects on intentions. Variability in the strength of the beliefs about behaviors was observed across samples and behaviors.
Current findings outline the importance of beliefs about behaviors as predictors of FH self-management behaviors. Variability in the relative contribution of the beliefs across samples and behaviors highlights the imperative of identifying sample- and behavior-specific correlates of FH self-management behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the status of patient delay and examine related factors affecting patient delay in individuals with haemorrhoids in mainland China, based on theory of planned behaviour and common sense model.
BACKGROUND: Studies on patient delay have mainly focused on cancer, tuberculosis and myocardial infarction, but studies on patient delay in individuals with haemorrhoids have yet to be conducted. Compared with other diseases, haemorrhoids are initially considered benign. However, if patients with haemorrhoids seek delayed medical assistance, they pay a large cost for worse symptoms because they fail to seek timely treatments compared with those who receive appropriate treatments at early stages.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used.
METHODS: The current study was performed on 306 patients with haemorrhoids from June - October 2017. Data were collected via a self-administered pencil-and-paper survey that consisted of a multi-item questionnaire. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors of patient delay.
RESULTS: Middle-aged participants were more than twice more likely to report patient delay than participants in other age groups. A high level of perceived self-efficacy, a high level of illness perceptions and perceived social impact were associated with prolonged delay.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that patient delay is common among patients with haemorrhoids in China. The influencing factors of patient delay were middle-aged, illness perceptions, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived social impact.
目的: 本研究旨在以计划行为理论和常识模型为基础,描述中国大陆痔疮患者延迟就医的现状,并探讨影响患者延迟就医的相关因素。 背景: 对患者延迟的研究主要集中在癌症、结核病和心肌梗死,但对痔疮患者延迟的研究尚未开展。与其他疾病相比,痔疮最初被认为是良性的。然而,如果痔疮患者寻求延迟的医疗援助,他们将为更严重的症状付出巨大的代价,因为与那些在早期接受适当治疗的患者相比,他们未能及时寻求治疗。 设计: 采用横断面研究设计。 方法: 本研究于2017年6月至10月对306例痔疮患者进行了研究。数据是通过一个由多项问卷组成的自我管理的铅笔和纸张调查收集的。采用逐步逻辑回归分析探讨患者延迟就诊的因素。 结果: 与其他年龄段的参与者相比,中年参与者报告病人延误的可能性要高出一倍以上。自我效能感高、疾病认知高、社会影响认知高与长时间延迟相关。 结论: 本研究表明,在我国痔疮患者中,患者延迟就诊是常见的。患者延迟就诊的影响因素为中年、疾病认知、自我效能感和社会影响。.

Although familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) can be effectively managed using cholesterol-lowering medication, patients often fall short of complete treatment adherence. Identifying the psychological factors associated with self-regulation of FH medication is important to inform interventions to maximize adherence. The aim of the present study was to test an integrated psychological model in predicting FH patients\' intentions to take medication.
FH patients attending clinics in seven countries were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey study. Consenting patients (N = 551) completed self-report measures of generalized beliefs about medication overuse and harms, beliefs in treatment effectiveness, specific beliefs about taking medication (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), and intentions to take medication. Participants also completed measures of demographic variables (age, gender, education level, income, cardiovascular disease status). Data were analysed using path analysis controlling for country and demographic variables.
Attitudes (β = .331, p<0.001), subjective norms (β = .121, p=0.009), and beliefs about medication overuse (β = -.160, p<0.001) were significant predictors of intentions to take medication. Treatment beliefs predicted intentions indirectly (β = .088, p<0.001) through attitudes and subjective norms. There was also an indirect effect of beliefs about medication overuse on intentions (β = -.045, p=0.056), but the effect was small compared with the direct effect.
The findings indicate the importance among FH patients of specific beliefs about taking medication and generalized beliefs about medication overuse and treatment in predicting medication intentions. When managing patients, clinicians should emphasize the efficacy of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs and the importance of treatment outcomes, and allay concerns about medication overuse.

Newly diagnosed HIV-positive men who have sex with men (NHMSM) are at high risk of mental health problems but may also develop post-traumatic growth (PTG). According to the Common Sense Model, illness perception (including both cognitive representation and emotional representation) affects coping and health-related outcomes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the associations between illness perception and PTG among 225 NHMSM in Chengdu, China. Linear regression analyses indicated that the constructs of emotional representation subscale (β = -0.49) and five cognitive representation subscales (timeline, consequence, identity, attribution to god\'s punishment/will, and attribution to chance/luck) (β = -0.13 to -0.37) were negative correlates of PTG, while four other constructs of cognitive representation (coherence, treatment control, personal control, and attribution to carelessness) were positive correlates (β = 0.15 to 0.51). No moderating effects were observed. The associations between five cognitive representation subscales and PTG were fully-mediated via emotional representation. The results indicate that interventions promoting PTG among NHMSM are warranted and should alter illness perception, emotional representation in particular. Future studies should clarify relationships between cognitive representation and emotional representation, and extend similar research to other health-related outcomes and HIV-positive populations.