title: Knowledge of the Disease, Perceived Social Support, and Cognitive Appraisals in Women with Urinary Incontinence.
abstract: Social support and knowledge of the disease have been shown to facilitate adaptation to a chronic disease. However, the adaptation process is not fully understood. We hypothesized that these factors can contribute to better adaptation to the disease through their impact on disease-related cognitive appraisal. To analyze the links between social support and the knowledge of the disease, on one hand, and disease-related appraisals, on the other hand, one hundred fifty-eight women with stress UI, aged 32 to 79, took part in the study. Questionnaire measures of knowledge of UI, social support, and disease-related appraisals were used in the study. The level of knowledge correlated significantly negatively with the appraisal of the disease as Harm. The global level of social support correlated significantly positively with three disease-related appraisals: Profit, Challenge, and Value. Four subgroups of patients with different constellations of social support and knowledge of the disease were identified in cluster analysis and were demonstrated to differ significantly on four disease-related appraisals: Profit, Challenge, Harm, and Value. Different cognitive appraisals of UI may be specifically related to social support and knowledge of the disease, with social support affective positive disease-related appraisals, and the knowledge affecting the appraisal of Harm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szymona-Pałkowska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Janowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrycz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Academy of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8361-8663
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Academy of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ambroży
authors.affiliation: Department of Maritime & Hyperbaric Medicine, Military Institute of Medicine, Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siermontowski
authors.affiliation: SP ZOZ Nałęczów (Private Practice), Nałęczów, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adamczuk
authors.affiliation: Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sapalska
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Academy of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Dawid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraczkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology