Determination of the relationship between the perception of the disease and level of anxiety in patients with cancer

Aim: The aim of this correlation and descriptive study is to investıgatıon of the relationship between the perception of the disease and level of anxiety in patients with cancer. Material and Method: This study was done between July, 2015 and July 2016. This study universe consistented 1454 patients who were hospitalized and were aged 18 and older in the Inonu Universty Turgut Ozal Medical Center Oncology Department with a diagnosis of cancer. A total of 318 patients made up the study sample. Tools for data collection were a personel data questionare for the patient, a Illness Perception Scale and Strait-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Descriptive data were summarized as absolute numbers and percentage; independent group comparisons used t test, the Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA, analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficent. Results: This research found that patients anxiety level was low. The average point and standart deviations of timeline subscales of illness perceptions were 17.00±6.72, consequences were 23.00±5.45, personal control were 24.00±5.57, treatment control were 20.00±4.63, illness coherence were 9.00±4.19, timeline cyclical were 12.00±2.56, emotional represantions were 20.00±7.29, psychological attributions were 17.81±7.23, risk factors were 15.87±4.35, immunity factors were 6.29±2.77. A positive relation was detected (p<0.001) between the subcale average points of the factors which compose the subscales of illness perceptions questionare: symptoms, consequence, emotional represantions, psychological attributions and the average points of anxiety. Conclusion: It's recorded that many sub scales of illness perceptions the anxiety, when they evaluated together. In accordiance with these results, patients illness perceptions and anxiety determine. Key Words: Anxiety, Illness Perceptions, Nurse, Cancer.