The degree of disease acceptance by patients from non-surgical and surgical wards

Introduction: The acceptance of the disease is the most important element in the process of adapting to life with the disease.

Aim of the study: To assess the degree of disease acceptance depending on the place of hospitalisation.

Material and methods: The study included 300 patients from surgical wards (group, I) and behavioural wards (group II), and the questionnaire used contained, among others, the scale of the AIS (Acceptance of Illness Scale).

Results: The respondents in group I (64.7%) and II (71.3%) were characterised by an average and incomplete acceptance of their illness. Due to gender, there was no substantial difference in the degree of disease acceptance. In the group I, the highest value of disease acceptance was found in the groups aged 41-50 (31%) and 51-60 (31%) while in the group II – among people aged 31-40 (30%) and 20-30 (26%). The largest percentage of respondents highly accepting the disease was indicated by the status defined as married (group I – 77%, II – 74%). The highest score of average disease acceptance in depend the place of residence had 79.6% of patients in the group I, and 71.2% in the group II, and 67% of rural residents in the group I and 57.8% in the group II.

Conclusions: Most of the patients, regardless of ward, age, gender, place of residence, education, and social and living conditions had the average levels of acceptance of disease. The high level of acceptance of disease was obtained four times more frequently in the non-surgical than in surgical wards. Significant difference between the wards was found in patients with high level of disease acceptance.