Uncertainty in women diagnosed with breast cancer: a cross-sectional study

Objective to determine the level of uncertainty in women diagnosed with breast cancer and the relationship with sociodemographic variables. Method an observational, cross-sectional and correlational study. The sample included 121 women, selected through intentional and non-probabilistic sampling. The Illness Uncertainty Scale was used. Descriptive analysis used measures of central tendency, frequencies and percentages. Inferential analysis used Pearson’s correlation method, Spearman’s Rho, Fisher’s exact test and a linear regression model. Results 69.4% of women reported a high level of uncertainty. The ambiguity dimension contributed most to this high score (62%). A significant negative correlation was found between the level of uncertainty with the level of education (p=0.03) and monthly income (p=0.004). Conclusions the high level of uncertainty in more than half of the women was related to the level of education and monthly income. Final considerations and implications for practice the level of uncertainty is a present variable that is clearly identified at the beginning of breast cancer treatment. Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, must comprehensively assess women’s needs at this stage, providing care where educational tools and emotional support prevail over techniques and procedures.