Table 3 Factor analysis of the PEmb-QoL questionnaire*

1a

Pain behind or between the shoulder blades?

0.1031

0.6572

0.0632

1b

Pain on or in the chest?

0.0770

0.7807

0.2031

1c

Pain in the back?

0.2416

0.6543

0.1467

1d

Sensation of pressure?

0.2262

0.6425

0.2495

1e

Feeling that there is “still something there”?

0.2990

0.6354

0.2826

1f

“Burning sensation” in the lung?

0.09300

0.7339

0.2218

1 g

“Nagging feeling”?

0.1382

0.7831

0.2318

1 h

Difficulty in breathing or breathlessness?

0.4637

0.5088

0.3665

4b

Daily activities at home

0.7796

0.3230

0.2529

4c

Social activities

0.7123

0.1880

0.2811

4d

Vigorous activities

0.7471

0.2588

0.1131

4e

Moderate activities

0.8412

0.1479

0.1001

4f

Lifting or carrying activities

0.8319

0.1576

0.1946

4 g

Climbing several flights of stairs

0.7851

0.2177

0.2789

4 h

Climbing one flight of stair

0.8031

0.0575

0.2114

4i

Bending, kneeling, or squatting

0.6167

0.1355

−0.0389

4j

Walking more than half a mile

0.8121

0.1190

0.0929

4 k

Walking a couple of hundred yards

0.8235

−0.0700

0.0380

4 l

Walking about one hundred yards

0.6313

−0.0149

0.0573

4 m

Washing or dressing yourself

0.6052

−0.0302

0.1083

5a

Cut down the amount of time you spent on work or other activities

0.5441

0.2653

0.3327

5b

Accomplished less than you would like

0.5570

0.3432

0.3364

5c

Were limited in the kind of work or other activities

0.5898

0.3545

0.3838

5d

Had difficulty performing the work or other activities

0.5865

0.3976

0.3608

6

Interference with normal social activities

0.4729

0.5088

0.4595

7

Intensity of pain around shoulder blades or in chest

0.1619

0.7540

0.3329

8

Intensity of breathlessness

0.5201

0.3874

0.5030

9a

Worried about having another pulmonary embolism?

−0.0201

0.2722

0.7017

9b

Felt irritable?

0.2748

0.3324

0.7112

9c

Worried if having to stop anticoagulant medication?

−0.0401

0.1433

0.5288

9d

Became emotional more readily?

0.2299

0.1613

0.8114

9e

Bothered becoming emotional more readily?

0.2305

0.2645

0.7739

9f

Were depressed or in low spirits?

0.3078

0.4111

0.5902

9 g

Felt being a burden to family and friends?

0.5021

0.3905

0.4279

9 h

Were afraid to exert yourself?

0.5391

0.4042

0.4742

9i

Felt limited in taking a trip?

0.6300

0.3516

0.4126

9j

Were afraid of being alone?

0.3926

0.1675

0.6115