The predictive roles of self-efficacy, illness perception, and social support in self-care of patients with heart failure

Background: As a chronic disease, heart failure (HF) is a growing problem that not only impacts patients but also their family members and friends. Self-care is the main part of HF treatment. Despite the significance of determining variables involved in self-care, the relationships of self-efficacy, illness perception, and social support with self-care and the predictive roles of these variables in the treatment of HF have not been investigated. Objectives: The present study was aimed at exploring the predictive roles of self-efficacy, illness perception, and social support in self-care of patients with heart failure. Methods: In this predictive correlation study, ۱۴۹ patients with HF were selected through convenience sampling from Tabriz Research Treatment Centre of Heart in ۲۰۱۶. To collect data, a demographic information questionnaire, self-care behaviour scale, general self-efficacy (GSE), brief illness perception questionnaire (Brief-IPQ), and social support scale were used. To analyse data, SPSS software version ۱۶, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple stepwise regression analyses were employed. Results: Out of ۱۴۹ subjects, ۱۰۲ (۶۸%) participants were male, and ۴۷ (۳۲%) of them were female. The mean and standard deviation of samples’ age were (۶۴.۴۰±۱۰.۳۲) ranging from ۳۷ to ۸۸ years. Most of participants were married (۸۲%). The mean scores were as follows: Self-care (۴۰.۶۶±۱۳.۱۶), self-efficacy (۴۵.۸۱±۲۲.۰۳), illness perception (۵۶.۰۵±۱۸.۲۴), and social support (۴۹.۰۹±۶.۷۴). Data analysis demonstrated significant correlations between illness perception and self-care (p<۰.۰۰۱, r=۰.۶۴۹), self-efficacy and self-care (p<۰.۰۰۱, r=-۰.۶۷۸), social support and self-care (p<۰.۰۰۱, r=-۰.۵۱۸), and age and self-care (p<۰.۰۰۱, r=-۰.۵۰۶). The standardized coefficient of illness perception was (β=۰.۲۷۴), social support was (β=-۰.۲۳۷), self-efficacy was (β=-۰.۲۳۰), and age was (β=-۰.۲۱۱). In addition, ۵۶% of self-care variance is explained by age, social support, self-efficacy, and illness perception. Conclusion: All of the investigated variables were found to have a predictive role in self-care. Illness perception was recognized as the most effective factor in predicting self-care. Hence, illness perception can be used to explain ۲۷% of self-care ability of patients with HF.  

Keywords:

heart failure , illness perception , self-care , self-efficacy , social support