Factors Associated with Self-Efficacy on Health Behavior Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the factors associated with self-efficacy on health behavior among middle-aged and elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (hereafter RA).
Methods: A total of 262 RA patients aged at 40 years old and over who visited A Clinic, where an RA specialist provided healthcare services, in Tokai region. Each participant was interviewed with using a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained basic attributes, disease status (joint pain, general physical condition, disease activity, and degree of disability in activities of daily living), the scale of self-efficacy on health behavior in chronic disease patients (CD-SES), anxiety, depression, the social support scale for chronic disease patient (social support).
Results: There was no significant associations between basic attributes and CD-SES. All of the scores of disease status, anxiety, and depression in the low CD-SES group were significantly higher than the high group. The total score of social support of the low CD-SES group was significantly lower compared with the high group. Logistic regression analyses showed that disease status, anxiety, depression, and social support, significantly associated to CD-SES.
Conclusion: The self-efficacy of middle-aged and elderly RA patients for health behavior was associated by RA status, psychological factors, and social factors.