The Association of Self-Efficacy With General Health in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Background: Self-efficacy is a belief that one can competently cope with a challenging situation. Since self-efficacy is a strong predictor of health status in multiple sclerosis (MS), it may be an important area to target in clinical practice as such beliefs may be modifiable. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the association between self-efficacy and general health in MS sufferer. Materials and Methods: In this correlation study, 100 patients with MS were selected by convenience sampling method in Farshchian Hospital, Hamadan, in 2013. Data were collected by general health questionnaire-28, and general self-efficiency. Patients completed the self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 and descriptive statistics and Pearson and Kido’s correlation coefficient, P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean of participants' age was 34.5 years; they were mostly women (78%), housewives (55%), married (74%), and literate with diploma (68%). The mean of illness duration was 55.1 months. Overall, 53% of patients reported medium self-efficiency and 60% had general health at a favorable level, which showed a significant correlation between general health and self-efficiency. Conclusions: Findings show that general health in patents with MS can be promoted by increasing self-efficiency, which should be included in clinical care program.