Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Education and Promotion

Advisor

Deneen Long-White

Abstract

Although previous researchers have studied education for patients with chronic conditions, they have not adequately considered the relationship between self-efficacy (SE), patient health education, and perception of self-management (SM) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Educating a patient can empower them to better SM. The purpose this study was to examine these associations in this patient population. This quantitative research study featured a descriptive, nonexperimental cross-sectional survey design using nonprobability convenience sampling. The theoretical framework was the social cognitive theory. The independent variables were SE and patient health education. SM was the dependent variable. Patients with RA from a rheumatology clinic and members of a RA Facebook group (n=81) were administered a questionnaire using the SurveyMonkey platform. The questionnaire included the valid and reliable scales Self-Care Behaviors Scale (SCBS), the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Questionnaire, and the Educational Needs Assessment Tool (ENAT). Descriptive statistics and the chi-square test were used to analyze the data. Results showed that the association between ASES and SCBS was not statistically significant (p = .594). Four out of seven domains of the ENAT showed statistically significant association with SCBS. More than half of the 81 participants indicated that patient health education was important to them. The results of this study may have a positive social change impact by informing patient health educators, physicians and policy makers of strategies that could be used to increase an RA patients' health-related quality of life. RA patients want and need patient health education.

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