The roles of self-efficacy and abnormal illness behaviour in osteoarthritis self-management

Abstract

The aim of the current investigation was to examine the psychological concomitants of self-management behaviours and health status among individuals with osteoarthritis (OA). A total of 119 people who had received a medical diagnosis of OA were recruited from either community-based self-help groups or through a rheumatology outpatient clinic. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire comprising measures of OA self-management, self-efficacy, abnormal illness behaviour and both physical and psychological health status. An index of objective OA severity was also available. Higher levels of use of passive self-management strategies were associated with poorer health status whereas the greater use of active strategies was related to better health status. Arthritis severity had little effect on these relationships. Preliminary support was provided for the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the association between abnormal illness behaviour and health status. However, such mediation was not evident for associations involving self-management. The study provided a useful extension to existing arthritis self-management literature, with abnormal illness behaviour and self-efficacy identified as predictors of self-management behaviours. Refinement of the existing self-management inventory may facilitate greater insight into the role of psychological variables in self-management behaviours and their health consequences.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Professor Michael Ahern in allowing access to the Rheumatology Clinic at Repatriation General Hospital. Thanks are also due to all those who kindly took part in the study, and to the coordinators of the community groups who allowed the first author to attend their meetings.