Background: Many studies have demonstrated that self-efficacy plays a crucial role in self-care. However, findings from previous studies indicate that the relationships between self-efficacy and several variables are inconsistent.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the level of self-care self-efficacy among Chinese gastric and colorectal cancer patients and to identify the demographic and disease-related, physical, psychological, and social factors associated with their self-care self-efficacy.
Methods: One hundred forty-eight cancer patients were recruited from hospitals in Shanghai and Shandong Province. Their self-efficacy, health status, social support, and mental health were assessed during face-to-face interview, using the Strategies Used by People to Promote Health (Chinese version), Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36, Social Support Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Results: The overall level of self-care self-efficacy was moderate (mean, 80.34). The multiple regression analyses indicated that depression, physical functioning, use of available social support, vitality, and profession were indicators of the level of self-care self-efficacy and accounted for 60.9% of the variances.
Conclusion: Participants who had less depression, better physical function, more social support, and higher vitality tended to have higher levels of self-care self-efficacy. Depression levels had the largest influence on self-care self-efficacy.
Implications for practice: Findings indicate that nurses may be able to influence certain cancer patients' self-care self-efficacy by attending to depression and other variables related to physical and social functioning.