SELF-EFFICACY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT AS PREDICTORS OF DIABETIC SELF-CARE (HEALTH BELIEFS, BEHAVIOR, CHRONIC ILLNESS, SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY, MODEL TESTING).
Contributors: University of California, San Francisco.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 251
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Four theoretical models derived from Bandura's self-efficacy theory were tested in a prospective study to predict self-care behavior among insulin-dependent and noninsulin-dependent diabetic adults. The models examined the relationships between demographic variables (age, sex, and marital status); disease-related variables (diabetes type, duration, severity, and complications); self-efficacy beliefs, perceived social support, and a hypothesized interaction between social support and self-efficacy. These variables were used to predict diet, exercise, medication-taking, and general diabetes self-care behavior.

A diabetes self-efficacy scale was developed and its content validity assessed during a pilot test with a sample of 48 diabetic adults. A test-retest reliability of .87 was obtained for the total scale based on a 10 day interval. Internal reliability of the total scale was .79. Self-efficacy was moderately correlated (r = .50, n = 40, p < .001) with self-esteem.

A convenience sample of 143 diabetics between the ages of 18 and 65 was recruited. Internal reliability of the revised 25 item Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale was .71. A principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation produced four factors exceeding an eigenvalue of 1 and explained 43.7% of the variance, providing preliminary evidence of construct validity.

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy beliefs best predicted self-care behavior for three of the models (all except the medication model which was best predicted by age and number of diabetic complications). Diet self-care was predicted by self-efficacy, age, and number of complications. Self-efficacy was the only variable that predicted exercise self-care. General self-care was predicted by self-efficacy, age, number of complications, and perceived severity of diabetes. The general self-care model had the highest explained variance (52%) and was based on the fewest subjects (n = 51, p < .001) compared to the three specific models--the diet model (47%, n = 93, p < .001); the exercise model (35%, n = 92, p < .001); and the medication model (26%, n = 101, p < .001). Surprisingly, neither social support nor the interaction between social support and self-efficacy entered any of the four regressions.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2369.

Thesis (D.N.S.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1986.

School code: 0034.