Living alone was associated with lower perceived social support (β=-0.164, P=0.001), while social support and self-efficacy were positively associated with heart failure self-management.
Cross-Sectional (n=370)
How do living arrangements, social support, and self-efficacy influence self-management behaviors in individuals with heart failure?
Living arrangements, social support, and self-efficacy are interconnected factors that significantly influence self-management behaviors in patients with heart failure.
BACKGROUND: Living arrangements, social support, and self-efficacy have significant implications for self-management science. Despite the theoretical linkages among the 3 concepts, there is limited empirical evidence about their interplay and the subsequent influence on heart failure (HF) self-management. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to validate components of the Individual and Family Self-management Theory among individuals with HF. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data generated from a sample of 370 individuals with HF. A path analysis was conducted to examine the indirect and direct associations among social environment (living arrangements), social facilitation (social support) and belief (self-efficacy) processes, and self-management behaviors (HF self-care maintenance) while accounting for individual and condition-specific factors (age, sex, race, and HF disease severity). RESULTS: Three contextual factors (living arrangements, age, and HF disease severity) had direct associations with perceived social support and self-efficacy, which in turn were positively associated with HF self-management behaviors. Living alone (β = -.164, P = .001) was associated with lower perceived social support, whereas being an older person (β = .145, P = .004) was associated with better support. Moderate to severe HF status (β = -.145, P = .004) or higher levels of perceived social support (β = .153, P = .003) were associated with self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the Individual and Family Self-management Theory, highlighting the importance of social support and self-efficacy to foster self-management behaviors for individuals with HF. Future research is needed to further explore relationships among living arrangements, perceived and received social support, self-efficacy, and HF self-management.
Irani et al. (Fri,) conducted a cross-sectional in Heart failure (n=370). Living arrangements, social support, and self-efficacy was evaluated on Heart failure self-management behaviors (self-care maintenance). Living alone was associated with lower perceived social support (β=-0.164, P=0.001), while social support and self-efficacy were positively associated with heart failure self-management.