Association of self-efficacy and self-management with multiple sclerosis patients’ quality of life: a descriptive-analytical study

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS), often leading to a lower quality of life (QoL) for patients compared to those with other chronic diseases. Self-efficacy and self-management play crucial roles in influencing the QoL of MS patients. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association of self-efficacy and self-management with MS patients' QoL. METHODS: The research entailed a descriptive-analytical study involving 210 MS patients selected through simple random sampling. Data was collected with four questionnaires, demographic information, the MSSMs-R, MSSS, as well as MSQOL-54 scales. The gathered data were analyzed using multiple regression model. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 150 females (71.4%), with 43.3% having university-level education and 82.58% scoring 1-4 on the EDSS scale. The results indicate that Self-efficacy (Beta = 0.283 and 0.389) is the most significant positive predictor of QoL. Along with Health Maintenance Behavior (Beta = 0.278), it accounts for 34.0% of the variance in mental health and, when combined with social/family support, explains 29.7% of the variance in physical health. CONCLUSIONS: The study found a strong association between self-management and self-efficacy and the QoL in patients with MS. Strengthening self-management and self-efficacy skills is recommended to improve the QoL. Furthermore, further research into other factors affecting QoL is suggested.