Ab1540-HPR Assessment of Self-Management and Self-Efficacy in Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Individuals with inflammatory arthritis require effective self-management (SM), with self-efficacy (SE) playing a key role in their ability to cope with health-related challenges1. However, existing interventions often neglect the critical SM support needs of these patients, given the complex demands of managing medical aspects. There is currently a lack of studies evaluating both SM and SE using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in this population. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate SM and SE among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, or psoriatic arthritis. Additionally, the study investigates possible predictors of SM and SE. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 102 patients from a rheumatology outpatient clinic in Germany was conducted. The Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and the Self-Management Assessment Scale (SMASc) were applied as PROMs to measure SE and SM, respectively. Secondary variables included diagnosis, disease activity (SDAI; CDAI; ASDAS), disease duration, physical health (NRS), fatigue (NRS), pain (NRS), emotional health/depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-2), age, gender, and educational level. Statistical analyses, including correlation, regression, and variance analyses, were employed to identify meaningful associations between SE and secondary variables in the dataset. Results: Participants, with an average age of 55 and 66 % female, exhibited positive ratings for both SM (SMASc) and SE (ASES). The highest proportion of individuals with SM support needs was observed in the category "goals for future" (37.3 %). Correlations revealed associations between SE and physical health, pain, fatigue, and emotional health. Multiple regression analyses identified these variables as significant predictors of SE. Utilizing analysis of variance, educational level demonstrated a main effect on SE, with interaction effects observed for diagnosis in relation to education and gender. Model quality across all analyses was high. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of addressing SM and SE in rheumatology care. The SMASc emerged as a practical instrument for assessing SM in the target group. Key findings emphasize the role of educational level as a predictor of SE. This underscores the significance of educational interventions in improving patients' confidence in health management. The interaction effects of diagnosis in relation to educational level and gender further emphasize the need for personalized approaches. Future studies should confirm these results with larger samples and minimized methodological limitations. REFERENCES: 1 Nikiphorou, E., Santos, E. J. F., Marques, A., Böhm, P., Bijlsma, J. W., Daien, C. I., Esbensen, B. A., Ferreira, R. J. O., Fragoulis, G. E., Holmes, P., McBain, H., Metsios, G. S., Moe, R. H., Stamm, T. A., Thurah, A. de, Zabalan, C., Carmona, L., & Bosworth, A. (2021). 2021 EULAR recommendations for the implementation of self-management strategies in patients with inflammatory arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 80(10), 1278–1285. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220249. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.