Hui Yang
Sichuan University, China
Title: Self-care agency and associated factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Biography
Biography: Hui Yang
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to estimate the level of self-care agency and explore its associated factors in patients with
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional study, all patients were from a tertiary general hospital between July and October
2016 in Southwest China. The self-care agency was assessed by the Exercise of Self-care Agency Scale (ESCA). Other variables
were measured by the visual analog scale (VAS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), the
physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of 36-item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36).
Multivariate regression analysis was performed to explore the associated factors of self-care agency.
Results: A total of 123 patients were recruited. The mean score of ESCA was 86.29. In univariate analysis, self-care agency
of patients differed in gender, work status, educational level, household income monthly per capita (HIMPC) and disease
activity (P<0.05). Additionally, higher body Mass Index (BMI), higher level of fatigue and worse mental health were found in
patients with lower self-care agency (P<0.05). The stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that men (P = 0.001), lower
educational level (P=0.003), lower HIMPC (P<0.001) and worse mental health (P<0.001) could predict lower self-care agency.
Conclusion: Patients with SLE had a middle level of self-care agency, suggesting that there is still much scope for improvement.
The lower level of self-care agency was associated with men, lower educational level, lower HIMPC and worse mental health.
Therefore, healthcare providers should develop targeted and comprehensive interventions to enhance self-care agency in
patients with SLE.