FACTORS RELATED TO SELF-MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS AMONG PERSONS WITH MILD TO MODERATE CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASES IN WENZHOU, CHINA

Abstract

Self-management behaviors had been found to be important for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, research on mild to moderate COPD is limited. The aim of this research was to describe the self-management behaviors, and examine the relationship between COPD knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived social support, and self-management behaviors among persons with mild to moderate COPD in Wenzhou, China. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 121 persons with mild to moderate COPD who visited the respiratory outpatient department in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in Wenzhou, China. Research instruments included a demographic data questionnaire, the COPD self-management scale, the COPD questionnaire, the 6-item chronic disease self-efficacy scale, and the perceived social support scale, each bearing reliability of .89, .80, .88, and .89. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearson's product-moment test.

The results of this study showed that the mean score of COPD self-management scale was 2.71 (SD = .44) out of 5. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed the COPD knowledge (r = .50, P < .001), self-efficacy (r = .29, P = .001), perceived social support (r = .49, P < .001) had positive relationship with COPD self-management behaviors among persons with mild to moderate COPD in Wenzhou, China.

The findings provide evidence for health care providers to develop the interventional program aimed at improving COPD knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived social support to promote COPD self-management behaviors among persons with mild to moderate COPD in Wenzhou, China.

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