Long-Term Conditions, Multimorbidity Burden, and Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy among Geriatric Patients: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Background:The chronic conditions prevalence and the susceptibility to getting two or more chronic conditions, which is called multimorbidity, increase with age.Multimorbid geriatric patients face further barriers to diseases management self-efficacy.Aim of the study: This study aims to evaluate the association between long-term conditions, multimorbidity burden, and chronic disease self-efficacy among geriatric patients.Subjects and Method: Research design: a correlational descriptive research design was used.Setting: This study was conducted in the outpatient clinics of Sohag University Hospitals.Subjects: A purposive sample of 200 geriatric patients was selected.Tools of data collection: six tools were used: two screening tools for excluding geriatric patients with depressive symptoms or cognitive impairments, and four tools for collecting data.Tool I: Geriatric patients' demographic and clinical data structured interview schedule.Tool II: long-term chronic conditions questionnaire.Tool III: Chinese Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire.Tool IV: Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scale-Korean Version.Results: The majority (94%) of studied geriatric patients had the worst living level with chronic conditions and experienced a high treatment burden level (85%).Approximately half (51%) of the participants had moderate chronic disease self-efficacy.Conclusion: There was a statistically significant positive relationship between geriatric patients' long-term conditions and chronic disease self-efficacy while there was a statistically significant negative relationship between multimorbidity burden, and chronic disease self-efficacy.Recommendations: These results have potential implications for gerontological nurses' efforts to develop health education programs for geriatric patients regarding multimorbidity rehabilitation and to promote their self-efficacy.