The relationship between care dependency and self-efficacy in older adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic, progressive and irreversible disease and is an important health problem with significant effects on the life status of older adult patients. However, the effect of care dependency on self-efficacy in older adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has not been sufficiently investigated in the literature.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between care dependency and self-efficacy among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted in chest diseases clinics and outpatient clinics of two hospitals in Duzce province, Turkey, from February 2023 to December 2023. The study included 102 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients aged 65 years and over meeting the inclusion criteria. Patient care dependency and self-efficacy were assessed using the "The Care Dependency Scale" and "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Self-Efficacy Scale". Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0.

Moderate levels of care dependency and self-efficacy were observed in older adults with COPD, with a mean Care Dependency Scale score of 41.3 ± 14.1 and a mean Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Self-Efficacy Scale score of 2.96 ± 0.61. A statistically significant, moderate negative correlation was found between care dependency and self-efficacy levels (r = -0.622, p < 0.001). Care dependency scores accounted for 38% of the variance in self-efficacy scores (R² = 0.38).

A moderate inverse relationship exists between self-efficacy and care dependency in COPD patients. Consequently, it is imperative that nurses conduct simultaneous evaluations of these factors in older adults with COPD and develop targeted training interventions.