Self-management and its association with coping styles and disease-related stigma in patients with chronic hepatitis...

To investigate the current status of self-management behaviors among patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and analyze its relationship with coping styles and disease-related stigma.

This study enrolled 192 CHC patients in our hospital during February 2023-July 2025. Data on general characteristics, treatment, self-management behaviors, coping styles, and disease-related stigma were collected and assessed using the Self-Management Behavior Scale for Chronic Hepatitis Patients, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Chronic Hepatitis C-Related Stigma Scale. These variables were compared across demographic and clinical subgroups, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed.

The median age of participants was 59.00 (53.00-68.00) years. The cohort consisted of 88 (45.83%) males and 104 (54.17%) females. The total self-management score was 94.14 ± 5.17. Patients scored significantly higher on positive coping (22.23 ± 3.37) than negative coping (11.44 ± 2.76, p < 0.05). The total stigma score was 69.01 ± 5.22. No differences in self-management, coping, or stigma were observed across age, gender, education, occupation, or marital status (all p > 0.05). Self-management was positively correlated with positive coping (r = 0.415, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with negative coping (r = -0.354, p < 0.001) and disease-related stigma (r = -0.413, p < 0.001).

Self-management among CHC patients is moderate, showing cross-sectional positive correlations with positive coping and negative correlations with both negative coping and disease-related stigma.