Self-management positivity and its influencing factors among lung cancer patients: A cross-sectional study

Self-management positivity in lung cancer patients has been seldom analyzed, this study was designed to evaluate the patient activation in lung cancer patients. This is a cross-sectional survey, questionnaires designed by relevant experts were distributed to lung cancer patients enrolled and collected immediately after completion. Patient Activation Measure 13 (PAM-13) was used for evaluating patient activation in these patients, and correlations between possible influence factors and PAM-13 were analyzed. 443 patients were incorporated into the study, the PAM-13 score ranged from 19.79 to 100 with the mean score of 62.95 ± 16.77, belonged to level 3. The lowest scores were found in patients > 70 years old (51.65 ± 18.64), losing a spouse (51.20 ± 16.92), monthly household income <5000 (56.80 ± 16.17), unemployed (57.37 ± 16.55), understanding none about disease (52.50 ± 17.13), supportive-care-only (52.82 ± 17.73) and relapse of tumor (56.44 ± 20.67); meanwhile patients with lower health literacy, general self-efficacy, and higher cancer loneliness had lower scores of PAM-13. Marital status (P < .001), monthly household income (P < .001), work status (P < .001), treatment intention (P = .004), health literacy (P < .001), loneliness (P < .001) and general self-efficacy (P = .024) were independent influence factors of PAM-13. The majority of patients scored at level 3 of PAM-13, indicating recognition of self-management importance but insufficient skills and behaviors, self-management positivity of patients was needed to be improved.