Association of Emotion Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Health-Related Readiness to Change Among Patients with Chronic...

Effective management of chronic conditions requires an understanding of psychological factors, particularly emotion regulation and self-efficacy, that influence patients' readiness to change. This study examined factors associated with health-related readiness to change among individuals with chronic conditions.

This cross-sectional study included 426 participants attending primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Readiness-to-Change Scale. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using SPSS, with readiness to change specified as the primary outcome variable.

Emotion regulation was positively associated with self-efficacy (r = 0.381, p < 0.001). Significant differences in emotion regulation were observed across living areas (p = 0.021) and physical activity levels (p < 0.001). Self-efficacy varied significantly across marital status (p = 0.009) and physical activity (p < 0.001). Readiness to change also differed across marital status (p < 0.001) and physical activity (p < 0.001). In regression analysis, physical activity emerged as the only variable significantly associated with readiness to change (β = 0.124, p = 0.013).

Among the examined factors, physical activity shows the strongest and most consistent association with readiness to change health-related behaviors. Emotion regulation and self-efficacy are also associated with behavioral readiness. These findings underscore the importance of promoting physical activity alongside psychological support to enhance readiness for behavior change in individuals with chronic conditions.