Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder which affects thousands of Black Americans. SCD is found predominantly in people of African descent. The disease is characterized by repeated and unpredictable painful episodes capable of disabling its victims. People with this disease need to make adjustments in order to cope with this life-long chronically disabling illness. No studies have examined self-efficacy, uncertainty, and self-management in adult clients with SCD. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted to examine the relationships among self-efficacy, uncertainty, and self-management in adults with SCD. A convenience sample of eighty-five subjects from three institutions completed the study. Data were collected using the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), Appraisal of Self-Care Agency (ASA) Scale, and two subscales of the Self-Efficacy in Cancer Management Scale. Data were likewise obtained on demographic characteristics, frequency of crises, pain intensity associated with crises, and use of home remedies and their effectiveness. Descriptive statistics were used to describe characteristics of the sample. Pearson Product Moment Correlations and Regression analyses were used to examine three hypotheses and one research question. The mean age of the sample was 32 years (SD = 9) with a range from 19 to 54. Subjects tended to be single, unemployed, and on disability. The study also revealed that a majority (58%) of subjects had a college education. Results indicated a significant low negative correlation between self-care and uncertainty ($r = {-}.24,\ p < .05$) and a significant low positive correlation between self-care and self-efficacy ($r = .25,\ p < .05$). Stepwise regression analyses were performed between uncertainty, self-efficacy, and self-management as the dependent variables with several demographic variables as independent variables. Education accounted for 16% of variability in uncertainty; effectiveness of home remedies accounted for 19% of variability in self-efficacy; and use of home remedies accounted for 14% of variability in self-management. Limitations of the study, contributions to nursing science, and recommendations for further research are presented.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-2857 |
Date | 01 January 1997 |
Creators | Amertil, Ninon Philogene |
Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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