Self-Efficacy of People with Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Directed Content Analysis

Background: Given the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses and their complications, supporting and empowering chronically ill patients seems crucial. Self-efficacy is considered as a predictor for empowerment. The purpose of this study to explore of different aspects of self-efficacy among persons with chronic physical conditions based on the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM). Methods: this qualitative study is part of a larger study; sequential exploratory mixed-method for designing an instrument for the FCEM was conducted from May 2015 to March 2016 in two university hospitals. The sample was 22 participants, including chronically ill patients, family caregivers, and nurses. Data were collected through personal semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed concurrently with data collection through directed qualitative content analysis. Results: after determining the self-efficacy attributes in the family-center empowerment model, a category matrix was developed and the codes are placed in subcategories of the matrix. Most participants were female (58.0%), with a mean age of 49.50 years. The final analysis yielded a total of 247 units of analysis dispersed in eight subcategories belonging to four generic-categories. Conclusions: the findings of this study represent the dimensions of chronically-ill individuals’ self-efficacy that can be used to develop and implement programs for empowering chronic ill patients.