Factors influencing self-care in outpatients with external fixation in China

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate factors influencing self-care agency in outpatients with external fixation support. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study approach, 110 outpatients with external fixation from a single Chinese hospital were evaluated from May 2018 to October 2018. Consecutive sampling was performed, and variables included demographic data, health knowledge regarding external fixation, and self-care skills. Open and closed survey questions were used. RESULTS: The mean self-care agency score was 101.70 ± 20.14, with 36 (35.3%) outpatients scoring high. Demographic variables did not significantly influence the self-care level. However, health knowledge was significantly correlated with self-care skills, indicating that knowledgeable outpatients were more likely to be better at self-care. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatients with external fixation support need higher levels of health knowledge. The level of self-care agency in the present study was in the moderate range. Outpatients with external fixation support with higher health knowledge are more likely to have higher self-care skills.