Background: Although several studies have been done on quality of life of patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), there is little research on the correlation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with self-efficacy in these patients. We aimed to determine the association between HRQoL and self-efficacy in patients with SCD and to explore the role of self-efficacy and demographic-clinical variables in a sample of Iranian patients with SCD.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 97 SCD patients who had medical records in Shafa Hospital affiliated to the Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences were recruited. Data were collected using the Short-Form Health Survey SF-36 (RAND 36-item), the Sickle Cell Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES) and a demographic-clinical information questionnaire during February to July 2013.
Results: The mean scores of physical and mental component summary of the SF-36 (PCS and MCS) was 45.58±19.94 and 48.1±19.63, respectively which were low in patients with SCD. Moreover, 50.5% of the patients reported a moderate level of self-efficacy (24.42±6.59). Regression models showed that self-efficacy was the most important predictor of the mental component summary (MCS) (β: 0.48, P=0.001). With a slight difference, it was the second strongest predictor of the physical component summary (PCS) (β: 0.28, P=0.003), after the variable of “renal disease history” in the context of SCD (β: -0.30, P=0.001). However, “blood transfusion history” was a common predictor for both the PCS (β: 0.20, P=0.03) and the MCS (β: 0.26, P=0.001) components of the HRQoL.
Conclusion: The results of this study can assist health policy makers and clinicians to plan holistic interventions by focusing on the level of self-efficacy in SCD patients.