Assessment of Patients Behavior with Regard to Self-Care for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Author(s):
Hussein K. Ktaib, Sabah A. Ahmed
Objective(s): The present study aims to assess of patients' behavior with regard to self-care for rheumatoid arthritis patients and to determine the relationship between self-care and their demographic characteristics.
Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted Rheumatology Center/Marjan Teaching Hospital/Babylon/Iraq, the study was carried out between 25th April, 2023 to 31th March, 2024. Non-probability, purposive sample of 40 patient were selected for the purpose of the study. The questionnaire was used to collect the data includes socio demographic, self- care model. Content validity of a questionnaire is determined through panel of experts in adult health nursing and internal consistency reliability is obtained through pilot study. data are collected through the use of the questionnaire and analyzed through the application of descriptive and inferential statistical approaches which are applied by using SPSS version 23 such as frequency, percentage, mean of score, standard deviation, ANOVA and T. test.
Results: The results of the study indicate a low level of self-care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the percentage was 90%. The results by ANOVA of the study also indicated in demographic data that present significant difference between patients’ self-care at pretest and occupation at p value (0.013). While, there is no significant difference between patients’ self- care at pretest and sex, monthly income, resident.
Conclusions: The results of the study concluded that the level of self-care behaviors was low among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and they need to be taught self-care.
Recommendations: Based on the results that appeared in the study, we recommend that an educational program be organized to raise the level of knowledge in self-care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis