Open AccessSelf‐care agency in persons with rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
Ailinger Rita L,
Dear Margaret R
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1790060305
Subject(s) - rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , agency (philosophy) , physical therapy , self care , arthritis , health care , philosophy , epistemology , economics , economic growth
Using a framework based on Orem's self‐care deficit theory, five hypotheses related to conditioning factors in self‐care agency were tested. The study sample consisted of 60 outpatients with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in a large research hospital. Patients completed the Exercise of Self‐Care Agency instrument and the Health Assessment Questionnaire; a physician rated their arthritis severity. Twenty percent of subjects had high scores on self‐care agency, 63% had average scores, and 16% had low scores. The conditioning factor of age was not relatedto selfcare agency. However, education and the duration of illness were related to self‐care agency in this group of persons with rheumatoid arthritis.