The mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between family functioning and quality of life among elders with chronic diseases.
Yuan Yuan, Hui-Wen Xu, Song Zhang and 5 others
PMID 33960735WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with chronic diseases who reported better family functioning and higher self-efficacy also reported better quality of life.
Self-efficacy was linked to the relationship between family functioning and quality of life.
Key findings
01Family functioning, self-efficacy and quality of life scores were all positively correlated.
02Self-efficacy was reported as a partial intermediary between family functioning and quality of life, with a ratio of intermediary effects to total effects of 62.500%.
03The reported ratio of intermediary effects to total effects was 76.050% for the physical component summary and 48.626% for the mental component summary.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that family functioning or self-efficacy causes better quality of life. Participants were selected by convenience sampling, so they may not represent all older adults with chronic diseases. Only people who could communicate normally and did not have obvious mental disorders or obvious cognitive impairment were included, so the findings do not apply to people with severe cognitive impairment. The sample was community-dwelling and did not include inpatients, so it may not apply to older adults in hospital or care settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported 62.500% mediation proportion as proof that raising self-efficacy causes better quality of life. This was a cross-sectional survey of associations, not a tested intervention.