Effects Of Self-efficacy On Health Literacy And Quality Of Life Among Middle-aged And Elderly In The Community

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of the self-efficacy, health literacy, quality oflife and their influential factors for the middle-aged and elderly in the community; andto explore the relationship between the self-efficacy and health literacy or quality oflife.MethodsA total of1300middle-aged and elderly, who were from Jiaozuo City Hongxingcommunity, were questioned with the method of cluster sampling. The questionnairesincluded General Information Questionnaire, General Self-efficacy Scale, Healthliteracy Survey of Chinese residents in2008Assessment Questionnaire and Quality ofLife Scale. One thousand one hundred ninety nine valid questionnaires wereestablished a database by SPSS18.0. The scores of self-efficacy, the composite indexof health literacy and the scores of quality of life were statistically analyzed. Thentheir relationship and influential factors were also statistically analyzed. The statisticalways involved Statistical Description, Two-sample t-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearsoninter-correlation and so on.Results(1) The score of the self-efficacy was25.65±0.15, it was lower than the internationalaverage score (28.6). The score of the self-efficacy of the middle-aged and elderly incommunity was significantly different when they were from the different residentialtypes and educational levels (P<0.01). (2) The score of the composite index of quality of life was5.49±0.77, it was lowerthan the Chinese average score (5.51±0.88). It was significantly different when theywere from the different educational levels, personal monthly income, with or withoutchronic disease, occupation and age.（P<0.05).(3) The total score of the quality of life was115.20±15.19, its range was61to144,The higher, medium and lower proportion for the quality of life was respectively23.35%,49.96%and26.69%. The score of the quality of life was significantlydifferent when the middle-aged and elderly of community were from the differenteducational levels, age, occupation, gender, monthly income, marital status and withor without chronic disease.（P<0.05).(4) There was the positive correlation between the Self-efficacy and the health literacyor its health behavior or health beliefs (P<0.01). There was statistically significantdifference between the higher grades group and the lower grades group of the healthbeliefs and health behavior for the middle-aged and elderly of community (P<0.05).(5) There was the positive correlation between the Self-efficacy and the quality of lifeor its general health, vitality of life, emotional role and mental health (P<0.01).Therewas the negative correlation between the Self-efficacy and the body pain(P<0.01).There was statistically significant difference between the higher grades group and thelower grades group of the emotional role, bodily pain, vitality of life, mental health,overall health and total quality of life for the middle-aged and elderly of community(P<0.01).(6) There was the positive correlation between the quality of life and the healthliteracy or its health beliefs, health behaviors, health knowledge, health skill (P<0.05).There was the positive correlation between the health literacy and the quality of life orits bodily pain (P<0.01). There was the negative correlation between the healthliteracy and the other sud-index of quality of life (P<0.05), however.Conclusions(1) The self-efficacy of the middle-aged and elderly of community is at a low level.(2) The health literacy of the middle-aged and elderly of community is at a low level. Its influential factors mainly involve in educational levels, personal monthly income,occupation, age and with or without chronic disease.(3) The quality of life of the middle-aged and elderly of community is at a middlelevel. Its influential factors mainly involve in educational levels, age, occupation,gender, monthly income, marital status and with or without chronic disease.(4) There is the positive correlation between the self-efficacy and the health literacyor the quality of life.(5) There is the positive correlation between the health literacy and the quality of life.(6) Improving the self-efficacy and the health literacy of the middle-aged and elderlyof community can enhance their quality of life.