Investigation of Self-Care Agency and Exercise Efficacy of Individuals Diagnosed with COPD during the COVID-19 Pandemic Process

Purpose: This study was conducted as a descriptive study to "Investigation of Self-Care Agency and Exercise Efficacy of Individuals Diagnosed with COPD during the COVID-19 Pandemic Process." Material and Methods:The study population consisted of individuals diagnosed with COPD in a city in the south of Turkey. The study sample consisted of individuals who voluntarily participated and met the inclusion criteria. No random sampling was used in the study. One hundred seven individuals who agreed to participate and met the study criteria constituted the study sample. The 'Sociodemographic Information Form,' the 'COPD Exercise Self-Regulatory Efficacy Scale (Ex-SRES), and Self-Care Agency Scale' was used for data collection. Number, percentage, mean, and descriptive statistics t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results: In the study results, it was found that there was a positive and significant relationship between self-care power and exercise efficacy in COPD patients. (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found between individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and those who were not in terms of self-care agency and exercise efficacy. (p < 0.05). It was found that individuals with chronic disease had lower self-care agency and exercise efficacy than those without the disease. It was determined that the self-care agency and exercise efficacy of individuals diagnosed with COPD for more than ten years decreased. Conclusion: It was found that it is essential to monitor the self-care agency and exercise efficacy of COPD patients during COVID-19, and the self-care agency and exercise efficacy of patients decreased during this period. Keywords: COPD, Exercise Self-Regulatory Efficacy, Self-Care Agency, COVID-19