Self‐efficacy and health status in rheumatoid arthritis: a two‐year longitudinal observational study

Objective. To investigate the relationship between baseline level of self‐efficacy for pain and other symptoms and changes in measures for similar dimensions of health status over a period of 2 yr in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Data collected from patients with RA enrolled in a county‐based disease register in Oslo, Norway were analysed: 815 patients were examined by mail questionnaire in 1994 and again in 1996. Relationships of the baseline level of self‐efficacy and demographic variables with 2‐yr changes in health status measures were examined by bivariate and multiple regression analysis. The following health status measures were included: pain and fatigue on a visual analogue scale; the patient's global assessment of disease activity; the symptom and affect scales of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS2); and the bodily pain, mental health, general health and vitality scales of the Short Form‐36 (SF‐36). Results. For all health status measures, there was a significant correlation between the change over a 2‐yr span and baseline self‐efficacy, even after adjustment for demographic variables and for the baseline level of the health status measure. Favourable changes were associated with high self‐efficacy scores. Conclusions. In patients with RA, the baseline levels of self‐efficacy for pain and other symptoms seem to influence 2‐yr changes in health status measures regarding these aspects.