The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy and Coping Mode Between Powerlessness and Quality of Life in Patients with Venous Leg Ulcers

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To explore the mediating effect of self-efficacy and coping mode between powerlessness and quality of life in patients with a venous leg ulcer (VLU). METHODS The authors used a convenience sampling method to select 208 patients with a VLU in four tertiary grade A hospitals in Qingdao and Tianjin from June 2021 to August 2022. Instruments included the Powerlessness Assessment Tool, Venous Leg Ulcer Self-efficacy Tool, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and Venous Leg Ulcer Quality of Life Questionnaire. The authors used descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and PROCESS macros for data analysis. RESULTS The powerlessness score was significantly negatively associated with self-efficacy and confrontation coping mode scores and positively associated with patients’ quality-of-life scores. In addition, self-efficacy and confrontation coping modes separately and sequentially mediated the relationship between powerlessness and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Self-efficacy and confrontation coping mode play important mediating roles between powerlessness and quality of life in patients with VLUs. By decreasing patients’ sense of powerlessness, boosting their self-efficacy, and encouraging them to adopt confrontation coping mode, health professionals can improve patients’ quality of life.