Abstract:
Health education is essential to the successful treatment of individuals with
chronic illnesses. Self-management is a philosophical model of health education that
has been shown to be effective in teaching individuals with chronic arthritis to
manage their illness as part of their daily lives. Despite the proven results of
arthritis self-management programs, some limitations of this form of health
education were apparent in the literature. The present study attempted to address
the problems of the self-management approach of health education such as reasons
for lack of participation in programs and poor course outcomes. In addition, the
study served to investigate the relationship between course outcomes and
participation in programs with the theory upon which arthritis self-management
programs are based, known as self-efficacy theory.
Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, data
collection, and analysis, a deeper understanding of the self-management
phenomenon in the treatment of chronic arthritic conditions was established.
Findings of the study confirm findings of previous studies that suggest that arthritis
self-management programs result in enhanced levels of self-efficacy and are effective
in teaching individuals with arthritis to self-manage their health and health care.
Findings of the study suggest that there are many factors that determine the choice
of participants to participate in programs and the outcomes for the individuals who
do choose to participate in programs. Some of the major determinants of
enrollment and outcomes of programs include: the participant's personality, beliefs,
attitudes and abilities, and the degree of emotional acceptance of the illness. Other
determinants of course enrollment and outcomes included class size and length of
time, timing of participation, and ongoing support after the program. The results
of the study are consistent with the self-management literature and confirm the
relationship between the underlying philosophies of adult education and Freire's
model of education and self-management.
