Research uses many different measures of confidence in managing chronic disease
A review of research in older US adults identified many self-efficacy scales, with uneven coverage across diseases. It examined measurement rather than whether confidence-building treatments improve health.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In research involving older US adults with chronic diseases, self-efficacy—confidence in one's abilities—was measured using many different scales. Measurement was better represented in arthritis and cardiovascular research than in kidney disease or dementia research. The review maps how confidence is assessed; it does not test whether increasing confidence improves symptoms or disease outcomes.
The abstract does not name the most commonly used scales or detail their measurement weaknesses. It therefore cannot support choosing a particular questionnaire or treating different scales as interchangeable.
The question was about measurement
The researchers searched for studies using validated confidence measures in older adults with selected chronic conditions. Their central task was to identify the scales and explore what they covered, rather than compare treatments or track health improvements.
Coverage varied by disease
Arthritis and cardiovascular studies provided the strongest representation of self-efficacy measurement, while kidney disease and dementia had fewer studies. That pattern describes the available literature; it does not mean confidence matters more or less in a particular disease.
The original publication
Measuring self-efficacy in U.S. older adults with chronic disease: a systematic review.
Hladek MD, Reimer T, Casey J et al.
Aging Ment Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40522331
- Record checked
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