The Effect of Social Support and Self-efficacy in Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a significant impact on a large number of individuals in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify the social support systems used by individuals with COPD and identify the relationship between social support and self-efficacy. A convenience sample of ten individuals with COPD entering a pulmonary rehabilitation program and eight individuals with COPD at home that chose not to enter the program were participants of the study. Social support was measured using The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ85) (Weinert & Brandt, 1987). Social support systems were identified as spouse (54%) for the married participants and children (45%) for the widowed participants. The home group had a higher mean score in the area of perceived support, however, no statistical significance was identified between the groups. Self-efficacy was measured using the COPD Self- Efficacy Scale (CSES) (Wigal, Creer, and Kotses, 1991). The home group had a higher mean score of self-efficacy, but this was not statistically significant when compared to the rehabilitation group. The correlation between social support and self-efficacy using Pearson\u27s correlational coefficient was not significant