Influencing factors of self-management behavior in glaucoma patients in west China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective To describe the current status of self-management behavior and analyze its influencing factors in glaucoma patients. Method Using a convenient sampling method, 538 patients with primary glaucoma were included. The general demographic and disease-related data of the patients were collected. The glaucoma self-management questionnaire (GSMQ), social support rating scale(SSRS), and brief illness perception questionnaire (BIPQ) of glaucoma patients were used to collect data on their self-management behavior, social support, and illness perception status. Result The mean total score of the glaucoma self-management questionnaire was (50.64 ± 6.06), with the mean scores of three dimensions as follows: life adjustment (7.82 ± 1.50), functional health care (17.91 ± 2.45), and medical management (24.91 ± 3.55). The average total score of the social support rating scale was found to be (31.04 ± 7.65), including subjective support (17.36 ± 4.75), objective support (7.20 ± 2.15), and support availability (6.48 ± 2 .27). The average total score for glaucoma patients on the brief illness perception questionnaire was determined to be (47.65 ± 7.33). Glaucoma patients perceive various factors contributing to their condition, with emotion ranking highest at 29.4%, followed by stress at 22.5%, and genetics at 18.2%. Multivariate analysis showed that smoking, types of glaucoma, annual follow-up frequency, fixed doctor follow-up, social support, and illness perception were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The self-management behavior, social support, and illness perception of glaucoma patients were found to be at the moderate level. Smoking, Less than two follow-up visits per year, primary open-angle glaucoma, unfixed doctor follow-up, lower levels of social support, and illness perception level are all factors that affect the self-management behavior of glaucoma patients.