Abstract
AIM: This study aimed to explore the correlation of long-term medication behaviour self-efficacy with social support and medication knowledge of kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: A convenient sample of kidney transplant recipients in a general hospital in Guangzhou was recruited from November 2016 to January 2017. Self-reported survey data were provided by the kidney transplant recipients using long-term medication behaviour self-efficacy scale (LTMBSES), perceived social support scale (PSSS) and scale for patient-perceived medication knowledge in medication usage. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation analysis were used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 195 kidney transplant recipients (132 men and 63 women) were recruited for this study. The mean scores of all LTMBSES dimensions, namely personal attitudes, environmental and task-related and behavioural factors, were 32.49 ± 4.34, 60.90 ± 7.56 and 32.32 ± 4.40, respectively. The mean scores of three PSSS dimensions, namely, family, friends and significant others, were 24.91 ± 3.42, 22.71 ± 4.66 and 22.15 ± 4.26, correspondingly. The mean scores of two five-item knowledge subscale dimensions, namely, general and interaction knowledge, were 9.56 ± 1.07 and 13.02 ± 2.67, respectively. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that social support (r (s) = 0.232, P < 0.01) and medication knowledge (r (s) = 0.352, P < 0.01) were positively associated with long-term medication self-efficacy in the kidney transplant recipients. CONCLUSION: The levels of long-term medication self-efficacy, perceived social support and medication knowledge of the kidney transplant recipients were high. Social support and medication knowledge were correlated with self-efficacy.