Association of Self-Efficacy and Self-Management With Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Quality of Life: A Descriptive-Analytical Study Publisher Pubmed



Atapour M ; Maghaminejad F ; Ghiyasvandian S ; Rahimzadeh M
Source: Neurodegenerative Disease Management Published:2026

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS), often leading to a lower quality of life (QoL) for patients compared to those with other chronic diseases. Self-efficacy and self-management play crucial roles in influencing the QoL of MS patients. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association of self-efficacy and self-management with MS patients’ QoL. Methods: The research entailed a descriptive-analytical study involving 210 MS patients selected through simple random sampling. Data was collected with four questionnaires, demographic information, the MSSMs-R, MSSS, as well as MSQOL-54 scales. The gathered data were analyzed using multiple regression model. Results: The study sample consisted of 150 females (71.4%), with 43.3% having university-level education and 82.58% scoring 1–4 on the EDSS scale. The results indicate that Self-efficacy (Beta = 0.283 and 0.389) is the most significant positive predictor of QoL. Along with Health Maintenance Behavior (Beta = 0.278), it accounts for 34.0% of the variance in mental health and, when combined with social/family support, explains 29.7% of the variance in physical health. Conclusions: The study found a strong association between self-management and self-efficacy and the QoL in patients with MS. Strengthening self-management and self-efficacy skills is recommended to improve the QoL. Furthermore, further research into other factors affecting QoL is suggested. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.