A Correlational Study on the Knowledge, Stress and Self-care Performance among Tuberculosis Patients

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the correlations among the knowledge, stress, and self-care performance in tuberculosis patients. Methods: The participants consisted of 140 outpatients who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis in S University Hospital. Data were derived from self-report questionnaires and analyzed by SPSS 22.0. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficients analysis. Results: Means of stress and self-care performance were 1.76 and 3.21, respectively. Percentage of correct answer of knowledge about tuberculosis was 71.8. Knowledge about tuberculosis was significantly different according to age (F=21.81, p<.001), marital status (F=13.79, p<.001), education (F=36.63, p<.001), and monthly income (F=16.23, p<.001). Stress was significantly different according to gender (t=3.58, p<.001). Self-care performance was significantly different according to age (F=5.74, p=.004), marital status (F=8.79, p<.001), education (F=9.15, p<.001), monthly income (F=7.87, p=.001), and attendance of tuberculosis education (t=2.34, p=.020). Self-care performance had significant correlation with knowledge about tuberculosis and stress. Conclusion: This study suggests that knowledge about tuberculosis and stress had significant correlations with self-care performance. Therefore, the nursing strategies of increasing knowledge about tuberculosis and decreasing stress which improve self-care performance should be developed for tuberculosis patients.