Effect of an Empowerment Program on Self-Efficacy and Coping of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Background: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a chronic disease that has implications for health in different countries. It is considered serious with significant prevalence worldwide. Educational programs have demonstrated positive results in increasing self-efficacy and coping strategies specifically for people with chronic illnesses; however scant research has examined their effectiveness among SCD patients.
Objective: This study intended to evaluate the impact of an empowerment program on self-efficacy & coping strategies among adults with Sickle Cell Disease.
Method: A quasi-experimental design with 62 participants diagnosed with SCD and allocated purposefully to the study. The eight-week program was delivered in educational workshops, skills training and support sessions. Self-efficacy and coping strategies were measured by means of validated questionnaires prior to intervention, immediately after the intervention, and after three months of the intervention.
Results: An improvement in self-efficacy and coping strategies scores was observed among participants. The total Self-Efficacy mean scores were higher in posttest (x̄=34.29) and follow up (x̄=33.03) than pretest (x̄=26.03). The total coping strategies mean scores were improved in posttest (x̄=50.52) and follow up (x̄=50.37) than the pretest (x̄=43.83). Therefore, the empowerment program is influential for the 95% confidence on enhancing the self-efficacy and coping in adults with SCD.
Conclusions: The empowerment program substantially increased self-efficacy and coping skills in adults with SCD, indicating that appropriate interventions could enhance self-belief and mental health status among this group. However, more research is required to examine the mechanisms of action and sustainability over time as well as generalization across different populations.