title: The relationship between disability and self-care agency of Turkish people with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the relationship between disability levels and self care agency scores in Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to investigate the factors affecting them.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Self-care agency is the complex acquired ability to meet one's constant requirements for care that regulates life processes, maintains or promotes the integrity of human structure, functioning and development, and promotes well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three consecutive patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (M/F: 11/32; mean age 49.53 +/- 13.37 years; disease duration 118.32 +/- 76.55 months), being followed up by Ege University Rheumatology Outpatient Department and all fulfilling ACR 1987 criteria were included in this study. Data collection instruments used in this study were Informative-Demographic Data Form, Health Assessment Questionnaire (including disability index and pain scale) and Self-as-Carer Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean disability index, the mean pain score and the mean self-care agency score of patients were 0.53 (SD 0.45), 1.48 (SD 0.74) and 80.95 (SD 27.80) were respectively. Self-care agency of patients found moderate level. It was found that a positive correlation between the disability index and the self-care agency scores (r = 0.488; p < 0.01). It was found that in male (t = 0.907; p = 0.000), in patients graduate from university (F = 0.271; p = 0.001), the self-care agency was better than other patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion we found that in Turkish patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the higher the disability rate was, the lower the self-care agency score was.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disability, pain and their impact on self-care agency should be focused on in everyday care for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. These areas are most important in nursing care and should be considered while organizing the medical treatment and rehabilitation programme.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Ege University, Bornova-Izmir, Turkey. yasemin.tokem.batmaz@ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokem
authors.forename: Asiye Durmaz
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.forename: Gulumser
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Argon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000145:classification* / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015399:Nursing Research; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification*; D012648:Self Care / Q000145:classification*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey