title: Self-efficacy, postoperative care satisfaction, body image and sexual functioning in ARM patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies indicate that self-efficacy may have profound positive effects on health promotion, clinical practice and other outcomes, like patients' satisfaction and quality of life. However no studies on self-efficacy have been conducted in anorectal malformation (ARM) patients. Aim of the present study is to analyze the relationships between self-efficacy and satisfaction with postoperative care in ARM patients or in their parents and between self-efficacy, body image and sexual functioning in adult ARM patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 237 patients from 2 to 49 years old (mean age = 13.35 years old) participated in the study. Questionnaires were sent to members of the Italian Association for Anorectal Malformation (AIMAR) by ordinary mail. All subjects were asked to fill in the AIMAR questionnaire in which information about the perceived severity of malformation and postoperative care satisfaction were collected. For patients under 16 years old, parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire and a parent self-efficacy scale concerning the perceived ability to overcome possible difficulties related to ARM. Participants above 16 years of age were asked to fill in the questionnaire, a self-efficacy scale and some body image and sexual functioning items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main findings indicate that those patients who feel more efficacious are those who feel less embarrassed and shame about their body, feel less frequently unsatisfied of their body and their physical condition, and have the perception to be less limited in their sexual activities. Considering patients under 16 years old, results indicate that more parents feel efficacious, the more they are satisfied of the postoperative care, especially of some health care providers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ARM patients self-efficacy and parents self efficacy are correlated to important outcomes, respectively body image and sexual functioning in adults and postoperative care satisfaction in parents of those under 16 years old. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate causal relations between the concepts considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185, Rome, Italy. caterina.grano@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grano
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aminoff
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucidi
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arpante
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Violani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004065:Digestive System Abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012007:Rectum / Q000002:abnormalities*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
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