MODELING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CANCER SELFEFFICACY AND TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Condition management, improving the outcomes of health care, preventing
further disability, and reducing the cost of health care are essential for people with chronic illnesses.
Adherence to treatment is one of the key components in the management of chronic diseases. The aim
of this study was to investigate the structural pattern of self-efficacy in coping with cancer through social
support for adherence to treatment in women with breast cancer in lorestan.
Material & Methods: The method of this study was descriptive and the research design was structural
equation modeling based on correlation. The statistical population included all female patients with
breast cancer who were referred to Shahid Rahimi Hospital for follow-up treatment and 300 of them
were selected using the available sampling method. Then, they completed the self-efficacy of
appropriate drug use, the Cancer Behavior Scale, and the Social Support Therapeutic Outcome
Questionnaire. The research data were analyzed by AMOS .
Results: There was a significant relationship between self-efficacy in coping with cancer and social
support with adherence to treatment. The results of the structural equation modeling revealed a good fit
of the model with the experimental data and the basic hypothesis of the research was approved. Selfefficacy
in coping with cancer has a significant direct effect on adherence to treatment. Also, selfefficacy
in coping with cancer through social support showed an indirect and significant effect on
adherence to treatment.
Conclusion: This study showed the effective role of social support in the outcome of social and
individual measures to increase treatment adherence in breast cancer patients.