Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Heart and Lung, cilt.79, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Background: Heart failure is a chronic disease characterized by multiple symptoms that negatively impact quality of life. While the relationship between symptom burden and quality of life has been extensively studied, the mediating role of disease self-management self-efficacy in this relationship is not yet fully understood. Objectives: To examine the relationships between symptom burden, disease self-management self-efficacy and quality of life and to test the mediating and conditional mediating role of disease self-management self-efficacy in the relationship. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 162 individuals diagnosed with heart failure who were followed up in the cardiology inpatient unit of a public hospital. Data were collected with Individual Description Form, the Heart Failure Symptom Status Scale, the Six-Item Self-Efficacy Scale for Chronic Disease Management, and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Results: While a 1-unit increase in symptom burden was associated with a 0.526-unit decrease in quality of life, a 1-unit increase in disease self-management self-efficacy was associated with a 0.465-unit improvement in quality of life. Disease self-management self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between symptom burden and quality of life. Age and duration of hospitalization significantly moderated this indirect effect. Conclusions: Higher symptom burden is associated with poorer quality of life, and this relationship is partially explained by lower levels of disease self-management self-efficacy. The decrease in quality of life due to symptoms can be mitigated by strategies aimed at strengthening disease self-management self-efficacy, especially in the elderly and in individuals with longer hospital stays.