Effects of social support on health-related behaviors in patients with chronic diseases: the cascading multi-mediating effects of e-health literacy and self-efficacy

Objective To explore the relationship between social support and health-related behaviors in chronic disease patients, and the chain mediating effect of e-health literacy and self-efficacy.

Methods The general situation questionnaire, perceptive social support scale, e-health literacy scale, general self-efficacy scale and health promotion lifestyle scale were used to investigate the patients over 40 years old with chronic non-communicable diseases in urban and rural areas of Bengbu city.

Results The scores of social support and health-related behaviors of patients with chronic diseases were at a high level, and the scores of ehealth literacy and self-efficacy were at a medium level.Social support was positively correlated with ehealth literacy (r=0.30, P < 0.01), self-efficacy (r=0.46, P < 0.01), and health-related behaviors (r=0.63, P < 0.01).The total effect value of social support and health-related behaviors was 0.069 0, and the mediating effect value of e-health literacy between social support and health-related behaviors was 0.046 4.The mediating effect value of e-health literacy and self-efficacy between social support and health-related behaviors was 0.011 8.

Conclusions E-health literacy has a significant mediating effect between social support and health-related behaviors, and social support also affects the health-related behaviors of patients with chronic diseases in the chain mediating effect of e-health literacy and self-efficacy.