The Relationship Between Emotional Support and Health-Related Self-Efficacy in Older Prisoners

• Published in: Journal of aging and health 2019-03, Vol.31 (3), p.439-462
• Main Authors: Noujaim, Deborah, Fortinsky, Richard H., Barry, Lisa C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Health technology assessment; Self-efficacy; Social support
• ISSN: 0898-2643; 1552-6887
• DOI: 10.1177/0898264317733363

Objective: To determine whether emotional support, and proportion of emotional support provided by specific sources (e.g., family, other prisoners, clinicians), is associated with health-related self-efficacy among older prisoners. Method: Cross-sectional study of 140 older prisoners age ≥50 with chronic medical illness who completed face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression, controlling for demographic, incarceration, and clinical/behavioral factors evaluated the association between emotional support, operationalized as a score and as a proportion of total emotional support from specific sources, and health-related self-efficacy. Results: Higher emotional support scores, and greater proportion of support from clinicians, were associated with lower likelihood of poor health-related self-efficacy. Those with >50% of their emotional support coming from other prisoners had higher likelihood of poor self-efficacy. Discussion: Among older prisoners with chronic illness, higher emotional support, particularly from clinicians, is associated with lower likelihood of poor self-efficacy; relying on other prisoners for emotional support is associated with poor health-related self-efficacy.