Self-efficacy: measurement and intervention in nursing.

Assisting people with chronic illnesses to change their behavior is important in effecting self-management and in achieving the highest possible level of health. There is increasing evidence that a vital ingredient in health-related behavior change is the perceived self-efficacy of the individual to behave differently; however, disease- and age-specific measures and interventions have received insufficient attention to date. This special issue reports the results of the first stages of an international collaboration that is addressing the development and testing of instruments and interventions to measure and ultimately to enhance self-efficacy in management of diabetes mellitus. These instruments are now being used and tested further by other investigators, as well as in ongoing studies by the authors. Additionally, the issue addresses the importance of theory-based interventions and their use in enhancing self-efficacy as a means of encouraging positive behavior change. The results of two intervention studies designed to improve patients' self-management of obesity and cancer support the use of strategies to enhance self-efficacy in changing behavior. They also underscore the need to continue to identify, develop and test targeted nursing interventions.