Strategies enhancing self-efficacy in diabetes education: a review.

Enhancing self-efficacy in patients with chronic illnesses has been shown to have a positive effect on behavior change. In fact, according to Bandura (1986), self-efficacy is the most important predictor of change in behavior. Thus, in order to make positive changes, effective measures for enhancing self-efficacy are needed in educational programs. There are four important sources of information for increasing self-efficacy: performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and self-appraisal of emotional and physiological responses. Strategies for enhancing self-efficacy are described here for each source of information and for combinations of sources.