ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Self-management and related factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study
Provisionally accepted
- 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- 2Medical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
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Objective To assess the self-management status and its influencing factors in SLE patients. Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, relapsing autoimmune disease requiring lifelong management. Effective self-management is crucial for reducing disease activity, economic burden, and improving quality of life. However, research on SLE-specific self-management tools and influencing factors remains limited. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2024, enrolling 370 SLE patients from three tertiary hospitals in Henan Province. Data were collected using validated scales, including self-management, self-efficacy, illness perception, coping styles, family support, and social support. Univariate, correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2024, enrolling 370 SLE patients from three tertiary hospitals in Henan Province. Data were collected using validated scales, including self-management, self-efficacy, illness perception, coping styles, family support, and social support. Univariate, correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Multicollinearity was diagnosed using variance inflation factor (VIF) and tolerances. Results Among the 370 SLE patients, the mean age was (38.16±12.81) years; the duration of illness of these SLE patients had an average of (4.65±3.18) years; 134 SLE patients (36.2%) had basically no disease activity, 116 SLE patients (31.4%) had mild disease activity, and 120 SLE patients (32.4%) had moderate to high disease activity. The mean self-management score was 59.06±16.75, with sub-scores for medication (9.91±3.45), disease surveillance (10.01±3.56), daily life (29.40±9.35), and reproductive health (9.74±3.84). Key influencing factors included disease activity, education level, marital status, self-efficacy, illness perception, coping styles, family support, and social support, explaining 52.4% of variance. Conclusion Tailored interventions should address SLE patients' unique needs by enhancing self-efficacy, optimizing illness perception, promoting positive coping, and strengthening social and family support. This approach can improve self-management, reduce disease burden, and enhance quality of life.
Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, Self-management ability, self-efficacy, Family care index, Medical response
Received: 06 Sep 2025; Accepted: 25 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Chen, Shang, Zhao, Liu, Li, Zhang and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xin Lu
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