Title : Older adults with musculoskeletal disorders: Investigating social support, pain self-efficacy and health locus of control
Abstract:
Musculoskeletal disorders refer to disorders of musculoskeletal system that provide the ability to move or to stand, with the consequence of hampering the natural function. Ageing frays the musculoskeletal system regardless of the presence of illness which leads to musculoskeletal pain, a frequent symptom of elderly people. Social support affects well-being and quality of life of the elderly. Health locus of control refers to the belief that health is in one’s control (internal control) or not (external control). The purpose of the research is to investigate beliefs of elderly people with musculoskeletal disorders regarding social support, self-efficacy in pain and health locus of control. The research was carried out based on five questionnaires. The first questionnaire included demographic data, the second was about the state of health, the third involved «the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support», the fourth involved «the Pain Self Efficacy Questionnaire» and the fifth included the Health Locus of Control Scale-MHLC. The research was conducted in April to June 2023 among 106 elderly people, members of long-term care services and others who visited the Open Care Center of Patras. The mean age of the participants was 76,1 years and the majority were female, primary school graduated and retired. Furthermore, the most of them worked moderate/mild manual labor, had average financial status and receive medication for musculoskeletal problems. The results showed that social support had positive effect on self-efficacy in pain. The research showed that social support and internal health beliefs (locus of control) affect in a positive way self-efficacy in pain of elderly with musculoskeletal diseases.
