Influence of upper limb disability, manual dexterity and fine motor skill on general self-efficacy in institutionalized elderly with osteoarthritis.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional. INTRODUCTION: The impact of upper limb (UL) disability, dexterity and fine motor skill on self-efficacy in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) is not well known yet. PURPOSES OF THE STUDY To evaluate the self-efficacy and its relationship with UL function/disability in institutionalized OA. METHODS: Institutionalized adults (n = 45) over the age of 65 years with OA were evaluated in a single session, to determine pinch strength, active range of motion of the hand and UL disability and functionality. They were classified as self-efficacious or not based on their general self-efficacy level. The influence on self-efficacy on upper limb function was statistically analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Self-effective older adults showed significantly lower scores in disability and higher scores in pinch strength, dexterity and motion of thumb than those who were classified as non-self-effective. Self-efficacy was associated with pinch strength (p ≤ 0.038), disability (p < 0.001) and dexterity (p ≤ 0.048). Multiple regression analyses showed that disability explained almost 40% of the variability of self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults classified as non-self-effective have higher UL disability and less pinch strength, manual dexterity and thumb motion than those who are self-effective, suggesting a relationship between impairment and perceived ability.