Family-centred empowerment program for health literacy and self-efficacy in family caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis

Background: With the obtained advancement in solving health problems, family caregivers are replaced with the care institutions. The accompanying and supporting patients during the disease treatment is very effective in the Iranian culture.

Aim: This study aims at determining the effect of health intervention based on family-centred empowerment model on health literacy and self-efficacy among caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 70 family caregivers were randomly assigned to the two control and experimental groups, who were evaluated using demographic TOFHLA health literacy and self-efficacy questionnaires. Then, based on training needs in the experimental group, intervention was conducted based on the family-centred empowerment model during one month. The control group received no intervention, and immediately after training and three months after implementing the program, the health literacy and self-efficacy in both the experimental and control groups were re-evaluated.

Results: Before intervention, mean of health literacy in the experimental group was 57.2 ± 9.15 and 3 months after intervention, it reached 62.45 ± 9.39, (p < 0.001). The self-efficacy score in the experimental group was 17.2 ± 3.48 before intervention and it reached to 19.34 ± 11.3 after intervention, which was also significant(p < 0.001).

Conclusion: interventions based on family-centred empowerment approach can improve the health literacy and self-efficacy of caregivers, assist them to provide specialised and efficient care and lead to improved quality of care in caregiving.