SELF-EFFICACY, PHYSICAL DECLINE, AND CHANGE IN FUNCTIONING IN COMMUNITY-LIVING ELDERS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

This study examines whether high self-efficacy is protective against a decline in functional status in community-residing elderly persons. D ata came from a sample of 1,103 subjects aged greater than or equal to 72 years who were ambulatory within the household and who received in -home assessments at baseline and 18 months later to obtain informatio n on sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health status variables, incl uding physical performance tests. Functional status was based on sir b asic self-care tasks (ADLs). Using OLS regression, lower self-efficacy was marginally related to decline in functional status, after control ling for sociodemographic and health-related variables. As hypothesize d, there was a significant interaction effect between self-efficacy an d change in physical performance, suggesting that low self-efficacy wa s particularly predictive of functional decline among older individual s who showed a decline in physical performance at follow-up. These fin dings provide support for the buffering effect of self-efficacy on fun ctional decline in the face of diminished physical capacity.