Who you ask about health self-efficacy matters: Parental perceptions and youth reports are associated with different outcomes in a sample with chronic health conditions

This study examined the psychometric properties of a youth-reported health self-efficacy measure and new parent-reported health self-efficacy measure in a sample of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic illnesses. This study also considered whether parents’ perspectives on AYAs’ health self-efficacy explained outcomes above AYA-reported health self-efficacy. A sample of 54 AYAs (range = 12–17 years, M = 17.8, SD = 2.58) completed measures of health self-efficacy and treatment adherence. Parents ( N = 48) reported on AYA health self-efficacy and transition readiness. Good psychometric properties were shown for both measures. Parents’ perspectives predicted transition readiness above and beyond AYAs’ self-reported health self-efficacy, AYA age, and AYA education. Whereas treatment adherence was significantly predicted by AYA-reported self-efficacy and did not have significantly more variance explained by parents’ perspectives. Results highlight the importance of considering different perspectives to achieve optimal outcomes when treating youth with chronic conditions during transition care.