Association of Emotion Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Health-Related Readiness to Change Among Patients with Chronic Conditions

Background: Effective management of chronic conditions requires an understanding of psychological factors, particularly emotion regulation and self-efficacy, that influence patients’ readiness to change. This study examined factors associated with health-related readiness to change among individuals with chronic conditions. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 426 participants attending primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Readiness-to-Change Scale. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using SPSS, with readiness to change specified as the primary outcome variable. Results: Emotion regulation was positively associated with self-efficacy (r = 0.381, p < 0.001). Significant differences in emotion regulation were observed across living areas (p = 0.021) and physical activity levels (p < 0.001). Self-efficacy varied significantly across marital status (p = 0.009) and physical activity (p < 0.001). Readiness to change also differed across marital status (p < 0.001) and physical activity (p < 0.001). In regression analysis, physical activity emerged as the only variable significantly associated with readiness to change (β = 0.124, p = 0.013). Conclusion: Among the examined factors, physical activity shows the strongest and most consistent association with readiness to change health-related behaviors. Emotion regulation and self-efficacy are also associated with behavioral readiness. These findings underscore the importance of promoting physical activity alongside psychological support to enhance readiness for behavior change in individuals with chronic conditions. Keywords: self-efficacy, emotion regulation, lifestyle modification, chronic disease management, patient motivation, primary healthcare