The mediating role of perceived stress on the relationship between perceived social support and self-care ability among Chinese enterostomy patients

Purpose Enterostomy patients were exposed to various stressors, and self-care ability played an important role in their daily lives. This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived social support and self-care ability among Chinese enterostomy patients and to explore whether perceived stress mediated this relationship. Methods A sample of 410 enterostomy patients aged 59.68 +/- 12.95 years old were recruited in the study. Participants completed a set of questionnaires including demographics, perceived stress scale, perceived social support scale, and ostomy self-care ability scale. Results A total of 392 valid questionnaires were finally used in the data analyses among 410 questionnaires; the effective response rate was 95.6%. Results demonstrated that the scores of perceived social support were positively correlated with scores of self-care ability scores and negatively with perceived stress scores. And the effect of perceived social support on self-care ability was partially mediated by perceived stress (51.53%). Conclusions This study explained the mediating model that connects perceived social support with self-care ability through perceived stress, which enhances our understanding about the mediating role of perceived stress. Thus, when focusing on the self-care ability of enterostomy patients, perceived stress was as important as perceived social support.