Introduction

Knowledge of self-care is an important index for evaluating the outcomes of treatment with cholecystectomy. In addition, teaching self-care encourages persons with cholecystectomy to increase self-efficacy.

Aim

To identify the influence of socio-demographic characteristics in the application of self-care education on knowledge of patients with cholecystectomy.

Methods

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in surgical wards at AL-Diwaniyah hospitals and the Gastrointestinal Centre from 12 November 2022 to 15 March 2023. The study used a purposive sample of 60 patients, selected based on a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. The inclusion criteria involved patients with benign gallbladder conditions undergoing cholecystectomy, who were conscious and willing to participate, while those with cancer were excluded to reduce confounding variables. The participants were divided into a control group of 30 patients receiving routine care and a study group of 30 patients undergoing an educational program on self-care after surgery. The utilised instrument included sociodemographic questions to gather relevant data. The study comprised 2 parts: the first focused on sociodemographic characteristics using 10 multiple-choice questions developed by the researcher, covering age, gender, marital status, weight, income, education, residence, occupation, and family history of gallbladder removal. The second part assessed patient knowledge of self-care following cholecystectomy through a questionnaire of 24 items, constructed from literature reviews and expert opinions. Responses were scored as 0 for incorrect and 1 for correct answers. The effectiveness of an educational program on self-care knowledge was evaluated 2 weeks after a lecture, with follow-up in surgical consultations at hospitals. A post-test was conducted between 10 January and 15 March 2023, and data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.0, applying t-tests, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics.

Results

Study findings revealed that there were only 2 significant differences between the study group knowledge about cholecystectomy and their residence at post-test (p = 0.005), and with their family history of complications following cholecystectomy (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study found that an educational program is an effective way to improve patients’ knowledge about self-care after cholecystectomy, which can lead to better outcomes, decreased complications, and improved patient satisfaction and quality of life. It is recommended that healthcare providers consider implementing such these programs to improve the quality of care provided to patients.