Confidence Amid Constraints: Self-Efficacy, Provider Encouragement, Community Engagement, and Structural Barriers Among Filipino Adults from Underserved Communities with Chronic Disease

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and place a heavy burden on people living in low- and middle-income countries. Underserved communities in the Philippines face many challenges that make chronic disease self-management difficult. This secondary analysis examined the burden of NCDs, self-efficacy, provider encouragement, community participation, and perceived barriers among 796 adults with one or more NCDs recruited from underserved communities in several regions of the Philippines. Trained bilingual barangay health workers conducted face-to-face interviews, and descriptive statistics summarized the findings. Cardiovascular disease was reported by 72.5% of participants, diabetes by 23.1%, chronic respiratory disease by 14.9%, and cancer by 1.9%; 44.6% had two or more chronic conditions. Participants reported moderate confidence in managing healthy behaviors but low participation in community health activities. Provider encouragement was more common for blood pressure monitoring than for cholesterol or blood glucose monitoring. The most common barriers were lack of medical insurance, financial instability, time constraints, and limited access to health care. Taken together, these descriptive findings suggest a possible self-management gap at the sample level, with moderate confidence occurring alongside limited community participation, variable provider encouragement, and structural barriers. Strengthening primary care and community-based services may help support chronic disease self-management and reduce health inequities.