Symptom management self efficacy relates to self perceived burden and IADL in lung cancer patients with treatment associated pneumonitis

To examine symptom management self-efficacy, self-perceived burden, and impairment in instrumental activities of daily living among patients with lung cancer who developed treatment-associated pneumonitis (TAP) after radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy, and to analyze the relationships among these factors. This cross-sectional study included 140 TAP patients from October 2024 to June 2025. Data were collected using the Self-Efficacy for Symptom Management Scale (SESMs), Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS), and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL). Pearson correlation, group comparisons, and hierarchical regression were performed. Mean SESMs, SPBS, and IADL scores were (6.00 ± 0.38), (34.35 ± 5.00), and (21.04 ± 4.00), respectively. SESMs scores were negatively correlated with SPBS scores ( r =-0.663) and IADL scores ( r =-0.634) (both P < 0.001); SPBS scores were positively correlated with IADL scores ( r = 0.429, P < 0.001). After covariate adjustment, SESMs scores additionally explained 20.5% of the variance in SPBS scores (ΔR² = 0.205) and 17.5% of the variance in IADL scores (ΔR² = 0.175). SPBS and IADL scores jointly explained an additional 21.0% of the variance in SESMs score (ΔR² = 0.210). Among patients with TAP, those with higher symptom management self-efficacy had lower self-perceived burden and less impairment in instrumental activities of daily living.