Self-compassion, self-care, and rhinitis control assessment in patients with allergic rhinitis: a latent profile and mediation analysis.
This study adopted both variable-centered and person-centered approaches to examine the internal relationships between self-compassion and rhinitis control assessment in patients with allergic rhinitis, and to explore heterogeneity in self-compassion using latent profile analysis.
From February 2026 to April 2026, 419 patients with allergic rhinitis were recruited from three tertiary Grade A hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Data were collected using the Self-Compassion Scale, the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test, the Allergic Rhinitis Self-Care Scale, and a demographic information questionnaire.
Self-compassion was significantly and positively associated with rhinitis control (r = 0.472) and self-care (r = 0.592), and self-care was positively associated with rhinitis control (r = 0.693; all p < 0.01). In cross-sectional mediation analysis, the indirect association of self-compassion on rhinitis control through self-care was 0.542 [95% confidence interval (CI): (0.431, 0.655)], accounting for 79.09% of the total association [0.685, 95% CI: (0.563, 0.807)]; the direct association was 0.143 [95% CI (0.020, 0.266), 20.91%]. Latent profile analysis identified four self-compassion profiles: the self-kind but low-mindfulness group (10.5%, n = 44), the low self-compassion group (9.3%, n = 39), the high self-compassion with elevated self-coldness group (70.6%, n = 296), and the mindful-but-isolated group (9.5%, n = 40). The four profiles did not differ significantly on self-care (F = 0.389, p = 0.761) or rhinitis control (F = 0.915, p = 0.434).
In this cross-sectional study of patients with allergic rhinitis, self-compassion and self-care were associated with rhinitis control, and self-care accounted for a substantial proportion of the association between self-compassion and rhinitis control. Four latent self-compassion profiles were identified but did not differ on self-care or rhinitis control. These findings may inform the future longitudinal and intervention research; however, the cross-sectional design does not establish causal pathways, and the effectiveness of profile-based interventions remains to be tested.
From February 2026 to April 2026, 419 patients with allergic rhinitis were recruited from three tertiary Grade A hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Data were collected using the Self-Compassion Scale, the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test, the Allergic Rhinitis Self-Care Scale, and a demographic information questionnaire.
Self-compassion was significantly and positively associated with rhinitis control (r = 0.472) and self-care (r = 0.592), and self-care was positively associated with rhinitis control (r = 0.693; all p < 0.01). In cross-sectional mediation analysis, the indirect association of self-compassion on rhinitis control through self-care was 0.542 [95% confidence interval (CI): (0.431, 0.655)], accounting for 79.09% of the total association [0.685, 95% CI: (0.563, 0.807)]; the direct association was 0.143 [95% CI (0.020, 0.266), 20.91%]. Latent profile analysis identified four self-compassion profiles: the self-kind but low-mindfulness group (10.5%, n = 44), the low self-compassion group (9.3%, n = 39), the high self-compassion with elevated self-coldness group (70.6%, n = 296), and the mindful-but-isolated group (9.5%, n = 40). The four profiles did not differ significantly on self-care (F = 0.389, p = 0.761) or rhinitis control (F = 0.915, p = 0.434).
In this cross-sectional study of patients with allergic rhinitis, self-compassion and self-care were associated with rhinitis control, and self-care accounted for a substantial proportion of the association between self-compassion and rhinitis control. Four latent self-compassion profiles were identified but did not differ on self-care or rhinitis control. These findings may inform the future longitudinal and intervention research; however, the cross-sectional design does not establish causal pathways, and the effectiveness of profile-based interventions remains to be tested.