Care of self - care by other - care of other: the meaning of self-care from research, practice, policy and industry perspectives

Abstract

The concept of self-care is a many-layered one. Identifying the components in the definition of the term delineates the different areas for potential research in this area. When planning a research project, the definition of the key concept guides the research and shapes the approach to the investigation. For researchers in this area, this study illustrates the wealth and diversity of the definitions of self-care.

Self-care/self-help strategies for persons with Ménière’s disease: a systematic review

“…Drawing on this terminological differentiation and a recent, high quality systematic review of definitions of self-care within published policy and practice research, 15 it is evident that the concept of self-care is multi-layered, centered on things the persons do for themselves to enable coping in their lifeworld, drawing on their own and/or others' experience or advice and support from significant others (for example, partner, sibling, and close friends). More formally, self-care can be defined as: One significant chronic or long-standing condition is Ménière's disease (MD).…”

The Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale - Revised (ASAS-R): adaptation and construct validity in the Brazilian context

“…Thus, the objective of self-care agency is to promote health and well-being, as well as prevent and manage illness 3 . Several studies have demonstrated that self-care agency is an important construct in the development and maintenance of both healthpromoting behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, being active and adequate sleep) and specific illness self-management abilities (e.g., taking medications correctly; proper medical care; and adherence to treatment) 3,4,5 . These personal acts lead to a considerable reduction in costs, both to individuals and government, since people become sick less often, recover from illness more quickly and also need less medical assistance 6 .…”

Self-Care Strategy in Chemically-Injured Veterans: A Content Analysis

“…Qualitative content analysis is a widely used research technique that subjectively interprets the (written) data and identifies themes as well as patterns (obvious or hidden) in the text (16). Self care is a complex and multidimensional concept that depends on personal experience and social, cultural, and religious contexts (17,18). According to Pope and Mays (1995), the goal of a qualitative research has been defined as "the development of concepts, which help us to understand social phenomena in natural (rather than experimental) settings, giving due emphasis to the meanings, experiences, and views of all the participants" (19).…”