The purpose of this concept analysis is to clarify and analyze the concept of self-care. Self-care is vital in the prevention, control, and management of chronic disease. It is substantially important in all aspects of health and all levels of care, and it is key to chronic disease management. Walker and Avant's (2011) method for concept analysis was used. A literature search was performed using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psych INFO, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020 using the search terms self-care, chronic illness, and chronic disease. A total of 22 articles were found for the final analysis. The three defining attributes of self-care include readiness, ability, and activity/practice. Similarly, antecedents (illness/treatment, health systems, and environment) and consequences (health status improvement and wellbeing-related, symptom management-related, cost reduction-related, and personal development-related) of self-care were derived from literature. Constructed cases were created to illustrate these aspects of self-care. Through this concept analysis, the complexity and breadth of the self-care concept are elucidated.
Keywords: chronic disease; chronic illness; concept analysis; self-care.
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