Self-Care of People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

This meta-synthesis provides evidence on the self-care behaviours and strategies that people with COPD perform to prevent, control and manage the physical, psychological and social consequences of the disease. The findings of this meta-synthesis could help healthcare professionals to tailor self-care educational programmes to the experiences, preferences and priorities of people with COPD.

Socio-demographic and clinical determinants of self-care in adults with type 2 diabetes: a multicentre observational study

“…This theory has been used widely in the study of cardiovascular diseases [16][17][18] and other chronic conditions [9,17,19,20]. In the theory, self-care is defined as "process of maintaining health through health promoting practices and managing illness" [15].…”

Between hope and hopelessness: COPD patients' and their family members' experiences of interacting with healthcare providers – a qualitative longitudinal study

“…From the perspectives of COPD patients and their family members, the overall picture is that self‐management in COPD is complex and challenging . A review, which related to the community context, identified that a range of physical, psychosocial and existential factors can affect the individual's capacity to self‐manage .…”

The weakened memory function in young overweight people

“…-avoidance of deteriorating factors (smoking, dust); -dyspnea control (taking the appropriate medications, breathing through the pursed lips); -use of energy saving methods (e.g., choosing the pace of walking); -formation of exacerbation management strategies (a written action plan that includes key components to make exacerbation management easier); -use stress management strategies (exercises for relaxation). There have been highlighted more different categories of self-care behaviors and strategies that can be used by patients with COPD [49]: 1. Self-care for the prevention, control, and management of COPD and respiratory symptoms.…”