Why We Need to Think Differently About Self-Care and Self-Management

As the prevalence of chronic conditions continues to rise globally, self-care and self-management are frequently promoted as central components of chronic disease care, shaping policy frameworks and healthcare delivery models, including the Chronic Care Model (Narasimhan et al. 2019; Wagner et al. 1996). Within nursing, self-care has long been foundational, reflected in Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory (Orem 1971) and Riegel's Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness (Riegel et al. 2012). The World Health Organization (2022) defines self-care as ‘the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, and cope with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health worker’ (p. xiii)...