Understanding self-care behaviors in older adults with chronic diseases: The influence of personal views on aging and illness perceptions

The global rise in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) due to population aging poses significant challenges for healthcare systems. Self-care is crucial for managing NCDs, yet older adults often struggle to engage in these behaviors. Psychological factors like personal Views on Aging (VoA) and Illness Perceptions (IP) influence health behaviors, but their role in Self-Care Maintenance (SCM) remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study examined the associations among IP, Awareness of Age-Related Changes (AARC) as a measure of VoA, and SCM in older adults with NCDs. Findings revealed that negative IP were associated with higher AARC-Losses and lower SCM. Higher AARC-Gains were associated with higher SCM, whereas the negative association between AARC-Losses and SCM approached significance. Furthermore, independent of sociodemographic characteristics and number of NCDs, AARC-Gains and AARC-Losses were positively and negatively associated with SCM, respectively. These results suggest that incorporating VoA into self-care interventions could enhance patient engagement, autonomy, and quality of life. Addressing aging perceptions may be a key strategy for promoting person-centered care in healthcare setting.