Intervention strategies that support self-care activities: an integrative study across chronic disease/disability groupings: Integrative review protocol.

Review Objectives/Questions: The objective is to perform a cross-cutting, integrative study to determine the ‘state of knowledge’ relevant to interventions for self-care. The overall research Question for the integrative study is: What is the evidence on interventions to initiate or enhance individuals’ self-care activities across population groups in the Cochrane repository of systematic reviews? Criteria for considering studies for this review: Types of participants: This integrative study will consider systematic reviews that focus on individuals who engage in or have the potential to engage in self-care activities. For example, individuals who have the potential to engage in a new (perhaps specific) self-care activity would be individuals recently diagnosed with a chronic disease such as asthma or diabetes mellitus. Individuals who currently engage in self-care activities (but may require ongoing support or encouragement) would be individuals who currently perform self-care activities to address chronic disease, injury or disability. Changes in life, such as a decrease in visual acuity with aging, may require an adaptation of self-care activities. Types of interventions)/phenomena of interest: This integrative study will consider systematic reviews that describe intervention strategies focused on initiating or enhancing self-care activities. Types of outcomes: Outcomes of interest for this study include: the successful engagement of the individual in self-care activities` the sustainment of self-care activities` or health outcomes. The successful engagement in self-care activities would be indicated by the individual actively performing all (or some aspects) of a new self-care behaviour. For example, a child recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus may begin to check their own blood sugar levels but rely on a parent to inject the insulin. The sustainment of self-care activities would be indicated by the individual actively continuing to perform a self-care behaviour that was already part of their repertoire. For example, an adolescent diagnosed with asthma as a child and who continues to use an inhaler to prevent asthmatic attacks. These outcomes would generally be measured by observation or self-report through Questionnaires or participant diaries. In some situations, for example with children, parents may provide the report on the outcomes.