Nursing Faculty Publications

Predictors of Self-Care in Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis: A Test of Orem's Theories of Self-Care and Self-Care Deficit

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2008

Journal Title

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Volume

23

Issue

1

First Page

37

Last Page

48

DOI

10.1016/j.pedn.2007.07.008

Abstract

Pediatric nurses often struggle to find ways to encourage adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) to engage in self-care that is essential to their health and life. A study of predictors of self-care was conducted to provide a stronger evidence base for nursing practice with these youth. Orem's theories of self-care and self-care deficit were tested to explain and predict the universal and health deviation self-care of 123 adolescents with CF. Four dimensions of self-care agency emerged as predictors of universal self-care, two of which were also predictive of health deviation self-care. Seventy percent of the variance or change in universal self-care scores and 40% of health deviation self-care variance were explained. Clarification and extension of Orem's theories were also an important outcome. Development of nursing interventions designed to strengthen predictors of universal and health deviation-specific self-care identified in this research holds the potential to improve length and quality of life for adolescents with CF.

Keywords

Pediatric nursing, cystic fybrosis

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