Self‐management in children and adolescents with chronic illness: an evolutionary analysis of the concept

Aim: To increase conceptual clarity regarding the self-management of school-age children and adolescents with chronic illnesses in a community context. Design: Concept Analysis: Rodgers' evolutionary approach. Data Sources: Search conducted in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, Nursing and Allied Health Collection, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane, Web of Science, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scopus, Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Synthesis. Thirty-one articles were identified, published between 2004 and 2023. Reporting Method: Followed the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research guidelines—Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020. Results: Self-management in children and adolescents with chronic illness, in school age, in a community context, consists of a process of acquiring knowledge and beliefs that promote the self-efficacy of this population in developing skills to face needs inherent to the health condition. Conclusion:
Promoting self-management goes beyond simply educating for skill acquisition. Participants with stronger beliefs in their ability to control their behaviours are more successful in self-management. The activation of resources that position the child as an agent of change is recommended. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: It contributes to the development of strategies that promote self-management across different healthcare disciplines, focusing on education and change, but also on psychological encouragement to foster confidence in change. Impact: Competent self-management during childhood promotes autonomy, empowerment, and control of the condition, with consequent physical and emotional well-being, quality of life, family stability, and social development. No Patient or Public Contribution: There was no direct contribution from patients or the public in this work (literature review).