title: Self-care among chronically ill African Americans: culture, health disparities, and health insurance status.
abstract: Little is known about the self-care practices of chronically ill African Americans or how lack of access to health care affects self-care. Results from a qualitative interview study of 167 African Americans who had one or more chronic illnesses found that self-care practices were culturally based, and the insured reported more extensive programs of self-care. Those who had some form of health insurance much more frequently reported the influence of physicians and health education programs in self-care regimens than did those who were uninsured. It is concluded that the cultural components of self-care have been underemphasized, and further, that the potential to maximize chronic illness management through self-care strategies is not realized for those who lack access to health care.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0646, San Francisco, CA 94143-0646, USA. becker@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Gay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Rahima Jan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: Edwina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Newsom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D029181:Spirituality