title: Women's self-management of chronic illnesses in the context of caregiving: a grounded theory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Uncover how women self-manage their own chronic illness while taking care of a dependent relative.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  International policies place special emphasis in promoting interventions addressed to control, prevent and care for people with chronic health conditions. Self-management is a crucial part of this care. Caregivers are more prone to have chronic illness than non-caregivers. They are confronted with dilemmas about taking care of themselves while taking care of their dependent relative and the rest of their families. Caregivers articulate strategies to enable them to focus their energy on caring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine women caregivers with a chronic illness participated in the study. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews and two focus groups were carried out between April 2010-December 2011. Data were analysed using grounded theory procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-management helps women caregivers with a chronic illness to balance the demands of their own illness and those of the dependent relative. They self-manage their illness by self-regulating the treatment, by regulating their strength and by controlling their emotions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women caregivers integrate effectively and creatively the management of their chronic illnesses within the complexities of family care. This renders their health needs invisible and reaffirms them as capable caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying self-management strategies of women caregivers allow health professionals to acknowledge and reinforce effective self-care measures and to deter those that are ineffective and lessen their quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University Autonoma of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Marcos
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De la Cuesta-Benjumea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: caregiver; chronic illness; grounded theory; self-management; women