Self-Care of African Immigrant Adults with Chronic Illness.
Onome Henry Osokpo, Lisa M Lewis, Uchechukwu Ikeaba and 3 others
PMID 34726102WHAT IT FOUND
Acculturation was not linked to self-care behaviors in African immigrants with chronic illness.
Self-care self-efficacy and perceived income adequacy were significant determinants. Patients with low confidence in managing their health or insufficient income reported poorer self-care, particularly in managing symptoms.
Key findings
01None of the three measures of acculturation (language/media use, duration of residency, age at immigration) were associated with self-care maintenance, monitoring, or management, even after adjusting for confounding variables.
02Self-care self-efficacy was an independent determinant of self-care maintenance, monitoring, and management, with low self-care self-efficacy associated with low self-care on each scale.
03Perception of income inadequacy was associated with lower self-care management.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. Purposive and snowball sampling limits generalizability. The sample was predominantly well-educated, insured, and bilingual, which may have masked relationships between acculturation and self-care. Self-report measures may be subject to social desirability bias.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that acculturation improves self-care or that less acculturated patients are at higher risk. The study found no association between acculturation and self-care behaviors. Risk is better predicted by low self-efficacy and income inadequacy.