The determinants of time spent on self-care

Abstract

Purpose More input from the individual into the management of their health has the potential to reduce demand on the formal care system and improve health outcomes. A variety of interventions have been developed to encourage such 'self-care', particularly for populations with long-term conditions. However the equity consequences of such initiatives are relatively unknown as there is little evidence on the social and economic determinants of time spent on self-care. Key methods We estimate the social and economic determinants of time spent on self-care. We also examine whether patients spend time on self-care because they are compensating for lack of access to formal health care. We undertook..