Understanding self-care behaviors in older adults with chronic diseases: The influence of personal views on aging and illness perceptions.

The global rise in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) due to population aging poses significant challenges for healthcare systems. Self-care is crucial for managing NCDs, yet older adults often struggle to engage in these behaviors. Psychological factors like personal Views on Aging (VoA) and Illness Perceptions (IP) influence health behaviors, but how these factors correlate with each other and their relevance to Self-Care Maintenance (SCM) in older adults with NCDs remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study examined the associations among Awareness of Age-Related Changes (AARC-Gains; AARC-Losses; indicators of personal views on aging), IP and SCM in a sample of older patients with NCDs recruited in primary care settings. Findings revealed that negative IP were associated with higher AARC-Losses and lower SCM. Higher AARC-Gains were associated with higher SCM, whereas the negative association between AARC-Losses and SCM approached significance. Furthermore, AARC-Gains and AARC-Losses emerged as significant cross-sectional predictors of SCM, whereas IP showed no significant effect. Targeting personal VoA may be key to strengthening interventions aimed at promoting self-care among older adults with NCDs, within a person-centered approach.