Self-Care Confidence, Professional Support and Health Literacy in the UK: Findings from the Living Self-Care Survey Study
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Background
Self-care is recognized as a cornerstone of modern health and care. The interface between health and care professionals (HCPs) and the public is pivotal in promoting self-care behaviours, yet barriers such as health literacy deficits, professional constraints, misconceptions and disparities in self-care confidence persist.
Objective
This study aimed to explore how self-care confidence, professional support and health literacy interact to influence self-care behaviours among UK adults, using a validated survey instrument to identify key disparities and enablers.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data from 3,255 UK adults including health and care professionals between January and September 2024. It explored demographic characteristics, self-care knowledge, health literacy, engagement with digital health resources and professional encouragement. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression.
Results
Most respondents (88.5%) reported confidence in maintaining a healthy lifestyle; only 62.0% felt confident managing common illnesses. Healthcare guidance accessibility was perceived as easy (77.4%) but not evaluating treatment options (51.4%) or mental health information accessibility (43.6%). HCPs overwhelmingly endorsed the importance of self-care (94.7%) but barriers included reluctance of patients/clients to engage or take responsibility (64.8%), understanding (59.0%), time constraints (42.7%) and health literacy challenges (45.8%). 68.6% found screening information accessible but 28.1% struggled with interpretation. Regression analyses revealed that older adults (65+) were significantly less confident in self-care with professional guidance (aOR=0.50, p=0.001), whereas males (aOR=1.41, p<0.001) and Black/Asian British individuals (aORs=2.31, 1.98; p<0.001) reported higher confidence levels.
Conclusion
This study highlights the complex relationship between professional guidance, self-care confidence and health literacy. While most individuals value and engage in self-care, critical disparities persist, particularly in health literacy and access to digital resources. Targeted interventions and strengthening the public-healthcare professional dialogue and interface will be crucial in advancing self-care as a sustainable pillar of healthcare policy and practice.
