Paper finds self-care is common – but not equally accessible

PIF member the Self-Care Forum has had a follow-up paper published from its research. The Living Self-Care Survey Study was carried out jointly with the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU).

This paper highlights that whilst self-care is practised widely, it is not practised equally with some communities more disadvantaged than others.

How do people manage common symptoms?

According to researchers, the paper focuses on a question that sits at the heart of how people look after their health day-to-day: who feels confident managing everyday health problems, who seeks information and what gets in the way?

Drawing on a UK-wide survey of 3,255 adults from the Living Self-Care Survey, it found that most people manage common symptoms on their own. This is mostly with over-the-counter medicines or by waiting to see if things improve. 

This pattern seems to have grown. Over-the-counter medicine use roughly doubled, while consultation with any health professional more than halved. Only 2 in 100 symptom episodes led to a GP visit and just 1 in 100 to a trip to the pharmacist. This is in spite of community pharmacy being central to national self-care policy. 

Digital sources were also used less than expected, with the NHS website consulted in only 3 in 100 cases.

Who is most confident with self-care?

The paper finds confidence in self-care was not evenly spread. Older adults were considerably more confident than younger adults, while men, people living with disabilities and those with long-term conditions reported lower confidence. 

One finding stood out: Black British participants reported higher confidence in their self-care knowledge yet were less likely to seek health information when unwell. 

Asian British participants reported both lower confidence and less information-seeking.

Researchers say that overall the findings suggest self-care is not just a matter of personal choice but also of equity and access. “Making the most of it will need tailored health literacy support, a stronger and better-resourced role for community pharmacists, digital resources designed with accessibility in mind, and clearer guidance on when self-care is enough and when to seek help.”

Read the article on the BMJ here.

The paper builds on a companion study published earlier this year, which examined the interplay between self-care confidence, professional support and health literacy.

Read the first piece published earlier this year here.

Find out more about the research on the Self-Care Forum website.