Global Experience of Self-Care in Cardiovascular Prevention

Abstract

Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors (i.e., tobacco use, unhealthy diet, body weight management, physical inactivity, and excess alcohol intake) through self-care. In low- and middle-income countries, barriers can make these self-care behaviors challenging. In this chapter, we define and describe self-care, focusing on individual-level behavioral risk factors and cultural influences on beliefs about self-care within the broader context of healthcare and system factors enabling self-care in under-resourced countries. Finally, we explore the self-care interventions studied in low- and middle-income countries.