Objective: This study aimed to clarify the actual situations of self-care in patients with Crohn’s disease and to conduct a literature review for the purpose of providing suggestions for nursing practice that facilitates patients’ self-care.
Methods: The Japanese Central Review of Medicine, PubMed, and CINAHL were used for the literature search, and 30 articles fitting the theme of this study were reviewed.
Results: The actual situations of self-care in patients with Crohn’s disease found were: “acquisition of information about Crohn’s disease and exploration of self-care methods,” “heath control to avoid flare-ups,” “response after the disease was detected with abdominal symptoms,” “handling of stress triggering bowel inflammation,” “long-term practice of a right self-care method found through trials and errors,” “modifications to diet and excretion to control symptoms and maintain relationships with others,” “enhancement of self-care behavior with support by family members, patients with the same disease, and professionals,” and “maintenance of fulfilling life while the patient lives with Crohn’s disease.”
Discussion: The result suggests the need for continued support for raising consciousness of what the patient himself/herself wants to be and helping the patient to come up with a right self-care method.