The Association Between Self‐Care and Health Literacy in Patients With Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT

Background

Chronic diseases are a major global health burden, contributing to morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Self-care is essential for effective disease management, with health literacy (HL) and digital health literacy (eHL) playing a role in enabling individuals to engage in health-promoting behaviours. However, the relationship between HL and self-care remains inconclusive, necessitating further investigation to clarify its impact.

Objective

To synthesise evidence on the association between HL and self-care in chronic diseases and identify mediating and moderating factors influencing this relationship.

Information Sources

A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane CENTRAL, supplemented by manual reference checks and author correspondence.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines, including observational studies and RCTs assessing HL and self-care. Meta-analyses were performed using Fisher's Z transformation. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-E and certainty of evidence was evaluated through GRADE.

Results

A total of 138 studies were included, with 52 meta-analysed. Higher HL was associated with improved self-care behaviours, including medication adherence, disease monitoring and lifestyle modifications across chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, asthma, coronary artery disease, arthritis and COPD. Psychological (self-efficacy, empowerment), cognitive (disease knowledge, decision-making) and social (healthcare communication, social support) factors mediated this relationship, while distress and depression moderated it. Meta-analysis revealed a moderate positive association between HL and self-care (r = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.26–0.31, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed consistent positive effects across conditions. No significant publication bias was detected (Egger's test, p = 0.294). Risk of bias was high in 62 studies, while certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.

Conclusions

HL positively influences self-care in chronic diseases, with its impact shaped by multiple mediators and moderators. Future interventions should integrate tailored education, digital tools and mental health support to enhance HL effectiveness.

Registration

PROSPERO (CRD42024488061, registered 20.01.2024).