Self-care capacity in university students: longitudinal study

Abstract

Introduction. The university stage represents a crucial period in individuals' lives, where the development of healthy habits is fundamental. Objective. To evaluate self-care capacity in students from a Mexican university and its variation over time. Materials and Methods. An observational, analytical, prospective, and longitudinal study with 67 students, using convenience sampling, applying the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASA) in Spanish on four occasions over two years, which assesses self-care capacity. Data analysis was performed through the repeated measures ANOVA test and the multilevel mixed-effects linear model. The protocol was evaluated and endorsed by the Institution's Ethics and Research Committees. Results. Significant variations in self-care capacity were observed between the baseline measurement and the second measurement (p=0.001), between the baseline measurement and the fourth measurement (p<.001), but not between the baseline measurement and the third measurement (p=0.128). When evaluating different measurements according to sex, faculty, nationality, marital status, and working while studying, significant differences were found (p<0.001). Conclusion. There exists a variation in self-care capacity among university students over time, emphasizing the need for Health Promotion interventions.