Self-care for minor illness

To describe experiences with and knowledge of minor illness, self-care interventions used in minor illness and channels of information used when providing self-care for minor illness.

Although minor illness is self-limiting, symptoms can be substantial and have a great impact on the affected person's wellbeing. Possibilities to seek and find information about health and self-care have significantly increased through internet-based communities, forums, and websites. Still, a considerable number of consultations with general practitioners are for conditions that are potentially self-treatable. Seeking advanced care for minor illnesses is costly for society and can create discomfort for patients as they are down-prioritized at emergency departments.

Study participants were recruited randomly from the Swedish Address Register. A questionnaire was sent out, and the final sample included 317 randomly selected persons aged 18-80 and living in Sweden.

Having experienced a specific illness correlated with self-reported knowledge. Preferred self-care interventions differed between different conditions, but resting and self-medicating were commonly used, along with consulting health care facilities. Compliance to advice was the highest for official information channels, and family members were a popular source of advice.