Sociocultural influences and self-care practices of middle adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to describe general self-care practices of middle adolescents. In addition, the relation between general self-care practices and specific sociocultural characteristics including socioeconomics and church attendance were explored. Orem's self-care theory and developmental theory provided the framework for the investigation. Findings from the sample of 15- and 16-year-old adolescents (n = 425) showed that they are engaging in self-care practices. The influence of sociocultural characteristics on self-care practices was supported. Implications from the study include the need to continue research endeavors that describe, explain, and predict health behavior in child and adolescent populations. Practicing nurses in diverse health care settings should consider the results of this study when working with adolescents and their families from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. Results from this investigation should be incorporated into the planning of health education programs for the adolescent population.