Even though most pediatric chronic illnesses are not preventable by changes in lifestyle, many comorbidities should be highly modifiable. Having frequent communication with family, peers, and health professionals via support groups, health promotion programs, and even internet-based support can help improve outcomes for children with chronic illness. 

University of Illinois at Chicago

Self-management is when a person applies behavior change strategies in order to achieve long-term goals. Forms of self-management within pediatric chronic illness includes:

- Medication management
- Exercise management
- Communication with family, peers, and health professionals
- Knowledge-based education 

Self-management as a possible way to cope with pediatric chronic illness

Sawyer, S. M., Drew, S., Yeo, M. S., & Britto, M. T. (2007). Adolescents with a chronic condition: challenges living, challenges treating. The Lancet, 369(9571), 1481-1489. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60370-5

Adolescents with a chronic condition: challenges living, challenges treating (Sawyer et al., 2007)

The ability to self-manage is typically associated with greater self-efficacy, which is the confidence in a person's ability to execute the necessary behavioral changes in their life. 

Self-management increases self-efficacy in pediatric patients

Medication management is defined as behaviors/steps that are made to manage medication, which includes ensuring that medication is being administered properly and that children are achieving their planned, therapeutic outcome from the medication. 

Medication management as a proposed way to cope with pediatric chronic illness

Exercise management is defined as the continuous process of supervising and integrating a variation of exercises over time. This can be especially helpful in children who live with diabetes as it can improve metabolic control.

Exercise management as a proposed way to cope with pediatric chronic illness 

Knowledge-based education is defined as learning that focuses on both the knowledge that a child already has, and the understanding that they are going to attain by doing work. By enhancing a child's knowledge about their chronic illness, it can maximize their dignity and self-efficacy, which will in turn enable better shared decision-making between doctor and patient. 

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