Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the self-management behaviors and related factors among disabled elderly. Methods: Data was collected by face-to- face survey from the day care, rehabilitation outpatient and long term care institution users who were aged 60 or over with physical disabilities. There were 563 persons interviewed, and 505 of them completed the survey, with completion rate of 89.7%. Self-management health behaviors included exercise and
rehabilitation, dietary behavior, spiritual coping behavior and self-management evaluation. The predictors included demographic characteristics, health status, social support, assistive device use and home modification, and external
resources. Logistic regression analysis was applied. Results: The disabled elderly who lived in the community (OR=10.840), had more support from the health care professionals (OR=1.024), more support from their family and friends (OR=1.076) would perform more exercise and rehabilitation. The disabled elderly who had more community environment resources (OR=1.168), less applied home
modification (OR=0.541) and better cognition function (OR=1.115) performed diet management. Being female (OR=0.306), lived in the community (OR=2.162), having more community environment resource (OR=1.073), more media information (OR=1.079), and less physical disabilities (OR=0.897) were more likely to performed spirituality coping behavior. The disabled elderly who lived in nursing home (?=-3.122), had more support from health care professionals (?
=0.205), more family and friends support (?=0.225), more community support (?
=0.337), more applied home modification (?=0.622) and better cognition function (?=0.218), their self-management evaluation was better. Conclusions: The
disabled elderly living in the community performed more self-management of health behaviors than the institutional elderly, which indicates the passive attitude or lower autonomy of the institutionalized elderly. External resource, social support, and health care management to self-management behaviors are suggested to improve successful aging.
