Results
Study sample and dropouts
The study sample (n = 1050) consisted of 524 women and 526 men, ranging in age between 65 and 96 years, with a mean age of 74.3 years (SD 6.8). The dropouts had a higher mean age (77.4 years, SD 8.2, p < 0.001), and more women (n = 1133) than men (n = 834) were not responding (p < 0.001). There were no difference regard- ing the size of living-municipality between the study sample and the dropouts.
Self-care ability and self-care agency
The results of measured self-care ability and self-care agency using SASE (n = 1020) and ASA (n = 977) in the total study sample showed a mean score of 74.6 (SD 9.3) ranging from 27 to 85, and 92.3 (SD 10.9) ranging from 42 to 120, respectively. Lower self-care ability and self-care
agency were significantly related to more advanced age, when the sample was grouped in three age cohorts (Table 1).
Self-care ability and respondents’ characteristics
A total of 860 individuals (84.3%) were found to have higher self-care ability (‡69 scores) using SASE, and 180 (15.7%) had lower self-care ability (