{
  "abstract": "Background and objectives\n\nDisempowerment in the context of chronic illness refers to the state of dissatisfaction with diminishing opportunities to control personal lives, potentially leading to disengagement in health management and negative health outcomes. However, the experiences and perceptions of disempowerment in chronic illness among older adults are not fully understood. This study aims to explore the experiences and perceptions of disempowerment in older adults with chronic illness.Research design and methods\n\nQualitative description was employed. From January to March 2025, individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 Cantonese-speaking older adults with chronic illness. Template analysis was used.Results\n\nThree themes emerged regarding the experiences of disempowerment: (1) confusion and uncertainty amid unexpected changes and unclear information, (2) struggles to manage their health in the way they would like, and (3) difficulty in living the life they had before or had hoped for. Negative feelings towards the experiences were also identified with indirect expression to others. The causes included: (1) irreversibly declining health and intrinsic capacity, (2) unmet expectations, and (3) age discrimination. The consequences involved: (1) disengaging the context of disempowerment by suppressing negative emotions, distancing themselves from care partners, and trying to overcome the situation, followed by (2) accepting or despairing over time.Discussion and implications\n\nThis study revealed the experiences and perceptions, causes and consequences of disempowerment in older adults with chronic illness. The tendency to indirectly express or suppress the negative feelings underscores a need for tailored strategies to better assess and address disempowerment in this population.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR.",
    "Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR.",
    "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.",
    "Deakin Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research - Bayside Health Partnership, Geelong, Victoria, Australia."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hau Yi Jodie Tse",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-3912-740X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Crystal Kwan",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7052-5732"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Daphne Sze Ki Cheung",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5651-9352"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Grace Wing Ka Ho",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4703-5430"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a37rcaqwb59da.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/geront/gnag235",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13700062",
  "id": "a37rcaqwb59da",
  "issns": [
    "0016-9013",
    "1758-5341"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834536",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02600"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2739|Aging, Health, and Disability"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220737142",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13700062?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13700062",
  "pmid": "42834536",
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a37rcaqwb59da.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42834536",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834536"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13700062",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnag235"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2739|Aging, Health, and Disability",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Exploring experiences of disempowerment in older adults with chronic illness: a qualitative study.",
  "title_text": "Exploring experiences of disempowerment in older adults with chronic illness: a qualitative study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:36:32Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a37rcaqwb59da",
  "venue": "The Gerontologist",
  "versions": []
}