Self-management in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living with Multimorbidity: A Scoping Review

Objective: This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the existing evidence on self-management among community-dwelling older adults living with multimorbidity, with particular attention to how self-management is conceptualized, implemented, and evaluated in community and nursing care contexts. Methods: A scoping review methodology will be conducted in accordance with established frameworks for scoping reviews. Comprehensive searches will be undertaken across major electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Thai List, and TCI-ThaiJO. The search will focus on studies involving community-dwelling older adults with multimorbidity and addressing self-management concepts, strategies, interventions, or outcomes. Eligible studies will be screened and selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted and charted to summarize study characteristics, definitions of self-management, key attributes, contributing factors, intervention approaches, and outcome measures. Review Findings: This review is expected to identify substantial conceptual and methodological heterogeneity in how self-management is defined and operationalized among older adults with multimorbidity. Key domains of self-management, influencing factors, and gaps in current evidence particularly related to context-sensitive and nursing-led interventions will be mapped. Conclusion: By systematically mapping the existing literature, this scoping review will provide a comprehensive overview of self-management in community-dwelling older adults living with multimorbidity. The findings will inform future nursing research, support the development of person-centred and community-based self-management interventions, and guide the design of more consistent and contextually appropriate evaluation approaches. Keywords: Self-management, Multimorbidity, Older adults, Community-dwelling