Experiencias, prácticas y necesidades de autocuidado en adolescentes: un estudio cualitativo con triangulación de fuentes

Objective: To describe in depth the experiences, practices, and needs of self-care in adolescents based on open-ended responses, triangulating them with contemporary scientific evidence on adolescent self-care in various contexts. Design: Descriptive qualitative study with inductive content analysis and peer review. Participants: School-aged adolescents. The sample consisted of 78 participants (MAge = 16.7, SD = 0.8, range = 15-18). Open and axial coding was performed by two independent reviewers; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Credibility was reinforced through analytical auditing, reflective memos, and triangulation with the literature. Themes and subthemes are reported with anonymized examples, and implications for school and community programs are discussed. Results: Six central themes emerged: daily physical self-care (nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and physical activity), emotional regulation and coping, support networks and ecologies (family, peers, and school), structural barriers (economic limitations, distance from caregivers, social norms), technology and self-care (ambivalence between informational support and distraction), and personal projects and prevention (academic goals, demand for medical/dental check-ups). Conclusions: The adolescent self-care described is sustained by basic habits, family ties, and immediate goals, but is strained by social determinants and gaps in emotional and sexual education. We recommend self-care curricula with a focus on social-emotional skills and menstrual/sexual health, school health clinics for preventive check-ups, and digital designs co-created with adolescents and families.