Objective:

To know the concept and practices of self-care among school-aged adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method:

This qualitative study used COREQ guidelines to construct the report. Seventeen adolescents participated, and data collection occurred through the personal diary technique. The data were submitted to thematic analysis.

Results:

The participants described the self-care phenomenon according to antecedents, attributes, and consequences of the pandemic. Conceptions of self-care and health often went beyond care needs for survival. Self-care behaviors among adolescents were noted to be multidimensional, with influences from individual, relational, and systemic levels and mediated by existential contexts. Experiences of self-care deficits were also recorded.

Final considerations:

The results may offer subsidies for support models for health professionals to stimulate adolescent self-care.

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