Chronic health conditions in children and youth are important health problems that seriously affect all aspects of their everyday lives. There is growing recognition of the need to promote disease self-management in youth with chronic health conditions. While there is evidence of the effectiveness of self-management programs to improve health outcomes in pediatric chronic illnesses, there are barriers to youth receiving these services. Internet-based programs offer an innovative approach to improve the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of these programs. This chapter provides an overview of Internet-based chronic disease self-management treatment programs for children and youth. It defines and describes the underlying theories, processes, and content elements of Internet-based self-management programs. Practical tips for program development and evaluation in terms of improved health outcomes are also discussed based on the authors’ experience with developing the “Teens Taking Charge: Managing Arthritis Online” self-management program for adolescents with arthritis. Future directions for theory, research, and clinical practice are also described.
Dynamics of Obesity and Chronic Health Conditions Among Children and Youth
