Self-care agency is defined as:

Self-care agency refers to an individual's ability and capacity to engage in self-care activities. This encompasses the knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary for individuals to take charge of their health and well-being. It reflects a person's potential to identify their own health needs, make informed choices, and effectively manage their own health outcomes.

In the context of self-care, agency is crucial because it empowers individuals to participate actively in their own care, promoting autonomy and responsibility for one's health. Understanding one's own conditions, recognizing the need for maintenance or improvement, and implementing self-care strategies are all aspects of self-care agency.

The other options focus on different aspects of health and care, such as the role of nurses, the support systems available, and the level of medical intervention needed, but they do not capture the essence of self-care agency, which is specifically about the individual's potential and ability to manage their own health through self-care.