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The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate self‐care, symptom burden, and reported infections among individuals with lower‐extremity primary lymphedema; (b) to examine the differences in self‐care, symptom burden, and reported infections between individuals with unilateral and those with bilateral lower‐extremity primary lymphedema; and (c) to examine the associations among self‐care status, symptom burden, and reported infections in individuals with lower‐extremity primary lymphedema.

A secondary data analysis was used. Data were collected from a cross‐sectional survey study supported by the National Lymphedema Network from March 2006 through January 2010. The surveys were available both online and in hard copy in order to increase accessibility.

Descriptive statistics were conducted and associations between variables were assessed using Mann‐Whitney …