Sakineh Taherkhani, Reza Negarandeh, Masoumeh Simbar and Fazlollah Ahmadi
The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to seeking help among abused Iranian women.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to seeking help among abused Iranian women.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research was carried out using content analysis approach. The participants were 24 married women who were selected from health care centers, recreational centers, and two universities in Tehran, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data.
Findings
During data analysis, four themes emerged that explained barriers to seeking help in the participants: “fear of negative consequences of help-seeking,” “lack of resources,” “beliefs and attitudes,” and “indirect experiences of not being supported.”
Originality/value
This study has practice and policy implications for promoting help-seeking among abused women. Based on the results, to promote help-seeking, intervention plans must focus on empowering women to improve their education and employment, eliminating attitudes and beliefs hindering help-seeking, and fortifying formal and informal support systems for abused women.
Details
Keywords
Hanieh Gholamnejad, Ali Darvishpoor Kakhki, Fazlollah Ahmadi and Camelia Rohani
Hypertension is the most common chronic disease throughout the world. Self-care is the key criteria in determining the final course of the disease. However, the majority of…
Abstract
Purpose
Hypertension is the most common chronic disease throughout the world. Self-care is the key criteria in determining the final course of the disease. However, the majority of elderly people do not observe self-care behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the experiences of elderly people with hypertension in order to understand the barriers of their self-care behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2017. Data collection was done among 23 participants – 14 elderly people; 6 cardiologists, geriatric physicians and nurses working in the cardiovascular ward; and 3 caregivers – who were selected by purposeful sampling. Using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, data collection was continued until data saturation.
Findings
Three main categories, including attitude limitations, inefficient supportive network and desperation, all showed barriers to self-care by the experiences of elderly people with hypertension.
Originality/value
Lack of knowledge of the disease and its treatment process is one of the main barriers to self-care in elderly people with hypertension. Deficient supportive resources along with economic and family problems exacerbate the failure to do self-care behaviors.