A qualitative investigation into lived experiences of patients with hypertension in Soran District, Iraqi Kurdistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22122/cdj.v8i2.513Keywords:
Hypertension, Lived Experiences, Hermeneutic Phenomenological MethodAbstract
BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) which is highly prevalent is called a silent killer because it is asymptomatic at its early stages. Moreover, personal and social factors have been reported as effective causes of HTN. In this regard, the present study was aimed at investigating the lived experiences of patients with HTN living in Soran District, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in 2018.
METHODS: The current study was conducted by a qualitative method. In so doing, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 patients with HTN who referred to Ashti Hospital in Soran District in 2018. To analyze the recorded and transcribed interviews, Van Manen’s (1990) hermeneutic phenomenological method was employed, and finally the themes were obtained.
RESULTS: Data analysis led to appearance of four main themes which were: denial and ignorance of the disease, disturbance in social and familial life, interference with physical and mental health, and treatment difficulty.
CONCLUSION: Given the themes obtained from analyzing the interviews, medical teams are recommended to convince patients with HTN about seriousness of their disease and help them with their physical and mental health. Also, families of such patients are advised to learn how to deal with them while their blood pressure (BP) is high. And finally, governmental authorities are suggested to provide such patients with insurance services so they can afford the treatment costs.
References
Souffront K, Gestal C, Melkus GD, Richardson L. Recognition of Asymptomatic Hypertension in an Urban Emergency Department: Where Are We Now? Adv Emerg Nurs J 2016; 38(4): 320-6.
Varon J, William J. Management of severe asymptomatic hypertension (hypertensive urgencies) in adults [Online]. [cited 2019]; Available from: URL: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/management-of-severe-asymptomatic-hypertension-hypertensive-urgencies-in-adults.
Accad M, Fred HL. On redefining hypertension. Tex Heart Inst J 2010; 37(4): 439-41.
Sawicka K, Szczyrek M, Jastrzebska I, Prasal M, Zwolak A, Daniluk J. Hypertension-The Silent Killer. J Pre Clin Clin Res 2011; 5(2): 43-6.
Mancia G, Fagard R, Narkiewicz K, Redon J, Zanchetti A, Bohm M, et al. 2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens 2013; 31(7): 1281-357.
Shamsi A, Dehghan NN, Esmaeili M. Living with hypertension: A Qualitative Research. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery 2017; 5(3): 219-30.
Franklin SS, O'Brien E, Staessen JA. Masked hypertension: Understanding its complexity. Eur Heart J 2017; 38(15): 1112-8.
Baheti NN, Nair M, Thomas SV. Long-term visual outcome in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2011; 14(1): 19-22.
Hakim A, Bagheri R. Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in Ahvaz school age children in 2013. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery 2014; 2(3): 136-41.
Gusmao JL, Pierin AMG. Bulpitt and Fletcher's specifc questionnaire for quality of life assessment of hypertensive patients. Rev Esc Enferm USP 2009; 43: 1034-43.
Carroll D, Phillips AC, Gale CR, Batty GD. Generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders, their comorbidity and hypertension in middle-aged men. Psychosom Med 2010; 72(1): 16-9.
Patten SB, Williams JV, Lavorato DH, Campbell NR, Eliasziw M, Campbell TS. Major depression as a risk factor for high blood pressure: Epidemiologic evidence from a national longitudinal study. Psychosom Med 2009; 71(3): 273-9.
Hamer M, Batty GD, Stamatakis E, Kivimaki M. Hypertension awareness and psychological distress. Hypertension 2010; 56(3): 547-50.
Kretchy IA, Owusu-Daaku FT, Danquah SA. Mental health in hypertension: Assessing symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress on anti-hypertensive medication adherence. Int J Ment Health Syst
; 8: 25.
Laaser U, Breckenkamp J, Bjegovic V. Treatment of hypertension in Germany: Is there a social gradient? Int J Public Health 2012; 57(1): 185-91.
O'Collins VE, Donnan GA, Macleod MR, Howells DW. Hypertension and experimental stroke therapies. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2013; 33(8): 1141-7.
Maslakpak MH, Safaie M. A Comparison between the effectiveness of short message service and reminder cards regarding medication adherence in patients with hypertension: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery 2016; 4(3): 209-18.
Butt TF, Branch RL, Beesley L, Martin U. Managing hypertension in the very elderly: Effect of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) on achieving targets. J Hum Hypertens 2010; 24(8): 514-8.
Akter S, Eguchi M, Kurotani K, Kochi T, Pham NM, Ito R, et al. High dietary acid load is associated with increased prevalence of hypertension: The Furukawa Nutrition and Health Study. Nutrition 2015; 31(2): 298-303.
Katende G, Groves S, Becker K. Hypertension education intervention with Ugandan nurses working in hospital outpatient clinic: A pilot study. Nurs Res Pract 2014; 2014: 710702.
Stuart-Shor EM, Berra KA, Kamau MW, Kumanyika SK. Behavioral strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction in diverse and underserved racial/ethnic groups. Circulation 2012; 125(1): 171-84.
Marshall IJ, Wolfe CD, McKevitt C. Lay perspectives on hypertension and drug adherence: Systematic review of qualitative research. BMJ 2012; 345: e3953.
Viruell-Fuentes EA, Ponce NA, Alegria M. Neighborhood context and hypertension outcomes among Latinos in Chicago. J Immigr Minor Health 2012; 14(6): 959-67.
Tu W, Pratt JH. A consideration of genetic mechanisms behind the development of hypertension in blacks. Curr Hypertens Rep 2013; 15(2): 108-13.
Higginson AC, Robinson EB. Quality of Life. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2002. p. 144.
Holloway I, Wheeler S. Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2010.
Akici A, Kalaca S, Ugurlu U, Toklu HZ, Oktay S. Antihypertensive drug utilization at health centres in a district of Istanbul. Pharm World Sci 2007; 29(3): 116-21.
Mills KT, Bundy JD, Kelly TN, Reed JE, Kearney PM, Reynolds K, et al. Global Disparities of Hypertension Prevalence and Control: A Systematic Analysis of Population-Based Studies from 90 Countries. Circulation 2016; 134(6): 441-50.
World Health Organization. Iraq celebrates World Health Day under the theme of hypertension [Online]. [cited 2013]; Available from: http://www.emro.who.int/irq/iraq-events/world-health-day.html.
Van Manen M. Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. Albany, NY: SUNY Press; 1990.
Elo S, Kyngas H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs 2008; 62(1): 107-15.
Udompittayason W, Boonyasopun U, Songwathana P. Perspectives on hypertension among thai-melayu elderly in a province of southern Thailand: An ethnographic study. Songklanagarind Journal of Nursing 2015; 35(2): 45-59.
Samranbua A. The lived experience of rural Thai older adults with poorly controlled hypertension [PhD Thesis]; Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America; 2011. p. 168.
Xu X, Rao Y, Shi Z, Liu L, Chen C, Zhao Y. Hypertension impact on health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional survey among middle-aged adults in Chongqing, China. Int J Hypertens 2016; 2016: 7404957.
McCartney Feild G. Living with hypertension: Experiences of black men related to their perceptions of the clinical encounter at diagnosis [PhD Thesis]; Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee; 2014. p. 176.
Akbarpour S, Khalili D, Zeraati H, Mansournia MA, Ramezankhani A, Fotouhi A. Healthy lifestyle behaviors and control of hypertension among adult hypertensive patients. Sci Rep 2018; 8(1): 8508.
Farha RA, Saleh A, Aburuz S. The impact of drug related problems on health-related quality of life among hypertensive patients in Jordan. Pharm Pract (Granada) 2017; 15(3): 995.
Lewis LM, Askie P, Randleman S, Shelton-Dunston B. Medication adherence beliefs of community-dwelling hypertensive African Americans. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2010; 25(3): 199-206.
Arredondo A, Zuniga A. Epidemiological changes and financial consequences of hypertension in Latin America: Implications for the health system and patients in Mexico. Cad Saude Publica 2012; 28(3): 497-502.
Whitt-Glover MC, Keith NR, Ceaser TG, Virgil K, Ledford L, Hasson RE. A systematic review of physical activity interventions among African American adults: Evidence from 2009 to 2013. Obes Rev 2014; 15(Suppl 4): 125-45.
Oliveria SA, Chen RS, McCarthy BD, Davis CC, Hill MN. Hypertension knowledge, awareness, and attitudes in a hypertensive population. J Gen Intern Med 2005; 20(3): 219-25.
