Mohammad Ali Morowatisharifabad
1, Tahereh Rahimi
1*, Tahmineh Farajkhoda
2, Hossein Fallahzadeh
3, Siamak Mohebi
41 Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
2 Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
3 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Research Center of Prevention and Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Disease, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
4 Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
Abstract
Background: Despite the important role of feelings in health care seeking behavior (HCSB), this subject has not yet been adequately investigated. HCSB-related feelings begin with the onset of disease symptoms and persist in different forms after treatment. The aim of current study was to explore the feelings that women of reproductive age experience when they seek health care.Methods: In this deductive, qualitative content analysis, participants were selected by purposeful sampling. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 17 women of reproductive age and 5 healthcare staffs in Qom, Iran were carried out until data saturation was achieved. Qualitative data were concurrently analyzed by deductive content analysis, using the Health Promotion Model (HPM). The MAXQDA10 software was used to manage qualitative data analysis.Results: Three main categories were drawn from data to explain the HCSB-related feelings of participants consisting of (1) feeling of inner satisfaction with the treatment with 2 subcategories including “peace of mind” and “feeling alive”, (2) multiple roles of fear with 5 subcategories including “fear about the consequences of delay”, “fear of having hidden diseases”, “fear of unknown experiences”, “fear of hearing bad news” and “fear of medical errors” and (3)uncomfortable feelings with 3 subcategories including “feeling uneasy when attending health facility”, “feeling embarrassed” and “feeling worthless due to dealing the doctor”.Conclusion: This study revealed that the inner feelings of women varied widely, ranging from positive or motivating feelings to negative or inhibitory ones, given their experiences with the formal health care system and the current situation of medical and health services. Highlighting patients’ perceived inner satisfaction and reducing fear and uncomfortable feelings by adopting culture-based practical strategies can enhance women’s HCSB.