TY - JOUR
T1 - Illness representations and coping practices for self-managing hypertension among sub-Saharan Africans
T2 - A comparative study among Ghanaian migrants and non-migrant Ghanaians
AU - Nyaaba, Gertrude Nsorma
AU - Agyemang, Charles
AU - Masana, Lina
AU - de-Graft Aikins, Ama
AU - Beune, Erik
AU - Larrea-Killinger, Cristina
AU - Stronks, Karien
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2019/9
Y1 - 2019/9
N2 - Objective: Hypertension (HTN) control is a major obstacle among sub-Saharan African populations partly due to poor self-management. We explored and compared how persons’ social and physical context shapes their illness representations regarding HTN and the coping strategies they develop and adapt to mitigate challenges in self-managing HTN. Methods: A cross sectional multisite qualitative study using semi-structured interviews among 55 Ghanaians with HTN living in The Netherlands and urban and rural Ghana. A thematic approach was used in data analysis. Results: Family HTN history, personal experiences with HTN and outcomes of using biomedical and traditional treatments shaped participants’ illness representations and coping strategies. Migrants and urban non-migrants modified medication schedules and integrated taking medication into daily routine activities to cope with experienced side effects of taking antihypertensive medication while rural non-migrants used traditional remedies and medicines to mitigate experienced medication side effects and/or in search for a cure for HTN. Conclusion: Contextual factors within participants’ social and physical environments shape their illness representations and coping strategies for HTN though interactive phrases. Practice implications: Health professionals should harness the relationships within peoples’ social and physical environments, encourage implementation of family-wide behavioural changes and involve family and communities in HTN treatment to enhance patients’ self-management of HTN.
AB - Objective: Hypertension (HTN) control is a major obstacle among sub-Saharan African populations partly due to poor self-management. We explored and compared how persons’ social and physical context shapes their illness representations regarding HTN and the coping strategies they develop and adapt to mitigate challenges in self-managing HTN. Methods: A cross sectional multisite qualitative study using semi-structured interviews among 55 Ghanaians with HTN living in The Netherlands and urban and rural Ghana. A thematic approach was used in data analysis. Results: Family HTN history, personal experiences with HTN and outcomes of using biomedical and traditional treatments shaped participants’ illness representations and coping strategies. Migrants and urban non-migrants modified medication schedules and integrated taking medication into daily routine activities to cope with experienced side effects of taking antihypertensive medication while rural non-migrants used traditional remedies and medicines to mitigate experienced medication side effects and/or in search for a cure for HTN. Conclusion: Contextual factors within participants’ social and physical environments shape their illness representations and coping strategies for HTN though interactive phrases. Practice implications: Health professionals should harness the relationships within peoples’ social and physical environments, encourage implementation of family-wide behavioural changes and involve family and communities in HTN treatment to enhance patients’ self-management of HTN.
KW - Africans
KW - Alcohol recommendations
KW - Context
KW - Coping strategies
KW - Dietary recommendations
KW - Hypertension
KW - Medication adherence
KW - Migrants
KW - Patient views
KW - Physical activity recommendations
KW - Self-management
KW - Smoking recommendations
KW - Social and cultural norms and practices
KW - Social support
KW - Traditional medicine for hypertension
KW - Urban and rural Africans
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064150518&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2019.04.008
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2019.04.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 30992171
AN - SCOPUS:85064150518
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 102
SP - 1711
EP - 1721
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 9
ER -