Help-Seeking Behaviour for Hepatitis C in Kuala Nerang, Kedah

Authors

  • Azrul Azlan Abdul Rahman, Zuliskandar Ramli, Mohd Farhan Zulkifli

Abstract

Hepatitis C (Hep C) is a serious health problem affecting about 170 million people worldwide. Malaysia has the Hep C cases infecting its 2.7% of general population, majority of them are male dwelling in rural areas. Biomedical and epidemiological researches on Hep C are in abundance but little is known about the illness behaviour of these people in the country. To fill this research gap, the present study attempts to explicate informant’s illness perceptions about Hep C. To achieve these objectives, qualitative research approach was adopted by conducting face-to-face in-depth interviews with 15 purposively selected informants in natural setting of Kuala Nerang, Kedah of Malaysia. The sample size (n=15) was determined by saturation point. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed verbatim in informants’ native language Malay The findings were generated by performing thematic analysis technique on original Malay transcripts. The emerging codes, sub-themes, main themes and their matching quotes were translated into English by consulting with the expert translator. Thematic analysis revealed that informant’s illness perceptions of Hep C were both true as well as false. To manage and cure the illness, informants sought help from multiple sources: medical as well as non-medical. This research conclude that informants had misunderstandings of different dimensions of Hep C as a chronic condition. They were incorrect about the causes, effects and dangers of Hep C. They were witnessing mixed forms of disease based on their perceptions of the disease. They were imbued with their experiences of social and cultural contexts.

Keywords- Adherence to treatment regimen, Hep C, Malaysia

Published

2020-12-21

Issue

Section

Articles