Images of health among hospital patients in Jordan: A qualitative study

  • Authors

    • Noordeen Awath Shoqirat Dr. Noordeen Shoqirat Head of Fundamental and Adult Health Nursing Faculty of Nursing Mutah University Postal Code: 61710 Karak, JORDAN Tel: 00962 -32372380 Office Ext: 6707 Mobile: 00962-79511285
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijans.v1i2.276

    Received date: July 21, 2012

    Accepted date: October 8, 2012

    Published date: October 28, 2012

  • focus group discussions, health, hospital patients, culture, Jordan, nursing

  • Abstract

     

    The purpose of this study was to examine hospital patients’ understanding of health and its cultural constructions in Jordan. Focus group discussions (n=4) were carried out with hospital patients. The findings showed three images of health among patients in Jordan with different complexity levels. This included health as the freedom from illness, health as being in good social and psychological wellbeing, health as being physically, psychologically, socially and economically satisfied. Gender related conceptualisation of health have been associated with the role of men and women in the society. Hospital patients’ understanding of health is diverse, multidimensional, and affected by their gender. Therefore, hospital nurses are urged to incorporate patients’ conceptualisations of health and factors involved into the framework of the patient’s daily care plan and health promotion activity. The study limitations and recommendations for practice and future research are also outlined.

    Author Biography

    • Noordeen Awath Shoqirat, Dr. Noordeen Shoqirat Head of Fundamental and Adult Health Nursing Faculty of Nursing Mutah University Postal Code: 61710 Karak, JORDAN Tel: 00962 -32372380 Office Ext: 6707 Mobile: 00962-79511285
      Dr. Noordeen Shoqirat Head of Fundamental and Adult Health Nursing
      Faculty of Nursing 
      Mutah University 

  • References

    1. Catford, J., The Bangkok Conference: steering countries to build national capacity for health promotion. Health Promotion International, 2005. 20(1): 1-6.
    2. Mittelmark, M.B., Setting an ethical agenda for health promotion. Health Promotion International, 2008. 23(1): 78-85.
    3. Pelikan, J.M., K. Krajic, and C. Dietscher, The health promoting hospital (HPH): concept and development. Patient Education and Counseling, 2001. 45(4): 239-243.
    4. Seedhouse, D., Health promotion: Philosophy, Prejudice and Practice, 2nd ed John Wiley, West Sussex, 2004.
    5. Shoqirat, N., The role of jordanan hospital nurses in promoting patients' health (PhD thesis). Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, 2009.
    6. Hjelm, K.G., et al., Beliefs about health and diabetes in men of different ethnic origin. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2005. 50(1): 47-59.
    7. Tones, K. and J. Green, Health Promotion: Planning and Strategies. Sage Publications, London, 2004.
    8. Casey, D., Nurses’ perceptions, understanding and experiences of health promotion. Journal of Clinical nursing, 2007. 16(6): 1039-1049.
    9. Cross, R., Accident and emergency nurses’ attitudes towards health promotion. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2005. 51(5): 474-483.
    10. Whitehead, D., et al., Health promotion and health education practice: nurses’ perceptions. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2008. 61(2):181-187.
    11. Irvine, F., Exploring district nursing competencies in health promotion: the use of the Delphi technique. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2005. 14(8): 965-975.
    12. Piper, S., Health Promotion for Nurses: Theory and Practice. Routledge, Abingdon, 2009.
    13. Maddox, M., Older women and the meaning of health. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 1999. 25(12):26-32.
    14. Yoho, M.J. and I. Ezeobele, Health and meaning: A perspective of Geriatric Hispanic Women. Geriatric Nursing, 2002. 23(5): 268-271.
    15. Gharaibeh, M., R. Al-Ma’aitah, and N. Al Jada, Lifestyle practices of Jordanian pregnant wmen. International Nursing Review, 2005. 52(2): 92-100.
    16. Shoqirat, N. and S. Cameron, Promoting Hospital Patients’ Health in Jordan: Rhetoric and Reality of Nurses’ Roles. International Journal of Nursing 2012. 1(1): 28-37.
    17. McLennan, V. and F. Khavarpour, Culturally appropriate health promotion: its meaning and application in Aboriginal communities. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 2004. 15(3): 237-242.
    18. Bowling, A., Measuring Health: A review of Quality of Life Measurement Scales. Open University Press, England, 2004.
    19. Higgins, P.G. and C.D. Learn, Health practices of adult Hispanic women. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1999. 29(5): 1105-1112.
    20. Kim-Godwin, Y.S., P.N. Clarke, and L. Barton, A model for the delivery of culturally competent community care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2001. 35(6):918-925.
    21. Ogden, J., et al., What is health? Where GPs’ and patients’ worlds collide. Patient Education and Counseling, 2001. 45(4): 265-269.
    22. Buchanan, D.R., Perspective: A new ethic for health promotion: Reflections on a philosophy of health education for the 21st century. Health Education & Behavior, 2006. 33(3): 290-304.
    23. McBride, A., Health promotion in the acute hospital setting: the receptivity of adult in-patients. Patient Education and Counseling, 2004. 54(1): 73-78.
    24. De Chavez, A.C., et al., Understanding and researching wellbeing: Its usage in different disciplines and potential for health research and health promotion. Health Education Journal, 2005. 64(1): 70-87.
    25. WHO, Constitution of the WHO. Reprinted in: Basic documents. WHO, Geneva, 1946.
    26. King, I.M., King's conceptual framework and theory of goal attainment. National League for Nursing, New York, 1990.
    27. Ewles, L. and I. Simnett, Promoting Health: A practical Guide., ed. 5th. Bailliere Tindall, Toronto,2003.
    28. Pender, N.J., C.L. Murdaugh, and M.A. Parsons, Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. 5th ed. Upper saddle river, lavoisier, 2002.
    29. Helman, C.G., Culture, health and illness. Hodder Headline Group, Arnold, 2001.
    30. Tones, K. and S. Tilford, Health promotion: effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham, 2001.
    31. Dickinson, R. and A. Bhatt, Ethnicity, health and control: results from an exploratory study of ethnic minority communities' attitudes to health. Health Education Journal, 1994. 53(4): 421-429.
    32. Paxton, S., A. Sculthorpe, and K. Gibbons, Concepts of health in Australian men: a qualitative study. Health Education Journal, 1994. 53(4): 430-438.
    33. Umaña-Taylor, A.J. and M.Y. Bámaca, Conducting Focus Groups with Latino Populations: Lessons from the Field. Family Relations, 2004. 53(3): 261-272.
    34. McKinley, R.K., et al., Reliability and validity of a new measure of patient satisfaction with out of hours primary medical care in the United Kingdom: development of a patient questionnaire. BMJ, 1997. 314(7075): 193-198.
    35. Sim, J., Collecting and analysing qualitative data: issues raised by the focus group. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1998. 28(2): 345-352.
    36. Burnard, P., A method of analysing interview transcripts in qualitative research. Nurse Education Today, 1991. 11(6): 461-466.
    37. Kitzinger, J. and R.S. Barbour, Developing Focus Group Research: Politics, Theory and Practice. London: Sage Publications Ltd, 1999.
    38. Polit, D.B. and C. Hungler, C. Essentials of nursing research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia ,2006.
    39. Gillis, A. and W. Jackson, Research for Nurses: Methods & Interpretation. F.A Davis Company, Philadelphia ,2001
    40. Mok, E. and B. Au‐Yeung, Relationship between organizational climate and empowerment of nurses in Hong Kong. Journal of Nursing Management, 2002. 10(3): 129-137.
    41. Houston, A.M. and S. Cowley, An empowerment approach to needs assessment in health visiting practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2002. 11(5): 640-650.
    42. Matthews, D.A., et al., Religious commitment and health status: a review of the research and implications for family medicine. Archives of Family Medicine, 1998. 7(2): 118-123.
    43. Oman, P.D., D., et al., Religious attendance and cause of death over 31 years. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 2002. 32(1): 69-69.
    44. Walsh, A., Religion and hypertension: testing alternative explanations among immigrants. Behavioral Medicine, 1998. 24(3): p. 122-130.
    45. Van Poppel, F., J. Schellekens, and A.C. Liefbroer, Religious differentials in infant and child mortality in Holland, 1855–1912. Population Studies, 2002. 56(3): 277-289.
    46. Govier, I., Spiritual care in nursing: a systematic approach. Nursing Standard 2000. 14(17):32.
    47. Sloan, R.P. and E. Bagiella, Claims about religious involvement and health outcomes. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2002. 24(1): 14-21.
    48. Lo, B., et al., Discussing religious and spiritual issues at the end of life. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002. 287(6): 749-754.
    49. Rafael, F. and R. Adeline, The politics of health promotion: Influences on public health promoting nursing practice in Ontario, Canada from Nightingale to the nineties. Advances in Nursing Science, 1999. 22(1): 23-27.
    50. Mahasneh, S.M., Health perceptions and health behaviours of poor urban Jordanian women. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2001. 36(1): 58-68.
    51. Ahmad, M.M. and J.A. Alasad, Patients' preferences for nurses' gender in Jordan. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 2007. 13(4): p. 237-242.
    52. Jones, K.E., C.R. Brockway, and R.E. Atkinson, Survey of health promotion organisational arrangements and levels of service for health promotion. Public Health, 1995. 109(1): 31-39.
    53. Glaser, B.G. and A.L. Strauss, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. De Gruyte, New York, 1967.

  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Shoqirat, N. A. (2012). Images of health among hospital patients in Jordan: A qualitative study. International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 1(2), 109-124. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijans.v1i2.276