Social Interactions Process in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection (HBV): A Grounded Theory Study

Abstract

Abstract Title: Social Interactions Process in Patients with Hepatitis B virus Infection Introduction:Hepatitis B is a common health problem around the world and because of its chronic nature, it highly affects different aspects of life among the infected people and confronts them with many alterations and challenges in their social lives. The present research is planned due to the lack of studies based on the context and circumstances in the country as well as the fact that identification of appropriate strategies in order to confront these problems and accurately explore this process in the social interactions of these patients is necessary. As a result, the purpose of this study is to clarify the social interaction among HBV infected patients.Methods: The present study is a qualitative research conducted from 2014 to 2015using the grounded theory approach. The participants including 18 patients as the main participants, 2 physicians and 2 of the patients’ wives were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Moreover, the data was collected through unstructured interviews and the data analysis was performed simultaneously with the data collection using the Corbin and Straus (2008) approach.Results: Three main categories including rejection by others, inadequate support and the patient as the center for disease transmission were identified in the section regarding the contextual factors of social interaction. The patients’ main concern was to maintain and continue their everyday social interaction after the disease diagnosis and the endeavor towards peaceful coexistence with others was determined as the central category. The endeavor towards the active expansion of interactions (denial of the disease, self-care/ protecting others and dealing with the disease) refers to the participants’ strategies to interact peacefully with others which was followed by the consequences of interactions shadowed by the limitations as well as discouragement and inclination towards isolation. Conclusion:The results of the study indicate the permanent concern of these patients for preserving their common social interactions as well as their effort to have desired social interactions with others. Consequently, consideration of educational and consultation programs about the different aspects of the disease such as rejection, inadequate support, denying the disease and etc. by the managers and insiders of the healthcare system as well as the mass media is necessary in order to demonstrate the existing facts about the patients and the disease and to minimize the patients’ problems in social.