“I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana
Abstract Background Cervical cancer is a very common disease among women in Ghana and in the world as a whole. However, there is a dearth of information on the mechanisms cervical cancer patients adopt to cope with the condition in Ghana. This study sought to explore the strategies adopted by cervic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Palliative Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12904-018-0277-5 |
| _version_ | 1818684039744192512 |
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| author | Charity Binka Samuel Harrenson Nyarko Kofi Awusabo-Asare David Teye Doku |
| author_facet | Charity Binka Samuel Harrenson Nyarko Kofi Awusabo-Asare David Teye Doku |
| author_sort | Charity Binka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Cervical cancer is a very common disease among women in Ghana and in the world as a whole. However, there is a dearth of information on the mechanisms cervical cancer patients adopt to cope with the condition in Ghana. This study sought to explore the strategies adopted by cervical cancer patients in rural Ghana to cope with the disease. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from cervical cancer patients in a health facility in the Volta Region of Ghana. Data processing was done using the R software package for Qualitative Data Analysis (RQDA) and a thematic approach was used to analyse and present the results. Results The results show that cervical cancer patients adopted personal and psychological strategies such as sexual abstinence, personal hygiene, and disease denial to cope with the condition. Respondents also described social, financial and non-material support services they received from family members and the church as critical resources, which helped them to manage the conditions of the disease. Respondents also reported that faith healing, herbal and orthodox medicines helped them to manage the symptoms of the disease. Conclusions Cervical cancer patients used a variety of coping strategies to manage the disease. Yet, it will be essential for interventions to focus on strengthening knowledge about the disease. This study underscores the need for financial, social and material support as well as an encouragement of the use of health services among cervical cancer patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:44:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f85ed2c8a92435f9580fc804ab14775 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-684X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:44:18Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Palliative Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f85ed2c8a92435f9580fc804ab147752022-12-21T21:52:09ZengBMCBMC Palliative Care1472-684X2018-02-011711810.1186/s12904-018-0277-5“I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural GhanaCharity Binka0Samuel Harrenson Nyarko1Kofi Awusabo-Asare2David Teye Doku3School of Public Service and Governance, Ghana Institute of Management and Public AdministrationDepartment of Population and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied SciencesDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastAbstract Background Cervical cancer is a very common disease among women in Ghana and in the world as a whole. However, there is a dearth of information on the mechanisms cervical cancer patients adopt to cope with the condition in Ghana. This study sought to explore the strategies adopted by cervical cancer patients in rural Ghana to cope with the disease. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from cervical cancer patients in a health facility in the Volta Region of Ghana. Data processing was done using the R software package for Qualitative Data Analysis (RQDA) and a thematic approach was used to analyse and present the results. Results The results show that cervical cancer patients adopted personal and psychological strategies such as sexual abstinence, personal hygiene, and disease denial to cope with the condition. Respondents also described social, financial and non-material support services they received from family members and the church as critical resources, which helped them to manage the conditions of the disease. Respondents also reported that faith healing, herbal and orthodox medicines helped them to manage the symptoms of the disease. Conclusions Cervical cancer patients used a variety of coping strategies to manage the disease. Yet, it will be essential for interventions to focus on strengthening knowledge about the disease. This study underscores the need for financial, social and material support as well as an encouragement of the use of health services among cervical cancer patients.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12904-018-0277-5CopingStrategiesCervical cancerPatientsRural Ghana |
| spellingShingle | Charity Binka Samuel Harrenson Nyarko Kofi Awusabo-Asare David Teye Doku “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana BMC Palliative Care Coping Strategies Cervical cancer Patients Rural Ghana |
| title | “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana |
| title_full | “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana |
| title_fullStr | “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana |
| title_short | “I always tried to forget about the condition and pretend I was healed”: coping with cervical cancer in rural Ghana |
| title_sort | i always tried to forget about the condition and pretend i was healed coping with cervical cancer in rural ghana |
| topic | Coping Strategies Cervical cancer Patients Rural Ghana |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12904-018-0277-5 |
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