Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing (대한간호학회지)

Korean Society of Nursing Science (한국간호과학회)
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The Meaning of Illness among Korean Americans with Chronic Hepatitis B

미주 한인 만성 B형 간염 환자의 질병의 의미

  • Yang, Jin-Hyang (Department of Nursing, Inje University) ;
  • Lee, Hae-Ok (College of Nursing and Health Science, University of Massachusetts Boston) ;
  • Cho, Myung-Ok (Department of Nursing, Dongeui University)
  • 양진향 (인제대학교 간호학과) ;
  • 이혜옥 (메사츄세츠대학교 간호건강과학대학) ;
  • 조명옥 (동의대학교 간호학과)
  • Received : 2010.03.21
  • Accepted : 2010.10.14
  • Published : 2010.10.31
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Abstract

Purpose: This ethnography was done to explore the meaning of illness in Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: The participants were 6 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 6 general informants who could provide relevant data. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with ethnographic interviews within Korean communities in two cities in the United States. Data were analyzed using causal chain analysis developed by Wolcott. Results: The analyses revealed three meanings for the illness: hidden disease, intentionally hidden disease, and inevitably hidden disease. The contexts of meaning of illness included characteristics of the illness, social stigma, structure of health care system and communication patterns and discourse between health care providers and clients. Conclusion: The meaning of illness was based on folk illness concepts and constructed in the sociocultural context. Folk etiology, pathology and interpretation of one's symptoms were factors influencing illness behavior. These findings could be a cornerstone for culture specific care for Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B.

Keywords

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