Lay Perspectives on the Emerging Influenza: A Qualitative Study
| Autor: | Hui-Ju Yang, 楊惠茹 |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 101 Background and objectives: In recent years, it has been witnessed a consecutive emergence of new influenza. The general public has been therefore intensively exposed to an abundance of flu information. This study aims to examine how laypersons perceive and respond to the emerging influenza under this particular circumstance. In particular, the objectives of this study were (1) to explore lay knowing and reasoning about recently appeared new influenzas, and (2) to describe the profile and the underlying rationales of the lay public’s behavioral responses to these flu epidemics. Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interviews. By means of maximum variation sampling, 25 laypersons distinctive in their gender, age, education and occupation were selected and interviewed during October 2012 to April 2013. The interview data were verbatimly transcribed and main themes embedded in the participants’ narratives and conversations were extracted. Results: (1) The “name” of a disease such as bird flu, swine flu, H1N1 and H5N1, etc. was the preliminary way for many of the participants to come to know the disease, which helped them to establish the first impression of a particular flu. Since the naming system “HxNy” based on scientific taxonomy was difficult for laypersons to comprehend, some people developed their own private knowledge systems for making sense of flu-related phenomenon. (2) Although the participants have perceived the high risk of these influenzas, they generally considered they won’t be a victim of these new diseases. Also lowering the risk perceptions was the phenomena of “prevention fatigue from information overload” observed among some participants. (3) Participants attributed the recurrence of emerging influenzas to three major factors, namely environmental, pathogen and global, and (4) It was not until the “worst” condition appeared could these participants became alert. Laypersons usually implemented preventive strategies to a different degree based on their assessment of the progress of the epidemics. Conclusions: Lay knowledge is constructed in the context of everyday life, which differs from that of health experts derived mainly from scientific endeavor. In face of recurrent influenza epidemics, it is suggested that to achieve efficient prevention and control the government shall well grasp lay understandings of these novel diseases to reduce the expert-lay knowledge discrepancy. |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
| Externí odkaz: |
|