Lived experiences of hepatitis B patients receiving healthcare services at Lira regional referral hospital, Lira district, Uganda

Abstract

The specific objectives were: ascertaining the socio-cultural beliefs of the HepB patients about the disease, ascertaining the lived experiences of HepB patients before acquiring the disease and exploring the lived experiences of the HepB patients in living with the disease at Lira Regional Referral Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study design was used in which 12 study participants were enrolled through purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using semi-structured open interviews, transcribed verbatim and coded using MAXQDA2020 software®. The thematic analysis model was used to extract themes. Results: A total of 12 study participants whom 7 and 5 were males and females respectively while their minimum, maximum and average ages were 18, 58 and 35 respectively. They were all Lango and Christians from diverse religious background with diverse educational background ranging from illiterate to literate with the least and the highest being primary four and university bachelor’s degree respectively and engaged in informal and formal employment and students. A total of 11 themes were extracted which revealed the experiences of the study participants. They included cultural practices, perceptions, knowledge, stigmatization, psychological impacts, failures, spiritual struggling, insufficient self-care, support, post traumatic growth which were both negative and positive and coping strategies. Conclusion: The HepB patients before diagnosis had risky lifestyles that could have exposed them to contracting HBV. The negative experiences had detrimental impacts in their lives and lowered their quality of life and self-esteem in the communities while the positive experiences played a big role in improving the quality of life and conditions of the patients. The socio-cultural practices seemed detrimental to prevention of the spread and treatment of HepB in the community. Key words included: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B Patients, lived experiences and Lira Regional Referral Hospital.