Journal of Blood Disorders & Transfusion

Help-seeking behaviors among hemophilia community in central Iran: A qualitative study

2^nd International Conference on Hematology & Blood Disorders

September 29-October 01, 2014 DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore-BWI Airport, USA

Mehrdad Zeinalian, Effat Merghati-Khoei, Sayyed Ali Azin and Morteza Hashemzadeh-Chaleshtori

Accepted Abstracts: J Blood Disorders Transf

Abstract:

Objectives: Impressive factors affecting help-seeking behaviors and its construction have a determinant role to design health interventions; therefore a qualitative study to explore them for the first time before implementing Iranian program for control and prevention of hemophilia (IPCPH) in Iran was run. Methods: An ethnographic approach was applied in the study. Participants were 61 hemophilia patients and their first degree relatives in Isfahan Province (center of Iran). We organized them in 7 Focus Groups Discussions (FGD). Data analysis was performed using thematic and discourse analysis. Results: Some impressive factors affecting help-seeking behaviors of the participants including: Self-efficacy, isolation and privacy concluded from stigmatization, religious beliefs, gender-based discrimination, familial contexts such as family advocacy, poverty, cultural characteristics, and previous experiences on hemophilia disease were explored. Conclusion: IPCPH should be developed by promoting help-seeking behaviors of hemophilia community through some interventions such as: Comprehensive counseling, economic advocacy, and promoting health-related attitudes. Meanwhile, we can help the hemophilia community to get rid of social restrictions through public education toward hemophilia and its preventive methods.