Qualitative study on health self-management of patients with metabolic syndrome among bereaved population after earthquake

Abstract Objective The study explore the influencing factors and healthy self-management of MS patients with bereaved relatives after Wenchuan and Yushu Earthquake of their real life; explore difficulties and challenges in the process of self-management; and supply information that could not be sought in quantitative studies. Methods Purposive sampling was used to recruit 36 MS patients who are bereavement population in two earthquakes, and those patients met the inclusion criteria for semi-structured focus group interview. The Nvivo11 software was used to collate and analyze the transcribed data. Results The main influencing factors of health self-management behavior for MS patients are as follows: the degree of understanding of disease prevention knowledge, emotion management induced by earthquake trauma, the source of disease-related information, access and identification are very limited; ethnic traditional culture, religious beliefs, and production activities and routines before and after the earthquake is an important factor in their healthy self-management behavior.The lack of health beliefs and self-efficacy of MS patients among bereaved families after Wenchuan and Yushu earthquake are key obstacle in their self-management. Conclusion The overall level of the knowledge of patients’ MS prevention, self-efficacy and self-management behaviors are still low. Some positive factors that can be changed including MS prevention knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, and family function. Some negative factors which can be improved afterwards, including negative coping style, traumatic life experiences from earthquake and smoking.