TY - JOUR
T1 - Qualitative insights into the experiences of living with moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms among community-dwelling ageing males
AU - Suen, Kwai Ping Lorna
AU - Cheng, Huilin
AU - Yeung, Simon Kai Wang
AU - Au-Yeung, Cypher Ho
AU - Lee, Jillianne Chi Yen
AU - Ho, Kathy Kit Ying
AU - Lau, Natalie Ming Yan
AU - Ng, Cristina Ka Fu
AU - Chan, Iris Wai Sze
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) comprise a highly prevalent chronic condition among the aging male population. Existing literature on the experiences of men with LUTS is scarce given that only a few studies explored medical care-seeking behaviors and coping strategies. The current understanding of the experiences of elderly males with LUTS is considerably limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the experiences of living with moderate-to-severe LUTS among community-dwelling Chinese ageing males and their coping strategies to facilitate the management of LUTS by healthcare providers. Methods and findings: A qualitative exploratory design using thematic analysis was used. Semi-structured interviews with 24 Chinese ageing males with moderate-to-severe LUTS were conducted. According to the participants, LUTS adversely affect the physical aspects of their daily lives. Most of them were unwilling to seek social support and were even embarrassed to share this topic with their peers. A range of psychological responses could be observed from the participants that range from regarding the condition as a natural life course to loss of one’s self-esteem. Most of the interviewees lacked knowledge and held misconceptions toward LUTS, which prevented them from pursuing medical advice. Most of the participants also sought alternative treatments and developed self-help methods to cope with their symptoms. Conclusion: LUTS affects the physical and social aspects of sufferers. The findings of this qualitative study can raise awareness about the life experiences, perceptions, misconceptions, and help-seeking behaviors of Chinese elderly with LUTS. Proper health education and advice can be provided for this population.
AB - This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) comprise a highly prevalent chronic condition among the aging male population. Existing literature on the experiences of men with LUTS is scarce given that only a few studies explored medical care-seeking behaviors and coping strategies. The current understanding of the experiences of elderly males with LUTS is considerably limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the experiences of living with moderate-to-severe LUTS among community-dwelling Chinese ageing males and their coping strategies to facilitate the management of LUTS by healthcare providers. Methods and findings: A qualitative exploratory design using thematic analysis was used. Semi-structured interviews with 24 Chinese ageing males with moderate-to-severe LUTS were conducted. According to the participants, LUTS adversely affect the physical aspects of their daily lives. Most of them were unwilling to seek social support and were even embarrassed to share this topic with their peers. A range of psychological responses could be observed from the participants that range from regarding the condition as a natural life course to loss of one’s self-esteem. Most of the interviewees lacked knowledge and held misconceptions toward LUTS, which prevented them from pursuing medical advice. Most of the participants also sought alternative treatments and developed self-help methods to cope with their symptoms. Conclusion: LUTS affects the physical and social aspects of sufferers. The findings of this qualitative study can raise awareness about the life experiences, perceptions, misconceptions, and help-seeking behaviors of Chinese elderly with LUTS. Proper health education and advice can be provided for this population.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033389344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0187085
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0187085
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29084282
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 12
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 10
M1 - e0187085
ER -