The meaning of life and health experience for the <scp>C</scp>hinese elderly with chronic illness: A qualitative study from positive health philosophy

Zhang, Heng; Shan, Weiying; An-li, Jiang

doi:10.1111/ijn.12198

Cited by 32 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…It appears that its meaning is framed in relational based within the families in the Chinese context. This is consistent with the Chinese collectivism values focusing more on social and family roles like being a grandparent or being a witch, obligations toward children and grandchildren, and moral behavior [50]. Indeed, knowledge of how to reengage in other meaningful goals and activities support these Chinese and Swedish older adults, may enhance clinicians' capacity to work with them and facilitate identifying their potential self-help strength.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Chung

Olofsson

Wong

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Moving into a long-term care facility (LTCF) can alter the way older adults see themselves and reduce their ability to engage in meaningful experiences and roles. They experience a shrinkage in their social network when they move away from home, a reduction in the frequency of their social contacts and the number of people from whom they receive emotional support. These changes and losses can lead to feelings of loneliness. However, the loneliness these older adults experience may be more than having the difficulty with expressing the feelings of loneliness or the loss of social roles, as common examined in the loneliness literature. Rather, this loneliness stemmed from the intolerable emptiness and lack of meaningful existence attributed to all the losses they have experienced (i.e., existential loneliness (EL). The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of EL in older adults from Eastern and Western cultures who were living in LTCFs and how they dealt with the experience. Methods: Open interviews were conducted with 13 Chinese and 9 Swedes living in the LTCF about the experience of EL. A qualitative study using Thorne’s (2004) interpretive description (ID) was conducted and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The core theme “overcoming EL’ captures the participants’ experience of EL. It describes a combined process of “feeling EL” and “self-regulating”. The study affirms that EL, was triggered as a common human condition in our study when the Chinese in Hong Kong, China and Swedes in Malmo, Sweden faced with life boundaries and crisis such as losses, frailty and mortality. Conclusions: EL is a very stress-inducing human phenomenon. Our study demonstrates that EL experience affects the fundamental structure of the ‘self’ unfolded by the experience of loss of control, isolation and meaningless in life. However, being EL allows the older adults of these two ethnics groups reaping the benefits that a ‘clearer’ sense of self provides, ranging from spirit of contentment to decreased distress. Thus, early and clear counselling support addressing the searching and meaning ascribed to EL should facilitate overcoming and better coping with the experience.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Chung

Olofsson

Wong

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…In two articles, data analysis was described as using key concepts of a framework as pre‐determined codes or categories (Al‐Zadjali et al; Wiens et al). Oosterveld‐Vlug et al () and Zhang, Shan, and Jiang () discussed a conceptual model and underlying philosophy in detail in the background or discussion sections, although how the model and philosophy were used was not indicated.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review

Kim

Sefcik

Bradway

2016

Research in Nursing & Health

1,301

933

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Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, despite inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with limited, available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and desirable for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD study so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings.

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“…Although several Chinese cultural beliefs, such as fatalism and harmony with nature, have a prominent influence on attitudes toward illness of Chinese individuals, the TC was found to be effective in improving the self‐care of Chinese individuals with CHF. This success may be related to the use of a client‐centered approach to identify and address the effects of cultural beliefs and practices on self‐care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Their beliefs about using food to maintain a “hot‐cold” balance in the body may also affect dietary plans for management of CHF . Another, even more prominent Chinese cultural belief that affects disease management is fatalism . Chinese people have a greater tendency to believe that fate, rather than personal behavior, determines life events and outcomes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%