摘要
<strong>Introduction:</strong> For seriously ill women of childbearing age, perceived health warning signs may influence decision of whether or not to seek care. Inaccurate perceptions of patients and those around them may lead to attitudes that delay seeking care. This study analyzes perceptions of danger and related delays to seek care in Kinshasa. <strong>Methods:</strong> Sixty deceased women who died between March and April 2004 were taken away from two Kinshasa mortuaries. History of disease and deaths were reconstructed through medical records and semi-structured interviews of family members and leaders. The Qualitative Software Research was used to conduct a qualitative analysis. <strong>Results:</strong> Perceived health warning signs had five manifestations: Specific clinical health warning signs, aggravation of non-specific signs, persistence of signs, indirect danger signs and superstitious signs. The incorrect perception of the signs was an important cause of late awareness of the danger and delayed decision to seek care. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Misunderstandings of signs often delayed awareness of danger as well as decisions to seek appropriate care. Educational programs teaching health warning signs should be designed to promote the timely use of facilities.
<strong>Introduction:</strong> For seriously ill women of childbearing age, perceived health warning signs may influence decision of whether or not to seek care. Inaccurate perceptions of patients and those around them may lead to attitudes that delay seeking care. This study analyzes perceptions of danger and related delays to seek care in Kinshasa. <strong>Methods:</strong> Sixty deceased women who died between March and April 2004 were taken away from two Kinshasa mortuaries. History of disease and deaths were reconstructed through medical records and semi-structured interviews of family members and leaders. The Qualitative Software Research was used to conduct a qualitative analysis. <strong>Results:</strong> Perceived health warning signs had five manifestations: Specific clinical health warning signs, aggravation of non-specific signs, persistence of signs, indirect danger signs and superstitious signs. The incorrect perception of the signs was an important cause of late awareness of the danger and delayed decision to seek care. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Misunderstandings of signs often delayed awareness of danger as well as decisions to seek appropriate care. Educational programs teaching health warning signs should be designed to promote the timely use of facilities.
作者
Thérèse Nyangi Mondo Mambu
Patrick Kalambayi Kayembe
Myriam Malengreau
Bruno Dimonfu Lapika
Thérèse Nyangi Mondo Mambu;Patrick Kalambayi Kayembe;Myriam Malengreau;Bruno Dimonfu Lapika(Faculty of Medicine, Kinshasa School of Public Heath, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo;School of Public Health, Catholic University of Leuven, Brussels, Belgium;Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)