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Older women's experiences of suffering from urinary tract infections
Author(s) -
Eriksson Irene,
Olofsson Birgitta,
Gustafson Yngve,
Fagerström Lisbeth
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.12422
Subject(s) - medicine , qualitative research , incidence (geometry) , mental health , health care , gerontology , psychiatry , social science , physics , sociology , optics , economics , economic growth
Aims and objectives To describe and explore older women's experiences of having had repeated urinary tract infections ( UTI s). Background UTI s are one of the most common bacterial infections among older women. Approximately one‐third of very old women suffer from at least one UTI each year. Despite the high incidence of UTI , little is known about the impact of UTI on health and daily life in older women. Design A qualitative descriptive design. Methods A qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews was conducted with 20 Swedish women aged 67–96 years who suffered from repeated UTI s the preceding year. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Two main themes were identified: being in a state of manageable suffering and depending on alleviation. Being in a state of manageable suffering was described in terms of experiencing physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness and being restricted in daily life. Depending on alleviation was illustrated in terms of having access to relief but also receiving inadequate care. Conclusions This study demonstrated that UTI s are a serious health problem among older women that not only affects both physical and mental health but also has serious social consequences. The women in this study described the physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness, being restricted in daily life, depending on access to relief and receiving inadequate care. Relevance to clinical practice It is important to improve the knowledge about how UTI affects the health of older women. This knowledge may help nurses develop strategies to support these women. One important part in the supportive strategies is that nurses can educate these women in self‐care.