Factors interfering with behavioral change in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: An ethnographic study

抄録

Objective: The reason behind the constant denial to accept any kind of behavioral changes among non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients even after counseling and why behaviors that lead to disease progression are maintained is unclear. This study aimed to describe the daily living behaviors of NAFLD/NASH patients and elucidate the reasons behind their inability to change their routines, which are problematic as they lead to disease progression. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using an ethnographic design. The data collection methods included participatory observation, field note-taking, and semistructured interviewing of eight NAFLD patients in their daily lives at their homes and workplaces. SpradleyJINRJJ-15s Developmental Research Sequence method was employed to analyze the data. This paper conforms to the standards for reporting qualitative research. Results: Four themes were generated: (1) health beliefs built in the family, (2) difficulty in systematizing health knowledge, (3) dependence on food, and (4) social disadvantages. Conclusions: NAFLD patients had negative influences from the family environment from childhood, lacked integrated knowledge about the risk factors, and developed food addiction. Furthermore, social disadvantages, such as a stressful environment, an environment where there was less chance to have significant others to support their treatment, financial difficulties, and lower educational background, influenced all factors.