Process by Which Patients Repeatedly Endure Restrictions on Consumption of Favorite Items

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the process by which patients repeatedly endure restrictions on consumption of their favorite items, specifically cigarettes, alcohol, and salt, which are often restricted due to their harmful effects on health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 15 patients with ischemic heart disease, nephrosis, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, or asthma, and data were analyzed using Kinoshita's modified grounded theory approach. The results revealed a process in which patients repeatedly "endured restrictions on consumption of favorite items" and "temporarily endured restrictions following exacerbation of illness, hospitalization, or other environmental factors", and thereby "realized that they were unable to quit consuming their favorite items" and then "developed a wish to quit consumption of favorite items". These findings indicate that even as patients repeatedly endure restrictions on favorite items and realize their dependence on these items in daily life, they develop a desire to quit consuming their favorite items and to continue living after their conditions deteriorate and they realize that failure to restrict consumption could be fatal.