Identifying Health Seeking Behaviors among Middle-aged Women: A Qualitative Study

Background and Middle age is a developmental stage. Women in this stage are capable of preserving and promoting their health. Nonetheless, there seems to be several issues affecting their health-oriented behaviors. Identifying such behaviors from the perspective of middle-aged women are of great importance in protecting and promoting their health. This study aimed at defining health seeking behaviors in middle-aged women.
The study was conducted by qualitative approach and conventional content analysis was adopted. The participants included 20 middle-aged women who were recruited by purposive sampling. Semi-structured face to face interviews were conducted to collect the data. Then verbatim transcription of interview data was done and categories were extracted. First, semantic similarities were identified and sub-categories were specified, then in reconsideration related sub-categories were placed in a same category.
Four categories were identified including the status of health knowledge, understanding of health and diseases, controlling the health-oriented behaviors and "using self-soothing behaviors". Eight sub-categories were also determined: awareness of health risks, preventive/permissive behaviors, understanding of health, understanding of disease, health promoting behaviors, interactive behaviors, soothing and spiritual calming behaviors as health-seeking behaviors.
The findings expressed behaviors that women showed in their quest for health. In fact, this quest for health is manifested in strategies that women adapted to maintain and promote their physical and mental health. In such a quest women constantly rely on their own knowledge of health, perception of health and diseases and tranquilizing and relaxing methods.