Health Culture and Presenting a Paradigmatic Model Focusing on Human Papillomavirus Disease

In this study, we developed a paradigmatic model focusing on human papillomavirus (HPV) diseases, in order to formulate a theory by investigating pathology in health culture using Grounded Theory, as an inductive and exploratory research method.

It was a qualitative study, and data were collected using in-depth interviews with 20 people (10 men and 10 women) with cultural and religious specialties (clergy). In total, twenty interviews were conducted (mean duration = 45 min) using a semi-structured guide consisting of open-ended questions. All recordings were transcribed verbatim in Persian. All items were extracted based on the participants' responses and related literature. After data collection, the basic theory analysis was performed in terms of the three steps as follows: free coding, axial encryption, the implementation, refinement, and writing the theories in line with selective coding theoretical models. Finally, the paradigm model was determined from the presented models.

The paradigm model emerged from professors, clergy, and authorized people, showed that religious taboos about sexually transmitted diseases; lack of wise management, comprehensive supervision, compliance with health standards in the country, proper legislation regarding sexually transmitted diseases as causal factors, awareness, health education in the country, public demand for health, individual dignity, punishment for health detractors, familiarity with individual rights as intervening factors, concern for human lives, health, and belief in fatalism; ethnic differences; irresponsibility; risk perception; high cost of HPV vaccine; immorality in health speech; disregard for people's lives; gender differences as contextual factors; and the consequences is increasing burden of diseases due to sexually transmitted disease such as (HPV).

It seems the overall lack of a health-based approach could be a major concern due to the weakness of cultural management in society that requires the involvement and intervention of all policymakers, health planners, authorized people, professors, elites, and clerics to control this major cultural health problem.