Using the Health Belief Model to Explain the Experience of Diabetic Patients About Referring to Rural Health Centers

 Diabetes is a chronic disease that leads to numerous complications. To prevent these complications, regular and timely visits of diabetic patients to receive health care services are necessary.

 This study aimed to understand the experience of diabetic patients visiting rural health in Ahvaz.

 This qualitative study is a directed content analysis research that was conducted for six months in 2016 - 2017 in rural health centers in Ahvaz. A semi-structured verbal interview was conducted with 14 diabetic patients, 6 health care workers (behvarz), 3 physicians, and 3 family members of patients. The collected data was analyzed by MAXQDA 12 software with the content analysis method.

 Data analysis resulted in the extraction of 285 initial codes that were categorized into 5 categories of health belief models (perceived threats, perceived benefits, perceived berries, guide to action, and self-efficacy).

 Findings of this study provide in-depth understanding o factors affecting rural health centers appointments among patients with type 2 diabetes and also can use by decision-makers to choose the most suitable methods and strategies to change these factors and increase the number of regular visits by patients to the health centers to prevent probable complications.