Abstract
This ethnographic study describes how a group of women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) learned to develop self-care strategies that allowed them to function in their culturally prescribed roles throughout their illnesses. The sample consisted of 12 European American and 2 African American women from 19 to 52 years of age who had experienced CPP for the previous 6 months to 12 years. Data were collected by means of interviews and participant observations in a CPP clinic. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim onto the Ethnograph and analyzed by the constant comparative method. Women's experiences with CPP were described as a process of self-care consisting of three strategies: assessing the need for self-care, developing self-care practices, and sustaining self-care practices.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 223-232 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Health Care for Women International |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Health Professions