Abstract
Background: The greatest burden of chronic lung disease (CLD) occurs in low-resource settings, yet these settings are seriously under-represented in research. This study aims to explore local beliefs and behaviours towards CLD in lower-resource settings, to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based CLD-interventions.
Methods: The study was part of the European Horizon 2020 project ‘FRESH AIR’, and conducted in four diverse settings in Uganda, Vietnam, Greece and Kyrgyzstan. The study was mixed-method and observational.
Qualitative data were collected at purposively selected Community Members (CMs), Key Informants (KIs) and Healthcare Professionals (HPs). Interviews, observations, focus groups and questionnaires were conducted simultaneously using the Rapid Assessment methodology. A theoretical framework composed from well-established models guided the development of research tools and the analysis. During daily debriefing sessions, preliminary data were analysed. This enabled data triangulation, monitoring of data saturation and iterative adjustments of methods and tools.
Additionally, a quantitative survey was conducted at 1000 randomly selected CMs and 200 HPs. Descriptive statistics were performed to discover the frequency of prevalence in beliefs and behaviours towards CLD.
Preliminary results and conclusion:
Early findings indicate that beliefs and behaviours varied strongly per setting, and seemed to be shaped mainly by perceptions regarding the identity and causes of CLD, cultural norms and barriers for health promoting behaviour. To facilitate a successful implementation, evidence-based CLD-interventions should be tailored in accordance with the characteristics identified per setting.
- Copyright ©the authors 2017