- 期刊
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Bodily Experiences of Taiwanese Women
台灣腸躁症婦女之身體經驗
摘要
腸躁症無法預期之腹痛、腹瀉、脹氣造成生活品質差及曠班。全球盛行率約6-22%，女性罹患者較多。本研究探討女性患者如何建構腸躁症知識以及使用另類療法之經驗。民族誌研究法設計包括訪談及網路討論。18-45歲診斷為腸躁症或自認有腸躁症且符合羅馬標準Ⅱ之婦女為對象，資料以逐字稿轉譯並採持續比較分析法。結果顯示症狀之類型辨識是腸躁症婦女首要功課，顯示文化觀對於症狀的解釋；身體實踐反映出社會文化女性的規訓；腹瀉症狀與社會纖細女性特質的連結；及採用文化特殊之策略減緩症狀。研究結果促使醫護人員與腸躁症婦女夥伴關係之形成，發展自我照護手冊、病友團體以及網路討論團體協助症狀處理。本研究促使護士了解中國傳統身體觀以及身體陰陽調和之飲食習慣。亞洲婦女常因副作用而拒絕西醫，本研究提供護士另類療法資訊。總之，身體的文化觀點及性別常模型塑了腸躁症婦女身體經驗與實踐。
並列摘要
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) results in a poor quality of life and absenteeism due to unpredictable abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating. IBS has prevalence rates of approximately 6% to 22% in various countries, and more women than men are diagnosed with this disorder. This study explored how Taiwanese women with IBS gain knowledge about the disorder and studied their experiences in using alternative remedies. An ethnographic study design involving interviews and Internet online discussions was used. Women (18-45 years) either diagnosed with IBS or with self-reported symptoms that met the Rome Ⅱ criteria were included. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the constant comparison method. Results showed that symptom pattern recognition was used most often by participants to interpret symptoms. The bodily practices of the IBS women followed Taiwanese gender norms, with bodily experiences being represented as a dialogue between the disordered body and the social body. Linking diarrhea with social norms of female slenderness, IBS women applied cultural strategies to manage symptoms. The findings facilitate a partnership between healthcare professionals and IBS women, which can facilitate the development of an appropriate self-management manual, self-help groups, and Internet discussion groups to facilitate symptom management. It is hoped that this study will enhance nurse understanding of the traditional Chinese view of the body and the corresponding dietary practices used to harmonize the body's yin and yang. Although Asian women may resist Western medications due to their side effects, study results provide nurses with information on alternative therapies that may be more acceptable in the Asian context. In conclusion, the bodily experiences and practices of women with IBS are developed from personal cultural views of the body and gender norms.