Sources of Women's Health Information: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Equipping individuals with adequate knowledge on health can lead to optimal health outcomes. Scientific reports indicate clients&#۳۹; challenges in trusting and accessing formal health information sources. This study was designed to determine the sources of Iranian women&#۳۹;s health information. Method: Study samples were selected through purposive sampling and with regarding to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ۱۷ women and using documentation and field notes until data saturation. Data were analyzed continuously and simultaneous with data collection using qualitative content analysis. Results: The ۵ central themes of health care professionals, social networks (with ۲ sub-categories of peers and social interactions), culture and religion (with ۳ sub-categories of religious teachings, traditional medicine information, and experiences of elders and seniors), mass media (with ۳ sub-categories of electronic media, print media, and internet), and self-referencing (with ۲ sub-categories of self-discovery-intuition and prior experiences) emerged from data analysis. Conclusion: These findings highlighted the need for respecting the cultural and religious beliefs of a community, and also emphasized on clients&#۳۹; seeking rights, information needs, and empowerment in employment of formal and informal sources.

کلیدواژه ها:

Women ، Sources ، Health information Seeking