Richardson Jane C, Liddle Jennifer, Mallen Christian D, Roddy Edward, Prinjha Suman, Ziebland Sue, Hider Samantha
Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Gibson Building, 1st Floor, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.
BMC Womens Health. 2015 Dec 28;15:122. doi: 10.1186/s12905-015-0277-z.
Gout is more common in men, and is often perceived by both patients and health practitioners to be a disorder of men, but its prevalence in women is increasing. Little is known about women's experience of gout and the impact it has on their lives. It is important for practitioners to be aware of these areas, given the increasing numbers of women with gout they are likely to see in the future. This study aimed to explore women's experiences of gout.
A qualitative research design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 people, of whom 14 were women. Interviews were video and/or tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data from the interviews was first grouped into broad categories, followed by a more detailed thematic analysis and interpretation.
Participants' ages ranged from 32 to 82. Nine participants were retired and five were in fulltime work. Four themes emerged: (1) experience of onset, help seeking and diagnosis (2) understanding and finding information about gout, (3) impact on identity, and (4) impact on roles and relationships.
The diagnostic process for women with gout can be uncertain due to lack of awareness of gout in women (by health care professionals and women themselves). Women do not have a good understanding of the condition and find it difficult to find information that feels relevant to them. Gout has a major impact on women's identity and on their roles and relationships. These findings are of importance to health care professionals dealing with women with potential gout and those with an existing diagnosis.
痛风在男性中更为常见，患者和医疗从业者通常都认为这是一种男性疾病，但女性痛风的患病率正在上升。关于女性痛风的经历及其对她们生活的影响，人们知之甚少。鉴于未来可能会见到越来越多的女性痛风患者，从业者了解这些领域非常重要。本研究旨在探讨女性痛风的经历。
采用定性研究设计。对43人进行了半结构化访谈，其中14人为女性。访谈进行了录像和/或录音，并逐字转录。访谈数据首先被归为大致类别，随后进行更详细的主题分析和解读。
参与者年龄在32岁至82岁之间。9名参与者已退休，5名仍在全职工作。出现了四个主题：（1）发病、寻求帮助和诊断的经历，（2）对痛风的理解和信息查找，（3）对身份认同的影响，以及（4）对角色和人际关系的影响。
由于（医疗保健专业人员和女性自身）对女性痛风缺乏认识，女性痛风的诊断过程可能不明确。女性对该病了解不足，难以找到与自身相关的信息。痛风对女性的身份认同以及她们的角色和人际关系有重大影响。这些发现对于处理潜在痛风女性患者和现有痛风诊断患者的医疗保健专业人员具有重要意义。
