Contextual Factors Affecting the Social Interactions of Hepatitis B Carriers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B is a great problem all over the world and due to its chronic nature influences on different aspects of life and affects people with many challenges in social life. Therefore, this research was conducted with the purpose of demonstrating and explaining the contextual factors affecting the social interactions of hepatitis B carriers. METHODS: Using qualitative content analysis approach, a number of 18 chronic carriers of hepatitis B who referred to healthcare and counseling centers of cities of Babol, Amol and Tabriz were selected purposefully and were interviewed from 2014 to 2016 using unstructured and in-depth questions. All of the interviews were recorded, transcribed word by word and then were qualitatively analyzed. FINDINGS: With data analysis, three main categories with subclasses including “rejection” (pathophobia, social stigma), “inadequate support” (lack of support, disease perception disorder and economic pressure) and “patient as the center of transmission of incurable disease” (contagiousness and incurability of the disease) were obtained. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, various underlying and cultural factors lead to fear of people from hepatitis patients and avoiding close interaction with them.