복합만성질환을 가진 농촌 노인의 건강관리 경험

초록

Purpose: This study explored the health management experiences of rural older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Methods: This qualitative study employed Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis to explore the lived experiences of rural older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Ten participants aged 65 or older, diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions, were purposively recruited from two rural communities and engaged in focus group interviews lasting approximately 90 minutes each. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results: Four main themes emerged: (1) structural environments in rural areas constraining health management; (2) passive, medication-centered management to sustain farming activities; (3) trial-and-error-based management grounded in personal experience; and (4) mutual care and social bonds within the village community. Conclusion: Health management among rural older adults is constrained by structural inequalities — including underdeveloped infrastructure and limited digital literacy — that exceed individual capacity. Nevertheless, participants demonstrated experiential agency by self-regulating medications and daily activities based on embodied self-knowledge. Health management in this context ultimately emerged as social health, sustained through mutual care and community engagement, with robust social relationships functioning as a critical protective factor against chronic disease burden. Future interventions should move beyond individual behavior modification to address structural constraints and integrate community-based social support in medically underserved rural settings.

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