Health Workers' Perceptions of the Risk of Heart Disease: A Content Analysis Study

Abstract

Introduction: People's perception of the risk of heart disease is effective in their response to disease, potential risks, decision making, and reduction of heart disease and is an important predictor of adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Accordingly, this study aimed to analyze health workers’ perception of the risk of heart disease. Methods: The present study was conducted using a conventional content analysis method. The participants were selected using purposive sampling with maximum variation. To this end, 18 health workers were selected from the medical staff of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection process continued until the data saturation point, and the collected data were analyzed simultaneously with the sampling procedure. Results: Three main categories including an "incentive to search for more information", "guidelines for health promotion", and "a warning to avoid risks" were identified from the data, and were divided into nine subcategories that were conceptually named based on their nature. The majority of participants believed that not perceiving the disease risk factors is due to lack of knowledge because of limited access to new sources of information. Conclusion: Individuals’ perception of the risk of heart disease promotes the adoption of appropriate strategies to prevent the disease. In contrast, inadequate perception may prevent adults from considering the need for early preventive behaviors or seeking early life-saving interventions in the presence of coronary heart disease symptoms.