Persons with hepatitis C experienced fatigue as being multidimensional with severity dependent on intensity, duration, and frequency
Q How do persons living with hepatitis C experience fatigue?
DESIGN
Grounded theory.
SETTING
Ireland.
PARTICIPANTS
28 participants with hepatitis C who were 36–64 years of age {mean age 41.5 y}* (71% women). Most participants were infected with hepatitis C as a result of receiving infected blood or plasma transfusions or through needle sharing during the use of illicit intravenous drugs.
METHODS
Indepth interviews were done until theoretical saturation was achieved. 24 interviews were tape recorded. Notes were taken of the other 4 interviews. Mean duration of interviews was 80 minutes (range 50–180 min). After the interviews, each participant spent ⩾30 minutes in a debriefing session. Open, axial, and selective coding processes were used. Analysis included making constant comparisons and asking questions of the data. Memos were kept to help formulate thoughts and insights about emerging categories. Member checks were …
