The impact of Abdominal Wall Hernia (AWH) on patients' social and sexual relationships: a Qualitative Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Abdominal Wall Hernia (AWH) impacts interpersonal relationships, which are vital to human wellbeing [1, 2], however social and sexual dimensions of AWH remain underexplored. This study investigates the impact of AWH on social disconnection and sexual intimacy challenges, and how this could be viably assessed in health related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment tools.

Methods

A qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed [3]. Fifteen participants (8 men and 7 women, aged 36-85 years) were purposively sampled. Data collected via semi-structured interviews was analysed iteratively until no new themes emerged [4].

Results

AWH significantly impacted participants' interpersonal relationships, mainly through 'difficulties

SUBMITTER: Smith O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12267305 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature