Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
view changed when their flu hampered their ability to fulfil their
normal range of social roles. Also the need to access medical care
was viewed as confirmation of being ill while being confined to bed
was also verification that a person was ill for all respondents.
In McCloskey’s sample there was some evidence that rural residents
were more likely than city inhabitants to view someone as ill when
they have sought, or needed medical attention or when they were
unable to perform their usual social roles. He also found that as
educational levels increased so too did the reference to inability to
perform normal roles as a definition of ill health. The absence of
illness as a core theme of health has been found by a number of
other researchers in different countries. Williams’ (1983) study of
elderly people in Aberdeen revealed that the absence of illness was
an important element in their definition of health. Calnan (1987)
investigated the link between occupational social class and health
found that for those in manual type employment the absence of
illness was an important component of being healthy. Similarly
Herzlich & Pierret (1987) working in France also uncovered the
belief that health was strongly related to the absence of illness.
More recently in the United States McKague & Berhoef (2003)
discovered that the absence of illness was an important aspect in
health beliefs for both patients and those working in an urban
community health centre.
Wiley & Merriman (1996) investigated the level of knowledge
amongst Irish women (n=2988; aged 18-60 years) regarding their
health needs in a number of specific areas surrounding childbirth,
sex education, parenting, nutrition and gynaecological issues. Their
research, sponsored by the National Maternity Hospital, was a
nationwide survey of Irish women and one of the themes they
clearly identified was that absence of illness was important to their
respondents. To date there has not been a national study of Irish
men’s views of health. Overall then McCloskey’s finding of the link
between health and physical capability are replicated elsewhere and
are, therefore, robust findings in the literature and not just an Irish
anomaly.
Current areas of research interest
Current research in the area of health beliefs appears to be
concerned with the lived experience of those suffering from a range
of specific illnesses and what health means to them. For instance
Roose & John (2003) investigated the understanding young children
(10-11) have of mental health and their views of service provision.
While Bernard et. al (2004) researched Australian adolescent’s
perspectives of health care provision and services and discovered
that while there were some common areas of understanding there
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