Lingering challenges in everyday life for adults under age 60 with hip fractures – a qualitative study of the lived experience during the first three yearsShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, ISSN 1748-2623, E-ISSN 1748-2631, Vol. 18, no 1, p. 1-11, article id 2191426Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Purpose: We aimed to illuminate the lived experiences and the path of recovery for adults sustaining a hip fracture before the age of 60. Methods: Participants were purposively sampled from a prospective multicenter cohort study in Sweden and Denmark, and narrative interviews were conducted with 19 individuals 0.7–3.5 years after the fracture. We used a phenomenological hermeneutic method to describe the participants’ expressed essential meaning. Results: The experience of sustaining a hip fracture was expressed as a painful and protracted process of regaining self-confidence, function, and independence. It also implied a sense of growing old from one day to the next. Participants were afraid of new falls and fractures, resulting in an increased wariness. When expressing fears and persisting symptoms, participants described being neglected and marginalized by the healthcare system, which was perceived as non-receptive and routinely driven by a notion that hip fractures affect only the elderly. Rehabilitation targeted towards needs different from those of elderly individuals was requested. Conclusion: The lived experience of sustaining a hip fracture in individuals under 60 includes substantial challenges in everyday life, even up to 3.5 years after the injury. Rehabilitation pathways tailored to the needs of younger patients are requested. © 2023 The Author(s)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis, 2023. Vol. 18, no 1, p. 1-11, article id 2191426
Keywords [en]
everyday life, experience, Hip fracture, recovery, young and middle-aged adults
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-50275DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2023.2191426ISI: 000950273100001PubMedID: 36929907Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85150504048OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-50275DiVA, id: diva2:1749014
Funder
Swedish Research Council
Note
The study was supported by grants from the Research and Development Council of Region Skåne, the Swedish Research Council funding for clinical research in medicine, and the Region of Southern Denmark. We thank our local assistants for your help and administrative support, especially project coordinator Marika Bergman in Malmö, and project nurse Annie Gam-Pedersen in Odense. The authors thank the participants of this study; your contribution is appreciated and could be part in the improvement of the care and rehabilitation for the benefit of future individuals suffering hip fractures.
2023-04-052023-04-052023-04-05Bibliographically approved