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Alwadaany, Bader M.S.H. (2019) An exploration of the mechanisms of health literacy and psychological empowerment influencing chronic disease patient health behaviours in Kuwait. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

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Abstract

Chronic disease and its patients make up a significant proportion of Kuwait's health problems; this population is at high risk for morbidity and mortality if behavioural interventions don’t become part of the management of chronic disease.

The thesis considers health behaviour in the context of chronic disease management within the healthcare system of Kuwait and focuses on health literacy and psychological empowerment as critical agency capabilities. In this study, health literacy and psychological empowerment are seen as interrelated mechanisms that influence healthy behaviour in chronic disease patients.

The explanatory model of the study is based on the critical realist and structure and agency perspectives. Various theories were drawn upon, e.g., Archer’s ‘Morphogenetic Sequence’, Sen’s Capability Approach and Bourdieu’s Symbolic Capital. The model is structured to analyse and explain an ontological causal study of the mechanisms of health literacy and psychological empowerment and analyse behaviour in chronic disease patients within the healthcare system.

Patient Capital is the collection of the mechanisms of health literacy and psychological empowerment capabilities and social life circumstances, and it is advanced by patients to interact with barriers to health management in the world of chronic disease. Patient capital was found useful in explicating a causal account on health behaviour and patient behavioural developments as health managers. Development and expansion of patient capital allow patients to utilise its mechanisms as: interactive mechanisms in managing their health, and as agency power in conflicts with surrounding structures.

The interactions occurring in chronic disease management in Kuwait are in a balanced state with their constituents: the modality of care and patient capital. However, the duality of the healthcare system power undermines patient agency, which creates a recursive loop that adds to the burdens of chronic disease. The dominance of the healthcare system over patient agency explains how and why the surrounding structures principally influence the recurring social practices and the patterns of such agency.

Item Type:	Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors:	Nairn, Stuart Bowskill, Dianne
Keywords:	health literacy, empowerment, patient behaviour, chronic disease patients, critical realism
Subjects:	W Medicine and related subjects (NLM Classification) > W Health professions
Faculties/Schools:	UK Campuses > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
Item ID:	59230
Depositing User:	Alwadaany, Bader
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2023 13:40
Last Modified:	28 Sep 2023 13:40
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/59230

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