Endurance of aloneness among Tibetan indigenous women in Western China: application of repeat focus group discussions as a tool for empowerment and for data collection.
In this article we describe Tibetan indigenous women's perceptions and experiences of their own health and life situation in Shichuan Province, China. Fifteen focus group discussions (FGDs) and 10 interviews were conducted. Repeat FGDs were used to empower the women and as a tool to collect data. Content analysis was used to analyze the data, and three subthemes were identified: 'shouldering responsibility in family life,' "enduring reproductive hardship and ill health" and "reflecting on the future." The main theme, "experiencing aloneness," contained two dimensions: "strength for surviving under extreme living conditions" and "negative influence on women's endeavor to maintain a healthy behavior."
Ljunggren
Anethe
A
Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden. anethe.lj@telia.com
Johansson
Eva
E
Wang
Chunglei
C
Pettersson
Karen Odberg
KO
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012423:Rural Health; D018609:Tibet / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D016387:Women's Health