Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Jennifer A. Oliphant

Abstract

Stroke recovery is a crucial public health issue in Ghana due to the high rate of mortality and morbidity associated with stroke. The significant role income plays in the onset of stroke has been empirically proven using quantitative research. However, the in-depth insights on the role income plays in stroke recovery are less known and less appreciated, particularly, in middle-income countries such as Ghana. The phenomenological study was purposed to provide in-depth insight into the effect which might exist between income earned by Ghanaian-families and stroke recovery. The theoretical framework underlining this qualitative study was a combination of the Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow model and the Ecological model. The research questions were a guide to uncover the perceptions and opinions of stroke survivors on income and environmental risks associated with stroke recovery in Ghana. Using purposive sampling approach, 15 survivors of stroke were interviewed. Data were coded using the Nvivo software package and analyzed thematically. The results revealed that income influences the choice of residence of stroke patients and this increases their exposure to environmental risk which in turn prolongs stroke recovery. Furthermore, the income level of stroke patients influenced their ability to access healthcare delivery thus, receiving medical attention, buying prescribed medication and access to physiotherapy. Positive social change may be benefited through insights provided by this study to affect policy changes in healthcare delivery systems. Thus, incorporating environmental risk issues and income strategies into intervention programs during stroke recovery.

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