Health Promotion Experiences and Ideas for Health Promotion Improvements: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study of Nova Scotian Women with Multiple Sclerosis Through a Feminist, Disability Rights Lens

Abstract

Most research in health promotion uses quantitative methodology to better understand the health promotion experiences of people with disabilities. This qualitative thesis study used Interpretative Phenomenologist Analysis and semi-structured interviews as the study method. Six women with MS, aged 44 to 64, were recruited from a Multiple Sclerosis, outpatient clinic, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Participants shared background and health promotion experiences of MS and their ideas for health promotion improvements. Four themes were constructed from the data including: contextual experiences; health promotion participation; health promotion challenges and strategies and; health promotion improvements. Results provide rich description, of participants’ experiences of MS and health promotion participation, their suggestions for improvements and implications for health promotion and future research.