Table 2 Context-related challenges of middle-aged men in utilizing new health services
Category | Codes | Similar meanings |
|---|---|---|
Personal factors | Not having enough time to get health services due to job-related reasons | • The working hours of CHSCs, HBs and HPs are synchronous with the men’s working hours • The middle age is one of the active and working age groups |
Macho pride | • Failure to refer due to feeling strong | |
Men’s fear of the disclosure of their secret illness and personal information | • Men’s lack of trust in the health information registration system • Men’s fear of the possibility of a disease • Men’s high sensitivity to disclosure of information related to their illness | |
Men’s preference to see specialists | • Men’s reluctance to see general practitioners • Men’s reluctance to refer to health workers | |
Socioeconomic and cultural factors | Economic problems and men’s responsibilities regarding livelihood and family care | • National economic problems and inflation • Men’s traditional responsibility for family livelihood • Low income and the staggering cost of living |
Health not as a priority in men | • Arbitrary use of painkillers by men to relieve pain and treat illness • Men’s ignorance of the alarming signs of diseases • Inadequate literacy of men regarding the importance of health and wellbeing | |
Men’s refusal to refer to female urban community health workers | • Lack of male urban community health workers in the health system • Imbalanced health care personnel by gender at service delivery points • Shame and modesty in religious men to see a female urban community health worker | |
Addiction and history of imprisonment in men | • Addicted men’s refusal to receive health services • Inability of addicted men’s wives in persuading their husbands to receive services due to the women’s fear of being beaten | |
Ethnic and tribal problems in rural areas | • Some men’s refusal to go to HPs due to ethnic and tribal disputes | |
False beliefs | • Extreme belief of Iranian men in herbal drugs • Men’s disbelief in new health services | |
Geographical factors | Long distance between home or workplace and health centers | • Men’s lack of permanent residence due to job-related reasons • Inadequate physical access to services in rural areas |
Hot climate of south of Iran | • Men’s failure to refer to health centers due to the extremely hot weather in south of Iran | |
Improper location of some health service centers | • Not using GIS in locating CHSCs, HBs and HPs for providing comprehensive health services in rural and urban areas |