Self-management and information needs of adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis in the Netherlands: A focus group study
Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Journal Article
Article
Article
Language
en
Date
2024-08-22
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
Self-management and information needs of adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis in the Netherlands: A focus group study
Translated Title
Published in
J Health Psychol 2025; 30(6):1291-1305
Abstract
This focus group study explored the needs, preferences and beliefs of adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis regarding their self-management practices, and related information use and needs. Four focus groups were held, two online and two on location. The 20 participants (11 women); = 39.0 years (range: 21-56 years) were reluctant to identify themselves as patients, trivializing their complaints while avoiding being confronted too much with their condition. Participants often expressed low trust in the effectiveness of medication and the ability of healthcare to alleviate their complaints. This resulted in relatively low openness to information such as personalized pollen predictions. Findings were synthesized under three interrelated themes: 'Being ill, but not a patient: it's bad, but you learn to live with it', 'Individual search for what does or doesn't work' and 'Information needs and sources'. Implications for communication supportive of self-management practices for seasonal allergic rhinitis are discussed.