The Associated Risk Factors That Lead To The Onset Of Sarcoidosis In Black American Women

• Main Author: Simmons, Tiffany McIntyre
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2016
• Subjects: Adverse Health Effect; Black American Women; Granulomas; Repetitive Generational Behaviors; Sarcoidosis; Scar Tissue; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3208; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4311&context=dissertations

Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized as noncaseation granulomas. Granulomas are clusters of cells that form a discrete nodule. This research was important because Black American women develop saroidosis at a higher rate than any other race. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the impact of sarcoidosis in the lives of Black American women diagnosed with the disease and to consider how occupational experiences may have contributed to participants' development of sarcoidosis. Research states that domestic work such as cleaning, when performed on a daily basis or as an occupation, can contribute to adverse health effects. The framework of this study utilized the transtheoretical model of behavior change while the overall research questions centered on the effects of sarcoidosis on the quality of life of Black American women. This qualitative research included interviews with thirteen Black American women diagnosed and living with sarcoidosis at various stages. Data were collected using the software tool HyperRESEARCH. Both purposive sampling and snowball sampling technique was used for this research. Data were gathered using a general profile of the lived experiences of women with sarcoidosis. The findings revealed that the common lived experience that has potentially put Black American women at risk for developing sarcoidosis is bleach. My recommendations for further research would be to expand the locations of participants to across the United States. The implications for positive social change may result from broader knowledge of the disease through education, even for those who are not at risk for developing it. Chronic sarcoidosis can be fatal if untreated.