Lived experiences of patients with ostomies in a University Teaching Hospital in Kwara State, Nigeria

The presence of an ostomy causes numerous alterations in the lives of individuals with ostomy. There is limited information on the experiences of persons with ostomy in Nigeria. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences and the coping strategies utilized by individuals with ostomy. A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative design was adopted. Using Johnson Behavioral Model, a semi structured interview guide was utilized to elicit responses on the experiences of participants while living with an ostomy. The Brief COPE inventory was employed to identify coping strategies utilized by ostomates. Consecutive sampling method was used to select participants for this study and data saturation was reached at 15 participants. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis while descriptive statistics was used to analysed quantitative data. Socio-demographic profile of the participants showed that 33.3% were within the age of 45–55 years and majority (60%) had a colostomy. Also, 66.6% of the participants had a temporary ostomy. Findings from this study revealed that on the first sighting the stoma, ostomates experienced feelings of sadness, shame and disgust. A good number (10 of 15) of the participants had the support of family and friends which aided their adaptation process. Just less than half of the participants had difficulty carrying on with work as the presence of the stoma reduced their ability to work effectively. The study provided evidence that Johnson Behavioural Model is useful in assessing the effect of ostomy in the lives of patients and also gave insight into the coping strategies used by them. The information generated from this study will be useful in creating a more holistictic approach in pre- and post-operative management of individuals with ostomy thus improving their health quality of life.