Burdening patients
Qualitative analysis of healthism in community-based hypertension care in China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3650797 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bo Li (0000-0002-7801-0319, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Sociology Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1446-1242 • E-ISSN: 1839-3551 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14461242.2025.2509961 |
| PMID | 40443059 |
| OpenAlex | W4410905533 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 39 |
Healthism, a neoliberal ideology that frames health as an individual responsibility and moral duty, inherently operates as a blame-the-victim framework, attributing health outcomes primarily to personal choices and behaviours. This qualitative study critically examines healthism's influence on community-based hypertension care in China, particularly its reinforcement of individualised blame and patient distress. Based on semi-structured interviews with 18 community health professionals and 17 hypertensive patients in Shenzhen, the study reveals that while self-care is promoted as essential to hypertension management, it often fosters feelings of inadequacy and social isolation, particularly among patients struggling to meet the expectations set by healthcare providers. Participants also report emotional distress exacerbated by socio-economic challenges that remain unaddressed within the healthcare system. Moreover, the individualisation of health responsibility erodes trust between patients and providers, as patients internalise failure when unable to adhere to prescribed lifestyle modifications. This study critiques the reductive association between patient autonomy and improved health outcomes, advocating for a more holistic approach to hypertension care that acknowledges broader social determinants of health and prioritises structural support for patient well-being
China · Political science · Project commissioning · Publishing · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Health Promotion and Cardiovascular Prevention · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Gerontology
Addressing Health Inequalities through Community Media
'Health for me'
The global epidemiology of hypertension
Introduction to the special issue
An Overview of Reviews on Interprofessional Collaboration in Primary Care
Neoliberalism, healthism and moral judgements
Uncovering the influence of community nursing on health promotion in China
Healthism and the Medicalization of Everyday Life
The power paradox of patient-centred care in Chinese community health
The agentic Self and uncontrollable body
Do patient autonomy preferences matter? Linking patient-centered care to patient-physician relationships and health outcomes
The boundaries of the self and the unhealthy other
Health as a meaningful social practice
Between knowing and doing person-centredness
A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research
Tuning the self
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |