Undergoing colonoscopy as experienced by adolescents

摘要

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of undergoing colonoscopy as experienced by adolescents. Design: This study was a qualitative study in which data were collected and analyzed in accordance with the methodological principles of Reflective Lifeworld Research with a phenomenological approach. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were performed with 17 adolescents after undergoing the first colonoscopy. Results: The phenomenon of undergoing colonoscopy as experienced by adolescents can be described as a collision between emotions and a desire to obtain answers to questions about the examination, as well as concerns about its result and the meaning of undergoing colonoscopy. The essential meaning is additionally described through its constituents: a sense of vulnerability, an opportunity for symptom explanation, and sensibility regarding information. Conclusions: The results can be concluded in terms of the knowledge that for adolescents a colonoscopy means more than an examination. Although colonoscopy is not experienced as painful, it evokes different emotions that affect adolescents. Therefore, a psychological preparation, on an individual level, is required before the colonoscopy. Our results showed that adolescents need to understand the connection between their symptoms, their body, and the colonoscopy.