“I just can’t sit around and do nothing!”: Experiences of women diagnosed with, and treated for, heart disease in Indonesia: a qualitative study

Cardiovascular disease is currently responsible for 37% of the total deaths in Indonesia. Research into cardiovascular disease and its management in Indonesia has heavily emphasized biomedical aspects of the disease; little is known about the individual’s experience of the disease, especially the experiences of Indonesian women. The aim of this study is to understand how gender shapes Indonesian women’s experiences of living with heart disease and how it affects their daily lives. A qualitative research design was employed, which was informed by intersectional approaches to gender and culture. A total of 26 women aged between 30 and 67 years were interviewed. Transcribed interview data was analyzed using a qualitative framework analysis. Three major themes were inferred from the data analysis: 1) the effect of CVD on women’s day-to-day activities, 2) the effects on women’s family relationships, and 3) women’s coping strategies. The inability to fulfill the required social roles as a mother or a wife undermined the women’s sense of self. This problem was particularly evident in Indonesia’s cultural context, where maintaining harmony in the home and society is ascribed to women. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of women with cardiovascular disease, in order for those professionals to deliver services that meet the social, spiritual, and cultural needs of their female patients.