Literature Review Outline and Annotated Bibliography
Qualitative Methods in Health
Physical activity promotion in general practices of Barcelona: a case study
The qualitative data collection methods used in health care include such techniques as interviews, participant observation, and focus group. Qualitative research is increasingly being used to explore and understand the beliefs, experiences, behavior, interactions and attitudes toward a range of health subjects (Ribera, 2006). Qualitative techniques have traditionally been used in health care to document the experience of chronic illnesses as well in studies about the functioning of the health institutions. It is noted that qualitative research techniques for instance in-depth interview and focus groups are popular for one-off projects targeted at investigating the views and experiences of carers and patients.
In the health research article, qualitative methods were used to give explanations for the lack of integration of physical activity (PA) promotion in general practices of Barcelona (Ribera, 2006). The researchers chose the qualitative method so as to have an in-depth together with intensive exploration of how PA promotion in practice consultations was influenced by the wider environment.
Focus groups, semi-standardized individual individual interviews together with short individual interviews on patients provided more in-depth personalized information. Eleven of the participants reported health problems such as fibromyalgia, obesity, anxiety, diabetes, heart attack incidences, and sport-related injuries (Ribera, 2006). I5 participants said they were physically active at the time of the interview while admitted not to have been physically active in the past. Qualitative research was needed to give a deeper understanding of the obtained results because of the lack of conclusive results from quantitative studies.
Finally, use of qualitative methods enabled the researcher to explore experience-related information and then come up with explanations for the apparent lack of micro-level integration of promoting PA in general practices in the city of Barcelona (Ribera, 2006).
Annotated Bibliography:
Ribera, Puig, Anna, McKenna, Jim, & Riddoch, Chris. (2006). Physical activity promotion in general practices of Barcelona: a case study. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from: http://her.oxfordjournals.org
The case study discusses reasons for the lack of integration of physical activity (PA) promotion in general practices among the people of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. The qualitative approach was used in the research.
Quantitative Research Methods in Health
A Quantitative Approach for Estimating Exposure to Pesticides in the Agricultural Health Study
Quantitative research method was used by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) in North Carolina and Iowa. Basic time and intensity-related information on pesticide exposure was gathered from applicators who had been administered an enrollment questionnaire each. In addition, further intensity-related exposure information pertaining to work practices, personal hygiene, maintenance or repair of mixing and application equipment was retrieved from detailed take-home questionnaires administered to applicators. Use of it Quantitative method was necessary in the research because of the need to quantify the long-term exposure levels of pesticides to provide adequate ground for further studies relating to chronic disease.
Both categories of populations reported a similar intensity of exposure as well as a similar distribution of exposure levels based on demographic variables. This suggested that the sub-cohort population can taken to be a representative of the entire cohort population in the sense of evaluation of health risk relying on information limited to the take-home questionnaire given out to the applicators.
Annotated Bibliography:
Dosemeci, Mustafa, & Alavanja C.R. Michael. (nd). A Quantitative Approach for Estimating Exposure to Pesticides in the Agricultural Health Study. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from: http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/2/245.full
The article focuses on a quantitative method as used to estimate the long-term exposures of long-term chemical-specific pesticide of more than 58000 pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa. It discusses information obtained from self-reported exposure information on pesticide obtained from questionnaires and pesticide monitoring data from various literature, the Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database, and results of EPA pilot AHS pesticide monitoring surveys.
Mixed Methods in Health
Mixed methods of research in health care are those that integrate a single or more qualitative and quantitative techniques for collection of data and/or analysis. Generally, mixed methods have the advantages of suggesting, discovering, testing hypotheses, and giving new insight on complex subjects besides allowing the health researcher to address practice along with policy issues from the perspective of numbers and narratives. The greatest advantage of employing qualitative methods when using mixed methods in health care surveys is that they afford great potential for exploring new topics along with enabling familiarization of the research team to new areas (Borkan, 2004). Furthermore, the qualitative methods may also come in handy in theory building pertaining to area of study in health.
Qualitative data collection methods are also widely used where the narratives or life experiences of the patients or providers are being searched. The integration both methods is particularly helpful because qualitative methods serve to provide insight into the processes along with events leading up to the observed variation at particular times. On the other hand, quantitative techniques correspond by isolating and identifying the correlates linked with variation at given moments in time. As such quantitative research techniques enable the health care researcher to gain insight only about the specific area of research but widens the scope with the help of qualitative methods and get unexpected insights (Borkan, 2004).
Therefore, mixed methods serve to expand the research toolbox and enable health care researchers to get results that often transcend the capabilities of the individual methods as well as disciplines. Lastly, the article notes that mixed methods have the advantage of lending themselves to valuable opportunities pertaining to data triangulation and transformation as well as instrument design (Borkan, 2004). In summary, therefore, a health care researcher is better off employing mixed methods so as to rip the benefits of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
Annotated Bibliography:
Barker, M. Jeffrey. (2004). Mixed Methods Studies: A Foundation for Primary Care Research. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from: http://www.annfammed.org/content/2/1/4.full.
This is a journal with two articles discussing mixed methods or multi-method techniques used in investigations for primary care. The first article discusses the criteria and models of both qualitative and quantitative research methods while the second piece gives an example of a health research work. The article gives the strengths of mixed methods.
References:
Barker, M. Jeffrey. (2004). Mixed Methods Studies: A Foundation for Primary Care Research. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from: http://www.annfammed.org/content/2/1/4.full.
Dosemeci, Mustafa, & Alavanja C.R. Michael. (nd). A Quantitative Approach for Estimating Exposure to Pesticides in the Agricultural Health Study. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from: http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/2/245.full
Ribera, Puig, Anna, McKenna, Jim, & Riddoch, Chris. (2006). Physical activity promotion in general practices of
