Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons^™

Broken Promises: Prolonged Diminished Quality-Of-Life Among Liberian Ebola Survivors Half A Decade After The 2014-16 West African Outbreak, Jessi Hanson-Defusco, Decontee Davis, Meghana Bommareddy, Zainab Olaniyan

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak left thousands of Liberian survivors with severely diminished quality of life. Applying a social determinants framework, this mixed method study investigates to what extent Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors suffer long-haul psychosocial stress, diminished quality-of-life factors, and the impact of EVD-related service provisions on their ongoing healing. We present the results of a quantitative analysis survey of data collected from 19 Liberian EVD survivors in 2022 using snowball sampling. Additionally, a qualitative analysis of survivor statements helps triangulate key statistical findings and inform causal mechanisms. Survivors report experiencing 5.25 of a total of 7 ongoing stressors …

How Can Generative Ai (Genai) Enhance Or Hinder Qualitative Studies? A Critical Appraisal From South Asia, Nepal, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative researchers can benefit from using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), such as different versions of ChatGPT—GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, Google Bard—now renamed as a Gemini, and Bing Chat—now renamed as a Copilot, in their studies. The scientific community has used artificial intelligence (AI) tools in various ways. However, using GenAI has generated concerns regarding potential research unreliability, bias, and unethical outcomes in GenAI-generated research results. Considering these concerns, the purpose of this commentary is to review the current use of GenAI in qualitative research, including its strengths, limitations, and ethical dilemmas from the perspective of critical appraisal from South Asia, Nepal. …

How To Develop A Qualitative Evaluation Plan For A Complex National Intervention: Key Steps And Reflections From The Radx-Up Program, Shelly A. Maras, Josephine Mckelvy, Kelley Milligan, Allyson Kelley, Valerie A. Lucas, Tara Carr, Abisola Osinuga, Leah Frerichs, Gaurav Dave

The Qualitative Report

This article describes the formative process of developing and implementing a Qualitative Evaluation Plan (QEP) for a large-scale, National Institute of Health (NIH) supported program: Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics — Underserved Populations (RADx-UP). RADx-UP includes over 137 projects in the United States that aim to ensure that all Americans have access to timely, accurate diagnostics for COVID-19, with a specific focus on populations the pandemic disproportionately affects. As part of a comprehensive, mixed-methods strategic evaluation plan, our team developed the QEP. We employed qualitative methods to understand RADx-UP academic and community partners’ experiences implementing community-engaged research strategies, and to understand …

Quality Indicators In Surgical Oncology: Systematic Review Of Measures Used To Compare Quality Across Hospitals, Megan Mcleod, Kari Leung, C S. Pramesh, Peter Kingham, Miriam Mutebi, Julie Torode, Andre Ilbawi, Jade Chakowa, Richard Sullivan, Ajay Aggarwal

General Surgery, East Africa

Background: Measurement and reporting of quality indicators at the hospital level has been shown to improve outcomes and support patient choice. Although there are many studies validating individual quality indicators, there has been no systematic approach to understanding what quality indicators exist for surgical oncology and no standardization for their use. The aim of this study was to review quality indicators used to assess variation in quality in surgical oncology care across hospitals or regions. It also sought to describe the aims of these studies and what, if any, feedback was offered to the analysed groups.

Methods: A literature search …

Calming The Body, Calming The Mind: A Pilot Study On The Use Of Zero Balancing To Reduce Anxiety, Misty L. Rhoads, Mary Murphy

Journal of Transformative Touch

Background: The predominance of anxiety is currently at record levels, and the need for non-pharmaceutical approaches to help alleviate and decrease the harmful effects of anxiety on an individual and collective level is necessary. This study explored how Zero Balancing supports individuals with anxiety to manage their physical, mental, and emotional health more effectively. Researchers hypothesized that Zero Balancing would lower the perceived severity of general anxiety and lower perceived anxiety symptoms.

Methods: To honor the holistic nature of bodywork and the participants' lived experiences, the researchers utilized a concurrent mixed-methods phenomenological research design. Each participant received one Zero Balancing …

Barriers And Facilitators To Enhance Interprofessional Education For Rehabilitation Science Graduate Students, Mary A. Riopel, Kimberly Wynarczuk, Taylor Grube

The Qualitative Report

Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to develop healthcare practitioners who work effectively in teams, demonstrate strong communication skills, respect others, and have a working knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of other professionals. Of identified research to date, it is unclear what students perceive as important for effective IPE delivery and learning. The purpose of this study was to identify graduate students' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to learning interprofessional practice using phenomenology. Three semi-structured focus groups were conducted including athletic training, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology students and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged about IPE …

Pastoral Leaders’ Perception Of Obesity And Their Role Within Faith-Based Organizations, Darren D. Moore, Clinton E. Cooper, Charles Williams

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of pastoral leaders regarding obesity and health within faith-based organizations (FBOs). In this study, the authors focused on gaining additional insight regarding how pastoral leaders conceptualize and make sense of their roles in terms of health promotion within FBOs. Utilizing a qualitative research methodological approach, specifically Qualitative Description, authors administered a qualitative survey to 12 participants which yielded three emerging themes: (1) perceived scope, (2) understanding and use of resources, and (3) defining obesity through pastoral leaders’ perspectives. In the study, investigators discuss clinical implications and provide recommendations.

Craftivism As Inquiry: Holding Life’S Threads, Chloe Watfern, Gaynor Macdonald, Michele Elliot, Lynne Stone, Imelda Gilmore, Manuel Tecson, Najla Turk, Penny Bingham, Jane Mears, Ann Dadich, Barbara Doran, Katherine Boydell, Sarah Wallace

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we share insights regarding an arts-based research project where carers of people with dementia conveyed their experiences in cloth. Carers face high rates of mental ill health and burnout, while forming a largely undervalued and unrecognised workforce. Through this project, carers’ knowledge was valued and amplified using an innovative methodology – craftivism. During a series of five workshops in 2021, a small group of carers, researchers and artists gathered online to develop an exhibition of craftivist textile works. They evoked the complexity of their makers’ journeys supporting loved ones at the end of life, finding joy and …

“Everything Seems To Be The Right Eye In Our Family”: Intergenerational Family Living With Facial Eye Disfigurement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Zali M. O'Dea Ms, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents the lived experience of an intergenerational family, spanning three generations living with Facial Eye Disfigurement (FED). Living with vision loss and FED is estimated to affect nearly 8 billion people worldwide. Inadequate attention is paid to the impact of Living with FED (LwFED) on the lives of individuals. This research offers a deep dive into the lived experiences of one family LwFED. This family comprises a grandfather (deceased), son, wife, and child, all of whom have lived or live with FED. In this Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study three interviewees are deemed the experts. Data were collected …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Poetic Representations Of Covid-19 Narratives: An Exploration Of Emotional Experiences During The Pandemic, Isha Harshe, Lindy Davidson

The Qualitative Report

In pivotal moments of history like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to attend to and preserve the stories of different people experiencing the same phenomenon in their own ways. This project analyzed the public’s emotional experiences during the pandemic using methods of narrative and poetic inquiry. After reading 105 entries from the Pandemic Journaling Project, an online platform where people anonymously published journal entries reflecting on their pandemic experiences, narratives were categorized based on ten prominent emotional themes: anger, anxiety, fatigue, fear, loneliness, longing, loss, loss of control, stress, and uncertainty. Found poems were constructed for each emotion …

From Vapor To Vice: Unraveling The Links Between Vaping And Traditional Substance Abuse Among Youth, Ayana Powell

Capstone Experience

ABSTRACT:

Objective: To evaluate whether vaping or using e-cigarettes is associated with the use of traditional substances, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana.

Methods: Using data from the Monitoring the Future surveys, a multivariable logistic regression model was performed, and prevalent odds ratio were calculated to evaluate the association between vaping and traditional substances.

Results: Vaping use among U.S. adolescents and teenagers was found to be an associated with use of traditional substances (cigarette use [OR]= 6.36 [CI]= 4.84, 8.38; alcohol use [OR]=5.80 [CI]= 5.28, 6.38; and marijuana use [OR]= 7.77 [CI]= 6.95, 8.70).

Conclusion: This study will assist …

“My Mummy Has A Hole In Her Face”: Living With Facial Eye Disfigurement, Zali O'Dea, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

People living with facial eye disfigurements (LwFED) are often shunned by a society that makes spontaneous judgements based on appearance. This article is a case study of the lived experience of Toni, a 27-year-old woman LwFED, the result of her treatment for ocular cancer. Semi-structured interviews facilitated the exploration of her experiences. We present the findings chronologically but interwoven with themes such as: being strong for others; responding to her partner’s abuse; dealing with strangers; and reinventing her sense of identity and supporting others. We identified institutional perspectives of work, hospital, and family within the prevailing UK that impacted Toni’s …

Experiences Of Kinship And Connection To Family For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Young Men With Histories Of Incarceration, Shelley Joy Walker, Michael Doyle, Mark Stoové Professor, Troy Combo, Mandy Wilson

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Epidemiological approaches have brought important attention to the issues surrounding the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and the enormous health and socio-economic disparities they face. An implicit discourse often exists within the construction of this “knowledge”, however, that situates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in deficit terms.

Using narrative inquiry, a methodological approach congruent with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and ways of knowing, we aim to challenge this dominant discourse, via an examination of the narratives of eight Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander young men (aged 19-24 years) involved in the criminal justice …

Household Environments And Functional Decline Among Middle-Aged And Older Adults In China, Dandan Zhao

All Theses

This thesis investigates the associations between household social, economic, and physical environment conditions and the trajectory of self-reported functional limitations over time among middle-aged and older adults in China. Despite the increasing interest in the impact of household environments on functional decline, most existing studies are cross-sectional or concern changes in functioning observed in two waves of surveys, and they primarily focus on the influence of one condition. This thesis explores how the trajectory of functional decline is influenced jointly by multiple household factors, including living arrangement, annual living expenditure per capita, indoor air pollution resulting from solid fuels, and …

Does Using Sofa Score For Ventilator Triage Among Covid 19 Patients Result In Suboptimal Allocation Of Medical Ventilators For The Bipoc Population?, Alexandrea Mp Masocco, Elisabeth Michel, Ebbin Dotson

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Black, and Latinx populations have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be inferred with high confidence that those most vulnerable are the least likely to receive essential care. Kidney transplant allocation and COVID-19 triage protocols share commonalities in that both protocols involve using multivariate scored criteria with objective and subjective inputs. As such, the similar conclusion in outcomes is concerning. It is worth questioning whether the racial inequalities demonstrated in the COVID-19 pandemic related to access to life-saving ventilators were associated with triage protocols.

Methodology: Using an exploratory …

The Red Ribbon And The Black Cross: A Qualitative Study Of The Relationship Between Social Activism And Contemporary Black Church Responses To Hiv In Oakland, Ca, Justise Wattree

McNair Research Journal SJSU

The Black Church as a social institution has been a source of social activism during racial crises, but there is a lacking social activist response by Black churches to HIV’s disparate impact on Black communities. Previous research does not adequately explore the influence of community-based organizations on Black church responses to HIV in the context of social activism. This study examines the relationship between social activism and contemporary Black church responses to HIV in Oakland. It considers community-based organizations (CBOs) as potential drivers of social activism. Semi-structured interviews with Black church leaders in Oakland were conducted and content analyzed along …

Patient's Perspective Of Shared Decision-Making In Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Isabela Viana Oliveira, Mariana Martins Gonzaga Nascimento, Cristiane P. Rezende Mrs, Carina M. Neves, Hagabo Mathyell Silva, Ana Luiza Mourawad Cesar, Djenane Ramalho De Oliveira

The Qualitative Report

Current guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment state that all decisions should be shared with the patient. Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand in-depth how patients with RA with different levels of health literacy and activation feel about sharing the decision with the health professional and how they experience this process. Grounded theory was used. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 14 patients with RA. From the analysis of the patients’ narratives, four categories were built: “Accepting the changes: non-shared decisions”; “The patient's rationale: why not share?”; “Reaching the requirements for sharing the decision: expanding the patient’s autonomy"; and "Experiencing …

Exploring The Experience Of Disclosing In The Workplace, Jillian Auger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An alarming rate of workplace violence/harassment is observed each year, with negative outcomes that affect the organization (i.e., financial loss) and those directly involved (i.e., job loss, financial strain, fear of being blamed, being labeled a ‘troublemaker’). The literature indicates that, for many victim-survivors, there is little hope for positive outcomes following a disclosure of workplace violence/harassment. In fact, some studies show that negative reactions to disclosure can compound and intensify the impact of violence/harassment on psychological functioning. However, minimal research has been devoted to the experiences of victim-survivors regarding the outcomes of a disclosure. Utilizing virtual semi-structured interviews, the …

Analytical Approach For Monitoring The Behavior Of Patients With Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma At Different Stages As A Function Of Time, Aditya Chakaborty Dr, Chris P. Tsokos Dr

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Qualitative Study Of Oncology Nurses’ Experience In Providing Care For Terminally Ill Patients In Salmaniya Medical Complex In Bahrain, Layla S. Turki, Leena Khonji, Magda Bayoumi

The Qualitative Report

Oncology nurses are essential in palliative care for cancer patients, especially at end-of-life stages. Caring for terminally ill cancer patients is stressful, accompanied by negative and positive feelings, but oncology nurses have an unavoidable responsibility. However, little is known about oncology nurses' experience in the Kingdom of Bahrain caring for terminally ill cancer patients in their final weeks or days. This study aimed to explore the experience of oncology staff nurses in providing care for terminally ill patients in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the research answered those questions: (a) What is the experience of oncology staff nurses in providing …

Inner Portraits, Bethany Salisbury

Graduate Theses

This paper investigates the many interconnected layers of women’s mental health through portraiture and how animal and plant symbolism can represent the way women's hormones and bodily health affect their mental health. I reveal how the artwork created presents these connections and inner mental health narratives to the viewer, creating a space of empathy, destigmatization, and self-reflection. This body of portraiture art connects five women through a series of both two-and three-dimensional portraits based on interviews using my own adaptation of Sara Lawrence-Lightfoots’ (1983) portrait methodology.

Women and non-binary individuals have always dealt with difficult interactions of bodily and mental …

Co-Exploring Meaning In Everyday Life For People In Mental Health Recovery: A Photovoice Study, Siw H. Tønnessen, Ottar Ness, Trude G. Klevan

The Qualitative Report

Research on mental health recovery points to an interdependent relationship between experiences of meaning and experiences of recovery; meaning in everyday life promotes recovery, and recovery promotes meaning in everyday life. In this study we address the following question: What do people with mental challenges find meaningful in their everyday life? To explore this question, we offered disposable cameras to people with mental health challenges and asked them to photograph whatever makes their life meaningful. As part of the collaborative procedure of the study, a competence group contributed to different stages of the research process and the visual data were …

Beyond The Bmi: Expanding Quantitative Methods To Study Health For All Bodies, Kieran Chase, Daniel Oron

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

The public health field is beginning to reckon with its role in perpetuating and reinforcing systemic anti-fatness. Emerging evidence for the devastating health impacts of stigma call into question decades of research and policy that labels the size of people’s bodies as diseased. However, even as we acknowledge the harmful effects of stigma, the field is materially and institutionally invested in a health paradigm that centers weight loss and size-related proxies for health, such as the BMI. Public health scholars interested in questions related to nutrition, chronic disease, and exercise must begin to expand their research focus to imagine non-stigmatizing …

Conflicting Socio-Cultural Attitudes And Community Factors Resulting In Backstreet Abortion In Cato Manor, Kwazulu Natal, Chloe Sachs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abortion in South Africa is a complex topic, rife with augmenting and limiting political, social, religious, and cultural factors. In South Africa, abortion has been legal since 1996; however, abortions have been performed for centuries in the region. Although abortion is legal, many factors influence a woman’s choice and ability to terminate a pregnancy. Religious and cultural norms within morally conservative societies contribute to negative abortion sentiments and hesitation to seek formal medical abortions. This study explored multiple age groups within Cato Manor and whether the attitudes towards abortion and factors impacting the choice of where and whether to receive …

El Empoderamiento De Personas Embarazadas Y Posparto En Arica, Chile: Perspectivas Indígenas Y Biomédicas, Abby Perce

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El parto, sin importar las tradiciones o los procedimientos utilizados, es un proceso transformador tanto para quien da a luz como para el bebé. Si bien los procesos de embarazo, parto y posparto son experiencias individualizadas, el apoyo de la comunidad y la atención médica cuidadosa pueden marcar una gran diferencia en los sentimientos de empoderamiento y satisfacción en la vida de los pacientes. Este estudio exploratorio cualitativo tiene como objetivo comprender los contextos culturales que influyen en el apoyo disponible para las personas embarazadas y puérperas en Arica, Chile, así como investigar las formas en que este apoyo conduce …

Costumbre Y Carnavales; El Rol De Alcohol En La Comunidad Aymara De Putre, Billy White

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar el impacto del alcohol en la comunidad aymara de Putre, localidad rural del norte de Chile. Se realizaron 17 entrevistas semiformales en Putre y sus alrededores con profesionales de la salud de la comunidad, pacientes adultos del CESFAM local, curanderos tradicionales aymaras y líderes comunitarios. El estudio encontró que el consumo de alcohol en Putre está intrínsecamente relacionado con las costumbres y la cultura aymara, ya que su perspectiva sobre el alcohol informa su consumo. El alcohol tiene un papel importante en la religión aymara, la medicina y las fiestas locales. Los hábitos de …

Medicina Tradicional En La Urbe: El Funcionamiento Del Sistema De Salud Mapuche En Santiago, Mariko Yatsuhashi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Santiago, Chile, una ciudad con más de 5 millones de personas, el pueblo originario Mapuche ha logrado la reconstrucción de su sistema tradicional de salud para servir la comunidad urbana de la comunidad mapuche. Hoy en día, la mayoría de gente mapuche viven en ambientes urbanos debido a una migración masiva desde su territorio ancestral en el sur, que creó una población distinta de gente mapuche llamada warriache, o gente de la ciudad. Después de una expansión nacional de los derechos básicos de pueblos originarios en los años ‘90, el pueblo originario Mapuche, junto con otros pueblos originarios, podía …

Intergenerational Change In Hiv/Aids-Related Stigma In Cato Manor, Mijin Cho

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In South Africa, the world’s epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, HIV-related stigma and stigma-enforcing stereotypes continue to serve as major health barriers to receiving adequate HIV prevention and treatment. While there continues to be a rise in research and advocacy, there is a need to study HIV stigma through a multigenerational lens that addresses the changing HIV/AIDS stigma in the post-apartheid era. Using qualitative methodology, this study aims to explore the generational differences in perceived HIV stigma between females in their 20s and above 50 years of age (as denoted by “50s+”) living in Cato Manor, South Africa. The study …

Inclusión Cultural En Fonasa: Parto Aymara Como Un Estudio De Caso, Madison Singleton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los primeros años de la década de 2000s sirven como un período legal transformador en Chile, debido al auge de los grupos de representación indígena y la introducción de la ley 20.584 que asegura un modelo de interculturalidad en los servicios de salud. El objetivo de esta investigación es comprender los factores que impactaron en la priorización de la inclusión cultural en el sistema público de salud (FONASA), utilizando el parto aymara en Arica como un estudio de caso. Esta investigación toma forma en un diseño de investigación cualitativa y exploratoria utilizando 5 entrevistas y 5 observaciones, así como las …