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Qualitative Analysis (qualitative + analysis)
Selected Abstracts"Not the Romantic, All Happy, Coochy Coo Experience": A Qualitative Analysis of Interactions on an Irish Parenting Web SiteFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 1 2010Ellen Brady Support groups in online communities provide an anonymous place to exchange information and advice. Previous research has suggested that these groups offer a safe, nonjudgmental forum for new parents to share experiences and interact anonymously. This study investigated how participants in online parenting groups experience support via the Internet and what types of support they receive. All posts made over a 2-week period on the parenting-related discussion boards of an Irish parenting Web site were analyzed using content and thematic analyses. Exploratory, semistructured interviews were also conducted with 2 forum participants to discuss their experience of using the Web site. Themes uncovered from the data gathered included the attempts by posters to dispel the myths surrounding motherhood and the recognition of the superiority of the mother as caregiver. The results revealed that the parenting Web site was seen as a safe, supportive space, in which mothers could develop an enhanced frame of reference in which to better understand the role of parenting. The role of online support groups as a viable solution to the decreasing social networks created by modern society is discussed, along with the implications of the findings for future practice and research. [source] The Relationship between Internal Audit and Senior Management: A Qualitative Analysis of Expectations and PerceptionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 3 2006Gerrit Sarens This study, based upon Belgian case studies, provides a qualitative assessment of the relationship between internal audit and senior management, analysing the expectations and perceptions of both parties. We found that senior management's expectations have a significant influence on internal audit and that internal audit, generally, is able to meet most of these expectations. Senior management wants internal audit to compensate for the loss of control they experience resulting from increased organisational complexity. Senior management expects internal audit to fulfil a supporting role in the monitoring and improvement of risk management and internal control, and wants them to monitor the corporate culture. Furthermore, they expect internal audit to be a training ground for future managers. On the other hand, internal audit expects senior management to take the first steps in the formalisation of the risk management system. They are looking for senior management support, as this benefits their overall acceptance. [source] Qualitative Analysis of Medicare Claims in the Last 3 Years of Life: A Pilot StudyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005Amber E. Barnato MD Objectives: To study end-of-life care of a representative sample of older people using qualitative interpretation of administrative claims by clinicians and to explore whether this method yields insights into patient care, including continuity, errors, and cause of death. Design: Random, stratified sampling of decedents and all their Medicare-covered healthcare claims in the 3 years before death from a 5% sample of elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries, condensation of all claims into a chronological clinical summary, and abstraction by two independent clinicians using a standardized form. Setting: United States. Participants: One hundred Medicare fee-for-service older people without disability or end-stage renal disease entitlement who died in 1996 to 1999 and had at least 36 months of continuous Part A and Part B enrollment before death. Measurements: Qualitative narrative of the patient's medical course; clinician assessment of care continuity and apparent medical errors; cause, trajectory, and place of death. Results: The qualitative narratives developed by the independent abstracters were highly concordant. Clinicians felt that 75% of cases lacked continuity of care that could have improved the quality of life and the way the person died, and 13% of cases had a medical error identified by both abstracters. Abstracters disagreed about assignment of a single cause of death in 28% of cases, and abstracters and the computer algorithm disagreed in 43% of cases. Conclusion: Qualitative claims analysis illuminated many problems in the care of chronically ill older people at the end of life and suggested that traditional vital statistics assignation of a single cause of death may distort policy priorities. This novel approach to claims review is feasible and deserves further study. [source] Young Men as Victims and Perpetrators of Violence in Northern Ireland: A Qualitative AnalysisJOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 3 2004Jacqueline Reilly This article explores issues of masculinity and violence in the lives of young men in disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland. Qualitative data were collected in four focus groups, one group of young men from the Catholic community, one group of young men from the Protestant community, one group of community representatives, and one group of Young Offenders (N= 28). Themes were extracted from the data using a grounded approach. Results indicate that social disadvantage is fundamental to experiences of violence and that young men understand the costs and benefits of a masculine identity that incorporates a capacity for violence. Discussion suggests that initiatives to reduce violent behavior should be compatible with socially and culturally acceptable constructions of masculinity. [source] Predictors of Success in Individuals with Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis of a 20-Year Longitudinal StudyLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 4 2003Roberta J. Goldberg The research described here is part of a larger longitudinal project tracing the lives of a group of individuals with learning disabilities who attended the Frostig Center more than 20 years ago. The purpose of the larger project has been to identify variables that predict successful outcomes for adults with learning disabilities. This article focuses on the qualitative findings obtained using an ethnographic approach to analyzing in-depth interviews with participants. Six previously identified "success attributes" (self-awareness, proactivity, perseverance, appropriate goal setting, effective use of social support systems, and emotional stability/emotional coping strategies) were further defined. Using qualitative analysis, significant components of the success attributes that differentiated the successful from unsuccessful groups were identified, and changes over time were revealed. In addition, the following new themes were identified: (1) the learning disability exerted a critical influence across the entire lifespan; (2) there were differences in participants' family functioning; and (3) there were differences in participants' social relationships. Support for the salience of the success attributes and the additional themes to the participants is given in the form of direct quotations from the corpus of interview transcripts. Qualitative methodologies are stressed throughout the study for the purpose of obtaining an "insider's view" of LD. [source] Reassessing the Insurance Effect: A Qualitative Analysis of Fertility Behavior in Senegal and ZimbabwePOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 3 2003Thomas LeGrand A number of prominent demographers have recently reiterated the argument that a lasting mortality decline is a key determinant of the fertility transition. Of the main hypothesized pathways linking fertility to mortality, the one least studied is the insurance hypothesis: the notion that, in high-mortality contexts, people decide to have more children in order to anticipate possible future child deaths and lessen the risks of having too few surviving offspring. In-depth interviews and focus groups from Zimbabwe and Senegal are used to examine this hypothesis and to extend it into a broader theory of reproductive decision making under uncertainty. Whereas insurance strategies are frequent in Zimbabwe and occur in urban Senegal, in the higher-mortality settings,the rural Senegalese site and the recent past described by respondents in Zimbabwe and urban Senegal,deliberate fertility-limitation strategies are rare. The data depict fundamental changes in attitudes, strategies, and behaviors concerning family size over time and, in Senegal, over space. Important reproductive goals and risks extend far beyond numbers of children and mortality. Parents seek to have healthy, successful children for many reasons including companionship, descendants, and old-age support. Diverse investments in child quality (their education, health, etc.) and quantity (numbers of births) are the main means to attain these goals and, less recognized by demographers, are also important ways for parents to manage uncertainty in family-building outcomes; the "classic" insurance mechanism is only one, often minor, aspect of the quantity option. [source] Family Caregivers' Experiences with Community Services: A Qualitative AnalysisPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2003Betty Wehtje Winslow Ph.D. Abstract Researchers of family caregiving have presented mixed results in evaluating the effectiveness of community services in reducing family caregiver stress and have indicated that many caregivers use limited services or access services late in their caregiving experience. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of the use of community services, including benefits and barriers, by family caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. Community services included assistance with caregiving or related tasks and educational or emotional support that was provided by health professionals or community service providers. In this qualitative descriptive study, a convenience sample of 21 family caregivers was interviewed. Open-ended questions were used to explore the caregivers' experiences with community services. Transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content-analysis techniques. Results indicated that family caregivers received benefits of renewal, sense of community, and new knowledge and believed that their patient benefited from the services. Barriers to service use included care receiver resistance, reluctance of the caregiver, hassles for the caregiver, concerns over quality, and concerns over finances. These findings provide direction for community nurses and other health professionals in targeting interventions that will meet the expressed needs of caregivers. [source] Test Characteristics of High-Resolution Ultrasound in the Preoperative Assessment of Margins of Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Patients Undergoing Mohs Micrographic SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 1 2009ANOKHI JAMBUSARIA-PAHLAJANI MD BACKGROUND Noninvasive techniques to assess subclinical spread of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) may improve surgical precision. High-resolution ultrasound has shown promise in evaluating the extent of NMSC. OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy of high-resolution ultrasound to assess the margins of basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) before Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). METHODS We enrolled 100 patients with invasive SCC or BCC. Before the first stage of MMS, a Mohs surgeon delineated the intended surgical margin. Subsequently, a trained ultrasound technologist independently evaluated disease extent using the EPISCAN I-200 to evaluate tumor extent beyond this margin. The accuracy of high-resolution ultrasound was subsequently tested by comparison with pathology from frozen sections. RESULTS The test characteristics of the high-resolution ultrasound were sensitivity=32%, specificity=88%, positive predictive value=47%, and negative predictive value=79%. Subgroup analyses demonstrated better test characteristics for tumors larger than the median (area>1.74 cm2). Qualitative analyses showed that high-resolution ultrasound was less likely to identify extension from tumors with subtle areas of extension, such as small foci of dermal invasion from infiltrative SCC and micronodular BCC. CONCLUSION High-resolution ultrasound requires additional refinements to improve the preoperative determination of tumor extent before surgical treatment of NMSC. [source] Analyses of second-generation ,legal highs' in the UK: Initial findingsDRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS, Issue 8 2010Simon D. Brandt Abstract In the UK, mephedrone and other so-called ,legal high' derivatives have recently been classified as Class B, Schedule I under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Since then, alternative products have been advertised on a number of websites. In order to obtain an immediate snapshot of the situation, 24 products were purchased online from 18 UK-based websites over a period of 6 weeks following the ban in April 2010. Qualitative analyses were carried out by gas chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry using electron- and chemical ionization modes, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and comparison with reference standards. Overall, the purchased products consisted of single cathinones or cathinone mixtures including mephedrone, butylone, 4-methyl- N -ethylcathinone, flephedrone (4-fluoromethcathinone) and MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), respectively. Benzocaine, caffeine, lidocaine, and procaine were also detected. The emphasis was placed on ,Energy 1' (NRG-1), a product advertised as a legal replacement for mephedrone-type derivatives usually claiming to contain naphyrone (naphthylpyrovalerone, O-2482). It was found that 70% of NRG-1 and NRG-2 products appeared to contain a mixture of cathinones banned in April 2010 and rebranded as ,new' legal highs, rather than legal chemicals such as naphyrone as claimed by the retailers. Only one out of 13 NRG-1 samples appeared to show analytical data consistent with naphyrone. These findings also suggest that both consumers and online sellers (unlike manufacturers and wholesalers) are, most likely unknowingly, confronted with the risk of criminalization and potential harm. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Neutral components from hexane extracts of Croton sellowiiFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Sebastião F. Palmeira Jr Abstract Qualitative analyses by GC,FID and GC,MS of the neutral fractions from hexane extract of the leaves, stems and roots of Croton sellowii were carried out. Sesquiterpenoids, n -alkanes, aliphatic esters and aliphatic alcohols and alkyl benzene derivatives were identi,ed. Caryophyllene oxide (46.8%) and trans -caryophyllene (40.8%) were most abundant in the leaves, while caryophyllene oxide (26.5%) and cubenol (16.7%) were the main constituents in the stems. In the roots, besides mesitylene (15.2%), the sesquiterpenes , -(7.6%), , -(6.9%) and , -eudesmol (5.5%) were the most abundant components. All identi,ed constituents are described for the ,rst time in this species. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mothers' Trait Verbal Aggressiveness as a Predictor of Maternal and Child Behavior During Playtime InteractionsHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Steven R. Wilson This article explores associations between mothers' trait verbal aggressiveness (VA) and maternal and child behavior during playtime interactions. Forty mothers completed a 10-minute play period with one of their children (range = 3,8 years) and then responded to D. A. Infante and C. J. Wigley's (1986) trait VA scale. Mothers' trait VA was associated positively (r = .48) with their rate of directing and inversely (r =,.44) with their child's rated cooperation. Qualitative analyses of a subset (n = 8) of interactions suggest that mothers high in trait VA used directives to control the choice, rate, and duration of activities, and used physical negative touch along with directives, more than low-VA mothers. Behaviors associated with trait VA occur even during brief mother,child interactions in which triggers for aggressive behavior largely are absent. Résumé Le trait d,agressivité verbale des mères comme variable explicative des comportements maternels et infantiles lors d'interactions de jeu Cet article explore les associations entre le trait d,agressivité verbale (AV) des mères et le comportement maternel et infantile lors d'interactions de jeu. 40 mères ont participéà une période de jeu de 10 minutes avec l,un de leurs enfants (tranche d'âge = 3-8 ans) puis ont répondu à l'échelle de trait d'AV d,Infante et Wigley (1986). Le trait d'AV des mères fut associé positivement (r= 0,48) à leur taux de contrôle et inversement (r= -0,44) au taux de coopération de leur enfant. Des analyses qualitatives d,un sous-ensemble (n= 8) d'interactions donnent à penser que les mères au trait d,AV élevé ont fait usage de directives pour contrôle le choix, le rythme et la durée des activités et qu'elles ont utilisé le toucher physique négatif en même temps que les directives, plus que ne l,ont fait les mères au trait d'AV faible. Les comportements associés au trait d'AV surviennent même lors de brèves interactions mère-enfant au cours desquelles les déclencheurs de comportements agressifs étaient largement absents. Abstract Das Müttermerkmal verbale Aggression als Prädiktor für Mutter-Kind-Verhalten in spielerischen Interaktionen Dieser Artikel untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen dem Müttermerkmal verbale Aggression (VA) und dem Mutter-Kind-Verhalten in spielerischen Interaktionen. 40 Mütter spielten 10 Minuten lang mit einem ihrer Kinder (zwischen 3-8 Jahren) und beantworteten dann die VA-Eigenschaftsskala nach Infante & Wigley (1986). Das Müttermerkmal VA war positiv assoziiert (r= .48) mit der Häufigkeit des führenden Eingreifens und umgekehrt assoziiert (r= -.44) mit der vom Kind beurteilten Kooperation. Qualitative Analysen eines Teils (n= 8) der Interaktionen deuten darauf hin, dass Mütter mit hoher VA führendes Eingreifen nutzen, um die Wahl, Häufigkeit und Dauer von Aktivitäten zu kontrollieren. Sie nutzten außerdem häufiger physisch negative Berührungen zusammen mit dem führenden Eingreifen als Mütter mit niedriger VA. Mit dem Merkmal VA verbundene Verhaltensweisen finden sogar in kurzen Mutter-Kind-Interaktionen statt bei denen Auslöser für aggressives Verhalten weitestgehend fehlen. Resumen El Rasgo de la Agresividad Verbal de las Madres como Vaticinador del Comportamiento Materno y del Niño Durante las Interacciones en el Recreo Este artículo explora la asociación entre el rasgo de agresividad verbal de las madres (VA) y el comportamiento maternal y del niño durante las interacciones en el recreo. Cuarenta madres completaron un período de 10-minutos de juego con uno de sus hijos (oscilando = 3-8 años) y luego respondieron a la escala sobre el rasgo VA de Infante y Wigley (1986). El rasgo VA de las madres fue asociado positivamente (r= .48) con el grado de direccionamiento e inversamente (r= -.44) con el grado de cooperación de su niño. Los análisis cualitativos de un subset (n= 8) de interacciones sugieren que las madres con rasgos altos de VA usaron directivas para controlar la selección, el tipo, y la duración de las actividades, y usaron el contacto físico negativo junto con directivas, más que las madres con rasgos bajos de VA. Los comportamientos asociados con el rasgo VA durante las interacciones breves entre la madre y su niño que provocan el comportamiento agresivo se encuentran mayormente ausentes. ZhaiYao Yo yak [source] Trust in Nurses Scale: construct validity and internal reliability evaluationJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2010Laurel E. Radwin radwin l.e. & cabral h.j. (2010) Trust in Nurses Scale: construct validity and internal reliability evaluation. Journal of Advanced Nursing66(3), 683,689. Abstract Aim., This paper is a report of the continued psychometric evaluation of the Trust in Nurses Scale. Background., Qualitative analyses indicate that trust in nurses is critically important to adult patients. Instruments that distinctively measure this concept are lacking. A middle-range theory of patient-centred nursing care provided the theoretical basis for the Trust in Nurses Scale. Content validity was assessed by an expert panel and patient interviews. Construct validity and reliability were found acceptable using multi-trait/multi-item analysis techniques. These findings were previously reported. Methods., Construct validity and reliability of the Trust in Nurses Scale was assessed in 2007 using data collected during 2004,2005 from 187 hospitalized patients in a haematology-oncology setting. Trust in nurses (the latent factor) was operationalized by five items (manifest variables) using confirmatory factor analyses. Fit statistics included comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis Index, root mean square error of approximation and the standardized root mean square residual. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using coefficient alpha. Findings., Both a five-item and a four-item version demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties. The five-item version met three fit statistics criteria. Fifty-nine per cent of the variance was explained. A four-item version met all fit statistics criteria. Sixty-six per cent of the variance was explained. Acceptable internal consistency reliability was found for both versions. Conclusion., Previous psychometric testing of the Trust in Nurses Scale provided evidence of the instrument's reliability, content validity and construct validity. The presented analyses further support construct validity. Thus, cumulative findings indicate that the instrument measures with a few items the underlying concept of trust. [source] Heritability of Phenols in the Resistance of Theobroma cacao against Phytophthora megakarya, the Causal Agent of Black Pod DiseaseJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2007P. F. Djocgoue Abstract The black pod disease caused by Phytophthora megakarya is responsible for 80% of the cocoa production loss in Cameroon. To assess the resistance of cocoa plants against this pathogen, necrotic lesions, phenolic content and qualitative alteration of phenolics were conducted in ICS84 and ICS95 clones (two Trinitario introduced from Trinidad) and their hybrids (families F30 and F25) derived from reciprocal cross breeding between these two parental clones after inoculation. The existence of strong hybrid vigour has been shown. Ninety percentage of the hybrid's genotypes manifested a positive heterosis effect for the development of lesion size. This suggests the existence of hybrid vigour with a genetic additive effect. F3086, F2509, F2552 and F2586 hybrids were characterized by localized lesions. Those hybrids genotypes can be considered as elite clones. In relation to analysis of total phenolics and lesion size, no maternal effect was detected in the transmission of these characters. A significant and negative correlation (r = ,0.683) (P < 0.01) has been observed between necrosis evolution and phenolics accumulation. The values of the heritability of lesion size and the total phenolic content in offsprings did not permit to show the maternal effect. Qualitative analyses of phenolics showed high flavonones content in cocoa leaves. Qualitative analyses of phenolics in ICS84, ICS95 clones and their hybrids showed a modification of the phenolics profiles, notably concerning apigenin and luteolin derivatives due to the inoculation. These compounds, along with others that were not identified, could have a role in the reaction and mechanism of defence of cocoa against P. megakarya. [source] Mexican American High School Students' Ethnic Self-Concepts and IdentityJOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 1 2010Stephen M. Quintana Mexican American high school students (N= 24) were administered semistructured interviews about their psychological experience of ethnicity. The interview focused on individual, friendship, peer group, and family domains. Qualitative analyses of the interview transcripts revealed six domains including ethnic identity, socialization, intraethnic support and challenge, interethnic relations and attitudes, ethnic transcendence, and ethnic differences and similarities. These six domains were graphically depicted that differentiated ethnic self-concepts from ethnic identity processes and identified the intraethnic and interethnic influences of the ethnic self-concepts and identity processes. There were three ethnic self-concepts (i.e., cultural self, possible minority self, and self that transcends ethnic group boundaries). These basic three ethnic self-concepts are consistent with other researchers' identification of analogous ethnic self-concepts and socialization messages across a wide range of contexts. Implications for future empirical and theoretical research are discussed. [source] Recognition of anaerobic bacterial isolates in vitro using electronic nose technologyLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2002A. Pavlou Aims: Use of an electronic nose (e.nose) system to differentiation between anaerobic bacteria grown in vitro on agar media. Methods and Results: Cultures of Clostridium spp. (14 strains) and Bacteroides fragilis (12 strains) were grown on blood agar plates and incubated in sampling bags for 30 min before head space analysis of the volatiles. Qualitative analyses of the volatile production patterns was carried out using an e.nose system with 14 conducting polymer sensors. Using data analysis techniques such as principal components analysis (PCA), genetic algorithms and neural networks it was possible to differentiate between agar blanks and individual species which accounted for all the data. A total of eight unknowns were correctly discriminated into the bacterial groups. Conclusions: This is the first report of in vitro complex volatile pattern recognition and differentiation of anaerobic pathogens. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results suggest the potential for application of e.nose technology in early diagnosis of microbial pathogens of medical importance. [source] The effects of interactive music therapy on hospitalized children with cancer: a pilot studyPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Maru E. Barrera Abstract Background. The use of music therapy with children in health settings has been documented, but its effectiveness has not yet been well established. This pilot study is a preliminary exploration of the effectiveness of interactive music therapy in reducing anxiety and increasing the comfort of hospitalized children with cancer. Methods. Pre- and post-music therapy measures were obtained from children (N=65) and parents. The measures consisted of children's ratings of mood using schematic faces, parental ratings of the child's play performance, and satisfaction questionnaires completed by parents, children and staff. Results. There was a significant improvement in children's ratings of their feelings from pre- to post-music therapy. Parents perceived an improved play performance after music therapy in pre-schoolers and adolescents but not in school-aged children. Qualitative analyses of children's and parents' comments suggested a positive impact of music therapy on the child's well-being. Conclusions. These preliminary findings are encouraging and suggest beneficial effects of interactive music therapy with hospitalized pediatric hematology/oncology patients. In future studies replicating these findings should be conducted in a randomized control trial. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] When smokers are resistant to change: experimental analysis of the effect of patient resistance on practitioner behaviourADDICTION, Issue 8 2005Nick Francis ABSTRACT Aims In the field of motivational interviewing, practitioner confrontational behaviour has been associated with lower levels of patient behaviour change. We set out to explore whether resistance to change among smokers affects practitioner confrontational and other behaviours. Design Experimental manipulation of levels of patient resistance in a role play. Setting The study was conducted at the start of a 2-day health behaviour change workshop. Participants Thirty-two practitioners who had registered for the workshop. Intervention The practitioners were assigned randomly to interview a standardized patient (actor) who portrayed a smoker who had been briefed to display either high or low levels of resistance to change. Measurements Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Practitioners and standardized patients completed interview ratings at the end of each interview. After listening to each taped interview practitioners were assigned a global score for confrontation, empathy and expert instructional style. Interviews were then submitted to a qualitative analysis. Findings Higher levels of practitioner confrontational behaviour were observed in the high resistance group. This was evident both from the global scores (median 2 versus 0, P = 0.001) and the qualitative analysis. Global scores for empathy and expert instruction were not significantly different. Qualitative analysis also suggests a pervasive negative impact on other practitioner behaviours. Conclusions Higher patient resistance probably leads to an increase in confrontational and other negative behaviours in health professionals attempting to promote behaviour change. This challenges important assumptions about the influence of practitioner behaviour on patient behaviour and subsequent health-related outcomes. [source] Safer sex decision-making among men with haemophilia and HIV and their female partnersHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 1 2001K. L. Parish An exploratory qualitative study of adult heterosexual men with haemophilia and HIV and women who were their sexual partners was conducted as formative research to better understand cognitive factors involved in behavioural intentions and practices which comprise HIV risk-reduction for sexual transmission. The study sought to generate hypotheses, uncover themes, and develop a broad perspective on possible determinants of behaviours related to HIV transmission risk reduction. Qualitative analysis of these data served as a basis for developing a subsequent quantitative, hypothesis-testing survey and an intervention. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 23 single men and 28 married men with haemophilia and HIV infection, and 28 married women partners selected through stratified, purposeful sampling. The interviews identified beliefs, attitudes, and values underlying decisions regarding target behaviours related to preventing sexual transmission of HIV, including (1) using condoms consistently during vaginal intercourse and (2) talking to partners about risk reduction. The interviews elicited information about perceived advantages and disadvantages of performing each of the targeted behaviours, and factors that facilitate or prevent performing them. Qualitative analysis of coded responses yielded important themes regarding how choices are made about sexual activity and safer sex. Most notably, communication between partners (1) plays a direct, key role in facilitating condom use and (2) forms the basis for maintaining emotional intimacy in these relationships. The link between condom use and communicating about safer sex was viewed as pivotal in achieving HIV prevention for individuals in serodiscordant couples. Recommendations for risk reduction intervention development are discussed. [source] Parent-Identified Barriers to Pediatric Health Care: A Process-Oriented ModelHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Elisa J. Sobo Objective. To further understand barriers to care as experienced by health care consumers, and to demonstrate the importance of conjoining qualitative and quantitative health services research. Data Sources. Transcripts from focus groups conducted in San Diego with English- and Spanish-speaking parents of children with special health care needs. Study Design. Participants were asked about the barriers to care they had experienced or perceived, and their strategies for overcoming these barriers. Using elementary anthropological discourse analysis techniques, a process-based conceptual model of the parent experience was devised. Principal Findings. The analysis revealed a parent-motivated model of barriers to care that enriched our understanding of quantitative findings regarding the population from which the focus group sample was drawn. Parent-identified barriers were grouped into the following six temporally and spatially sequenced categories: necessary skills and prerequisites for gaining access to the system; realizing access once it is gained; front office experiences; interactions with physicians; system arbitrariness and fragmentation; outcomes that affect future interaction with the system. Key to the successful navigation of the system was parents' functional biomedical acculturation; this construct likens the biomedical health services system to a cultural system within which all parents/patients must learn to function competently. Conclusions. Qualitative analysis of focus group data enabled a deeper understanding of barriers to care,one that went beyond the traditional association of marker variables with poor outcomes ("what") to reveal an understanding of the processes by which parents experience the health care system ("how,""why") and by which disparities may arise. Development of such process-oriented models furthers the provision of patient-centered care and the creation of interventions, programs, and curricula to enhance such care. Qualitative discourse analysis, for example using this project's widely applicable protocol for generating experientially based models, can enhance our knowledge of the parent/patient experience and aid in the development of more powerful conceptualizations of key health care constructs. [source] The patient's view on quality of life and eating disordersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 1 2007Simone de la Rie MA Abstract Objective: This study investigated the personal views of eating disorder (ED) patients on their quality of life (QOL). Method: The views of 146 current ED patients and 146 former ED patients on their QOL were studied using a self-report questionnaire. Patients were requested to name the most important aspects of their life and they subsequently rated themselves on these aspects. Qualitative analysis clustered items into meaningful categories. Results: A sense of belonging was mentioned most often (93.0%) by the participants. Work or education, health and well-being were also mentioned frequently. Furthermore, participants stated a sense of self, disease-specific psychopathology, life skills, leisure activities, a sense of purpose, financial situation, living condition, and pets. Current ED patients more frequently mentioned disease-specific psychopathology than former ED patients. Current ED patients reported poor QOL on most domains, particularly on self-image and well-being. Former ED patients reported better QOL than current ED patients, but ratings were just above average. Conclusion: The views on QOL of ED patients broadens the scope of relevant domains of QOL. The assessment of these views may be a useful adjunct to the use of standardized QOL measures. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006 [source] Which Providers Should Communicate Which Critical Information About a New Medication?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2009Patient, Pharmacist, Physician Perspectives OBJECTIVES: To investigate older patient, pharmacist, and physician perspectives about what information is essential to impart to patients receiving new medication prescriptions and who should provide the information. DESIGN: Qualitative focus group discussions. SETTINGS: Senior centers, retail pharmacies, and primary care physician offices. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-two patients aged 65 and older, 13 pharmacists, and 17 physicians participated in eight focus groups. MEASUREMENT: Qualitative analysis of transcribed focus group interviews and consensus through iterative review by multidisciplinary auditors. RESULTS: Patient, pharmacist, and physician groups all affirmed the importance of discussing medication directions and side effects and said that physicians should educate about side effects and that pharmacists could adequately counsel about certain important issues. However, there was substantial disagreement between groups about which provider could communicate which critical elements of medication-related information. Some pharmacists felt that they were best equipped to discuss medication-related issues but acknowledged that many patients want physicians to do this. Physicians tended to believe that they should provide most new-medication education for patients. Patients had mixed preferences. Patients aged 80 and older listed fewer critical topics of discussion than younger patients. CONCLUSION: Patients, pharmacists, and physicians have incongruent beliefs about who should provide essential medication-related information. Differing expectations could lead to overlapping, inefficient efforts that result in communication deficiencies when patients receive a new medication. Collaborative efforts to ensure that patients receive complete information about new medications could be explored. [source] Two-Minute Mental Health Care for Elderly Patients: Inside Primary Care VisitsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2007(See editorial comments by Drs. Charles Reynolds, Bruce L. Rollman), Carrie Farmer Teh, Mario Cruz OBJECTIVES: To assess how care is delivered for mental disorders using videotapes of office visits involving elderly patients. DESIGN: Mixed-method observational analysis of the nature of the topics discussed, content of discussion, and the time spent on mental health. SETTINGS: Three types of settings: an academic medical center, a managed care group, and fee-for-service solo practitioners. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five primary care physicians and 366 of their elderly patients. MEASUREMENTS: Videotapes of 385 visits covering 2,472 diverse topics were analyzed. Coding of the videotapes identified topics, determined talk time, and coded the dynamics of talk. RESULTS: Mental health topics occurred in 22% of visits, although patient survey indicated that 50% of the patients were depressed. A typical mental health discussion lasted approximately 2 minutes. Qualitative analysis suggested wide variations in physician effort in providing mental health care. Referrals to mental health specialists were rare even for severely depressed and suicidal patients. CONCLUSION: Little time is spent on mental health care for elderly patients despite heavy disease burdens. Standards of care based on a count of visits "during which a mental health problem is discussed" may need to be supplemented with guidelines about what should happen during the visit. System-level interventions are needed. [source] Electroanatomic Analysis of Sinus Impulse Propagation in Normal Human AtriaJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2002ROBERTO DE PONTI M.D. Sinus Impulse Propagation in Normal Human Atria.Introduction: Better understanding of atrial propagation during sinus rhythm (SR) in normal hearts under the most normal physiologic conditions may be propaedeutic to pathophysiologic studies of complex atrial arrhythmias. In this study, qualitative and quantitative analyses of sinus impulse propagation in both atria were performed by electroanatomic mapping in patients with no organic heart disease who were undergoing an electrophysiologic procedure. Methods and Results: Seven patients (5 men and 2 women; age 37 ± 11 years) undergoing ablation of a left-sided accessory pathway were considered. Associated heart disease and coexisting atrial arrhythmias were excluded. After obtaining informed consent, electroanatomic mapping of both atria was performed during SR using a nonfluoroscopic system in the postablation phase. Mapping was accomplished in all patients with no complications. Qualitative analysis showed that sinus impulse propagation gives a reproducible activation pattern with minor individual variations. During interatrial propagation, two breakthroughs (anterior and posterior) in the left atrium are observed in the majority of cases. The anterior breakthrough, which reflects conduction over Bachmann's bundle, is predominant and shows a peculiar "preexcitation-like" endocardial activation pattern. Quantitative analysis showed minimal individual variations of propagation time intervals. Atria are activated simultaneously for 65% ± 9% of the duration of the atrial systolic time interval. Conclusion: In normal humans, electroanatomic mapping of SR identifies a typical and reproducible propagation pattern during SR. Bachmann's bundle plays the most important role in interatrial propagation. Atria are activated simultaneously by sinus impulse for a relevant portion of the systolic time interval. [source] Evaluating community participation as prevention: life narratives of youthJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 8 2010Rich Janzen Community-based prevention programs strive to foster the composition of positive life stories, in part, by promoting active participation in community settings. This article used life narratives of youth to explore the experience of community participation and showed how such participation influenced their lives. Youth aged 18,19 years who participated in Better Beginning, Better Futures (n=62), a community-based prevention program, when they were aged 4,8 years, recounted stories of their lives that showed significantly higher levels of participation in community programs and greater personal impacts of that involvement compared with youth who were not involved in Better Beginnings (n=34). Qualitative analysis of a subsample of these youth (n=34) revealed individual and community characteristics that were instrumental in fostering positive outcomes of community participation. The findings indicated both the utility of using a narrative approach to evaluate community-based prevention programs and the value of community participation for children and youth. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Defining the nature of participation in rural Australian communities: A qualitative approachJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Sheridan J. Coakes Within the literature, theories and analyses of social involvement or participation have focussed primarily on the political and formal role of participation within the community or neighborhood. This study illustrates, through qualitative inquiry, that within small rural communities, individuals find it difficult to separate formal and informal participation, when both have an equally important role to play in community life. Fifty-five structured interviews were conducted with women across six rural shires in the southwest region of Western Australia. Qualitative analysis revealed that approximately 50% of women, when asked about their involvement in their community, referred initially to their informal participation within the community, rather than their participation in formal community groups or associations. These results are discussed in relation to life in small rural towns. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Qualitative analysis of future flood risk in the Taihu Basin, ChinaJOURNAL OF FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2009G.L. Harvey Abstract This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of future flood risk in the Taihu Basin, China, performed using an adaptation of the UK Foresight Future Flooding approach. Drivers of increased flood risk were identified and ranked according to their importance in contributing to future flooding by experts and stakeholders working within an inclusive, participatory framework. Management responses to increasing flood risk were also identified and assessed in terms, first, of their potential to reduce flood risks and, second, their sustainability. This analysis provides the foundation for quantitative flood risk modelling to be performed in the next phase of the project. It has also added value to flood risk management in the Taihu Basin by bringing stakeholders together to develop a shared understanding of the flooding system and the relative importance of multiple flood risk drivers and responses. Together, the qualitative and quantitative analyses will provide a comprehensive vision of possible future flood risk to inform policy development and decision making. [source] ATTEMPTS TO UTILIZE BACTERIOPHAGE TO COMBAT SALMONELLA ENTERICA SEROVAR ENTEMTIDIS INFECTION IN CHICKENSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2001IAN B. SKLAR ABSTRACT Bacteriophage capable of lysing a nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis strain (SeE Nalr) were tested for the ability to reduce cecal Salmonella counts in young chickens infected with the bacterium. Qualitative analysis of cloacal swabs suggested that phage treatment can possibly reduce shedding of SeE Nalr, but average SeE Nalr counts of between 105 and 107 cfu of SeE Nalr per g of cecum were obtained even from phage-treated 14-day old birds and even when more than 107 plaque forming units of phage were present per gram of cecal content. The average cecal SeE Nalr counts were generally between 0.3 and 1.3 orders of magnitude lower in phage-treated chickens than in untreated controls birds. The difference in counts was statistically not significant in three animal trials, but significant in two trials using feed particles as delivery vehicles for the phage. Although some of the SeE Nalr in the cecae of phage-treated chickens had developed resistance to some of the phage used, factors other than phage resistance must have contributed to the failure of the phage to substantially reduce SeE Nalr counts. [source] Qualitative in situ analysis of multiple solid-state forms using spectroscopy and partial least squares discriminant modelingJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 7 2007Karin Kogermann Abstract This study used in situ spectroscopy to reveal the multiple solid-state forms that appear during isothermal dehydration. Hydrate forms of piroxicam and carbamazepine (CBZ) were investigated on hot-stage at different temperatures using near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy combined with multivariate modeling. Variable temperature X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Karl Fisher titrimetry were used as reference methods. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed to qualitatively evaluate the phase transition. It was shown that the constructed PLS-DA models, where spectral differences were directly correlated to solid-state modifications, enabled differentiation between the multiple forms. Qualitative analysis revealed that during dehydration, hydrates, such as CBZ dihydrate, may go through several solid-state forms, which must be considered in quantitative model construction. This study demonstrates that in situ analysis can be used to monitor the dehydration and reveal associated solid-state forms prior to quantification. The utility of the complementary spectroscopic techniques, NIR and Raman, have been shown. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 96: 1802,1820, 2007 [source] Two Mandarin readers in Taiwan: characteristics of children with higher and lower reading proficiency levelsJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 2 2005Jia-ling Charlene Yau This study investigated how two readers of Mandarin with differing reading-proficiency skills interacted with a narrative passage, as well as what knowledge they brought to and made use of while reading the text. The perspectives of reading comprehension, transactional theory and social-cognitive models of reading served as this study's theoretical framework. Two Sixth-Grade participants were selected for inclusion through snowball sampling. The data in this study were obtained from interviews and think-alouds. Qualitative analysis indicated that the skilled Mandarin reader's stance moved along the efferent/aesthetic continuum, while the less-skilled Mandarin reader's was mainly efferent. The skilled reader employed strategies of inferencing, summarisation and synthesis during and after reading, while the less-skilled reader applied bridging inferences, paraphrasing and repetition. The findings of this study corroborate previous findings that proficient readers employ more sophisticated approaches to reading than less-proficient readers. [source] The effects of Common Knowledge Construction Model sequence of lessons on science achievement and relational conceptual changeJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2010Jazlin Ebenezer Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM) lesson sequence, an intervention based both in conceptual change theory and in Phenomenography, a subset of conceptual change theory. A mixed approach was used to investigate whether this model had a significant effect on 7th grade students' science achievement and conceptual change. The Excretion Unit Achievement Test (EUAT) indicated that students (N,=,33) in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores (p,<,0.001) than students in the control group (N,=,35) taught by traditional teaching methods. Qualitative analysis of students' pre- and post-teaching conceptions of excretion revealed (1) the addition and deletion of ideas from pre- to post-teaching; (2) the change in the number of students within categories of ideas; (3) the replacement of everyday language with scientific labels; and (4) the difference in the complexity of students' responses from pre- to post-teaching. These findings contribute to the literature on teaching that incorporates students' conceptions and conceptual change. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 25,46, 2010 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||