SAGE Journals
Reinforce chapter themes with free access to two journal articles for each chapter and further online readings. Select chapters will also include suggested weblinks.
Discussion Points: Why was a mixed methods approach appropriate in this context? What are the key elements of the approach as outlined in this paper?
Journal Article 24.2: Mayoh, J. and Onwuegbuzie, A. (2015) ‘Toward a conceptualization of mixed methods phenomenological research’, Journal of Mixed Methods Research 9(1): 91–107.
Discussion Points: What is meant by phenomenological research? Why are mixed methods particularly well suited to address these types of problems?
Description: Diabetes-specific family behaviours are associated with self-care and glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes. Formative research is needed to inform assessment of these behaviours and interventions to address obstructive family behaviours (sabotaging and nagging/arguing), particularly among racial/ethnic minorities and low-income adults who struggle most with self-care adherence. We conducted a mixed-methods study with adults with type 2 diabetes at a Federally Qualified Health Center to better understand experiences with diabetes-specific family behaviours and willingness to engage family members in diabetes interventions. Participants completed a phone survey (N = 53) and/or attended a focus group (n = 15). Participants were 70% African American and had low socioeconomic status (96% annual income <US$20K, 51% uninsured). Although 62% lived with family members, only 48% lived with the person providing the most diabetes-specific support. Participants’ family living situations were diverse and multigenerational. Most (64%) experienced both supportive and obstructive family behaviours from the same person(s). Some participants (40%) said engaging family in interventions would positively affect all members; others (27%) did not want to involve family. Findings can inform the design and content of interventions targeting family involvement in adults’ type 2 diabetes, with implications for assessing family behaviours, intervention modalities, and who to engage.
Description: Nearly 40% of Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and people with cancer are increasingly turning to the Internet to bolster support and information received from health-care providers. However, little is known about the role of the Internet in patients’ interactions with the health-care system. The goals of this study are (1) to qualitatively explore the content of commonly used websites from a holistic nursing perspective, (2) to explore the prompts to use the Internet and how it informs the ways patients utilize and interact with health services, and (3) to document the types of Internet resources and amounts of usage. This study is guided by a constructivist mixed methods design. Interpretive description will guide the overarching qualitative component, including an analysis of data from commonly used websites and interviews with 16 newly diagnosed individuals. Open-ended interviews will clarify, through exploration, the role of the Internet in participants’ health system interactions. A survey of Internet use will add insight and depth about where, when, and how participants use the Internet. All interviews and website data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will illustrate a summary of Internet usage. Triangulation of findings will provide oncology nurses and interdisciplinary team members with insight into how patients’ use of the Internet informs their use of health services. Methodologically, this study advances the use of qualitative methods for websites analysis, on which relatively little has been documented.