Discussion: Quantitative Data Collection
Discussion: Quantitative Data Collection
Quantitative Data Collection
One of the most important decisions a researcher must make is how to collect data. The nurse implementing evidence-based practice must also think about how outcomes will be measured. For this activity, you will look into different methods of gathering research data.
Consider the following frequently used concepts in nursing research:
Caring
Life satisfaction (patient)
Job satisfaction among nurses
Thinking critically
Empowerment
Stress
Choose one of the six concepts listed above for this activity. Find a QUANTITATIVE research study that used the concept that has been published. This is made easier by using the concept as the key search term. The article chosen must be a primary source (No systematic review or meta-analysis). The author must use the exact term in the study, such as “quality of life.” You must determine how the researcher defined this concept (conceptual definition) and how it was measured (operational definition).
Once you’ve found a published research study, you should address the following:
Determine the concept (how is it defined).
Identify the type of research design and provide a PDF copy of the article.
Determine how the concept was assessed. Be specific by naming the measuring tool. For example, if you are interested in measuring depression in postpartum women, the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, which is a widely used instrument, may have been used in a study.
If a measurement tool was used to collect the data, describe it briefly. (For instance, the Finley Fall scale is a 10-item Likert scale with two subscales.) Describe the tool’s validity and dependability as well. Indicate if the validity and dependability are not described. Describe the specificity and sensitivity if the measure is a diagnostic test.
Quantitative Data Collection Rubric 2017.docx
You should proofread your paper. However, do not rely solely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part, and your grade will suffer as a result. Papers with a high number of misspelled words and grammatical errors will be penalized. Before submitting your paper, go over it in silence and then aloud, and make any necessary changes. It is often beneficial to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Uncorrected mistakes are preferable to handwritten corrections.
Use a standard 10 to 12 point typeface (10 to 12 characters per inch). Smaller or compressed type, as well as papers with narrow margins or single spacing, are difficult to read. It is preferable to allow your essay to exceed the recommended number of pages rather than attempting to compress it into fewer pages.
Large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are also unacceptable, waste trees, and will not fool your professor.
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced, and have a one-inch margin on all four sides of each page. When submitting hard copies, use white paper and print with dark ink. It will be difficult to follow your argument if it is difficult to read your essay.
Data Collection Method
Evidence-based practices are made possible through translational research where nurses collect relevant data, analyze and interpret it to make a meaningful conclusion. Accuracy in the findings from such researches depends on the data collection method used. Therefore, the research must always determine the key characteristics of the targeted population and the variables to analyze to develop the best data collection method. Applying wrong data collection will reduce the inferential ability of the study findings to the general population. It is impossible to recruit the entire targeted population in the research processes because of the costs, time, and other resources required. Therefore, a sample may be taken from the population to explore the variables of interest. The current study seeks to explore the impacts of demographic characteristics on the incidences of obesity. The study will involve a quantitative method in answering the research question.
Description of the Chosen Population and Identified Health Need
The incidences of obesity among teenagers and adolescents continue to rise. Such incidences present significant health concerns considering that it predisposes one to cardiovascular diseases among others (“Causes and Consequences of Childhood Obesity”, 2021). Furthermore, obesity among teenagers and adolescent causes low self-esteem and depression among other mental health issues. People who develop cardiovascular diseases at a younger age are likely to have the condition persist in their lives for their entire adulthood. Such compromises their quality of life. Public health interventions are developed to promote a better quality of life among the populations.
According to Sanyaolu et al. (2019), almost a third of children and adolescents in the U.S have obesity. The rising cases of obesity are attributed to various factors. However, family level of education, socioeconomic factors, and dietary intake patterns could be contributing to the factor. Similarly, various interventions have been developed to fight the disease; though, there are areas that need to be addressed. For example, the government has responded to the issue by taxing unhealthy food to reduce its consumption among the public. According to Aldolaim (2019), obesity remains a major concern that needs to be explored further because of the health risks and financial burdens it presents to the public.
The Most Appropriate Data Collection Method
The study aims at exploring the relationship between the demographic and social characteristics of the population and the risk for obesity. The data collection method will involve the use of both structured interviews and surveys. Surveys are necessary because they will help in reaching out to a large sample population within a short period. The interviews on the other hand, will provide supplementary data for answering the research question. The study hypothesizes that children from low-income families are more likely to develop obesity compared to those from high-income families. Also, the study assumes that the parental education level also influences the risk of childhood obesity among their children. In determining whether the hypothesis is true or not, data on the family income and the parental level of education will be collected. The parental level of education and the economic status will be the independent variables. On the other hand, the dependent variable will be the risk for obesity which will be operationalized into the weight circumference, weight, and height. The data will be used in calculating the BMI values.
Type of Data to Be Collected
The study will be quantitatively based; therefore, the quantitative data will be collected. The quantitative data description involves performing statistical analysis to indicate whether there is an association or variations in the observed phenomenon among different groups. The study will focus on teenagers and adolescents who can be easily obtained in schools. The experiences of the targeted population vary from one region and cultural group. Therefore, there could be modifying variables that will be captured in the study; though, they have a significant impact on the health outcomes for the targeted population. Statistical analysis such as the t-test and ANOVA will be conducted to estimate the variations in the risks for obesity among the various population groups.
Identify Health Indicators Specific to the Population
Teenagers and adolescents are very sensitive because of the many physical and physiological changes that occur in their bodies. On the other hand, parenting patterns have changed significantly among the populations in the current era. Parents no longer have time to interact with their children. Teenagers and adolescents spend most of their time on the internet and this leaves them with limited time for physical interactions and this increases their risk of having obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Alternatively, lack of proper parental guidance means that they are likely to consume unwanted food. Therefore, the key health indicators for this study will be BMI values. A normal BMI value should be between the 5th percentile and the 85th percentile for age (Kansra et al., 2021). High or low BMI values will be indicators of either overweight or underweight attributed to poor eating patterns among the population group.
According to Mitchell et al. (2018), there are many cases of overweight and underweight among teenagers and adolescents. The studies conducted to explore the risk factors for obesity are mainly limited to the developed nations with little attention given to the developing nations. Previously studies have indicated that BMI depends on the level of consumption of fast foods and the parental lifestyles. The current study helps in further understanding the implications of the socio-demographic characteristics on the health indicator.
Five Example Questions to Be Used in Your Data Collection
The following are the list of questions to be used in data collection:
- Have you experienced weight gain or weight loss in the past 6 months?
The question seeks to understand whether the participants have gained or lost weight within the last six months. The findings would be used in determining whether their weight is related to lifestyle or genetic.
- Would rate your parents as highly engaging or less engaging?
The question will help in understanding whether the patients are engaged in the lifestyle patterns of their children.
- What is the estimated level of your family income?
The level of income for the family will be used in determining whether family income is correlated to the risk of obesity.
- How often do you consume fast food?
The question seeks to determine the eating patterns of the targeted audience.
- What is the highest level of education your parents attained?
The question will be used in determining whether parental education is a determinant for the risks of childhood and teenage obesity.
Conclusion
The study seeks to determine factors influencing the high incidences of teenage and adolescent obesity. Obesity is becoming a major health concern for teenagers and adolescents. As a result, the study will involve a quantitative data collection technique which will help in determining the key factors contributing to the rising incidences of obesity among the population group.
References
Aldolaim, S. (2019). Parental perceptions of childhood obesity: Systematic literature review. Journal of Childhood Obesity, 04(01). https://doi.org/10.36648/2572-5394.4.1.70
Causes and consequences of childhood obesity. (2021, March 19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
Kansra, A. R., Lakkunarajah, S., & Jay, M. S. (2021). Childhood and adolescent obesity: A review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.581461
Mitchell, E. A., Stewart, A. W., Braithwaite, I., Murphy, R., Hancox, R. J., Wall, C., & Beasley, R. (2018). Factors associated with body mass index in children and adolescents: An international cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 13(5), e0196221. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196221
Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: A public health concern. Global Pediatric Health, 6, 2333794X1989130. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794×19891305