Introduction
The current paper critically evaluates the research study conducted by Zenobia Chan and Joyce Ma (2003). The purpose of the paper is to attempt to develop an understanding of qualitative assessment provided in the selected journal article by critiquing and appraising the research. Chan and Ma (2003) explored the patient’s subjective experience of anorexia nervosa and assessed that how people with anorexia nervosa exhibit certain expressions of annoyance, apprehension, and nervousness. The study of Chen and Ma proves that anorexia nervosa is an affecting disorder in a human being that is characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by not eating anything (Chan & Ma, 2003). The main objective of this study was to explain the consequences of eating disorder in patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa. The research questions were based on the behavior and attitude of people with anorexia nervosa.
In this paper, researchers will be presented with examined questions and conceptual designs. The sampling and bounding of the research work will be reviewed by looking at the operational and theoretical definitions of Anorexia nervosa. A new strategy for data collection will be developed to check the accuracy and validity of the research work.
Evaluation of Methodology
Theoretical and Operational Definitions
The conceptual and operational definition allows the readers to understand the consequences of Anorexia nervosa. According to Bruch (2001), it is an eating turmoil typified by an abnormally low body weight, extreme apprehension of gaining weight, and an indistinct opinion of body weight (Bruch, 2001). Patients with anorexia place an elevated value for calculating the weight of their body, using intense efforts that have a tendency to interfere drastically with behavior in their personal lives.
The theoretical definition of the study is to assess the adverse effects of this disease, as it can create many issues for them as well. It is noticeable that many women and men wish to look as smart as model and actors are and for this reason, they start to indulge themselves in erroneous activities. According to Paulson-Karlsson & Nevonen (2012), a person with Anorexia Nervosa is exceptionally ailing and requires help from a general practitioner (Paulson-Karlsson & Nevonen, 2012).
Research Questions
The researcher designed two different questions of research to examine the perception of patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa and the people who are studying or treating this disease. The first question investigates about the experiences and behavior of patients with anorexia nervosa. The second research question revolves around the method of treatment. The research question even discovers that why these patients with anorexia nervosa consider themselves as over weight. On the other hand, the design of the research questions only inspected the behavior and activities of patients, and they failed to mention anything about the role of such patients in social life.
Conceptual Design
In this qualitative research study, Chan and Ma (2003) understand the phenomenology of responsibility of healthcare department. The conceptual design shows through the study of Chan and Ma that how they comprehend the correlations between patients' personal experience in family therapy and the responsibility of health department? After reviewing the qualitative papers, the readers will be able to suggest the main concerns and the conceptual design of the feelings and sentiments of the people who are eventually suffering from anorexia nervosa. According to Shepphird (2009), anorexia nervosa is a severe disease with a higher rate of mortality. The healthcare facilities for patients with anorexia nervosa are also placing better prominence in the usefulness of family therapy in the department of the health care.
In the start of the study, Chan and Ma provided information to the readers on how anorexia nervosa affects the lives of ordinary people and things that should be done to deal with this illness. The other part of the study shows the reader about the four different stages of this disease. After observing the relationship between patients with anorexia nervosa and their system of therapy at healthcare institutes, the readers can understand that it is the responsibility of the healthcare department and general practitioners to give awareness to the public about the consequences of this strange illness.
I think there is one strength of this in the study of Chen and Ma, as it is giving its reader an opportunity to understand the requirements of patients who are dealing with anorexia nervosa and role of procedural treatment in hospital/clinics at the same time. The study of Chen and Ma allows the readers to get hold of more enriched data. The survey illustrates the conditions of different patients with anorexia nervosa, the complexities and role of the various doctors and researchers in the process of handling those patients. It was noticeable in the survey that all the patients who are being discussed belonged from urban cities, so the healthcare department is obliged to inspect the setting and location of their awareness programs as well.
Sampling and Bounding
Sampling and bounding are techniques used to trim down the assortment of contributors that is being used for the examinations. Chan and Ma utilize the purposive sampling technique to choose the sample for their inspection and research work. Purposive sampling helped the authors to find that anorexia nervosa is severe mental sickness where patient start to assume itself as a fat person and uses wrong procedures to lose weight in a short interval of time. The purposive sampling explains the risks of this mental illness and its negative impact on the physical and psychological conditions of human being.
The purposive sampling is based on a systemic approach to the consideration and treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa. By looking at such an extensive range of patients with anorexia nervosa, I think that the study of Chen and Ma is able to witness the disparity in antagonism, nervousness, and hopelessness in these patients.
As a result of purposive sampling, the researchers pointed down their assortment, and the researchers got an opportunity to understand the bonding of different kind of issues of anorexia nervosa, which is an eating disorder. The adhesive bonding technique gives an idea to the readers that how patients with anorexia nervosa usually behave and how they are being treated.
Effectiveness of Data Gathering
The article by Chan and Ma (2003) showed the experience of five different researchers. They assemble data on the subject of the research design. Chan and Ma (2003) used thematic analysis for collecting data. Thematic analysis is a approach used in qualitative data, where Chan and Ma (2003) reviewed their data, wrote down the important points and presented it to its reader to inform about the issues of this mental disease. The researchers collected the required data by directly getting indulged with the patients and transcribed the experience of sufferes in a written form for readers. The technique of observation in research work is informal and amorphous work that explores an extensive range of topics. It is noticeable that this kind of studied research work is ideal for qualitative measurements. The technique of data collection worked collaboratively to extract as much information as possible for the investigator to explore the intercultural experiences of patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa.
Drawing Conclusions about the Data
The researcher is capable of reviewing each and every stance of people who are suffering from anorexia nervosa. They can even converse with the patients who are present in the inspection, as the researcher must be having a list of questions to ask and write their answers in the social context. It is much easier to complete a research work when the investigator is present on the authentic spot, from where he can get all the required information related to the actual topic.
After the answers had been assessed and pointed down, the researcher made a detailed report on it and mentioned the necessary sections in the social context. With the help of this collected data, it was easier for the researcher to write a brief description on the given topic of anorexia nervosa. The researcher was able to conclude the conventional modes of apprehension and emotions of patients and the reason that stimulate those emotions.
It was observed that many patients were showing anger as they were not happy with the services provided to them, and they were still willing to lose their body weight. It proves that anorexia nervosa is a mental sickness that has an adverse impact on the mental and physical health of people. Chen and Ma reveals that estimatedly75% of the researchers, writers, and doctors were not satisfied with the concept of looking skinny, and regrettably, this phenomenon has turned out to be extremely common in the urban regions.
It is noticeable in the data that has been generated that doctors and researchers were not satisfied with the condition of the patients. Anger, apprehension, and hopelessness are all emotions that are repeatedly expressed by the patients who are dealing with anorexia nervosa. By having this additional information, the revealed reasons of these emotions draw attention to the close concentration that should be paid to their expression as they are precious tools for the health care department to realize the significance of awareness and knowledge related programs.
Validity
The process of checking the validity and reliability of the research work allows the general practitioners and investigators to decide whether the study measured is accurate, and the obtained information is consistent or not. The utilization of content validity refers to whether an evaluating mechanism covers the working range of meanings of forms that are incorporated in a variable to be determined.
There are a number of variables that are being considered in this study , such as nervousness, antagonism, and hopelessness in the patients. The utilization of content validity is going to permit the investigators to discover how they all relate to each other. Researchers are capable of using the procedure of data triangulation to find out the validity of the research work by assessing the questions of research from patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa..
Strategy to Improve Validity
It is noticeable that data triangulation is used in the study of Chan and MA which also helped in identifying the validity, as it used information from different patients. The study involves the participants who examined the patients with anorexia nervosa. The study could have been more efficient if they had preferred to add more participants in the research work.
Reliability
The process of checking the reliability of the study helps the researchers and practitioners to decide whether the similar results would have appeared each time inspection was completed or not. The technique of credibility proved to be useful in observing all kind of changes that possibly took place in the physical condition of the patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa. The credibility method is one of the simplest ways of testing the stability and reliability of an instrument over time.
Strategy to Improve Reliability
The change in the mental and physical condition of a patient with anorexia nervosa gives out more information that how these patients deal with the sensation of antagonism, nervousness, and dejection. Having multiple sets of questions for the interview can provide more diversity in the results and can help in determining the reliability of the research work.
Strategy to Improve the Quality of Data Collected
There are two categories of self-effacing observation and for this critical study; concealed self-effacing observation is going to be effective. There is also the challenging issue with using self-effacing observation as it is dependent on a patient’s explanation of the behavior. One observation of a researcher could differ from another one.
Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of the Data Collection Tool
In order to decide whether the study of Chen and Ma is valid, the usage of concurrent validity should be used for the process of inspection. Concurrent validity compares the mechanism under assessment to several other accessible decisive factors, such as the outcome of another measuring piece of equipment.
Researchers are supposed to utilize the concept of the in-depth inspection and evaluation system as the first aspect of the study. Once those outcomes have been accumulated, researchers can now use the hidden observation to examine the performance and use concurrent validity to investigate and then compare the two different sets of end results. Along with the in-depth examination process, the researchers can directly ask the patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa about their psychological issues.
When we look at the criteria of the reliability of hidden observations, numerous forms of assessment can be used. Even though obscure observations are considered as one-sided, on the other hand, what the researcher studies gives out additional detailed information. The concept of multiple forms expediently allows different researchers to observe the patients at different times and compare the two available results.
As far as my experience is concern, patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa can regularly have a severe reaction to the similar situation. If a certain element of their schedule gets missed or distorted, then they usually get disturbed and start assuming themselves as an obese patient. The patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa should be given proper treatment by doctors and general practitioners.
Conclusion
Qualitative research includes data in the shape of expressions, images, explanations, or narrations. The study of Chen and MA tries to investigate the anorexia nervosa. Through this particular research work, it became easier to enlighten the significance of sampling, bounding, consistency and legitimacy in a study. Anorexia nervosa is a mental sickness that makes person believes that they are over-weight. The research work permits the readers to obtain more information about how antagonism, apprehension, and hopelessness are connected to individuals with anorexia nervosa. Chen and Ma provide its reader with information about the harmful effects of this mental illness on the physical and psychological health of a person.
References
Bruch, H. (2001). The Golden Cage: The Enigma of Anorexia Nervosa. London: Harvard University Press.
Chan, Z., & Ma, J. (2003). Anorexic Body: A Qualitative Study. Qualitative Social Research, 4 (1), 1-4.
OPaulson-Karlsson, G., & Nevonen, L. (2012). Anorexia nervosa: Treatment expectations – a qualitative study. Journal Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 5 (1), 169–177.
Shepphird, S. F. (2009). 100 Questions & Answers About Anorexia Nervosa. Los Angeles: Jones and Barlett Publishers.
Appendix – Research Questions
Introduction
I have some questions related to the behavior and attitude of the patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa. Please feel free to share your opinion and feelings as I am the only person to hear what you are going to say. There are no approved or erroneous answers to these questions. I’m not going to criticize your judgment.
Questions:
1.What expectations do the patients with anorexia nervosa hold for the healthcare performance?
2. How do you come to know about the expectations of those patients?
3. What is the behavior of people who have to deal with such patients?
(Doctor/ Family/ Friends- be specific)
4. Why people start to believe that they are overweight?
5. What is the right way of losing weight?
6. Tell me about your social life. Who would you like to hang out with patients who are suffering from anorexia nervosa?
7. Do you have anything that you want to share?
8. Do you have any questions for me?
