Quantitative research article
Empirical research in bioethical journals. A quantitative analysis by Borry, P., Schotsmans, P., & Dierickx, K.
Background/Introduction
The background of the research was to analyze the nature and evolution of the published empirical research in the fields of bioethics and medical ethics (Borry et al., 2006). This was prompted by an intense debate about the relationship between the normative and empirical perceptions of bioethics. By that time, there were only two studies which had described the nature and evolution of published empirical research in the field of bioethics and ethics and this study paper had to carry more research on this issue (Borry et al., 2006). The introduction is good because it has provided the basis of the article. Furthermore, it has included the statement of the problem, the underlying principle for the study and the research issues.
Review of the literature
The peer-reviewed articles in the fields of bioethics and medical ethics which were published between the years 1990 to 2003 were retrieved from the journals and quantitatively studied (Borry et al., 2006). The study aimed to examine four hypotheses regarding the empirical research in medical ethics and bioethics. The first one was to analyze if the number of empirical-ethical publications selected in the field of medical ethics and bioethics had increased and if there were any significant differences concerning those articles in medical ethics and bioethics (Borry et al., 2006). The second aim was to find out if the perceived positives relationship between the qualitative methodologies and bioethics can be affirmed through the factual analysis. Thirdly, the research was keen to verify if in the last decade patients were the main the subject of study in the empirical research in the field of bioethics. Lastly, the research paper aimed at determining the topics that had studied empirically in bioethics (Borry et al., 2006). This literature review is excellent because it has provided the context of the study. It has pointed out what is known and what is unknown concerning the research problem. The literature review has also included older studies to show the significant changes in knowledge over the period.
Discussion of the methodology
The research focus on the peer-reviewed journals that were published from 1990 to 2003 and the journals had to be exclusively dedicated to bioethical matters in the framework of biomedicine and health care (Borry et al., 2006). The Medline was applied to obtain all the electronic citations of the articles that were published in the journals. In order to verify their reliability, all the journals were investigated by hand and compared to the electronic dataset. The Microsoft Access was applied to establish a template for the purpose of data collection and coding (Borry et al., 2006). The coding scheme was pilot tested by using two independent researchers so as to ensure the reliability of the data. The data collected was analyzed in SAS 9.1.2 and by use of the non-parametric x2 test for independent samples (Borry et al., 2006).This methodology provided enough information that gave enough room for the study to have a significant relationship with other research. The design of the methodology is appropriate to respond to the research questions. The sample selected is adequately enough to answer the research questions, as well as the size, is sufficient to give the valid results.
Data analysis
The research found that the occurrences of the empirical research articles in the field of medical ethics and bioethics have been increasing gradually from 1980 up to 2003 (Borry et al., 2006). It was noted that there were appreciably more articles with empirical design accepted for publication in nursing ethics. Contrary to what they were expecting, they found out that patients are not mainly the studied group in empirical research in the field of bioethics and medical ethics (Borry et al., 2006). They found out healthcare professionals such as physicians, caregivers and nursing staff are mainly being studied other than patients because they are more accessible to the researchers in the field of health care. Furthermore, they found out that the ethical challenges relating to the end of life have been the principal subject of the study. This epidemiology of bioethics indicated the degree of which medical ethics and bioethics are subjective in respect to some ethical issues and ignoring other relevant issues of study (Borry et al., 2006).The analytical approach is relating to the research design and study questions. It has quantitatively described statistics, summarized data and other tests by use of SAS 9.1.2 and non-parametric x2 test for independent samples. This quantitative research has also used coding and content analysis which helps to give reliable information.
Researcher’s conclusion
The study concluded that the empirical research is acceptable and is a growing sector of the bioethics and medical ethics literature (Borry et al., 2006). They believed that bioethics is significantly beneficial from the intense interaction and discussion between normative and empirical perspectives (Borry et al., 2006). The two perceptions ought to interact and learn from one another despite their different characteristics and backgrounds. Both normative and empirical perspective is a primary issue that has effects in defining the right of way of research, teaching bioethics to students and being involved in ethical decision making.
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Human protection and cultural considerations
The main topic of the research was the prolongation of the euthanasia and life as it was dictated by theoretical perceptions of bioethics and medical ethics. The research was sensitive to the identification of ethical problems, informed consent and patient involvement in decision making.
The strengths of the study
The results have been clearly summarized in the tables, figures and text. These figures and tables represent the critical information. The title of the article is informative because it has conveyed the key concepts, variables, and methods used in the article.
Limitations of the study
The sample of the research was limited to only the international peer review periodicals bestow to bioethics and medical ethics rather than the overview of the design, topic and number of empirical studies in medical ethics and bioethics that have been published in all the medical journals.
Describe how evidence informs nursing practice
The evidence from this research shows that there is a need to map all the different topics studied in the discipline of medical ethics and bioethics. It has also informed us that the empirical studies in bioethics are very crucial in addressing the ethical issues arising in the developed countries as well as problems facing the developing countries. Empirical studies will help to provide the way forward concerning the end of life which includes prolongation of life, living wills, and advance directives, care for the dying patient and death. The empirical study will give insights about health care for minorities, world hunger, primary medical attention, food, sanitation, safe water, food, HIV, and AIDS.
Qualitative research article
Qualitative Research About Attributions, Narratives, and Support for Obesity Policy, 2008 by Niederdeppe, J., Robert, S. A., & Kindig, D. A
Background/Introduction
Obesity rates in the United States are rapidly increasing and, thus, resulting in higher disease risk and reduced quality of life (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The promising obesity reduction efforts need new policies to modify external factors such as physical, economic and social environments. Therefore, policy aim to reduce obesity is unlikely to bear fruits without the public support. The survey only shows mixed support for policies targeting to reduce the obesity such as subsidies for vegetables and fruits and zoning laws that aim at promoting the availability of healthy food and physical activity (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). This introduction has provided an informative basis of the article; it has also included a rationale for the study, the statement of the problem and the research questions.
Review of the literature
The rate of obesity has been growing rapidly in the United States hence posing the risk of growth of chronic diseases and decreased the quality of life (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). Successful obesity reduction attempts have called for new policies that are targeting modifications of the external factors like economic, physical and social environments. These regulations need to be supported by the public to succeed. Obesity reduction efforts also have been shown to require efficient communication targeting the creation of awareness of the social determinants of obesity and its attribution (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). This literature review is excellent in the sense that it has established what is known about the research problem. The literature review has also included articles whose publication dates are recent.
Discussion of the methodology
Thirty-three adult participants were chosen from the area of the Midwestern city (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The sample was selected based on the listed telephone numbers. The participants were required to have the intention to vote in the 2008 presidential election, and they were ought to self-identify as a Democrat, Liberal Independent Party, conservative Independent Party or Republican. The participants were asked to participate in the discussion about weight and health related issues (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). They were also requested to read a real narrative about the adult obesity as it was depicted by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and childhood obesity by a Washington Post article. During the discussion, participants were assigned to groups based on their political ideology, thus, producing two sessions for liberals/Democrats and two sessions for conservatives/Republicans which were coded Lib A and Lib B and Cons A and Cons B respectively (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The age of the participants was ranging from 30 to 80 with a mean of 54 years. 15 of participants were women, seventeen had a college degree, and 14 had attended some college. Fourteen participants were married, six never married, three widowed, ten divorced, ten were obese, and 11 were overweight (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). A trained moderator presided over the discussion and the same base questions and probes about the factors that cause obesity and the solutions for high rates of obesity were used. The methodology has sufficiently addressed how the research question was attended to. The study sample was carefully selected. The procedures are listed in a step-by-step manner making it easily to be followed and understood.
Data analysis
The N6 qualitative analysis software was used to discover the recurring arguments and to categorize statements in the transcripts of each discussion (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The causes of obesity were organized as internal or external. The solutions to obesity were categorized into four groups; one being an internal alone, two being internal education, three being external organizational and the last one being external legislative (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The differences in response to ideology and exposure to two narratives of obese individuals were highlighted after clear patterns of difference surfaced across the groups. The analysis shows that there are three internal causal attributions such as personal dispositions, lack of knowledge and skills and genetic/medical/biological causes. It was also identified that external causes of obesity include: food availability and price; family composition and time; institutional culture and policy; and characteristics of the physical environment (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The solution to the prevalence of obesity was found to lie solely on an individual or their parents if they are children. It was also figured out that education is the most internally focused strategy to curb obesity rates. The external factors were also found to be offering solutions to obesity. These external factors include increasing social support, changing organization practices and influencing public policy (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). The analysis approach of the data is correlating the study questions and research design. This qualitative study has the coding approach to analysis data, thus, making the analytical approach correct.
Researcher’s conclusion
The researcher concluded that the outcomes offer a deeper context understanding about public perceptions regarding obesity (Niederdeppe et al., 2011). It also concluded that the findings indicate that some narratives stressing about the barriers to exercise and diet may assist to create policy changes that aim at reducing obesity.
Human protection and cultural considerations
The correspondents recruited were adults with the age of 30 to 80 years with informed consent. The information which each participant gave out was coded. The participants voluntarily accepted to engage in the discussion and filling questionnaires. The polarization of the debates about the policy and attributions were avoided through assigning participants to groups by considering their political ideologies.
Strengths of the study
The study has firmly explained how the research questions were methodologically tackled. The data was collected in an acceptable and systematic way that was approved by the University of Wisconsin’s Social and Behavioral Sciences. The introduction has made the purpose of the article very clear. The abstract has provided a clear overview of the aim of the study, methods, research questions, results and the conclusions. By doing it so, it helps the researchers to decide easily if the article captures their interest.
Limitations of the study
The sample used for the research was too small to be used as a generalizable to the broader United States population. The two narratives used about the adult obesity and child obesity differ significantly in term of the plot (losing weight versus avoiding gaining weight), character ( male versus female) and setting (urban versus rural). These issues affected the participants’ response.
Describe how evidence informs nursing practice
The evidence notifies the nursing practice that the internal factors are the leading primary causes of the obesity and nurses ought to acknowledge that the external factors also play a significant role in controlling obesity. The nursing practice should put more emphasize on the importance education to prompt the individual to be more responsible for their obesity and have adequate control. Nurses are informed to create effective communication strategies so as to increase the awareness of the social determinants of obesity as well as to support policy changes that are aiming to address these determinants.
Evidence Table
References
Borry, P., Schotsmans, P., & Dierickx, K. (2006). Empirical research in bioethical journals. A quantitative analysis. Journal of medical ethics, 32(4), 240-245.
Niederdeppe, J., Robert, S. A., & Kindig, D. A. (2011). Qualitative research about attributions, narratives, and support for obesity policy, 2008. Preventing chronic disease, 8(2), 10-0067.
