Our Lady of the Lake College

The researchers thoroughly researched the literature, supporting the need for this investigation with a concise summary of the research problem. The importance of this research to health care, specifically nursing, has been discussed; understanding how obese people define stigmatization by nurses will aid in the establishment of a healthcare environment and nursing practices that cater to obese individuals’ needs, maintain their self-worthiness and sense of dignity, improve their healthcare-seeking behavior, and enhance the achievement of positive health outcomes. This will in turn, hopefully, promote quality healthcare and lives among obese people.

Is the purpose clearly stated?

The purpose of this study was clearly stated. The aim of the research was to establish the meaning of stigmatization of obese people by nurses, from the patients’ perspective (Creel & Tillman, 2011).

Is the research question stated broadly enough for a qualitative study?

The research question of this study can be deduced from the title of the study and the problem statement: what is the overweight patients’ understanding of the stigmatization of obese people by nurses? It is broad enough for a qualitative study; the research question is directed towards the obese population. The study area is, however, not stated in the research question. Nevertheless, the residential areas of the participants were stated under the research methodology section. This study utilized the phenomenology theoretical framework. The researchers explored the meaning of obese people stigmatization according to the views, experiences, and perceptions of the obese patients’ themselves.

Are the subjects obtained using a method consistent with the qualitative methodology?

The subjects in the qualitative study were selected using the nonprobability method of sampling, which was based on the participant availability (Heffner, 2014). The participation was open and voluntary, where the announcements were made available to the target population (Creel & Tillman, 2011). However, some considerations such as the body mass index, age, gender, and previous stigma experience were a requirement, purposely to ensure that the participants could inform the research question and give sufficient data that would enhance and understanding of the overweight persons’ perspective of stigmatization by nurses (Sargeant, 2012). Henceforth, the subjects’ selection method was consistent with the requirements of a qualitative study.

Is the setting appropriate for the study?

One-on-one interviewing was done in a private office which was convenient for both the interviewee and the interviewer (Creel & Tillman, 2011). This setting was, thus, conducive for a meaningful conversation. As such, distractions were avoided for the interview and voice recording. The participants who preferred the telephonic interview were contacted via phone at their time of convenience.

Are the data collection methods consistent with the purpose of the qualitative approach?

The interviews and focus groups are the most commonly used data collection methods in healthcare qualitative researches. This particular study’s purpose was to determine the views, beliefs, and experiences of obese individuals regarding stigmatization by nurses. Therefore, interviewing was the most appropriate data collection method for detailed individual participants’ insights.

Are the rights of human subjects protected?

Firstly, the participants voluntarily chose to be a part of the study. Secondly, the researchers ensured the compliance with ethical considerations. They sought approval for the study from the University Institutional Review Board. Additionally, an informed consent from all the participants was maintained before they were engaged in data collection procedures (Creel & Tillman, 2011). The subjects were made aware of the purpose of the research, a description of the interviewing process, a briefing of the questions and possible risks and benefits of participation. They were also given the contacts to the primary researcher and allowed to ask any questions about their concerns prior. Besides, the participants were given an assurance of confidentiality (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Therefore, they were assigned pseudonyms which were used in data presentation.

Is there evidence of data saturation provided?

Interviewing continued until the researcher felt that data saturation was achieved (Creel & Tillman, 2011). Henceforth, the researcher’s personal lens was used to establish when enough data was collected and thus no new themes could have been explored further during the interviews. The research article, however, does not highlight any evidence of questions restructuring that could have ensured asking of similar questions in different ways for ease in data saturation attainment. Nevertheless, the interviews are known to be a suitable method of data collection that enhances saturation reach (Fusch & Ness, 2015).

Are the data analysis procedures appropriate for the type of data collected and the qualitative method?

The data collected in this research was descriptive in nature, hence, a data analysis software commonly used in quantitative studies could not have been used. First, the data was examined for accuracy. The researchers worked and reflected on essential themes using a previously used six-step method after which important meanings and sense of the phenomenon under study were deduced.

Is there sufficient evidence of scientific rigor?

The researchers made efforts to minimize bias and improve rigor in the study. For instance, the participants were carefully questioned to identify any unclear aspects, thereby ensuring a descriptive validity of the interviews (Creel & Tillman, 2011). Data interpretation validity was also enhanced by the use of peer reviews and utilization of the participants’ exact language and words. The limitations to this research were also highlighted. Based on the background information that existed and had been carefully analyzed, the researchers ensured that the data obtained was the most appropriate for the study.

Are the conclusions and implications appropriate and clearly stated?

The results obtained from data analysis contained six themes that are discussed and their impact on current health care of obese patients summarized with support from conceptual literature. The implications of the research are clearly stated. According to the researchers, the findings of the study will hopefully be used by nurses to improve their care delivery not only to obese patients but to all that seek their services (Creel & Tillman, 2011).

Are suggestions for future research included?

The researchers recommended the provision of funding to aid in further studies on the effects of stigmatization among obese persons, an area that was not covered in this research.

References

Creel, E., & Tillman, K. (2011). Stigmatization of Overweight Patients by Nurses. The Qualitative Report, 16(5), 1330-1351. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR16-5/creel.pdf

Fusch, P. I., & Ness, L. R. (2015). Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 20(9), 1408-1416.

Heffner , C. L. (2017). Chapter 1.6 selecting subjects. AllPsych. Retrieved from https://allpsych.com/researchmethods/selectingsubjects/

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Sargeant, J. (2012). Qualitative research part II: Participants, analysis, and quality assurance. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 4(1), 1-3. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-11-00307.1