Browsing by Subject "Focus groups"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Barriers and Facilitators to Nurse Management of Hypertension: A Qualitative Analysis from Western Kenya
    (International Society on Hypertension in Blacks, 2016-07-21) Vedanthan, Rajesh; Tuikong, Nelly; Kofler, Claire; Blank, Evan; Naanyu, Violet; Kimaiyo, Sylvester; Inui, Thomas S.; Horowitz, Carol R.; Fuster, Valentin; Kimaiyo, Jemima H.; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the leading global risk for mortality. Poor treatment and control of hypertension in low- and middle-income countries is due to several reasons, including insufficient human resources. Nurse management of hypertension is a novel approach to address the human resource challenge. However, specific barriers and facilitators to this strategy are not known. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate barriers and facilitators to nurse management of hypertensive patients in rural western Kenya, using a qualitative research approach. METHODS: Six key informant interviews (five men, one woman) and seven focus group discussions (24 men, 33 women) were conducted among physicians, clinical officers, nurses, support staff, patients, and community leaders. Content analysis was performed using Atlas.ti 7.0, using deductive and inductive codes that were then grouped into themes representing barriers and facilitators. Ranking of barriers and facilitators was performed using triangulation of density of participant responses from the focus group discussions and key informant interviews, as well as investigator assessments using a two-round Delphi exercise. RESULTS: We identified a total of 23 barriers and nine facilitators to nurse management of hypertension, spanning the following categories of factors: health systems, environmental, nurse-specific, patient-specific, emotional, and community. The Delphi results were generally consistent with the findings from the content analysis. CONCLUSION: Nurse management of hypertension is a potentially feasible strategy to address the human resource challenge of hypertension control in low-resource settings. However, successful implementation will be contingent upon addressing barriers such as access to medications, quality of care, training of nurses, health education, and stigma.
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    Dietary Intervention for Glucose Tolerance In Teens (DIG IT): Protocol of a randomized controlled trial using health coaching to prevent youth-onset type 2 diabetes
    (Elsevier, 2017-02) Wagner, Kelly A.; Braun, Ethan; Armah, Seth M.; Horan, Diarmuid; Smith, Lisa G.; Pike, Julie; Tu, Wanzhu; Hamilton, Marc T.; Delp, Edward J.; Campbell, Wayne W.; Boushey, Carol J.; Hannon, Tamara S.; Gletsu-Miller, Nana; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease that is newly emerging and behavioral strategies for its prevention are limited. Interventions that target the lifestyle behaviors of adolescents, to improve poor dietary quality and reduce excessive sedentariness, promise to reduce the risk of developing T2D. Health coaching is effective for promoting healthy behaviors in patients who have chronic disease, but few experimental studies are in adolescents. This randomized controlled trial, in adolescents with prediabetes, will determine the effectiveness of a health coaching intervention to facilitate adoption of healthy diet and activity behaviors that delay or prevent development of T2D. METHODS/DESIGN: The Dietary Intervention for Glucose Tolerance In Teens (DIG IT) trial will involve an evaluation of a health coaching intervention in adolescents with prediabetes. Eligible participants will be randomized to receive 6months of health coaching or a single dietary consultation that is standard-of-care. The primary outcome will be 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test concentration. Secondary outcomes will include measures of glycemia and insulin action as well as dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviors measured using an electronic food record, and by inclinometer. Data will be collected before and after the intervention (at 6months) and at 12months (to assess sustainability). DISCUSSION: This trial will determine whether a health coaching intervention, a personalized and low-cost approach to modify dietary and activity behaviors, is effective and sustainable for prevention of youth-onset T2D, relative to standard-of-care. Health coaching has the potential to be widely implemented in clinical or community settings.
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    Focus group research in the academic library: An overview of the methodology
    (Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML); http://www.qqml.net/March_2013_issue.html, 2013-03) Weare, William H., Jr.
    Through the use of focus groups, academic librarians can discover what students really think, feel, need, and want. Equipped with this knowledge, librarians will be better positioned to design and deliver effective programs, improve services, and shape the development of facilities to better meet the needs of current and future users. Concerned about the efficacy of various library programs and initiatives at Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA), two public services librarians conducted a series of focus groups with undergraduate students to gain a better understanding of their perceptions of the library. This paper provides an overview of the focus group methodology employed in this study.
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    Reducing veterans’ risk for suicidal behaviors: a qualitative study to inform development of the RECLAIM health promotion program
    (BMC, 2020-08-01) Shue, Sarah; Brosmer, Jayme; Matthias, Marianne S.; Psychology, School of Science
    Background In an effort to reduce the high rate of suicide among post-9/11 veterans, a collaborative team within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a holistic community-based health promotion program designed to facilitate social and self-connectedness. The purpose of this study was to elicit veteran and stakeholder feedback to prepare the program for piloting and implementation. Methods Focus groups and interviews were conducted with post-9/11 veterans and veteran stakeholders (e.g., VA clinicians) to elicit feedback regarding the health promotion program. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative thematic analysis identified key themes emerging from the focus groups and interviews. Results Seven focus groups (3 Veteran groups, 4 stakeholder groups) and 3 interviews (2 Veterans, 1 stakeholder) were conducted with 41 participants (14 veterans, 27 stakeholders). Overall, participants had a positive perception of the program. Thematic analysis revealed shared perspectives that provided insight into 1) enhancing program recruitment and retention, 2) the perceived ability of a health promotion program to provide more holistic, veteran-centered care, and 3) using health promotion programs to help veterans establish structure in their daily lives. Conclusions Findings indicated an overall acceptance of the program, and participants’ perspectives on how to reduce barriers and enhance facilitators can inform the development of a larger-scale health promotion program that can be tested through future research. While discussion questions were specifically focused on the program in this study, findings can be considered more broadly for the design and implementation of related programs to effectively improve the health and wellness of post-9/11 veterans.
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    Sense(making) & Sensibility: Reflections on an Interpretivist Inquiry of Critical Service Learning
    (University of Georgia, 2023) Weaver, Laura; Warren-Gordon, Kiesha; Crisafulli, Susan; Kuban, Adam J.; Lee, Jessica E.; Santamaría Graff, Cristina
    Critical service learning, as outlined by Mitchell (2008), highlights the importance of shifting from the charity- and project-based model to a social-change model of service learning. Her call for greater attention to social change, redistribution of power, the development of authentic relationships, and, more recently with Latta (2020), futurity as the central strategies to enacting “community-based pedagogy” has received significant attention. However, little research has occurred on how to measure the effectiveness of these components. This reflective article expands upon and calls into question the ways in which critical service learning can be assessed. Utilizing focus groups, we ask the following questions: How do engaged scholar–practitioners operationalize Mitchell’s (2008) three tenets of critical service learning? What are ways to measure the outcomes and impacts of Mitchell’s three tenets of critical service learning?