17 th Qualitative Health Research Conference: “Research for Change: Impacting Society through Qualitative Research”

Abstract

October 25–27, 2011, Vancouver, Canada

Abstracts: Symposium sessions

Listed alphabetically by title (Author index p. 539)

International Journal of Qualitative Methods Volume 10, Issue 4

A Contextual Action Theory Approach to Health Research: Theory, Method, and Example	535
E-data: Using the internet to enhance qualitative data collection	535
Exploring Complex Problems and Solutions	536
Focusing on Research Credibility: Grounding Focus Groups in Principles and Ethics	536
International Migration and Maternity: Perspectives from Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research	537
Introducing Two-Person Interviews	537
The Community Action Research Team: A model for knowledge translation	538
The contribution of systematic qualitative enquiry to the development of complex interventions and research tools	538
The Journey to Action: Using Community-Based Qualitative Action Research to Promote Health Equity for Women with Disabilities	539
Author Index	539

A Contextual Action Theory Approach to Health Research: Theory, Method, and Example

Jose Domene

University of New Brunswick

Andrea Schneider

University of New Brunswick

In this symposium, we describe a novel approach to qualitative research that has many potential health research applications: Contextual action theory and its accompanying action project method. Young and colleagues have developed and refined this approach over the past 20 years. It was originally applied to exploring adolescent career development, but has subsequently been used in a variety of health and human development research contexts. The papers in this symposium provide a comprehensive overview of this systematic approach to social inquiry, and illustrate its potential as a way to engage in qualitative health research. The first paper provides an overview of contextual action theory and argues for the value of this framework in conducting health research. The second paper describes the data collection and analysis procedures associated with this approach. The remaining papers illustrate the use of this theory and method to address specific questions related to health and wellness.

E-data: Using the internet to enhance qualitative data collection

Jennifer Thannhauser

University of Lethbridge

Jose Domene

University of New Brunswick

Tanya Mudry

University of Calgary

Internet access among adolescents and other age brackets has proliferated over the past decade, providing exciting new opportunities for qualitative researchers to access the personal narratives of participants. As a communication tool, the internet provides multiple resources, including blogs, instant messaging (IM), and chat rooms, to allow individuals a new means for co-constructing their experiences. The rise of the internet and social media now provides a new medium for soliciting narratives that may be more consistent with the communication style of young people today. Of note, however, is the limited discussion about the strengths, weaknesses and challenges of using internet resources in qualitative research with young people. This symposium provides opportunity to explore the use of IM, chat rooms, and blogs with adolescents and adults in qualitative research.

Exploring Complex Problems and Solutions

Carrie Matteson

Simon Fraser University

Public health practitioners are increasingly challenged by the task of finding effective ways to address complex problems such as chronic disease and obesity. To better cope with the complexity of these problems, our team has developed frameworks that integrate the components of seemingly intractable challenges to view both problems and solutions with a holistic lens. This process allows for a comprehensive view while using a systematic approach, and generates a canvas for the strategic design of appropriate solutions geared for complexity. While these frameworks are specific to complexity and include a unique set of terminology, they are generalizable across complex problems and transferable to different systems. In our proposed symposia, we review the theory underlying our approach, describe how we generated the frameworks used for our analysis, and review examples of the framework's application to complex problems in an effort to generate novel solutions.

Focusing on Research Credibility: Grounding Focus Groups in Principles and Ethics

Martha Ann Carey

Kells Consulting

To have an impact on social change, study results must be credible. The use of focus groups has suffered from ¡¥method drift¡| in recent published work. Unfortunately, some use has moved from a generally agreed upon definition as a method of data collection, to being used without appropriate epistemological foundations. These presentations will help researchers¡| in planning, conducting, analyzing, and reporting their work to have greater impact. We will present a conceptual foundation and unique elements in working with children, ethnic minorities, elders, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered participants, and the cognitively or emotionally impaired. Because ethical issues are central to qualitative work and especially in group settings, the application of ethical principles will be highlighted. The panelists have extensive experience in research, policy, and ethics in health services, public health, government, and education.

International Migration and Maternity: Perspectives from Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research

Gina Higginbottom

University of Alberta

Beverley O'Brien

University of Alberta

Zubia Mumtaz

University of Alberta

Sophie Yohani

University of Alberta

Yvonne Chiu

Multicultural Health Broker Cooperative

Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika

University of Alberta

Elaheh Ahmadi

Dominion Medical Clinic

Patricia Paton

Alberta Health Services

Rebecca Malhi

University of Alberta

Shireen Bell

University of Alberta

Alberta is a popular Canadian destination for new immigrants, including childbearing families who arrive from all areas of the world. Extant evidence shows that immigrant women have difficulty finding and utilizing existing health services, such as maternity services, which potentially has a negative effect on their health and that of their families. The overarching research question addressed by our multi-year project is how can we reduce or eliminate the disparity experienced by immigrant women in accessing and navigating maternity care services in Alberta? This symposium will present interim findings from the project and highlight the perspectives of the women themselves, health professionals, policy-makers and key stakeholders. The ultimate goal of the project is to impact upon maternity policy and practices, enhancing the provision of maternity health programs and services for this vulnerable group.

Introducing Two-Person Interviews

David Morgan

Portland State University

Two person interviews are a new group interview format with two participants and one interviewer. Because of their emphasis on interaction, they have important similarities to focus groups, but the conversation-like format for two-person interviews also creates a different kind of dynamic. The papers in this symposium examine both substantive and methodological aspects of two-person interviews. From a methodological perspective, they provide insights into both the strengths and limitations of two-person interviews. Among the advantages are ease of recruitment and the possibility of using telephone interviews. In addition, using only two participants provides more in-depth data on each of them then would be the possible in a larger focus group. Among the limitations are potential problems with hierarchy and authority. Overall, two-person interviews show a strong potential for using the interactive dynamics of group interviews as a way to generate useful data from pairs of participants.