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Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Formulating a Research Question. Learning Objectives. Distinguish between types of research questions based on different study designs Generate ideas for research questions Formulate an operationalizable research question. Role of Research Question.

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Chapter 5

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  1. Chapter 5 Formulating a Research Question

  2. Learning Objectives • Distinguish between types of research questions based on different study designs • Generate ideas for research questions • Formulate an operationalizable research question

  3. Role of Research Question • Organizing principle for the entire study • Target population • Sample • Data collection method • Measures • Analysis • Forum for reporting the results

  4. Types of Research Questions • Like research goals • Descriptive • Association • Causal

  5. Descriptive • How often…. • How much… • What number….. • What percentage….. • Was there a change… • Has the incidence increased… • Who is affected… • When did it start… • Where is it concentrated…

  6. Example: Childhood Type 2 Diabetes • Has the incidence increased? • Increased from 0.7 per 100,000 in 1982 to 7.2 per 100,000 in 1994 in Cincinnati, OH (Pinhas-Hamiel et al., 1996) • Who is affected? • Pima Indians in Arizona have an unusually high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in childhood (Dabeleaet al., 1998)

  7. Association/Causal • Association – risk factors • Causal – direct causes • Collectively known as determinants • Types of questions: • Why… • How…

  8. Example: Obesity as a Cause or Risk Factor • Are obese individuals more likely than those who are not obese to have cardiovascular disease (CVD)? • Study of firefighters showed that extremely obese subjects had an average of 2.1 risk factors for CVC compared to 1.5 for normal weight firefighters (Soteriades et al., 2005) • Is obesity associated with colorectal cancer? • Subjects with colorectal cancer had higher body mass indices (BMI) compared to those without cancer (Campbell et al., 2010)

  9. Causal/Evaluation • Evidence-based programs • If X causes or increases the risk for Y, then decreasing X should decrease Y • Decreasing or preventing X is a deterrent for Y • Types of questions: • Does Program Alpha have a desirable effect on X? • Is Program Alpha effective in preventing Y?

  10. Example: Effect of Modest Weight Loss on Preventing Type 2 Diabetes • Experimental Group: intensive dietary advice and exercise motivation • Control Group: oral and written information about diet and exercise • Outcome: experimental group had significantly greater reduction in diabetes risk factors compared to the control group (Tuomilehto et al., 2001)

  11. Sources for Research Questions • Everyday life • Practical Issues in the field of study • Relevant research studies • Theory

  12. Questions from Everyday Life • Traditional questions that were answered historically by superstition, myths, and legends • Why does the sun rise and set? • What causes lightening storms? • What prevents illness? • Rational and observable answers began with Hippocrates (B.C. 460 - 337) • Example: Why do my daughter and her soccer team mates get so many concussions?

  13. Questions from Issues in the Field of Study • Major questions that plague the field of public health • What are the causes of the increasing prevalence of obesity in the U.S.? • What is an effective vaccine for HIV? • What is an effective cure for infection with hepatitis C virus? • These types of questions drive the careers of researchers in these areas of study

  14. Relevant Research Studies • Results of studies on the topic of interest can guide the more specific focus of research questions and hypotheses • Replicate the results to provide more support • Test in different type of population • Test a related but slightly different vaccine serum • Example • Are residents of food desert areas (i.e., neighborhoods with no access to fresh produce) more likely than others to be obese?

  15. Theory • Collection of related integrated principles or laws that describe, explain, predict, or control health phenomenon • Generate hypotheses to expand the theory into new but related areas (e.g., individuals with other sociodemographiccharacteristics, similar diseases, related risk factors) • Example • Self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977) principles may be effective components of obesity prevention programs

  16. Good Research Questions • Identify • Characteristics of the target population (e.g., gender, age, health problem, place of residence) • Study measures (e.g., exposure, outcome, risk factors) • Type of research goal (e.g., descriptive, association, causal, evaluation) • Does the frequency of receptive syringe sharing predict the incidence of HCV seroconversion?

  17. F.I.N.E.R. • Acronym representing the components of a good research question • Feasible – it must be possible to answer the question analytically (scientifically, time, resources) • Interesting – the question should generate interest among the consumers of the research • Novel – the question should add something new to the field of research • Ethical – procedures needed to answer the question must not compromise the protection of human subjects • Relevant – the question should address issues that are timely, have an impact on the study population, and make a contribution to the field of study

  18. Levels of Inquiry • Level 1 – factor isolating questions • For emerging health phenomena or problems with little known information • Descriptive in nature • Level 2 – factor relating questions • For tests of relationships between two or more factors, usually risk factors or general characteristics • Association • Level 3 – situation producing questions • For tests of causal relationships, usually between an exposure and an outcome • Causal/Evaluation

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