Exploring needs, perceptions, and preferences towards exercise video among overweight individuals - a qualitative study

Peer Review Report For: Exploring needs, perceptions, and preferences towards exercise video among overweight individuals - a qualitative study [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations

The purpose of this focused issue is to advance understanding of qualitative research methods in the international business context. Debates on qualitative research methods in the key international business (IB) journals have been rare. There has been no focused issue on this topic previously, either in mir or in other journals in the field, making this a 'special' issue. During the process of editing a recent handbook on qualitative research methods (Marschan-Piekkari/Welch 2004), we realized that while this collection covered many topics, often for the first time in the IB field, there were many others still outstanding. There was thus scope for continuing a dialogue about qualitative methods in the IB research community. The challenge of making qualitative research count in the quantitative world of IB remains. Qualitative research is difficult to define, since the term encompasses many different research traditions, research strategies and methods for data collection and analysis (Prasad 2005). A typical definition is that everything non-numerical is qualitative research (Marschan-Piekkari/Welch 2004, p. 19). However, even this very simplistic definition soon breaks down, since research strategies which are typically considered to be qualitative, such as case studies, can combine numerical with non-numerical data (Hurmerinta-Peltomaki/Nummela 2004). There is also no clear divide between qualitative and quantitative research in terms of research traditions, with much qualitative research in management and IB sharing the positivist assumptions of quantitative research (Prasad/Prasad 2002). This focused issue is not about reporting the empirical findings of IB studies applying qualitative methods; rather it is about the process of undertaking qualitative research in the IB field. Of course, there is a large volume of literature on qualitative research methods already. However, we would argue that the IB context warrants special treatment. As the authors of this focused issue discuss, the distinctiveness of the field stems from its multiple linguistic and cultural settings; organizational complexity; and its intellectual roots in post-War academic institutions in the USA. These issues receive little treatment in general texts on qualitative methodology. There has been some methodological debate in previous issues of mir. Earlier articles in mircan be grouped into three categories: first, reviews of existing methodological practices in IB publications (e.g., Cavusgil/Das 1997, Nasif et al. 1991); second, proposals for new quantitative techniques (e.g., the use of key informants in cross-cultural studies, as proposed by Lenartowicz and Roth 2004 and a linguistic-based measure of cultural distance as developed by West and Graham 2004); and third, calls for new methodological approaches (Boddewyn/Iyer 1999). The absence of qualitative research methods in this debate perhaps reflects the limited amount of empirical qualitative research published in this journal. A recent analysis of mir issues between 1990 and 1999 revealed that only 5 percent of articles published in this period used qualitative methods (Welch/Welch 2004). This focused issue is therefore a response to those, such as Boddewyn and Iyer (1999) in this journal, who have called for alternatives to surveys and secondary data analysis. This focused issue attracted 39 submissions from more than 15 countries. Given that there have been limited outlets for methodological articles in IB, this is a considerable number. It perhaps suggests a level of interest to which IB journals have not responded to date. Of the total number of submissions, 11 were selected for review. On the basis of reviewers' comments, six of these papers were ultimately rejected. The final five papers underwent two and, in some cases, up to four rounds of revisions. In selecting the articles, we used the following criteria: appropriateness of the topic for the focused issue; demonstrated knowledge of IB and methodological literature; quality of argument; originality and innovativeness of the contribution to IB methodology; organization and clarity of the paper; and potential application to research practice in IB. …

BackgroundEpicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) measured by echocardiography is a reliable indicator of visceral adipose tissue in the body and metabolic syndrome. The objective of this work was to study the effect of 12-week aerobic exercise training on echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EEATT), body composition and other metabolic parameters in asymptomatic overweight adults.MethodsA total of 170 overweight and mild obese individuals were randomly allocated to 12-week aerobic exercise program (intervention group) or no supervised exercise (control group). The body fat percentage and visceral fat levels were measured by bioelectric impedance analyzer, and blood tests were conducted to measure lipids, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP). The participants also underwent transthoracic echocardiography to measure EATT. All the outcomes were measured after 12 weeks. Repeated measures were analyzed using ANOVA and Mann–Whitney U-test were used to analyze the data.ResultsEEATT values significantly reduced by −16.24% (3.12±1.18 to 2.70±1.04, p<0.05) following 12 weeks of aerobic exercise along with a reduction in weight by 2.96% (80.66±12.12 to 78.27±12.31, p<0.05), body mass index by 3.11% (29.20±2.71 to 28.29±2.81, p<0.05) and waist circumference by 2.29% (94.82±7.23 to 92.64±7.33, p<0.05) and improved Hs-CRP values.ConclusionThe 12-week aerobic exercise was found to be effective in reducing EEATT in overweight and mild obese individuals. There was significant improvement in body composition, blood lipids, FBS, Hs-CRP and exercise capacity in intervention group compared to control group.

ObjectiveQualitative research methods are based on the analysis of words rather than numbers; they encourage self-reflection on the investigator’s part; they are attuned to social interaction and nuance; and they incorporate their subjects’ thoughts and feelings as primary sources. Despite appearing well suited for research in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP), qualitative methods have had relatively minor uptake in the discipline. We conducted a qualitative study of CAPs involved in qualitative research to learn about these investigators’ lived experiences, and to identify modifiable factors to promote qualitative methods within the field of youth mental health.MethodsWe conducted individual, semi-structured 1-h long interviews through Zoom. Using purposive sample, we selected 23 participants drawn from the US (n = 12) and from France (n = 11), and equally divided in each country across seniority level. All participants were current or aspiring CAPs and had published at least one peer-reviewed qualitative article. Ten participants were women (44%). We recorded all interviews digitally and transcribed them for analysis. We coded the transcripts according to the principles of thematic analysis and approached data analysis, interpretation, and conceptualization informed by an interpersonal phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework.ResultsThrough iterative thematic analysis we developed a conceptual model consisting of three domains: (1) Becoming a qualitativist: embracing a different way of knowing (in turn divided into the three themes of priming factors/personal fit; discovering qualitative research; and transitioning in); (2) Being a qualitativist: immersing oneself in a different kind of research (in turn divided into quality: doing qualitative research well; and community: mentors, mentees, and teams); and (3) Nurturing: toward a higher quality future in CAP (in turn divided into current state of qualitative methods in CAP; and advocating for qualitative methods in CAP). For each domain, we go on to propose specific strategies to enhance entry into qualitative careers and research in CAP: (1) Becoming: personalizing the investigator’s research focus; balancing inward and outward views; and leveraging practical advantages; (2) Being: seeking epistemological flexibility; moving beyond bibliometrics; and the potential and risks of mixing methods; and (3) Nurturing: invigorating a quality pipeline; and building communities.ConclusionsWe have identified factors that can support or impede entry into qualitative research among CAPs. Based on these modifiable findings, we propose possible solutions to enhance entry into qualitative methods in CAP (pathways), and to foster longer-term commitment to this type of research (identity).

India – more precisely specific states of India such as Maharashtra – are suffering from a particular burden as not only the general mortality rates but also the rates of farmers’ suicides rank among the highest in the world. Although reasons for suicides are considered to be multifaceted and shaped by wider social or cultural conditions, qualitative research on suicides is scarce. On the contrary, mainly quantitative research based on statistics is prevalent. With the aim of assessing the current state of research on farmers’ suicides in the state of Maharashtra, this thesis analyzes previous quantitative and qualitative studies on this phenomenon. In addition to a methodological examination of existing studies a thematic investigation is conducted in order to make recommendations on future research. The (systematic) literature review reveals that also in the context of farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra research is predominantly quantitative with only a few qualitative and hybrid studies (i.e. those studies using both quantitative and qualitative methods). Regardless of their approach these studies mainly analyze the reasons for farmers’ suicides, the characteristics of the deceased farmers and make suggestions for future improvements in the agricultural sector. Concordant with former studies on farmers’ suicides in India, this thesis’ analysis identifies young male and indebted farmers who cultivate cash crops and have no irrigation as the most vulnerable to commit suicide. The consideration of this thesis’ findings in a wider theoretical context illustrates that the old debate between quantitative and qualitative research dating back to Durkheim and Tarde is still prevalent. Even today and with focus on farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra, a lack of individual aspects in statistical calculations of suicide rates can be found. In addition, the performed analysis reveals that by employing a highly structured study design and statistical computations quantitative studies construct a phenomenon which might not reflect the real situation. Qualitative studies, on the other hand, are found to offer additional explanations but their results lack any validation and generalizability.

Who is sensitising whom? A participatory interview guide development as an awareness tool within a health care research project

Older persons' expressed perceptions on exercise programs in long-term care institutions: Influence of professionals and institutions

Qualitative and mixed methods research in trials

Global Consensus on Optimal Exercise Recommendations for Enhancing Healthy Longevity in Older Adults (ICFSR)

Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in Cross-Cultural Psychology

Qualitative research in dementia improves understanding of the experience of people affected by dementia. Searching databases for qualitative studies is problematic. Qualitative-specific search strategies might help with locating studies. To examine the effectiveness (sensitivity and precision) of 5 qualitative strategies on locating qualitative research studies in dementia in 4 major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL). Qualitative dementia studies were checked for inclusion on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Five qualitative search strategies (subject headings, simple free-text terms, complex free-text terms, and 2 broad-based strategies) were tested for study retrieval. Specificity, precision and number needed to read were calculated. Two hundred fourteen qualitative studies in dementia were included. PsycINFO and CINAHL held the most qualitative studies out the 4 databases studied (N=171 and 166, respectively) and both held unique records (N=14 and 7, respectively). The controlled vocabulary strategy in CINAHL returned 96% (N=192) of studies held; by contrast, controlled vocabulary in PsycINFO returned 7% (N=13) of studies held. The broad-based strategies returned more studies (93-99%) than the other free-text strategies (22-82%). Precision ranged from 0.061 to 0.004 resulting in a number needed to read to obtain 1 relevant study ranging from 16 (simple free-text search in CINAHL) to 239 (broad-based search in EMBASE). Qualitative search strategies using 3 broad terms were more sensitive than long complex searches. The controlled vocabulary for qualitative research in CINAHL was particularly effective. Furthermore, results indicate that MEDLINE and EMBASE offer little benefit for locating qualitative dementia research if CINAHL and PSYCINFO are also searched.

&lt;div class="WordSection1"&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am honored for being an alumnus of KEMC, and am delighted to write this editorial for the Annals. I have, ever since done my research and taught qualitative methods, felt that clinical methods are quite akin to qualitative research. Then, why only few clinical researchers use qualitative methods? A witness to this assumption is the research published in the Annals. In this treatise, I try to identify some parallels between the two types of methods and argue for the clinicians to invest in learning qualitative research methods to practice clinical methods well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Qualitative research is to identify and interpret issues from the perspective of participants, their experience of: illness or disability, using health service, and to appreciate the meanings they give to the behaviour, events or objects in the context of their social and cultural norms. In this type of research, the emphasis is on exploring the associations and understanding the phenomenon in its holism; and not, like in quantitative research, from an outsider’s perspective and for certain specific aspects.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; It requires participants with specific characteristics, selected purposely that can best inform the research topic. More participants, identified inductively during data collection, are added to develop full and multiple perspectives about the cases.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; No preset data collection tool is used, instead qualitative researcher guided by a research question acts as an instrument, since the line of enquiry he changes during data collection as new understanding is gained and/or the situation changes.&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; The data for research is derived from the observation, interviews or verbal interactions, focus group discussions, document reviews, life histories etc. and the researcher asks why, how and under what circumstances things occur; and not just what, where and when. It is recorded in words or pictures and log book is used to record notes arising from interviews, observations, extracts from documents etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; In health care settings patients are the subjects for clinical methods. The clinician, even prior to any verbal communication, observes the patient, e.g. for his gait and appearance. If in a bed or examination couch, his posture could give some clue to the illness. Inspection, a clinical method, is like systematic observation, which is qualitative method, should be holistic. In my third year during bedside teaching, Professor (late) Rashid Ahmed Qureshi said, &lt;em&gt;“patient has come to you as a whole and not his stomach in a tray”&lt;/em&gt;, when a student straight went to examine abdomen of a patient with acute abdomen. History taking, another clinical method, is like conducting semi structured in depth interview – a qualitative research method. In both disciplines, we are told, &lt;em&gt;“not to ask leading, but follow up and probing questions”; &lt;/em&gt;and Professor (late) Alamgir Khan, while teaching clinical methods, would add, &lt;em&gt;“if a good history is taken, you will establish diagnosis in over 65% of cases”. &lt;/em&gt;Likewise, as part of history taking, documents related to patient’s illness history and treatment are reviewed similar to document review in qualitative research.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The two approaches however differ in how the data is analysed. In clinical practice, diagnosis is established based on the pathophysiological knowledge or patient’s clinical condition is discussed in clinicopathological conference.&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; On the other hand, qualitative research employs meaning based data analysis, whereby the qualitative data is transformed into some form of explanation, understanding or interpretation of people and situation that is investigated.&lt;sup&gt;5,6&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; In conclusion, the history, the observation and the review of document related to patient are since obtainned using qualitative methods, the clinician trained in these methods could not only conduct these methods well but also interpret the data to identify and detect obstacles to the change in clinical condition and the reasons why improvement does or does not occur.&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt; Finally, while it is heartening that research forums are organised in the institutions affiliated with KEMU, in order the research is richer, the researchers’ skills in qualitative research methods should be built.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to understand the existing knowledge on, non-curative cancer patients’ preferences, barriers, and facilitators to engaging in an exercise program, strategies for practitioners to increase the uptake of exercise program for non-curative cancer patients. Introduction: Early palliative interventions for patients with non-curative cancers have shown to have positive effects on an individual’s quality of life. A common objective of early palliative interventions is to enhance quality of life, enable symptom management and improve mental health. Although not a specific component of early palliative care, tailored exercise program have the similar goal of enhancing quality of life in non-curative cancer patients.Inclusion criteria: This review will consider sources that include non-curative cancer patients and their needs and experiences regarding participating in exercise programs. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and grey literature will be searched.Methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. Databases to be searched from their respective inception to Sept 9, 2021 include CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and PsychINFO. A comprehensive search strategy was developed in accordance with JBI methodology to retrieve relevant sources. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts as well as full texts of relevant sources. The results of the search and the study inclusion process will be reported in full in a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers and then mapped onto the Behaviour Change Wheel. The results will be presented narratively, using appropriate tables and figures.Conclusion: This review will map key barriers, facilitators, and preferences to partaking in exercise programs for individuals with non-curative cancer. This will aid in informing priorities for subsequent implementation studies.

Background: Exercise may be a potentially helpful strategy to improve mood during the perinatal period. However, little is known about the exercise behaviors and preferences of perinatal women seeking psychiatric care. This study was designed to shed light on the acceptability of exercise-based interventions for this population, and to examine the proportion of perinatal psychiatric patients who report engaging in regular exercise. Materials and Methods: Three hundred perinatal women (31% pregnant, 69% postpartum) seeking psychiatric care completed a survey assessing self-reported exercise behaviors, interest in participating in a perinatal exercise program, and perceived benefits of exercise. Respondents self-reported their presenting psychiatric symptoms and any comorbid health conditions. Results: Fewer than 25% of women surveyed reported any recent exercise, and far less (<9%) reported activity levels consistent with current exercise recommendations. However, 87% reported interest in participating in an exercise program and viewed numerous potential benefits (improved health and energy, sense of accomplishment, better sleep, reduced stress, and less anxiety and depression). More than 65% of women reported significant medical comorbidities; these women were equally interested in exercise programs. Conclusion: In this preliminary study, we found that pregnant and postpartum women seeking psychiatric care reported very low levels of exercise, yet women's interest in participating in a tailored exercise program was high. Findings underscore the potential value of an exercise program for distressed perinatal women. Implementing a tailored exercise program within the context of an existing perinatal care setting could promote access and bode well for initiation and adherence.

Purpose: No guidelines for tailoring exercise programs for patients with diabetic complications are available. The purpose of this case report is to report our experiences with a tailored exercise program including safety precautions for a patient with complications related to type 2 diabetes and exercise related regulation issues. Case Description: A patient with multiple diabetic complications, poor glycemic control, and a history of foot ulceration participated in a 12-week exercise program with multiple safety precautions. Outcomes: Hypoglycemic events required adjustments in training intensity and insulin dosage. Periodic foot screening revealed no ulceration. Target training intensity was achieved at the end of the program, although exercise load could not be increased according to the planned protocol. Training effects were observed in muscle strength increased, perceived limitations in daily functioning diminished and no change in sub maximal exercise capacity. Conclusion: This patient with severe diabetic complications participated safely and successfully in an exercise program. Problems with glycemic control occurred but did not preclude adherence to incremental exercise. We recommend a medical screening, the availability of a network of specialists, and a physical therapist with sufficient knowledge of diabetic complications and exercise physiology to guide training in this patient population.Implications for RehabilitationThis case report demonstrates that physical functioning can be improved safely in a patient with multiple diabetic complications.For safety precautions, a medical screening including a X-ECG and a foot screen prior to exercise, and the involvement of a diabetes specialist nurse, a podiatrist, an endocrinologist and a physiatrist in the rehabilitation team are recommended.Sufficient knowledge of diabetic complications and exercise physiology is needed in supervising exercise programs for patients with multiple diabetic complications.