Population Health - a Perspective into Tobacco Smoking amongst the Aboriginal People of Australia - Research Proposal Example

POPULATION HEALTH: A RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE Name of Student Name of Institution Name of Professor Date of Submission Population Health: A Research Perspective into Tobacco Smoking Amongst the Aboriginal People of Australia Literature Review Smoking has been part of human civilization for many centuries and for many years this social practice has never been challenged. As for the Aboriginal and indigenous people in Australia, like many other communities around the world, tobacco smoking has for many centuries been used as a symbol of social status. In social places especially bars and night clubs, a cigarette is one of the easiest ways of striking a conversation with strangers. Smokers find it easy to approach fellow smokers not only for a puff; a puff usually extends to conversations (Gilman &Zhou, 2004). ToraldSollmanquote that smoking played an integral role in calming the nerves of the soldiers down in the horrific and grotesque bunkers and fighting fields of World War I (Sollman 265). While smoking generally cuts across all social status and demographics such as age and education level (Munro, Lewin, Swart &Volmik, 2007), amongst the Aboriginals and other indigenous communities it is determined by what Potvin, Gendron, Bilodeauand Cahbot (2005) termed as “environmental factors” (p. 592). The environmental in this context comprises of the rich culture, traditions and beliefs of the aboriginal ethnic group. However, over the years governments and agencies have called for the ban on smoking on public health grounds. Countless researches have presented empirical data on the chemical composition of the smoke especially from tobacco. They seem to unanimously come to a conclusion that the various chemicals in the smoke including tar are dangerous to human health. Graphic images of the dangers of smoking have been displayed in the mass media in a bid to dissuade the public from smoking. Up to a third of the global adult population smokes (Gilman &Zhou, 2004). So rampant is smoking amongst the youths, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders and the socially disadvantaged that the government came up with the Australian National Tobacco Strategy 2012–2018to tackle the same (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). Key to controlling the use of tobacco is the use of research-based approaches including stringent policies and laws to curb tobacco marketing and sale especially to the youths and the vulnerable groups. This includes hiking tobacco prices to deter them. Moreover, there is need to create awareness of the dangers of tobacco smoking especially amongst the youths and the indigenous communities where it is a cultural practice. However, the success of such controls is dependent on conducting extensive and intensive qualitative, quantity and both researches to deduce tobacco effects, usage, and awareness of its dangers and effectiveness of the current efforts to curb its usage amongst the Aboriginals (WHO, 2014). Since case studies are both explanatory and exploratory, that is both qualitative and quantitative (Yin, 2013; Creswell, 2013), it will enable researchers to validate the data they gather while analyzing and understanding the relationship environment and smoking amongst the Aboriginals. Ethical issues are bound to spring in such a research due to close contact and proximity. This then begs the question: how best can we militate against the health effect of smoking on the Aboriginals through research-based means without raising ethical issues? Justification of questionnaire items and/or research instruments Better understand the relationship between environmental factors and smoking amongst the Aboriginal people while contending with ethical issues requires empirical data and narrative. That is, it requires a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The key objective of qualitative research is analysis and understanding of the relationship between human beings and their environment (Denzin& Lincoln, 2005). However, effective understanding of such relationships which can lead to validation, inference making and generalisation of obtained results can only be achieved with empirical data. This is why case study was chosen as a research instrument. Every qualitative research has its own ethical issues. It will be a choice between legality and necessity and emotions and professionalism (Guillemin &Gillam, 2004). An ethically-grouped aboriginal community facing such kinds of challenges as education, health problems and probably food insecurity is highly likely to feel discriminated or forgotten by the authorities especially the government. The key to successful research studies which can be consumed by various individuals lies with the ability to collect accurate and adequate information. Qualitative and therefore case studies, is based on the research model of collecting information through interviews, observations, audiovisual and taking field notes which require the dilemmatic close contact and proximity with the participant (Hay, 2010; Denzin& Lincoln, 2003). Collecting data through these forms requires accessing the personal space of the participant which may become quite a challenge without trust. The participants must be informed that there are no correct or wrong answers for the questions. This is why the research began by asking the participants their gender, age and marital and economic statuses. Pre-testing procedures a) Seeking for permission This involves seeking the consent of the relevant authorities including relevant officials and community leaders to conduct research in the targeted population. This opens doors for them to support the research study. It is the first step towards getting access to the personal space of the participants and forming a good rapport with them. b) Signing of the Consent Forms and Privacy Declaration Consent This is done after adequately informing the participants the nature, objectives and methodology of the research. This will ensure that ethical and professional issues that might arise during the study are addressed while also encouraging the participants to open up. This facilitates data collection and delimits the time limitation when carrying out the research. It also sets the tone and creates a cooperative environment between the participants and researcher. c) Follow-up questionnaires Preparing of follow-up questionnaires will help in deducing how relevant the participants found the research questionnaires and survey to be. This will go a long way in ensuring that the generalisation and inference made from the research results by the research consumers and researchers are as accurate as possible. Outcomes These procedures allowed for the testing of the consistency and effectiveness of the pretesting, testing and post-testing procedures. They analysis determined the suitability of the research techniques in relation to the research problem especially during research score computation and analysis. However, case studies are complex and ambiguous. Therefore, the researchers must be level-headed; both virtuous and reflective. This will enable them to reason beyond their professional ethical code of conduct and combine it with the field experience, the dictates of the law and their sixth sense to overcome the ethical challenges presented by the moment. De Laine (2000) notes that “…ethical codes cannot adequately deal with the 'grey areas' of qualitative field research, and these 'grey areas' seem to be increasing" because the behavior of fieldworkers operating “with such parameters… of formal codes and guidelines…could be perceived as morally objectionable.” This is because, as Pring (2002) notes, "the unreflecting but virtuous life is not sufficiently helpful when conflicts emerge—when underlying norms and values (previously only implicit) are challenged or eroded in the very social foundations of one's practice". The researchers must safeguard their sixth sense, the researcher/participant relationship formed, their interests and the law. Finding a balance between these four seemingly opposing sides is the key to effectively carrying out a research. References Creswell, J, 2013, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.), New York: Sage Publications, Inc. National Drug Strategy. 2012. NATIONAL TOBACCO STRATEGY. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/D4E3727950BDBAE4CA257AE70003730C/$File/National%20Tobacco%20Strategy%202012-2018.pdf. [Accessed 26 August 14]. Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.), 2005, The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. De Laine, M., 2000, Fieldwork, participation and practice: Ethics and dilemmas in qualitative research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Guillemin, M. and Gillam, L., 2004, “Ethics, Reflexivity and “Ethically Important Moments” in Research.” Qualitative Inquiry, 10(2) pp. 261 – 280. Gilman, Sander L. & Zhou, Xun, Y..(eds.)., 2004, Smoke: A Global History of Smoking, London: Reaktion Books. Munro, S., Lewin, S., Swart, T. &Volmik, J, 2007, “A review of health behavior theories: how useful are these for developing interventions to promote long-term medication adherence for TB and HIV/AIDS?” BMC Public Health vol. 7, p. 104. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/104 Potvin, L., Gendron, S., Bilodeau, A. &Cahbot, P, 2005, “Integrating Social Theory into Public Health Practice.” Am J Public Health vol. 95, no. 4, pp. 591–595. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449225/ Pring, R., 2002, “The virtues and vices of an educational researcher.” In Mike McNamee & David Bridges (Eds.), The ethics of educational research (pp.111-127). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers. WHO, 2014, "MPOWER". World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/ Yin, R.K., 2013, Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods). 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