Heart Disease among Women: Gender Differences in Heart Disease Care and Prevention - Admission/Application Essay Example

Heart disease Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL Heart disease among women: Gender differences in heart disease care and prevention. of Client Name of University Name of Class Heart disease 2 Heart disease among women: Gender differences in heart disease care and prevention. Chapter One Introduction Heart disease has been shown to have a profound affect on the health of men and women. However, women experience heart issues in a different way than men will experience these types of problems. . The CDC (Center for Disease Control) (2009), ranks heart disease as the number one cause of death in the United States. Hypertension has been diagnosed in 23% of the population with 6% having coronary heart disease and 2% of the population having experienced a stroke. Men are likely to experience more coronary heart disease than women while there is no marked differences between rates of hypertension. When the differences between racial statistical evaluations on the rates of heart disease are examined, it reveals that 35% of non-Hispanic African American women have hypertension with 22% of non-Hispanic white woman and of Hispanic women equally having hypertension. For non-Hispanic African American men, the rate of diagnosed hypertension is at 29% over 23% of non-Hispanic white men and 19% of Hispanic men (U.S. Department, 2008, p. 18-20). The lack of information about the risk factors associated with heart disease can lead to health issues that result in premature disability and death, an which has resulted in an estimated life expectancy of age 68 (Feldman & Fulwood, 1999, 45). Adequate access to medical and prevention information is a critical component to the success of reducing the morbidity and mortality rates as a result of heart disease. In addition, early detection of symptoms and early treatment can significantly contribute to a reduction in morbidity and mortality rates (U. S. Heart disease 3 Department, 2007). Examining the barriers to accessing preventative heart disease information has become a focus of health care leaders. The necessity of programs and other outlets to provide specific information in the areas of education, research, health promotion, and disease prevention is essential in reducing the number of deaths as a result of heart disease. This chapter is designed to introduce the problem of a measurable lack of education in regard to contributory health factors that can lead to the prevention of heart disease in women. Chapter one will provide an explanation of the background of the problem, problem statement, purpose of the study, and the significance of examining the problem. A synopsis of the research design and the relevant research questions will be presented. The chapter is concluded with definition of terms, assumptions, scope, and delimitations of the study. Problem Statement Heart disease has been labeled as the number one cause of death for women in the United States (Keys, 1999, p. 649). Data has shown that the number of deaths vary disproportionately based on race and geographical location (Patel & Rushefsky, 2006, p. 206). Varying patterns of risk factors, limited access to care, and a lack of patient education have been labeled as major contributors to heart disease deaths (U. S. Department, 2007). In researching the differences between men and women in regard to heart disease it will be necessary to determine if there are genetic differences between the genders. As well, finding a determination of whether or not there are different methods of prevention for women than for men will contribute to viable conclusions. The benefit of early screening will also be examined for preventing heart disease among women. Research Questions Heart disease 4 The following questions will be the primary focus of the research that is intended. 1. What are the perceived contributions that health care leaders can make to control the increasing death rates of heart disease in women? 2. What value, if any, can be derived from the collaborative effort of heart disease education? 3. In what ways does heart disease affect women that are different to the way it affects men? Summary Women have a higher risk than other groups in regard to heart disease (U.S. Department, 2008, p. 18-20). Because of the combination of socioeconomic and educational inequities along with cultural lifestyle choices, it appears this group will benefit the most from aggressive dispersal of information that can impact the rates of mortality and morbidity. Creating a dialogue of information that targets the specific needs of lower income burdened women will go a long way in creating a viable program for heart health that can promote actual change. However, it is important to respond to the way in which the participants of the study realize their experiences and the ways in which they perceive the needs of their communities. As the study is conducted, the collaboration with the participants will create an open communication between the participants and the researcher in order to understand how information that is currently available is failing to create an impact and what information is lacking within the community. Heart disease 5 Chapter Two: Methodology Introduction This purpose of this quantitative study is to identify and research the perceptions and experiences of women with heart disease. This study will be designed to target and identify the disparages between the experiences of men who have heart disease and women who experience heart disease. In preparing this study, a quantitative method of calculations will be used to create conclusions. Research Method In creating this study, the best way in which to research the topic is to approach the topic from a quantitative methodology. By creating a study that examines the experiences of women in regard to their health care as it specifically concerns heart disease, an understanding of the gaps in information and in preventative care information will be made more clear. As the experiences are relayed to the researcher, the reasons behind the continuation of high risk activities will be more easily understood which might reveal ways in which to promote changes in lifestyle to lower the risks involved. The participant group that will be created during the quantitative study for assessing the current needs for prevention programs for heart disease in women. The inquiry will be designed in a way to best assess the gaps in need that are contributing to the continuation of high levels of heart disease within this group. In pursuing this topic, the researcher will be developing an interview that will provide both an observational opportunity and answers to carefully designed questions that can contribute to the overall construction of the research. Heart disease 6 The integrity of the study will depend on the relationship that the researcher creates with the participants, as they will be observed during the interview for the way in which they relate to one another as much as the way in which they answer the questions. As Schram (2006) states, “a researcher’s presence in a setting has implications for what takes place and how events are given meaning” (p. 133). In this research, the presence of the researcher must assert as little oppressive influence as possible, allowing for an open and honest discussion about the topic of study in order to provide as much detail as can be ascertained from the interview. Bowen’s (2005) analysis of interview transcripts identified patterns in the data by means of thematic codes. Bowen’s analysis of data entailed studying the patterns that emerged and making logical associations with the interview questions. He details the process of deriving his research findings as follows: “At successive stages, themes moved from a low level of abstraction to become major, overarching themes rooted in the concrete evidence provided by the data. These emerging themes together with a substantive-formal theory of ‘development-focused collaboration’ became the major findings of my study.” This research will adopt the same mode of analysis. Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedures and Rationale Population In creating a set of participants that fit into a specific framework of experience, the study can eliminate extraneous focus that would widen the scope of the investigation beyond a manageable locus. In focusing on one gender, the study can create a framework within which to design a concept that allows for a focus on the reality of the private experiences. The participant group will consist of 30- 35 women and who are from a variety of socio- Heart disease 7 economic levels of experience. This group will be selected for this criteria because the experiences in the lower income patients will be the relevant to the study as compared to those in a higher economic status. In addition, the women will be chosen in order to assess their experiences as heart patients for their preventative education, their current causes for their heart issues, and the ways in which heart disease has affected their life that is different than the experience of men. A survey questionnaire and unstructured interactive interviews will explore customer-centered views and focus on identifiable themes and patterns. A secondary source of data will be collected from existing databases. Secondary Research Secondary research that has been developed through the study of relevant literature will allow a framework from the work of previous scholars within which to discuss the topic. As the literature is assessed, scholarly writing will be used to create a point of view that stems from the scientific community and a point of view that reflects cultural perceptions. The work of scientists and relevant agencies will allow a broader base of information from which to develop a qualitative set of conclusions. Research Questions The following questions will be the primary focus of the research that is intended. 1. What are the perceived contributions that health care leaders can make to control the increasing death rates of heart disease in women? 2. What value, if any, can be derived from the collaborative effort of heart disease education? 3. In what ways does heart disease affect women that are different to the way it affects Heart disease 8 men? Hypothesis Hypothesis: Null Hypothesis( H0): Women have different needs in regard to heart disease prevention than do men and addressing these differences requires differing methods of prevention. Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Women do not have different needs in regard to heart disease prevention than do men and do not need a separate method of prevention. Data Analysis The first way in which the information collected will be analyzed will be in choosing the cases from which to develop case studies. Assembling case records of the most informative interviews will be done by assembling the data into a “manageable and accessible file” (Patton, 2002, 456) for each questionnaire set. When the cases have been reviewed, the examples that provide the most rich content will be developed into a narrative. Limitations This study will have quantified data produced as a result of the research. As the study is a quantitative work, the study is emphasizing the experiences of the participants with interest in the way in which the answers to the questions are represented mathematically. The study will be limited by comparisons of frequencies and mathematical commonalities that may not reflect qualitative results that might suggest answers that cannot be calculated. It is the hope that in finding an understanding of the experience of the participants in the way in which they have or Heart disease 9 have not been reached in regard to the information necessary to help prevent heart disease that viable solutions can be determined. The following limitations will be expected in preparing this study: The researcher understands that just because a community is made aware of a better lifestyle does not mean it will be embraced. The research will be limited by geographical boundaries that may influence the study in ways that are not relevant to the entire United States. The researcher understands that in asking the questions of the research participants will have their perception of issues regarding heart health altered which may affect the overall results. In approaching this study, it is understood that the Hawthorne effect will have influence in that by giving attention to the participants in regard to their experiences that their own personal perceptions of those experiences may change. As well, the overall level of personal choices can change due to the attention that is drawn to that area of their experience in life. The Hawthorne effect is based on the experience of researchers in the Western Electric plant in Hawthorne where during productivity studies in the 1920’s it was discovered that the attention of the researchers affected the results because productivity increased by virtue of knowing that their productivity was being studied. The attention of the researchers created a significant influence on the production of results (Rackham, 1988, p. 180). Delimitations In approaching this research, it is understood that it will be specific to the experience of female patients and cannot be extended to include other groups. The experiences that are related Heart disease 10 by the participants can only be assigned to have commonality within the female community without being translated into the experiences of groups in other communities. The study will not account for the information that is or is not available in other communities and the resulting statistics that define those groups. The perceptions of the participants will be relevant to the experiences of the women and cannot be used to generate results that affect other communities. References American Heart Association. (2009). Search your heart program. Retrieved on 15 May 2009 from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3041580 Bashshur, R. L., Homan, R. K., and Smith, D. G. (May 1994). Beyond the uninsured: Problems in access to health care. Medical Care. 32(5) pp. 409-419. Bowen, G.A. (2005). Preparing a Qualitative Research-Based Dissertation: Lessons Learned, The Qualitative Report, 10(2) 208-222. 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