The Dependent, Independent and Significant Intervening Variables - Assignment Example

The Dependent, Independent and Significant Intervening Variables 1. The research problem, and variables or concepts under study. Identify the dependent, independent and significant intervening variables. The study focused on the problem of how health-risk behaviours such as cigarette smoking and alcohol use exacerbate diseases such as asthma in adolescents and young adults. The variables used in the study were demographic measures (age, gender, race, ethnicity, and household composition), asthma status, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake. Though not clearly defined, the dependent variable was asthma status (those with asthma and those without as two groups) while the independent variables were the alcohol intake and cigarette smoking. The intervening variables were demographic measures especially the age. 2. Significance of this study to nursing practice, education or administration. This study is very important to nursing practice, health educators and professionals that work with adolescents and young adults with asthma. The practitioners can be advised to assess the type and level of participation of adolescents or young adults with asthma in health-risk behaviours at each health-care visit. This can help in managing the disease among these individuals. Health educators can also initiate education programmes on risk reduction strategies and smoking cessation. 3. Theoretical framework, summarized. Where did the author get this theoretical framework-- from a specific theory, or from a review of the relevant literature? The theoretical framework in the paper suggests that risk-taking behaviour that lead to lifelong implications begins in adolescence and young adulthood. Literature has shown that health-risk behaviours also occur in youths and adults with chronic diseases such as asthma. Prevalence rates of asthma in children are rising. As children age, the course of asthma also varies. While it is managed by parents when they are young, as they age the responsibility changes and they start managing it themselves. This is also the same time that peer influence to engage in health-risk behaviours such as cigarette smoking and drinking come in. As they take on such health-risk behavours, the problem of asthma is compounded for those with it. The author got this theoretical framework from literature. 4. Design-- describe and depict graphically if possible. Identify controls to threats to internal and external validity which were employed in this study, as well as threats to validity which have not been controlled (or not effectively controlled). This was a quantitative based on a secondary analysis of data. The study that the present research relied upon to perform the secondary analysis was a non-experimental research survey research. Surveys usually provide a basis for further programs. The design is presented in the diagram below. It is not clear whether the measures in the survey instrument were reliable since none was reported. This being a non-experimental study, the controls for validity (both internal and external) were not employed. The fact that the questions relating to the present study were categorical (yes/no) or continuous, it can be deduced that the measures were reliable and that the instrument was valid to capture correctly the issues that were to be addressed. 5. Sample: target population, accessible population, criteria for sampling, adequacy of the sample, representativeness of the sample, and the type of sample that was used. In this study, the target population was the sample used by a previous survey of 4,882 adolescents and young adults. To qualify for the study sample, the participants in the previous survey had to have clearly stated their asthma status. Based on this criterion, 8 participants were excluded giving a sample size of 4,874 individuals (818 individuals with asthma and 4,056 without asthma). This sample was adequate given that it was based on a previous study that was the most comprehensive survey of adolescents ever taken in US. The previous survey had a nationally representative sample of adolescents. The samples were probabilistic. 6. Hypotheses or research questions: identify them and determine whether they are directional or non-directional, with rationales. If there are no research questions included in the article, propose questions. There were no hypotheses in the study but three research questions were addressed: (1) How many adolescents and young adults with asthma are engaging in health-risk behaviors? (2) How do cigarette smoking and alcohol use rates and patterns change as adolescents with asthma age? (3) Are there differences in cigarette smoking and alcohol use behaviors between adolescents and young adults with asthma and those who do not have asthma? None of these research questions were directional but were not directional as they were just descriptive. 7. Operational definitions and data collection procedures: What types of data collection were used to address each variable? What was the level of measurement that was achieved? What were the reliability and validity of instruments used in this study? Can you identify any problems with the measures or procedures? Asthma status was defined as participant having been diagnosed with asthma or not. Health-risk behaviour was measures using cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Demographic variables such as age, race, and ethnicity were also collected. These were collected through survey questionnaires. The study used secondary data from a primary survey earlier carried out. Asthma status was measures using categorical yes/no responses. Cigarette smoking was measured using two questions. Both were categorical yes/no questions. Alcohol intake was measured using a continuous scale on how many drinks they had taken each time they drank in the last twelve months. No reliability of instruments was reported in the study in terms of the Cronbach’s alpha but this can be excused given the level of scales used in the study. This research relied on data collected in a previous study therefore the problems inherent in the present study in terms of data reliability and validity would be transferred to the present study. Given the research questions that study sought to address, the measures and procedures used are correct. 8. Human rights considerations: how did the investigator(s) address ethical issues raised by this study? This being a secondary analysis study and therefore non-experimental, it was not affected much by the ethical issues. But the study reports of some of the ethical issues that were addressed in the primary research. The study reports that consent to include the participants in the study was sought from the parents of the children who took part in the survey. Given the type of the study, this consent was the most important human rights consideration issue and it was therefore adequately addressed. The samples had also been randomly selected enabling every individual in the population a chance to be selected for the study. 9. Findings: what were the major findings of the study? Was there statistical significance? Were results meaningful? The study found that those with asthma (79%) also smoked more than those without asthma (75%). This was statistically significant. Further, those with asthma (72%) were more likely to smoke regularly than those without asthma (67%). This was statistically significant. Those with asthma (33%) were also more likely to report feeling relaxed after smoking compared to those without asthma (29%). This was statistically significant. The study also found that the asthma group drank less than non-asthma group early in life but as they aged, they drank more than their non-asthma group. Further, asthma group participants were more likely to report alcohol risk behaviour compared to those in the non-asthma group. For instance, 58% of asthma group reported having a best friend who was a binge drinker compared to 55% of those in the non-asthma group. This was statistically significant. Asthma group participants (24%) were also more likely to have sexual situation occurrence than the non-asthma group (21%). This was not statistically significant. 10. Implications: Identify the implications of this study for nursing practice, education or administration. What further questions were raised by this study? This study has a number of implications. First, the results imply the need for education programs on risk reduction strategies and referrals for smoking cessation assistance to be offered to those with asthma. Practitioners should also assess the reasons for smoking and how it makes them feel. This helps to individualize care plans to decrease or cease cigarette smoking. There is also need for continued education and health promotion by nurses and other healthcare professionals given the increasing levels in cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking in asthma population. The study also implies a need to provide positive anticipatory guidance and including adolescents and parents in the plan for care to succeed in promoting healthy lifestyle choices among those with asthma. New programs should be initiated or the current ones modified to incorporate interventions and materials that address the special needs of chronically ill young population. A number of questions were raised by the study which needs to be addressed. First, studies need to address the factors that contribute to the adoption of health-risk behaviours of the chronically ill adolescents. Studies also need to assess the participation in risky lifestyle choices associated with drinking alcohol and how these are affecting individuals with asthma. 11. Your own evaluation of the study: Was this study done well, and was this an important study for nursing? How could it have been improved? Please give your reasons for your opinion. Restricting the opinion to the design and whether the methodology used fits, this study was done well. It is a very important study for nursing given the questions it sought to address and that are very valuable to nursing as a profession. But on a more general view, a number of limitations from this design mean that some improvements can be done. First, there is need to perform a longitudinal survey based on primary data in order to address the limitations the present study faced. Diagnoses can be made to confirm the status of asthma as well as the severity and type. Reference Dowdell, EB, Posner, MA, Hutchinson, MK (2011). Cigarette smoking and alcohol use among adolescents and young adults with asthma. Nursing Research and Practice, Doi: 10.1155/2011/503201 Read More