Qualitative Research Problem and Design - Assignment Example

Topic Qualitative Research Problem and Design Introduction Qualitative research is a study that can be conducted to analyze the many issues in the world today. This type of research usually majors on the behaviors of the parties affected by the subject under study. Qualitative research is the best research option in cases where the complexity of the issue wants to be considered (Baxter & Jack, 2011). This type of research works towards getting the experiences of the parties involved with the phenomenon under study. Therefore, a well-conducted qualitative research can help one know the extent to which some issues have become serious. In-context observations, interviews and detailed discussions are some of the main qualitative research methods (Creswell, 2011). Some parts of the world today experience serious food shortages to the extent of starvation as people die out of hunger. This is a critical matter to the entire generation since the entire globe feels the effects of the hunger strikes. Africa and parts of the East are the regions that are mainly affected by this global problem (Hoepfl, 2012). The issue of food shortage becomes contradicting when other researchers come out and tell the world that close to 50% of food produced in the world goes to waste. These foods are wasted through behavioral activities such as excessive eating and throwing away of barely eaten food. While some people starve to death others somewhere are dying of obesity. Therefore, it would be important to do more research on how food can be shared properly with no excessive intake as the hunger-affected people are given the surplus (Shah, 2011). Obesity Obesity is a health disorder that causes a person’s weight to be excess leading to further health problems. It is important to note that obesity is not being fat. The later is all about the body size without checking both the height and heaviness of the person. On the other hand, obesity considers all these factors and a person is said to be obese when the body weight fails to be proportional to the height (Brown, 2012). The body mass index (BMI) is usually the standard used to check if an individual is at the right weight considering his/her height. BMI is the comparison of a person’s weight to height. When someone’s BMI falls between 25 and 30, a person is said to be overweight. A BMI ratio that exceeds 30 makes one obese (Karnik, 2011). The main causes of obesity are eating of unhealthy diet and living a life without exercise. We can say that the change in people’s lifestyle to a more dot com world has been the driving force behind many people being obese. The improvement in technology has brought in new food products which are high in calorie levels. People have now changed their lifestyles, and these cheap fast foods are being consumed so much despite their effects on health (Shah, 2011). Information given out by the World Health Organization shows that obesity levels have doubled compared to the level in the 80s. Many studies have been done on causes of obesity, and more research still need to be conducted to analyze how this disorder can be corrected effectively. My topic seeks to see how the world can come together and control obesity while the hunger levels in parts of the world are also reduced (Weight Management Centre, 2014). Reasons for Using Qualitative Perspective When we look into the causes of obesity, it will be noticed that these factors are usually driven by the behaviors of the people. It is not possible to influence the character of a person since most people tend to live life their way. The lifestyle that one chooses is dependent on his/her behaviors. Therefore, a lifestyle that people have cannot be easily changed. Technology and economic levels are usually the factors that influence the people’s way of life (Creswell, 2011). Since obesity is more of the behavior of the people and their personal choice of what to consume, the best research model to use in its study is a qualitative research. Qualitative research looks at the behavioral end of different parties towards the phenomenon under study. Hence, it becomes the best perspective to use for this study. A study of obesity would require a look into the lifestyle of the people and their behaviors that lead them to this kind of health disorder (Oxford University Press, 2013). For the state reasons above, this research work would be best done using the qualitative approach. The qualitative approach is going to help us to have a detailed study of the research problem which would have proper details on the possible way to control the problem. A detailed research work is also going to help the researcher to avoid unnecessary questions from people who would analyze the outcomes of the study. These are usually people who want to come up with theories on from the study. The Research Problem Data released by WHO shows that close to three million people die every year out of health conditions triggered by obesity. The number is big because obesity is a condition that we can prevent on our own by checking on our lifestyle. Cardiovascular Diseases, cancer and diabetes, are the common health conditions that are usually associated to obesity. On the contrary, as people die due to the food they eat and eating a lot of food, there are people in this same world losing lives because of lack of food. It becomes a challenge to human beings to try to find a way to balance the food that the world produces ( Sociology Press , 2013). The world has to find a way of controlling this problem for the sake of maintaining humanity standards. It would wrong to say one is human while he/she is wasting something that someone else needs to survive. Lack of physical activities is also a cause of obese conditions. The lifestyle that people adopt in the current world can be blamed on this. Vehicles all over make people walk less. Some people stick in front of computers for long hours forgetting to engage in physical activities. Technology is here to help us make our lives better but instead people get into health disorders due to it (Baxter & Jack, 2011). The causes of obesity are already known to most of us but still it is a major health disorder. Therefore, more studies have to be conducted on how to control this state effectively. Appropriate Design for the Problem The best qualitative research problem to use for this study of obesity is the case study design. This design is used when the research in question involves real life scenarios. The case study approach is important when studying a phenomenon that we can not affect how the people involved react to it (Hoepfl, 2012). This makes it the best option for studying obesity that involves behaviors of people that are hard to influence. A research on obesity would involve studying the main causes of the increasing cases of deaths related to obesity, the possible ways to curb this situation, and how the people involved are ready. For instance, the people who are affected by this disorder would need to change their lifestyles in order to try control this problem. For someone to be told to change his/her way of life it requires proper study of the person’s current lifestyle. This can only be done best by having a variety of case studies on the people’s life to determine the things they do that may be the cause of the health disorder they are having. A case study is also going to enable the researcher to find the possible way to approach the population under study. Some people are usually reluctant when it is a study about just them. The best way to get information from such people is through conducting case studies that will involve a big number. Therefore, the use of a case study design is going to be important for this study. Discussing Other Qualitative Research Designs Phenomenological design of qualitative research is used for studies that involve looking into different phenomena and how they impact on people. In most cases, only groups of individuals ranging from five to ten are picked to be analyzed (Morley, 2012). The individuals are examined on how the specified phenomenon affects their lives. Such design cannot be used to study obesity that is a condition due to people’s lifestyles. An example of a study that can be done using the phenomenological design is a study of the effect of the winter season to lives of people in a certain state (Lapan, 2012). Ethnographic design majors on the study of sociology and culture of different groups. This can be a study of the culture of people in different regions in the world or the study of a group of animals in the jungle. The idea behind this design makes it inappropriate for studying obesity. An example of a research that can be done with this design is one that studies the culture of the Khoisan of South Africa (Academy of Management, 2011). The grounded theory design usually seeks to formulate a theory from a set of raw data collected from the research. For this reason, it is mainly considered a theoretical model of study. For instance, a study that wants to come up with a theory that connects the age of a person to the type of entertainment preferred would use the grounded theory design. Obesity is a disorder that is affected by one’s health thus making theories out of it is not possible (Lapan, 2012). Content analysis design is one which is preferred when studying the events of a specific individual. In most cases, the past are usually used in this case to anticipate for the future. The study of a particular organization can also be done using this model as all the material available about the organization form the content for the study. Using this design for studying obesity is not appropriate as obesity is a global problem that requires a wide set of data (Hays, 2012). Rationale for my Approach My choice of picking qualitative research is based on two main reasons. One of the reasons is because this type of research enables a researcher to get perceptions of people on different phenomena under study. A qualitative research is going to reveal the take of the people on the topic under study which is what a study on obesity needs. The other factor that drove me to qualitative research is the kind of results that one gets out of it. In this type of study, the results are usually descriptive and this would be so appropriate for a study on obesity (Hays, 2012). The results that one gets from a qualitative research are usually detailed and they describe the scenario being studied properly without relying on predictions. A case study design is my option for this study since it would make a good analysis of the lifestyle of the people to be used in collecting data. The study on obesity can be conducted properly if the population picked for the research is analyzed through many case studies. A case study looks into the contemporary issues that affect the lives of people. Obesity is an already known issue to the world and using a model that would emphasize on it is a good idea. Having case studies about an issue strengthens the phenomenon or idea behind it (Tewksbury, 2012). Therefore, to put emphasis on what previous researchers have done on obesity it is crucial to have more case studies on obesity. Conclusion Obesity is a global problem which keeps getting worse every day. Data by World Health Organization that showed the level of obesity has increased by nearly 50% should be an alarm to the world (Brown, 2012). Deaths caused by obesity-related diseases are also on the increase thus putting a threat on the world’s population. The world is also experiencing increasing rate of deaths caused by lack of adequate food. Places in Africa and parts of the East are being faced with famines which cause some of the people there to lose their lives. The contradicting deaths caused by obesity and famine call for a study that would help balance the food produced by the world. Obesity is now also worse amongst children who are as young as the age of seven. The current and the future generations are affected by this condition and things might get worse if control moves are not put into consideration on time (Karnik, 2011). All these factors call for an effective qualitative research on the matters relating to obesity and how it can be controlled. The challenges that the globe is facing today due to obesity and the fact that the obesity cases are becoming more, rings an alarm. The world has to carry out a lot studies which are going to help the condition. Picking an appropriate qualitative research design for this study is also going to facilitate success for the research. I pick the case study design to help me make a comprehensive research on this global disease. References Sociology Press . (2013). An Introduction to Qualitative Reaserch . Grounded Theory Review , 205-298. Academy of Management. (2011). Academy of Management Journal. The Coming of Age for a Qualitative Research , 37-45. Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2011). Qualitative Case Methodology. The Qualitative Report Volume 13 , 4-26. Brown, T. (2012). The Extent Of Onesity. Tackling Childhood Obesity: A Case Study in MCH Leadership , 5-11. Creswell, J. (2011). Principles of Qualitative Research:Designing a Qualitative Study. Office of Qualitative and Mixed Research Methods Journal , 3-14. Havard School of Public Health. (2013). Economic Costs of Obesity. Obesity Prevention Source , 9-27. Hays, D. G. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry In Clinical And Educational Settings . California: Wiley. Hoepfl, M. (2012). Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for Technology Education Researchers. Journal of Technology Education , 118-156. Karnik, S. (2011). Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health Crisis. International Journal of Preventive Diseases , 21-49. Lapan, S. D. (2012). Qualitative Research An Introduction To Methods And Designs. New York: Sage Publishers. Morley, J. (2012). The Phenomenological Design. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology , 12-58. Morse, J. (2013). Qualitative Health Research. Salt Lake City: University of Utah. Oxford University Press. (2013). Qualitative Research Methods. 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