1
|
Hennessey M, Barnett T. Method in limbo? Theoretical and empirical considerations in using thematic analysis by veterinary and One Health researchers. Prev Vet Med 2023; 221:106061. [PMID: 37944192 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.106061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
This article spans a number of theoretical, empirical and practice junctures at the intersection of human and animal medicine and the social sciences. We discuss the way thematic analysis, a qualitative method borrowed from the social sciences, is being increasingly used by veterinary and One Health researchers to investigate a range of complex issues. By considering theoretical aspects of thematic analysis, we expand our discussion to question whether this tool, as well as other social science methods, is currently being used appropriately by veterinary and human health researchers. We suggest that additional engagement with social science theory would enrich research practices and improve findings. We argue that considerations of 'big theory' - ontological and epistemological positionings of the researcher - and 'small(er)' theory, the specific social theory in which research is situated, are both necessary. Our point of departure is that scientific discourse is not merely construction or ideology but a unique and continuing arena of debate, in part at least because of the elevation of self-criticism to a central tenet of its practice. We argue for further engagement with the core ideas and concepts outlined above and discuss them in what follows. In particular, and by way of focusing the point, we suggest that for veterinary, One Health, and human medical researchers to use thematic analysis to its maximum potential they should be encouraged to engage with both broader socio-economic theories and with questions of ontology and epistemology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Hennessey
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, UK.
| | - Tony Barnett
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, UK; Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Falla-Aliabadi S, Heydari A, Fatemi F, Yoshany N, Lotfi MH, Sarsangi A, Hanna F. Impact of social and cultural factors on incidence, transmission and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2352. [PMID: 36522718 PMCID: PMC9753076 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14805-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 pandemic has had mixed reactions from nations, people and governments about ways to cope with, prevent and control the disease. The current study identifies social, cultural and policy factors affecting the incidence and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran. METHODS A qualitative study consists of content analysis as well as the views of 20 experienced and knowledgeable subjects specialized in social and cultural health management. The data were gathered using three semi-structured interviews and then continued by 17 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim approach. After each interview, the recorded audio files transcript and reviewed. Then codes extracted and divided to categories and sub-categories. RESULTS There are distinct social and cultural factors in coping with Coronavirus disease. These consisted of three categories of governance, individual and community related factors. A total of 17 subcategories and 215 primary codes that were extracted from the text of interviews as variables of the study and in relation to the research question. Ten subdomains of governance including vaccination, political issues, knowledge, support services, administrative services, transportation, health and treatment, culturalization, legislation and, managerial and financial policies impacted the spread and mitigation of the pandemic at various levels. CONCLUSION The management of pandemics requires a comprehensive capacity for identifying and determining social and cultural criteria. A healthy partnership between governments and the community may be required to remove unnecessary obstacles that hinder public health attempt to alleviate the risk. The obtained criteria and indicators from this study may be utilized by policy makers in an attempt to strengthen protocols for mitigating pandemics. Further studies may be warranted to confirm these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Falla-Aliabadi
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
- Accident Prevention and Crisis Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Ahad Heydari
- Department of Health in Disaster and Emergencies, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Farin Fatemi
- Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nooshin Yoshany
- Department of Health education and Promotion, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hasan Lotfi
- Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Alireza Sarsangi
- GIS and Remote Sensing Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahad Hanna
- Program of Public Health, Torrens University Australia, Melbourne, VIC Australia
- Higher Education College, Chisholm Institute, Dandenong, VIC Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Desmond C, Seeley J, Groenewald C, Ngwenya N, Rich K, Barnett T. Interpreting social determinants: Emergent properties and adolescent risk behaviour. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226241. [PMID: 31877166 PMCID: PMC6932798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A link between adversity, including low socio-economic status, and behaviours which carry health risks, such as alcohol consumption, has often been observed. The causes of this link are, however, poorly understood, making it difficult to explain why the association is often not linear and why there is so much variability between groups and individuals facing similar adversity. We investigate the use of the concept of emergent properties in explaining the link and its non-linear nature. `Emergent properties’ arise from the interaction of factors or items in a high-level system which, as a result, has qualities possessed by none of the individual factors. We apply a mixed methods approach to examine the association of an example emergent property, hope, and alcohol consumption among adolescents in a rural South African site. We found that among adolescents living in similar contexts, there was enough variance in reported levels of hope, that an association with alcohol use could be identified. This result is cause for optimism regarding the potential use of emergent properties in explaining variations in risk behaviour. Improving our measurement of emergent properties is perhaps the biggest challenge facing this approach. More work is needed to take further the task of identifying emergent properties capable of distilling the influence of lower level variables into single measures useful for analysis and policy purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Desmond
- Centre for Rural Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Janet Seeley
- Global Health and Development Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Candice Groenewald
- Human and Social Development, Human Sciences Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Nothando Ngwenya
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Kate Rich
- Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Tony Barnett
- Global Health and Development Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hansen CH, Lees S, Kapiga S, Seeley J, Barnett T. Measuring hope amongst Tanzanian women who participate in microfinance: An evaluation of the Snyder hope scale. Glob Public Health 2019; 15:402-413. [PMID: 31671282 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2019.1682027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Measuring hope reliably and accurately remains an important research objective, not least in less prosperous settings where 'holding on to hope' may be critically important in the struggle against adverse life conditions. The State Hope Scale was designed for use in the US. Despite reported application in diverse cultures and using translations the scale has not been extensively validated outside US populations. This study contributes to a larger project exploring the measurement of hope and provides a critique of Snyder's scale as used in a Tanzanian female population of 1021 urban microfinance participants. We evaluate the scale's validity through assessment of the empirical distribution of scores, item response profiles, internal consistency and discriminatory ability. Participants mostly scored very high and many reached very near the maximum attainable score. Hardly any endorsed the negative half of the response scale. Several problems are discussed including poor discrimination and strong evidence of acquiescence response bias. We also found little association of the scale scores with hypothesised correlates of hope. Future improvements on the measurement of hope are recommended, especially in studies outside the narrow Western context in which the scale was devised.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Holm Hansen
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.,MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Shelley Lees
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Saidi Kapiga
- Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.,Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Janet Seeley
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.,Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tony Barnett
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fournié G, Høg E, Barnett T, Pfeiffer DU, Mangtani P. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Practices Exposing Humans to Avian Influenza Viruses, Their Prevalence, and Rationale. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 97:376-388. [PMID: 28749769 PMCID: PMC5544094 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all human infections by avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are transmitted from poultry. A systematic review was conducted to identify practices associated with human infections, their prevalence, and rationale. Observational studies were identified through database searches. Meta-analysis produced combined odds ratio estimates. The prevalence of practices and rationales for their adoptions were reported. Of the 48,217 records initially identified, 65 articles were included. Direct and indirect exposures to poultry were associated with infection for all investigated viral subtypes and settings. For the most frequently reported practices, association with infection seemed stronger in markets than households, for sick and dead than healthy poultry, and for H7N9 than H5N1. Practices were often described in general terms and their frequency and intensity of contact were not provided. The prevalence of practices was highly variable across studies, and no studies comprehensively explored reasons behind the adoption of practices. Combining epidemiological and targeted anthropological studies would increase the spectrum and detail of practices that could be investigated and should aim to provide insights into the rationale(s) for their existence. A better understanding of these rationales may help to design more realistic and acceptable preventive public health measures and messages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Fournié
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Erling Høg
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Barnett
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk U Pfeiffer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.,Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Punam Mangtani
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Foster A, Rosenkrantz W, Outerbridge C, Barnett T. Introduction to the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology and the Clinical Consensus Guidelines. Vet Dermatol 2017; 28:261-265. [DOI: 10.1111/vde.12445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tony Barnett
- Department of Global Health and Development; Faculty of Public Health & Policy; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; London UK
| |
Collapse
|