Pre-Exam Research Article Worksheet 1 – Exam 2 PC718.

Pre-Exam Research Article Worksheet 1 – Exam 2 PC718
Mixed Methods Study Questions
Hansen, E., Tesch, L., & Ayton, J. (2018). ‘They’re born to get breastfed’-how fathers view breastfeeding:
a mixed method study. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 18(1), 238.
1. Why was the study done (i.e., problem concern, issue)?
The study by Hansen, Tesch and Ayton (2018) was done because of the problem of low rates of
breastfeeding in Australia. The study considered evaluating father’s views about breast feeding
because they are determinants of mother’s breast feeding decisions and practices.
2. What was the purpose of the study or what question(s) is/are the investigator(s) trying to
answer?
The purpose of the study was to explore the perception of Tasmanian fathers with children
of 0-24 children regarding views on breast feeding and their role in infant feeding.
3. The investigators used what type of mixed method design?
● Sequential or concurrent?
● Exploratory or Explanatory?
● Triangulation or Embedded?
The investigator used sequential exploratory research design.
4. If a sequential study, how did the first phase of the mixed methods inform the second?
The first phase of the study focused on qualitative data collection and the first stage was
linked with the current method of breastfeeding
5. If a concurrent study, did the weight given to each phase of the mixed methods fit the
approach taken?
Concurrent approach not used.
6. Was either part (qualitative or quantitative) of the study given priority, or were they
equal?
Both qualitative and quantitative parts of the study were equal as data collection and results of
each part were given equal priority.
7. Why did the researchers choose this type of mixed-methods design?
The researchers selected exploratory method as research design because of the research aim.
As the main purpose was to explore the view of fathers related to breast feeding, use of
exploratory research design helped them in final integration of data and opinions (Creswell, &
Clark, 2017). .
8. Was there a guiding theory used, and if so, what was it?
No guiding theory was used.

9. What was the population and setting? If they were not the same for both portions, state
for each:
The population for the study was fathers with children aged 0-24 months and the setting
included different regions of Tasmania. The setting and population was the same for both the
methodologies.
10. What were the inclusion and exclusion criteria? And, if not the same for both portions,
state for each?
The inclusion criteria was to select only those fathers who had babies under 24 months of
age and with half of the sample living in areas characterized by socioeconomic
disadvantage. The Socio-Economic Index for Areas index (SEIFA) was used as an indicator
to define disadvantages.
11. How was/were the sample(s) recruited?
The samples were recruited by purposeful sampling strategy using the above inclusion criteria.
12. For the qualitative portion:
● What was the sample size and what method(s) were used?
The sample size was 26 and interview was conducted with 17 fathers only group, 3
father-mother combined group, 1 group interview with two fathers and another with 4
fathers.
● How was the data collected from the participants?
The interview was done in home and community settings and it was audio recorded.
Female staffs were interviewers.
● Was rigor stated (reliability, validity, trustworthiness)?
However, there is lack of detail regarding the reliability of the interview method as no
details were provided regarding the considerations to reduce bias or inform about the
qualification of interviewers.
● How was data input and analyzed?
Interview data were audio recorded and field notes were taken for some interviews.
The data was analyzed using thematic analyzing using coding and comparison
technique
● Who was responsible for analyzing the data?
Members of the research team were involved in collecting the data
● What themes emerged from the analysis?
Key themes from the analysis included father’s view about breastfeeding,
breastfeeding as healthy and natural, the value of breast feeding and breast
feeding as something imposed.