University College of Nursing NUR 39000: Nursing Research Critique

This assignment is a critical analysis and appraisal of a quantitative nursing research study. The student analyzes a research article focusing on the "Effect of Self-Management Exercise Program on Physical Fitness among People with Prehypertension and Obesity." The assignment addresses various aspects of the research, including author credentials, study focus, abstract contents, research problem, research questions, hypothesis, independent and dependent variables, literature review, theoretical framework, research design, and ethical considerations. The student provides detailed explanations, rationales, and supporting data from the article. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of a self-management exercise program compared to conventional care on physical fitness levels in participants with prehypertension and obesity. The student assesses the study's strengths and weaknesses, including internal and external validity threats. The student addresses the ethical considerations, including the protection of human rights and data handling. The assignment highlights the significance of the research for nursing practice and the role of nurses in addressing obesity and prehypertension through non-pharmacological interventions.

UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF NURSING
NUR 39000: Nursing Research
Template for Critical Analysis and Appraisal: Quantitative Nursing Research Part I
This is your own critique. Your responses should be your own words and written in complete
sentences. “Yes” or “no” answers will not be accepted and will result in point(s) deduction.
Except for question 1, your responses should include an explanation/rationale. N/A responses
require justification of why that criteria/question does not pertain to your article. Provide
supporting data from your specific article for your answers. Please include page numbers when
referring to your selected article. Make sure to use correct in-text citations. If you use sources
other than your specific article to support your answers (e.g., text or class lectures), please
include a reference page. Submit template with answers as your final product; please do not write
an APA-formatted paper using paragraph format.
*Names and Summary of Contributions of Group Members completing assignment:
*All group members can view final, submitted assignment in Blackboard. As such, it will be
assumed by faculty that all group members are in agreement with 1) those who participated in
assignment completion as indicated by name inclusion and 2) level of participation as indicated
in each group member’s summary of contributions. If a group member did not participate, please
explicitly indicate in above table.
1. Citation according to APA 6th ed.
2. What are the credentials of the first author and what do they mean? List the all of
the credentials of the first author and explain how the educational background prepares
them for the role of the researcher.
3. Title What was the focus (i.e., phenomenon of interest) of the study and is it apparent in
the tile of the article? Justify your answer.
4. Abstract List essential abstract contents of the research process included in the abstract
of your selected article. Are the essential contents of the research in the abstract (i.e.,
hypothesis, research question, objectives, focus, methods, analysis, description of the
research and the major findings)?
5. The Research Problem
A. State the research problem (Note: this is not the same as the “research question”)
B. How is the problem significant for the practice of nursing?
6. Research Question
A. What is the research question(s), purpose, aim and/or objective? List all that apply.
B. Do the research questions, purpose, aim and/or objective logically flow from
problem? Why or why not?
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C. Did the author explicitly state a hypothesis? If so, what is the hypothesis and what
type (Directional or Non-directional)? If no hypothesis was provided, would it have
been appropriate to state one? If so, what hypothesis might you suggest? Is your
suggested hypothesis written as directional or non-directional?
D. Identify the IV and provide a detailed description of it.
E. Identify the DV(s) and describe each one.
7. Review of Literature (Note: recall that “review of literature” = what is known and not
known about a phenomenon of interest)
A. What concepts (ideas/topics) are included in the literature review? Are they clearly
linked to the purpose of the study?
B. Are primary sources used in the review of the literature? Cite an example.
C. Are secondary sources used in the review of the literature? Cite an example.
D. Is the literature review presented in an organized format that flows logically?
E. Does the review of literature include recent literature? What is the range of years for
the review of the literature?
F. Does the review conclude with a brief summary of the literature and its implications
for the problem?
8. Theoretical or Conceptual Framework (Note: numerous studies do not explicitly
indicate a theoretical or conceptual framework; you may need to look)
A. Is there a theoretical/conceptual framework identified? If one is used, please describe
it. If not, do you think one would be helpful, why or why not?
B. Is the framework appropriate to guide research on the subject of interest?
C. Are you able to identify concepts (main ideas) from the theory in the study’s purpose,
research questions, or hypothesis? If so, what concepts?
D. Are concepts of the theory/framework clearly defined and the relationship between
concepts indicated and explained? Provide an example.
E. Was a figure of the framework provided? If so, how was it helpful? If not, do you
think one would be helpful, why or why not?
9. Research Design
A. What type of quantitative design is used for the study?
B. Is the design of the study adequately described (i.e., could you follow how the study
was conducted)?
C. What threats to internal validity do you identify in the study? Does the researcher
control for the threats to internal validity?
D. What threats to external validity do you identify in the study? Does the researcher
control for the threats to external validity?
E. Is the design guided by the research question, hypothesis, and theoretical framework?
10. Ethical Considerations
A. Were the human rights of the subjects protected? (e.g., IRB, Informed Consent, etc.)
B. Are the subjects/participants from a vulnerable population?
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C. Does the study discuss how the data will be handled with regard to privacy? Are there
any statements that discuss who will have access to the data?
D. Which provision(s) of the ANA code of ethics are supported by this study?
E. Is there outside funding that was used to conduct the study? Are there any disclaimers
that discuss the author’s affiliation with outside funding?
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Response to question 1
The first author Thida Tongvichean is a registered nurse and the candidate of PhD nursing
from the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and has got the right expertise in the field of
nursing profession that helped in the analyzing of the data present in this research in a very
pertinent manner (Qaddumi et al., 2016)
Yupin Aungsuroch is a registered nurse who holds a PhD degree in the same subject and is also a
faculty, an assistant professor in the department of nursing in Chulalongkorn University of
Thailand. The author’s experience in the field of nursing and teaching experience in the field of
nursing is a great resource that has added essence to this research paper (Tongvichean,
Aungsuroch & Preechawong, 2019)
Sunida Preechawong is a registered nurse and the assistant professor in the faculty of nursing in
the Chulalongkorn University of Thailand. She has a relevant credibility in the field of nursing
practice and teaching experience which has been critically reflected throughout the paper.
Response to question 2
The aim of the study is to understand the influence of a self-managed physical therapy
program on the fitness and wellbeing level of subjects suffering from prehypertension condition
as well as from obesity. The phenomenon of interest is clearly reflected in the focus of the
research as the clinical conditions to be addressed and the intervention to address the same is
mentioned as well.
Response to question 3
Research question, Research hypothesis, focus of the study, objectives, and methods used in
the study, analysis, description of the research are all addressed in the content of the research
abstract. Thee major findings part is not clear.
Response to question 4
The problem of the research is decrease in physical fitness (due to lack of self-management)
in the obesity and prehypertension subjects and which cannot be addressed alone by medications
or pharmacological management.
Response to question 5
The problem is significant for the practice of nursing as obesity and prehypertension is a
normal clinical feature encountered in most of the patients living in United States. As physical
therapy intervention is a general non-pharmacological treatment being given to the patients, it is
very important that the nurse must be addressing the same.
Response to question 6
A.
As research question is
Does physical activity has a positive effect on the addressing of obesity and related
prehypertension?
The purpose of the research is to correlate the positive effect of physical intervention on the
decrease of prevalence rates of obesity and related prehypertension.
The aim of the study is to understand the consequence of the exercise program (self-
administered) on the betterment of physical fitness in the subjects with obesity and
prehypertension.
B.
The research questions, purpose, aim logically flow from problem as the physical fitness which
is huge problem in the prehypertension and obese patients (research problem) has to be
intervened with physical therapy program (purpose and aim). The content is coherent and in flow
as well.
C. The hypothesis is lacking in the research. It should be there and it can be:-
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H0: Exercise program (self-administered) does not have a positive effect on the physical fitness
in the subjects with obesity and prehypertension.
H1: Exercise program (self-administered) does not has a positive effect on the physical fitness in
the subjects with obesity and prehypertension
It is a directive one.
D.
Independent variable is the exercise therapy program that is being given to the subject
E.
Dependent variable is physical fitness which is subjected to change, given the doses and impact
of the self-administered exercise program (independent variable)
Response to question 7
A.
The concepts identified in the literature review are physical therapy related motivation, self-
determination theory, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy. They are clearly linked.
B.
Primary articles are used in this study
Example – article 19
C.
Secondary articles are used in this study
Example – article 22
D.
Yes literature review presented in an organized format that flows logically.
E.
The review of literature include recent literature. The range used for the review of the literature
is 20 years.
F.
Response to question 8
A
The theoretical framework is used in the research is self-management model.
B.
The framework is appropriate to guide research on the subject of interest as the self-
management model already has the components to create and synthesize the Self-Management
Exercise Program (SMEP).
C.
The concepts can be identified and these are self-monitoring, self-reinforcement and self-
evaluation.
D.
The concepts of the framework are clearly defined and the relationship between concepts are
indicated and explained. For example thee concepts self-monitoring, self-reinforcement and self-
evaluation are referred to the individual support and personal development.
E.
No, the diagram was not provided and it would have been helpful as it would have provided
more clarity to the content.
Response to question 9
A.
The quantitative study design used in this study is quasi experimental design.
B
It has been described somewhat in the study.
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C.
There are certain confounding factors such as size of subject population that affects the
same.
D
There are not much confounding factors which are that affects the external factors.
E
It is guided by research question, hypothesis, and theoretical framework.
Response to question 10
A.
Human rights were protected.
B.
No. Participants are not from a vulnerable population as such data has not been mentioned.
C.
Yes, only the researchers have access to the data.
D.
Behavioural aspects are addressed.
E
No. no such data has been mentioned.
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References
Qaddumi, J., Holm, M., Alkhawaldeh, A., Albashtawy, M., Omari, O. A., Batiha, A. M., ... &
Da'she, A. (2016). Prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension among secondary
school students. International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 5(2), 240. doi:
10.14419/ijans.v5i2.6878
Tongvichean, T., Aungsuroch, Y., & Preechawong, S. (2019). The Effect of Self-Management
Exercise Program on Physical Fitness among People with Prehypertension and Obesity: A
Quasi Experiment Study. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, 23(1), 6-
17. International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 5(2), 240. Retrieved from
https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/PRIJNR/article/view/108336/115851
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