Healthcare Research: Analyzing Prostate Cancer Risk Perception

This report provides a detailed analysis of a research article focusing on factors influencing men's risk perception of prostate cancer, considering their family history. The study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the impact of risk information pathways, lifestyle factors, exposure to affected relatives, and previous experiences with prostate diseases on individual risk perception. The report further discusses ethical considerations in prostate cancer research, data analysis, and the application of research findings to improve healthcare practices, including cancer screening and genetic counseling. It emphasizes the importance of understanding individual risk perception to enhance adherence to screening programs and minimize psychological distress, highlighting the role of research in identifying effective treatments and preventive measures for prostate cancer.

Running head: Research Methodology
Research Methodology
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Research Methodology
Reason for choosing the article
Prostate cancer is one of the diseases that have caused serious havocs within families.
This type of cancer has the capacity to interfere with individuals control of the urinary system as
well as erection difficulties. In the article by Mathew, et al. (2011) the risk perception among
men is examined taking into account the family history. Being that the article gives more
highlight in to an area which have been dark for long despite pausing an extremely dangerous
situation I found it justified to select and summarize the contents.
Research problem
In this article, the research is concentrated around exploring factors that have an impact
on the men’s risk perception considering their family history when it comes to prostate cancer.
Being that previous work have shown that family history has an impact on the risk level of an
individual, this study will focus on highlighting other factors that also contribute to the same
even though most men may have no idea about the same. This way it will be able to give more
information about this area and assist individuals take greater care so as to try prevent the
infection.
Research question
The main question that the research tries to answer is: What are the factors that influence
individual’s risk of prostate cancer infection taking account of their family history?
Research approach
The study applied semi-structured interviews among fifteen participants to collect the
necessary data. An interview was scheduled for about 30-45 minutes. Two interviewers
undertook the research either through face to face or over the phone communication type.
Afterwards the interview transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological
analysis. The Microsoft Office Word features such as table and bolding assisted in highlighting
and organizing the data for analysis.
Research design

Research Methodology
Qualitative method that provides more insight unlike quantitative is best used if both
cannot be used. It's about ideas, and those processes which does not need concrete hypothesis or
feedback that is structured statistically (Berg & Lune). It answers the questions of "where",
"when", "how" and "why". It is used to observe reactions, tone and facial expressions from the
research target (Given, 2008). It captures inconsistent data with a limited sample size.
Quantitative method is a research method that is based on user perception, task
performance and satisfaction. It answers the questions of "who" and "what" of user behavior. It's
mainly surveys and questionnaires. It measures satisfaction and usability scale.
In this study the design applied was the qualitative approach as it accounts fo0r the past
theories to analyze the current situation.
Research population and sample
For better prediction, research could aid in Finding the pattern and facilitate the trials and
public interventions of proper health culture and ways to aid and generally better healthy
lifestyle. This can be done using the least possible resources to treat each patient to full recovery
within the shortest time.
The health research process normally comprises of lab work and clinical research. The
key components include, Researchers ask research questions and select appropriate methods of
conducting the research whether qualitative or quantitative, both of which should not be biased
in any way. Data is then collected by the relevant methods selected by the researchers for
example questionnaires or experiment where relevant. The data is then managed and analyzed to
get the results in a way that is independent of any prior assumption and its interpretation.
Ethical approval
Research ethics especially in the health of prostate patients has lots of challenges.
Patients have ethical and legal privacy issues with their doctors. Information cannot be revealed
by the doctor because of the existing laws meant to protect patient’s privacy. For this reason,
information which could have aided a research may not be easily accessible (Matthew, et al.,
2011).

Research Methodology
Communicable diseases can pass from patients to doctors and researchers when visiting
the patients or generally the research site. Research will then either have to be stopped, or
preventive measures put in place this will necessitate more cost.
Critically ill patients may have a death wish that may not be legally or ethically
acceptable. Doctors therefore have a hard time dealing with such cases, especially among the
elderly, and may have to make rational decisions. Information will then have very irregular
patterns that cannot easily be analyzed.
Data analysis and findings
Upon the analysis of the research findings, a number of issues were identified. Prostate
cancer risk perception is affected by a variety of factors the identified one being; risk information
pathways, lifestyle factors, the exposure to other affected relatives, exposure to the screening of
prostate cancer as well as well previous experience with other prostate diseases (Matthew, et al.,
2011).
Discussion and conclusion
The individual’s knowledge of his risk perception and making use of this message in the
cancer screening visits as well as the genetic counselling might assist minimize the distortion of
risks. This way an individual is able to increase their adherence to the screening programs and
thereby curtail the psychological distress.
Application the research to the healthcare field
Research is the systematic investigation that is meant to provide information that is a
generalizable knowledge, to the relevant people through testing and evaluation (Babbie, 2014).
Research has been used in healthcare and especially in the study of Prostate Cancer (PCa)
to assist identify effective treatment of millions of patients with the same illness and even in
searching for preventive measures. Normally, a portion of the population which is willing do
undergo a test and the information used to compute the data, probability of having Prostate
Cancer. This data is thereafter analyzed statistically and necessary preventive measures put in
place. The cost factor is also considered, in that if an illness will require too much resources, the

Research Methodology
researchers will inform the necessary authorities so as to assist ease the planning phases that
needs to precede combating the disease

Research Methodology
References
Babbie, E. (2014). The Basics of Social Research. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Cengage.
Berg, B. L., & Lune, H. (n.d.). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Boston.
Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE
Publications.
Matthew, A. G., Paradiso, C., Currie, K. L., Finelli, A., Hartman, M., Trachtenberg, L., . . .
Ritvo, P. (2011). Examining risk perception among men with a family history of prostate
cancer. Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 85, 252-256.