During medical examinations of the poor, a nurse observes that several of the pa

Question

During medical examinations of the poor, a nurse observes that several of the patients smoked and had high blood pressure. The nurse reviewed the related literature and found that smoking and high blood pressure shared a positive relationship. The nurse believed that poverty may have an additive influence to smoking relationship with high blood pressure. The nurse decided to conduct an investigation into this relationship. The nurse collected data on over 100 patients. The data collected were blood pressure (high or low), smoking (currently smoking, not currently smoking but smoked in the last year, never smoked, and poverty. Poverty was measured as a self report by the patient. The nurse used a partial bivariate correlation to analyze the data. The nurse found that while controlling poverty, that smoking still had a positive relationship with high blood pressure.

Questions: What kind of study is this according to the methodology used? 2. Identify the independent and dependent variables. 3. Critique the internal and external validity of the study as it is designed. 4. Critique the data analysis used in the study 4. If you were going to conduct this study, how would you redesign to enhance its validity and at the same time make it reasonable to conduct?

Explanation / Answer

Questions: 1. What kind of study is this according to the methodology used? I would have to say that this is an experimental study. It does seem like a correlational study though. In experimental studies, we manipulate some variables and then measure the effects of this manipulation on other variables. The terms dependent and independent variable apply mostly to experimental research where some variables are manipulated. So thats why it is experimental, having independent and dependant variables. 2. Identify the independent and dependent variables. The independent variable is poverty and dependent variables are blood pressure and smoking. 3. Critique the internal and external validity of the study as it is designed. To say that poverty influences blood pressure is pretty vague. It has to do more with the persons overall diet and health, someone in poverty could still eat healthy but not have a lot of money. 4. Critique the data analysis used in the study The study should have used more number based data instead of saying that blood pressure was either high or low. or what kind of smoker you are... It should have used real measured data so that the study could be more informative. And the patients measured there own poverty, this should not have occurred. Because the experiment can not really say for sure who is and who is not in poverty if it is just that individuals opinion. 4. If you were going to conduct this study, how would you redesign to enhance its validity and at the same time make it reasonable to conduct? What I said before, take accurate measures of blood pressure and nicotine/tar swaps or tests to see levels for best more accurate data. And that there should be a uniform way of deciding which person falls into the poverty catagory and who doesnt. Or maybe not use it, instead maybe use diet or stress.... I hope I helped you with this.

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