Taking the long view : using longitudinal qualitative methods to explore "large" women's accounts of health and weight management postpartum /
In 2011, I embarked upon doctoral research which set out to explore the experiences of health and weight management among, and from the perspectives of, "large" (clinically defined as morbidly obese) postpartum women. Previous studies, albeit limited, had tended to look at the experiences...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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London :
SAGE Publications Ltd,
2017.
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| Series: | SAGE Research Methods. Cases.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | In 2011, I embarked upon doctoral research which set out to explore the experiences of health and weight management among, and from the perspectives of, "large" (clinically defined as morbidly obese) postpartum women. Previous studies, albeit limited, had tended to look at the experiences of women considered to be of "normal" weight and typically did so only at a single point in time neglecting to consider how engagements with health-related behaviors might conceivably evolve and change over time. My study not only set out to address these gaps in the literature by specifically seeking out the accounts of large women but also sought to explore change over time by interviewing women at three separate time points in the first 6 months following childbirth. The following case study provides a "behind-the-scenes" look at my experiences of using longitudinal qualitative methods. This account highlights some key considerations around the study design, in particular how I arrived at the decision to interview participants at certain key time points over others. Attention is also paid to the practical challenges I encountered when attempting to analyze longitudinal data. Finally, this case sheds light on the evolving and often contradictory nature of participant accounts told over time and in turn how those accounts might be understood and interpreted. In doing so, I hope to illuminate some of the benefits and challenges of using a longitudinal qualitative approach as a means of exploring aspects of health. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781526419354 1526419351 |