Exam 1 - intro to nutrition research

Question 1

Explain each part of the scientific method

Answer 1

1. Review the literature: find out what is already known about the topic, understand the topic
2. Define the problem after gaining knowledge on topic
3. Develop research question and objective, or hypothesis
4. Develop research design and methods
5. Implement study through collection and analysis of data
6. Interpret results, draw conclusions from results
7. Share information collected and disseminate findings (through publications, presentations, press releases, interviews, social media)

Review literature – cycle repeats

Question 2

problem statement?

Answer 2

• Shed light on a current or potential problem – posing relationship between 2+ variables
• Contains a statement problem explaining the problem at hand and giving context around why research is needed
• Based on literature review and research that has been done prior

Question 3

objective

Answer 3

Purpose of the study, decided after the literature review
* Ex: Determine if unrepaired DNA damage in liver cancer among Hispanic male population is related to the carcinogen Aflatoxin.

Question 4

Hypothesis

Answer 4

What the researchers are proposing/predicting the relationship between 2+ variables will be, and must be tested

Question 5

key variables

Answer 5

o Any characteristics that can take on different values
- Animal vs human study, tumor size
o Measured, controlled, or potentially manipulated in research
o Categorical or continuous (can take on any value of number, i.e. tumor size, biomarker in blood, etc)

Question 6

independent variable

Answer 6

The variable being manipulated by researchers, but it unaltered by other variables

Question 7

Dependent varibale

Answer 7

The outcome that is being measured, and depends on the other factors

Question 8

What are the 3 different ways to classify research?

Answer 8

1. primary research
2. secondary research
3. tertiary research

Question 9

primary research

Answer 9

• Original research
• Single study designed and conducted by the researchers themselves
• Could be qualitative or quantitative

Question 10

secondary research

Answer 10

• Includes narrative reviews, or literature reviews
• Organizes, interprets, and summarizes evidence from several primary studies in a particular research area
• Consolidating and summarizing the data to draw a general conclusion

Question 11

tertiary research

Answer 11

Systematic review
* Often a collection of randomized control trials

Meta-analysis
* Takes the systematic review 1 step further including statistical analysis to compare different results of systematic reviews

Question 12

Variables

Answer 12

Any factor, characteristic, or condition that can be changed within an experiment to test a hypothesis

Question 13

experimental group

Answer 13

recieves the treatment or intervention

Question 14

control group

Answer 14

No intervention, or something infrequent compared to experimental

Question 15

Confounding (extraneous) variables

Answer 15

• Factors other than the variables being studied that might influence the outcome of the study
• May lead to incorrect conclusions (context is important)
• Results are compared to other studies and overall good research should build on previous studies and contribute to broader knowledge on the topic

Question 16

what is the purpose of research?

Answer 16

• explore, describe, analyze, predict
• Systematic process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to extend knowledge

Question 17

Quality Improvement (QI)

specific towards RD & academy recommendations

Answer 17

• Identify a problem, and then test solutions to improve a process or outcome
• Goal is to improve delivery of care within department or service

Question 18

Qualitative research

Answer 18

• Explores reasons, opinions, and motivations behind human behaviors
• Uses open ended questions, gathers info, and interprets meaning of data
• Centered around discussing trends or themes emerging from focus groups or individual interviews - helps research develop theories
  * No hypothesis, no statistics, focuses on words or stories, looking at participant experiences

Question 19

Quantitative research

Answer 19

• Formal, objective, and systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information/data – the scientific method (standard method)
• Examines cause/effect
• Contains a lot of numerical or statistical results
• Utilizes closed-ended questions
• Can be descriptive (explaining relationship among variables) or analytical (cause and effect relationships, utilizing proper controls)
• Starts with hypothesis, applies statistics to data to gain results, focus on describing and testing relationships among variables, tries to be unbiased toward participant

Question 20

Mixed Methods research

Answer 20

Goal: provide a more complete understanding of a research problem; complimentary approach

3 important characteristics:
* Utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods to answer research questions
* Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data
* integration of both data sources into the results – numbers for precision, narratives for background context

Question 21

Basic research

Answer 21

Research performed without a specific application in mind (also referred to as bench research); completed for the sake of knowledge

ex: breaking down the function of a protein, stating facts

Question 22

Applied research

Answer 22

• Solve real-world problems that have a direct influence or improve nutrition practice
• basic research often informs applied research

Ex: Examine effectiveness of dietary intervention w/ phytochemical on cancer progression

Question 23

What are the 4 major types of nutrition research studies?

Answer 23

1. intervention research
2. outcomes research
3. epidemiological research
4. translational research

Question 24

Intervention research

Answer 24

• Specialized type of research within medical, nursing, and nutrition
• Various interventions including treatments or behavior interventions
• Clinical studies (using participants to understand certain conditions or diseases, or how to best treat patients), clinical trials (new treatment or drug testing), efficacy studies (does it work in optimal or controlled conditions)

Question 25

interventions

Answer 25

techniques, treatments, or actions taken in a study to produce outcomes (disease outcomes)

Question 26

outcomes research

Answer 26

• Assessing changes in a clients health or quality of life that results from health/nutrition care
• effectiveness studies; does the intervention work in a real world setting
• Also, could be considered: direct nutrition care, clinical outcomes, patient outcomes (symptoms), cost outcomes

Question 27

epidemiological research

Answer 27

examine rates of health-related states in different groups of people and why they occur
1. Descriptive - Who has a disease in a population and the frequency of the disease in that population; “who, what, when, & where”
2. Analytical - Determine strength of an association between a risk factor and health-related state; “the why & how”

Question 28

translational research

Answer 28

• bench to bedside community
• Systemic process of transforming findings from basic science or clinical studies into practical applications ( can use animal model of human disease)
• Evidence-based practice that improves the health of individuals and populations

Question 29

Research design/plan

Answer 29

Methods to collect the data and methods used for data analysis; What model system are you utilizing?

Question 30

About the Research methods section

Answer 30

• takes into account tools and techniques, falls under research design
• Addressing how variables are manipulated, measured, the setting, participant selections, statistical analysis
• Want it to be reproduceable and accurate in addressing research question at hand (Tends to be the most discussed portion between scientists – appropriateness of methodology used because conclusions are context dependent)

Question 30

types of research methods

Answer 30

• Molecular analysis - cells
• animal models - mice or other (could be used for preclinical)
• secondary data analysis – NHANES; not cause and effect, but can be a starting point of epidemiological studies that can establish a relationship. (Not primary original research, but use for associations)
• cross-sectional – collect information at one point in time
• longitudinal – participants are observed and there are multiple measurements over a long period of time. 2 types:
  1. prospective
  2. retrospective

Question 31

Dissemination

Answer 31

publication of data in journals, poster presentations, press release, etc

Question 32

Exploratory research

Answer 32

Trying to understand more about a problem that is not well understood, usually based on qualitative research
* Includes descriptive types of studies

Question 33

Descriptive research

Answer 33

• Describes a phenomenon at a specific point of time – measure, classify, and compare phenomena
• Does not test hypotheses or examine cause and effect; simply describes a scenario
• Ex: availability of low-fat and high-fat milk stores in US, low-fat milk was 33-44% lower in low-income communities compared to high income. And the price was higher.

Question 34

Analytical research

Answer 34

• IS cause and effect, finding variables that could predict an outcome
• Quantifies relationship between an intervention or an exposure on an outcome
• Intervention or observational