Module 2: Intro to Research Study Designs Flashcards
Quantitative Research
the process of collecting and analyzing NUMERICAL DATA
can be useful to find patterns, averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations
Qualitative Research
a data gathering method that generates open-ended NARRATIVE DATE OR WORDS rather than numeric data or numbers
Typically research is capturing the values, beliefs, experiences, or motivations behind behaviors
EXAMPLE
Examine the relationship of serum TGs levels to BMI. Is this quantitative or qualitative research?
Since both of these variables are measurable and quantifiable using NUMERICAL DATA, it would be QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
(TRUE/FALSE)
Designing good qualitative research questions can be quite challenging, as the question needs to be open-ended and broad enough to not lead the participant to give a specific answer, because then you would be causing bias. But also, not so broad that you cannot later analyze the data into themes.
TRUE
Mixed-Methods Research
- Incorporates BOTH QUANT and QUAL data collection in its methodology
- ANALYZES both types of data, and
- INTEGRATES the RESULTS, providing both precision (QUANT) and context/background (QUAL) *** THIS IS REQUIRED.
Basic Research
Research conducted without a specific application in mind and completed for the sake of knowledge alone. Usually (but not always) BENCH RESEARCH.
This research is used to inform future applied research studies (aka clinical studies)
Bench Research
Conducted in a lab setting, using chemical and/or biological specimens, which could include animals, tissues, cells, bacteria, or virsues
Applied Research
Research conducted to solve real-world problems and to directly influence or improve nutrition practice
Quality Improvement Research
Research conducted to address problems in your own work setting with the goal of solving an ongoing problem. Implementing research to improve a process, system, or outcome
(EXAMPLE)
What type of research is looking at cooking with GDM?
Applied Research
(EXAMPLE)
What type of research is a clinical RDN looking at TF connectors?
Quality Improvement Research
What are the 4 types of Nutrition Research Studies?
- Intervention Research
- Outcomes Research
- Epidemiological Research
- Translational Research
(TRUE/FALSE)
Different types of research CANNOT overlap.
FALSE
They CAN
What is Intervention Research?
Development and testing of an intervention and evaluating the efficacy
EXAMPLE: diet, drug, therapy
What are the 2 types of Intervention Research?
- CLINICAL STUDIES: type of intervention that uses human participants
- RCT (“gold standard” as it avoids bias): participants are randomly assigned to an intervention group/”arm” versus a control group that receives a placebo
What are 2 strengths of Intervention Research?
- Usually conducted in a VERY CONTROLLED WAY, to limit confounding variables and focus on the actual intervention
- Are often “blinded” to provide additional protection from bias or placebo effects
What is a weakness of Intervention Research?
Often not broadly generalizable to a free-living population or patients with multiple co-morbidities
What is unblinded?
Researchers AND participants know who is receiving the intervention and control
What is single-blinded?
Participants DO NOT know if they are receiving treatment or not
What is double-blinding?
Neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving intervention or control
*Typically, somebody from the research team is involved in data management, so they do know who has been randomly assigned to each group; they are not the main researcher
This decreases the risk of experimenter bias (but does NOT eliminate it)
What is experimenter bias?
Researchers unconsciously introduce their own bias into interpretation of study RESULTS
What is triple-blinding?
Participants, Researchers, and Anyone involved in data management is blinded.
An independent agent (could be a computer program) will determine randomization and provides the intervention in unidentifiable packaging.
(TRUE/FALSE)
Double-blinding eliminates experimenter bias.
FALSE
Double-blinding will reduce it but only triple-blinding will eliminate it.
What is Outcomes Research?
Research undertaken to test the effectiveness of an intervention under typical circumstances in a less-controlled environment (compared to intervention research).
This allows fewer restrictions on who can participate and what they can do while participating.
What are the 4 Types of Outcomes Research?
- Direct Nutrition Care Outcomes
- Clinical Outcomes
- Patient Outcomes
- Cost Outcomes
Which type of outcomes research looks at outcomes directly due to a nutrition intervention?
Direct Nutrition Care Outcomes
Which type of outcomes research looks at outcomes related to changes in the progression or severity of a specific disease?
Clinical Outcomes
Which type of outcomes research looks at outcomes related to what is important to the patient? Note this is more subjective.
Patient Outcomes
Which type of outcomes research looks at outcomes related to direct costs and indirect costs?
Cost Outcomes
Note: not all interventions have cost outcomes
What are 2 strengths of Outcomes Research?
- Typically all participants receive the intervention (a placebo is not usually used).
- Multiple outcomes can be assessed in one study (like clinical parameters, costs, quality of life) because it has a broader scope.
What are 2 limitations of Outcomes Research?
- Often requires a large sample size (due to confounders) to see results (compared to a highly controlled study)
- It can be difficult to recruit/represent minority populations to make results broadly applicable.
What is Epidemiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants (ie: causes and risk factors) of health-related states and events in specific populations
What are the 2 broad categories of Epidemiological Research?
- Descriptive Epidemiology
- Analytic Epidemiology
Descriptive Epidemiology
Provides information about who has a disease in a given population and its frequency, DESCRIBES patterns of the disease, such as time, place, and personal characteristics of those with the disease (age, rage, socioeconomic status, or lifestyle behaviors)
Analytic Epidemiology
Identifies the strength of an ASSOCIATION between a risk factor and a health-related state
Nutritional Epidemiology
The study of nutritional effects on incidence and prevalence of diseases, injuries, birth defects, environmental health, and other health-related areas
(EXAMPLE)
The fortification of grains with folic acid is an example of what type of epidemiological research?
Nutritional Epidemiology
What are 3 strengths of Epidemiological Research?
- Narrows down potential risk factors related to health-related outcome
- May identify risk factors previously not considered (when looking at broad groups of people)
- Often used as foundational information to drive intervention research
What are 4 weakness of Epidemiological Research?
- Often requires large numbers of participants to derive meaningful associations (due to confounders in free-living participants)
- Inability to control variables influencing health-related outcomes being studied
- Incomplete data
- CANNOT EXPERIMENTALLY establish cause and effect
What type of research can establish cause and effect?
Intervention Research ONLY
What is Translational Research?
Transforming findings from basic science or clinical research into practical applications and evidence-based practice
Researchers work to develop earlier research (BENCH RESEARCH, ANIMAL RESEARCH) into CLINICAL PRACTICE/BEDSIDE, to implement the results in the COMMUNITY
PICTURE OF:
Bench ——————–> Bedside –> Community
(preclinical, animal) –> (human, clinical)–> community recs
