Brown, I. orcid.org/0000-0003-2484-3929 and Gould, J. (2013) Qualitative studies of obesity: a review of methodology. Health, 5 (8C). 36211. pp. 69-80. ISSN 0226-5788
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a developing interest in qualitative research to understand the perspectives and experiences of people living with obesity. However, obesity is a stigmatised condition associated with negative stereotypes. Social contexts emphasizing large body size as a problem, including research interviews, may amplify obesity stigma. This study reviews the methodology employed by qualitative studies in which study participants were obese and data collection involved face-to-face interviews. METHODS: Database searches identified qualitative studies meeting inclusion criteria from 1995 to 2012. Following screening and appraisal data were systematically extracted and analyzed from 31 studies. RESULTS: The studies included 1206 participants with a mean age of 44 years and mean BMI of37 kg/m2. Women (78.8%) outnumbered men (21.2%) by four to one. Socio-economic background was not consistently reported. The studies employed similar, typically pragmatic, qualitative methodologies, providing rich textual data on the experience of obesity derived from face-to-face interviews. The majority considered quality issues in data collection, analyses and generalizability of findings. However, the studies were weak as regards researcher reflexivity in relation to interviewer characteristics and obesity stigma. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of obesity stigma has not been attended to in the qualitative research. Clear information about study participants is essential, but studies involving face-to-face interviews should also report on interviewer characteristics including body size.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2013 Ian Brown, Jill Gould. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Obesity; Stigma; Qualitative Methods; Researcher Reflexivity |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Nursing and Midwifery (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 08 Aug 2016 09:20 |
Last Modified: | 08 Aug 2016 09:21 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/health.2013.58A3010 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Scientific Research Publishing |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.4236/health.2013.58A3010 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:97225 |
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