Original ArticleThe use of focus groups in pediatric and adolescent research
Section snippets
What type of data can be obtained from the use of focus groups?
The strategy of focus group work relies on the dynamic of interactions to encourage thinking among group members and to promote reflection of others' verbal contributions, thus providing opulent, detailed perspectives. The discussions within these small groups allow the researcher to probe both the cognitive and the emotional responses of participants, which often are difficult to uncover in a quantitative survey. At the same time the researcher is encouraging discussion, the researcher is able
Examples of focus group outcomes
There are many excellent health care examples of focus group work with children and adolescents. Focus groups have been used to assess adolescents' perceptions about factors influencing food choices and eating behaviors to demonstrate that a broad array of interrelated socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors are associated with adolescent food choices (Neuman-Sztainer, Story, Perry, & Casey, 1999). Social learning theory was used as the theoretical background in a focus group study
The composition of a focus group
Although focus groups generally are made up of 4 to 12 members, focus groups for pediatric research should be smaller than those for adults, with only 4 to 6 participants (Heary & Henessey, 2002). Young children may be quite reluctant to talk if there are more than four participants. It may be wise to keep the group size smaller if discussing a topic that the participants have a lot of experience with. Focus groups are not suitable for children you-nger than 6 years of age, because these
Suggestions for the formation and the management of a focus group
Once Institutional Review Board approval has been obtained, participants may be recruited through lists of former patients, word of mouth, flyers, pamphlets, posters, and letters (Beyea & Nicoll, 2000). When using pediatric populations, the researcher begins with an initial contact with the prospective participant and parent or guardian, explaining the purpose and procedures for the focus group meeting prior to asking for assent from the child or adolescent and consent from the parent or
The semi-structured interview tool to use in a focus group
An outline of open-ended questions that are based on a literature review of the topic and the purposes of the study should be prepared and pilot tested prior to the focus group meeting. If little is known about the topic, one interview question may be adequate to guide discussion (Morrison-Beedy, Cote-Arsenault & Fischbeck Feinstein, 2001), although if more is known about the topic, a very specific list of 8 to 16 questions can be used depending on the age of the participants. All focus group
Transcription of the focus group results
To establish trustworthiness of focus group data, audiotape transcription should occur as soon as possible following the focus group, budgeting 3 hours of transcription for each hour of audiotape (Morrison-Beedy et al., 2001). To avoid errors, the researcher should be present at the focus group meeting. Employing the services of a professional transcriber also can decrease the chance of transcription errors (Easton, McComish, & Greenberg, 2000). Following the transcription, the researcher
Analysis of focus group data
Focus group analysis should be practical, systematic, verifiable, and continuous (Krueger & Casey, 2000). Analysis begins by referring to the intent of the study. The information gleaned from focus group work can be overwhelming in its amount. Focusing on the intent or purpose of the study will assist the researcher in limiting the data needing to be analyzed. Analysis of focus group data is systematic; it is deliberate and planned. The analysis strategy should be documented, understood, and
Summary
Focus group methodology can be a powerful research tool to bring out the voices of pediatric and adolescent populations. Because of their knowledge related to growth and development, pediatric nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse specialists are well prepared to assist in planning and implementing focus group research, as well as to facilitate focus groups of children and adolescents. Many resources exist that provide additional information on focus group techniques. The experiences of
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Kathleen Peterson-Sweeney is Associate Professor, State University of New York, College at Brockport, Department of Nursing, and a doctoral student, University of Rochester, School of Nursing.