Sexual Enrichment Aids: A Mixed Methods Study Evaluating Use, Hygiene, and Risk Perception among Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Collar ◽  
Jesus E. Fuentes ◽  
Heidi Rishel Brakey ◽  
Kathryn M. Frietze
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina H Peterwerth ◽  
Margareta Halek ◽  
Sabrina Tulka ◽  
Rainhild Schäfers

BACKGROUND Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making processes. Differences in obstetric intervention rates suggest that, in addition to medical indications, the risk perception of obstetric health professionals might have a major influence on their decision-making process during childbirth. Although studies have investigated whether risk perception affects the role of midwifery or influences decision making during childbirth, little is known about what obstetric health professionals actually perceive as risk or risky situations and whether different risk perceptions lead to more interventions during intrapartum care. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to understand the association of risk perception and the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals (midwives and obstetricians) in Germany during intrapartum care. The study has 3 specific aims: (1) gain insight into what obstetric health professionals perceive as risk in the German clinical setting, (2) assess the extent to which personal and systemic factors have an impact on obstetric health professionals’ risk perception, and (3) investigate whether different perceptions of risk are associated with different decisions being made by obstetric health professionals. METHODS This is an exploratory sequential mixed methods study with 2 phases, a qualitative followed by a quantitative phase. In the first phase, qualitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting focus group discussions and applying qualitative content analysis to address aim 1. In the second phase, for aims 2 and 3 and to help explain the qualitative results, quantitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting an observational study using case vignettes within a survey constructed on the basis of the qualitative results. RESULTS Enrollment in the first (qualitative) phase began in July 2019, and data collection and analysis have been completed. The second (quantitative) phase is currently planned, and data collection is expected to start in December 2020. First results of the qualitative phase are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020, with completion of the second phase scheduled for 2021. CONCLUSIONS This mixed methods study will examine the perception of risk and its association with the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals during their care of women in childbirth. The rationale for this approach is that the qualitative data and their analysis explore participants' views in more depth, while the quantitative data will help to provide and explore a general understanding of the research problem. The results are expected to be relevant to health care professionals, policymakers, and educational institutions in order to minimize underuse, overuse, and misuse of interventions during intrapartum care. CLINICALTRIAL German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017172; https://tinyurl.com/y2zoowkx INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/21443


Author(s):  
Jeadran Malagón-Rojas ◽  
Eliana L. Parra B ◽  
Marcela Mercado

This is a mixed-methods research study carried out on a cohort of airport workers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to describe the infection and risk perception of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of workers at the International Airport El Dorado/Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento in Bogotá, Colombia. An incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection of 7.9% was found in the workers. A high perception of risk was associated with activities such as using public transport. Risk perception is strongly influenced by practices related to work conditions and environments. These findings could help us understand the pandemic’s dynamics and the conceptions of the risk of transmission to promote policies on health and safety in this group of workers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (01) ◽  
pp. 66-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Schilling ◽  
Sven Schneider ◽  
Holger Maul ◽  
Jacob Spallek

Abstract Introduction During pregnancy, the motherʼs healthy lifestyle is crucial for the health of the fetus. Potential risk factors for maternal and child health should therefore be identified and reduced as early as possible. The consumption of e-cigarettes represents one of these potential risk factors. Exploring risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy can provide early indications of possible user motives. Therefore, our mixed methods STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) aimed to comprehensively analyze risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy based on an Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM). This paper describes the study design, methods, sample population and limitations of STEP. Methods Our sequential mixed methods study combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. In the qualitative section of the study which preceded the quantitative part of the study, we aimed to characterize risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy. We used a netnographic research approach which analyzed discussion threads in online forums dealing with e-cigarette use during pregnancy. The analysis was based on an IHBM. Identified themes were incorporated in the questionnaire which was developed for the quantitative part of the study. The quantitative section aimed to quantify, among other things, perceived threats, barriers and benefits and to explore differences in risk perception according to sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco and e-cigarette usage. Results In the qualitative section, 1552 posts in 25 online discussion threads dealing, inter alia, with e-cigarette use during pregnancy were identified. The quantitative part looked at the responses in the questionnaires handed in by 575 pregnant women who attended a hospital in Hamburg (Germany) from April 2018 to January 2019 (response rate: 27.5%). Conclusion Data collection was successful for both the qualitative and quantitative parts of the study. When interpreting the results of STEP, different limitations should be taken into account. The results of STEP provide starting points for the development of tailored preventive measures for pregnant women.


2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (02) ◽  
pp. 214-223
Author(s):  
Laura Schilling ◽  
Jacob Spallek ◽  
Holger Maul ◽  
Sven Schneider

Abstract Introduction E-cigarette use during pregnancy is a risk factor for maternal and fetal health. Early studies on animals showed that in utero exposure to e-cigarettes can have negative health outcomes for the fetus. There has been only limited research into the risk perceptions of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. This study was conducted to comprehensively characterize the constructs of risk perceptions with regard to e-cigarette use during pregnancy using an Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM). Methods Our STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) used a mixed methods approach, with the study divided into an initial qualitative part and a quantitative part. A netnographic approach was used for the first part, which consisted of the analysis of 1552 posts from 25 German-language online discussion threads on e-cigarette use during pregnancy. Using these qualitative results, a quantitative questionnaire was developed to explore risk perception constructs about e-cigarette use during pregnancy. This questionnaire was subsequently administered to pregnant women (n = 575) in one hospital in Hamburg, Germany. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was used to examine differences in risk perception according to participantsʼ tobacco and e-cigarette user status before and during pregnancy. While the study design, methods and sample have been extensively described in our recently published study protocol in the January 2020 issue of Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, this paper is devoted to a presentation of the results of our mixed methods study. Results Themes related to perceived threats identified in the qualitative study part were nicotine-related health risks and potential health risks of additional ingredients. Perceived benefits were possibility and facilitation of smoking cessation and a presumed potential to reduce harm. The subsequent quantitative part showed that nearly all participants (99.3%) perceived e-cigarettes which contained nicotine as constituting a threat to the health of the unborn child. The most commonly perceived barrier was health-related (96.6%), while the most commonly perceived benefit was a reduction in the amount of tobacco cigarettes consumed (31.8%). We found that particularly perceived benefits varied depending on the participantʼs tobacco and e-cigarette user status. Conclusion When considering future prevention strategies, the potential health risks and disputed effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation need to be taken into account and critically discussed.


10.2196/21443 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e21443
Author(s):  
Nina H Peterwerth ◽  
Margareta Halek ◽  
Sabrina Tulka ◽  
Rainhild Schäfers

Background Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making processes. Differences in obstetric intervention rates suggest that, in addition to medical indications, the risk perception of obstetric health professionals might have a major influence on their decision-making process during childbirth. Although studies have investigated whether risk perception affects the role of midwifery or influences decision making during childbirth, little is known about what obstetric health professionals actually perceive as risk or risky situations and whether different risk perceptions lead to more interventions during intrapartum care. Objective The objective of this study is to understand the association of risk perception and the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals (midwives and obstetricians) in Germany during intrapartum care. The study has 3 specific aims: (1) gain insight into what obstetric health professionals perceive as risk in the German clinical setting, (2) assess the extent to which personal and systemic factors have an impact on obstetric health professionals’ risk perception, and (3) investigate whether different perceptions of risk are associated with different decisions being made by obstetric health professionals. Methods This is an exploratory sequential mixed methods study with 2 phases, a qualitative followed by a quantitative phase. In the first phase, qualitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting focus group discussions and applying qualitative content analysis to address aim 1. In the second phase, for aims 2 and 3 and to help explain the qualitative results, quantitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting an observational study using case vignettes within a survey constructed on the basis of the qualitative results. Results Enrollment in the first (qualitative) phase began in July 2019, and data collection and analysis have been completed. The second (quantitative) phase is currently planned, and data collection is expected to start in December 2020. First results of the qualitative phase are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020, with completion of the second phase scheduled for 2021. Conclusions This mixed methods study will examine the perception of risk and its association with the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals during their care of women in childbirth. The rationale for this approach is that the qualitative data and their analysis explore participants' views in more depth, while the quantitative data will help to provide and explore a general understanding of the research problem. The results are expected to be relevant to health care professionals, policymakers, and educational institutions in order to minimize underuse, overuse, and misuse of interventions during intrapartum care. Trial Registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017172; https://tinyurl.com/y2zoowkx International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/21443


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 660-672
Author(s):  
Suzanne H. Kimball ◽  
Toby Hamilton ◽  
Erin Benear ◽  
Jonathan Baldwin

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the emotional tone and verbal behavior of social media users who self-identified as having tinnitus and/or hyperacusis that caused self-described negative consequences on daily life or health. Research Design and Method An explanatory mixed-methods design was utilized. Two hundred “initial” and 200 “reply” Facebook posts were collected from members of a tinnitus group and a hyperacusis group. Data were analyzed via the LIWC 2015 software program and compared to typical bloggers. As this was an explanatory mixed-methods study, we used qualitative thematic analyses to explain, interpret, and illustrate the quantitative results. Results Overall, quantitative results indicated lower overall emotional tone for all categories (tinnitus and hyperacusis, initial and reply), which was mostly influenced by higher negative emotion. Higher levels of authenticity or truth were found in the hyperacusis sample but not in the tinnitus sample. Lower levels of clout (social standing) were indicated in all groups, and a lower level of analytical thinking style (concepts and complex categories rather than narratives) was found in the hyperacusis sample. Additional analysis of the language indicated higher levels of sadness and anxiety in all groups and lower levels of anger, particularly for initial replies. These data support prior findings indicating higher levels of anxiety and depression in this patient population based on the actual words in blog posts and not from self-report questionnaires. Qualitative results identified 3 major themes from both the tinnitus and hyperacusis texts: suffering, negative emotional tone, and coping strategies. Conclusions Results from this study suggest support for the predominant clinical view that patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis have higher levels of anxiety and depression than the general population. The extent of the suffering described and patterns of coping strategies suggest clinical practice patterns and the need for research in implementing improved practice plans.


Author(s):  
D. J. Sullivan ◽  
S. Labby ◽  
A. Koptelov ◽  
S. L. Sullivan

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the barriers that special educator teachers encounter when using iPads within the Life Skills classroom. The research investigates the experiences, frustrations, and barriers through educators’ perceptions of iPad implementation. The influence of these issues suggests why iPad usage is not a device that special education classrooms are using in a widespread daily manner. Exploration of iPads as an educational tool and as a communication device is also discussed, along with considerations of other communications systems such as Picture Exchange Communication Systems and Alternative and Augmented Communication Devices is considered. Recommendations for further possible research are also discussed.


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