My Neighborhood Is Fuzzy, Not Hard and Fast: A Mixed-Methods Study of Neighborhood Size Among Aging Americans

Abstract In this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, interviews with 125 adults aged 55-92 living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggest that neighborhood boundaries are “fuzzy”. Qualitative analysis of neighborhood perceptions identified race, mobility, driving status, social connections, housing insecurity, land use, urbanicity, and crime as key themes. Over 8,000 REGARDS participants (mean age 72) indicated how many blocks composed their neighborhoods (mean=9.9, SD=35.4). Linear regression models showed that being over the age of 85, white, less educated, lower income, less physically and cognitively healthy, and living outside of a metropolitan area significantly predicted smaller self-reported neighborhood sizes. Further, there was significant variation among participants residing in the same areas as other respondents. The mixed-methods results indicate that neighborhoods are fluid and dependent on a mix of personal and geographic factors. Findings inform the scale of environmental audits, place-based interventions, and community outreach programs targeting older adults.

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Nurses’ educational needs when dealing with aggression from patients and their families: a mixed-methods study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041711 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e041711

Author(s):

Kana Sato ◽

Yoshimi Kodama

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Phase I ◽

Phase Ii ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Two Phase ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods ◽

Nursing Professionals ◽

Educational Contents

ObjectivesTo explore the type of education needed for nurses when dealing with aggression from patients and their families.DesignA two-phase sequential mixed-methods study.SettingThis study was conducted in Japan, with phase I from March to November 2016 and phase II in November 2018.Main outcome measuresThe challenges faced by nurses when dealing with incidents of aggression from the neutral perspective of neither nurse nor patient/family and perceptions of the educational contents developed in this study. Descriptive analyses were used to examine the data retrieved from both phases.ParticipantsPhase I entailed semistructured interviews among 11 neutral-party participants who observed aggressive incidents between nurses and patients/families. Phase II consisted of a web survey conducted among 102 nursing students and 308 nursing professionals.ResultsPhase I resulted in the identification of the following five main educational components: understanding the mechanisms of anger and aggression, maintaining self-awareness, observant listening, managing the self-impression, and communicating based on specific disease characteristics. Each component was related to improved communication through self-awareness. The results of phase II indicated that participants positively perceived these educational contents as likely to be effective for dealing with aggression from patients/families.ConclusionsThis study clarified the type of education needed for nurses when dealing with aggression based on multiple viewpoints. Specifically, neutral-party interviews revealed that communication should be improved through self-awareness. A subsequent survey among nurses and nursing students showed that the identified educational contents were positively received.

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Implementing programmatic assessment transforms supervisor attitudes: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study

Medical Teacher ◽

10.1080/0142159x.2021.1893678 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Janica Jamieson ◽

Margaret Hay ◽

Simone Gibson ◽

Claire Palermo

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Programmatic Assessment ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods

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How the environment is conceptualised and represented globally in social work codes of ethics

International Social Work ◽

10.1177/00208728211020071 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002087282110200

Author(s):

Kang Liu ◽

Catherine A Flynn

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Social Justice ◽

Social Work ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Physical Environment ◽

Codes Of Ethics ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods ◽

The Social ◽

Holistic Understanding

While the environment is fundamental to humankind’s wellbeing, to date, social work has been largely focused on the social, rather than the physical, environment. To map how the broader environment is captured in the profession’s foundational documents, an exploratory sequential mixed methods study (QUAL → quan) analysed data from 64 social work codes of ethics. Findings indicate that although the environment is mentioned in the majority of these, there is a continued focus on the social, overlooking to some degree the physical, predominantly the built, environment. A more holistic understanding of the environment would enable social work to better fulfil its commitment to human rights and social justice.

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Exploration of sedentary behaviour among general practitioners: protocol for a mixed methods study

International Journal of Clinical Trials ◽

10.18203/2349-3259.ijct20210145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Richard S. Mayne ◽

Nigel D. Hart ◽

Neil Heron

Keyword(s):

General Practice ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

General Practitioners ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

New Ways Of Working ◽

Adverse Health Outcomes ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods ◽

Working Day

Background: Many general practitioners (GPs) are sedentary for most of their working day. Levels of sedentary behaviour may have been exacerbated by increased use of telemedicine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as this is traditionally performed while sitting down. Excessive sedentary behaviour is associated with many adverse health outcomes and increased all-cause mortality. This study will gain quantitative data on levels of sedentary behaviour among GPs and general practice specialty trainees (GPSTs), to identify to what extent general practice is a sedentary occupation, as well as qualitative data regarding the barriers and facilitators to reducing sedentary behaviour in the general practice setting.Methods: The study follows a sequential, mixed-methods model. The first stage will involve the dissemination of a questionnaire survey, where participants self-estimate their sedentary behaviour on a working day and on a non-working day. The second stage will use thigh-worn accelerometers and a sleep/work log to obtain objective data regarding sedentary behaviour among a purposive subset of participants who responded to the questionnaire. The third stage will involve semi-structured interviews with a purposive subset of accelerometer study participants, analysed with the application of a theoretical framework regarding the acceptability of healthcare interventions.Conclusions: This paper outlines a protocol for a sequential, mixed-methods study exploring sedentary behaviour among GPs and GPSTs. Findings of this study will shed light on the new ways of working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be relevant to clinicians working in similar primary care settings throughout the world.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04556695. Date of registration: 21st September 2020.

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Associations between Neighborhood Open Space Features and Walking and Social Interaction in Older Adults—A Mixed Methods Study

Geriatrics ◽

10.3390/geriatrics4030041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tanja Schmidt ◽

Jacqueline Kerr ◽

Jasper Schipperijn

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Open Space ◽

Age Groups ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Activity Spaces ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods

Neighborhood Open Spaces (NOS) such as public spaces around people’s homes, parks and village greens, may support activity and socializing for older adults. These spaces might be especially important for older adults as they typically are less mobile and have smaller activity spaces and social networks than other age groups. The present exploratory sequential mixed methods study investigates the association between built environment features, social interaction, and walking within NOS, among older adults living in a low socio-economic neighborhood in Copenhagen. Interviews, the Community Park Audit Tool, and the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) were used to capture quantitative and qualitative data on 353 older adults (59–90 years old) within 11 NOS. Walking was predicted by the condition and shade along paths, seating and landscaping. Social interaction was negatively associated with walking, suggesting that older adults tend to sit down when engaging in social activities. Interviews highlighted the importance of social interaction within NOS. Future designs of NOS should acknowledge the importance of social meeting places, but at the same time provide walkable spaces for older adults to promote healthy aging.

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