scholarly journals Evaluating Urban Odor with Field Olfactometry in Camden, NJ

Urban Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kitson ◽  
Monica Leiva ◽  
Zachary Christman ◽  
Pamela Dalton

Odor annoyance negatively impacts residents of communities adjacent to persistent nuisance industries. These residents, often with a high percentage of minority or otherwise marginalized residents, experience subjective and objective impacts on health and well-being; yet, reliable methods for quantifying and categorizing odors have been elusive. Field olfactometry is integral to the study of odor annoyance experienced by communities as it includes both qualitative (human perception) and quantitative (intensity measurement) dimensions of human odor experience and has been employed by municipalities in the U.S. to evaluate odor pollution levels. Cartographic visualization of odor data recorded using a field olfactometer offers further opportunity to evaluate potential patterns of odor annoyance, yet the use of field olfactometry and geographic information systems have not been frequently employed by geographers. By employing a mixed-methods approach to evaluate odor pollution, this study addresses the environmental justice context by quantifying and categorizing the presence of odor pollution in Waterfront South, a neighborhood in Camden, NJ previously identified for its disproportionate malodor burden. This study offers support to mixed methods research and the need for monitoring subjective and objective impacts in communities with compounding odor nuisance industries.

2021 ◽  
pp. 155868982098627
Author(s):  
Diego Romaioli

In order to enhance core mixed methods research designs, social scientists need an approach that incorporates developments in the social constructionist perspective. This work describes a study that aimed to promote occupational well-being in hospital departments where employees are at risk of burnout, based on a constructionist inquiry developed starting from the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Taking this study as an example, we define a “generative sequential mixed methods approach” as a process that involves consulting quantitative studies to identify criticalities on which to conduct focused, transformative investigations. The article contributes by envisaging ways to mix qualitative and quantitative methods that consider a “generative” and “future-forming” orientation to research, in line with recent shifts in social psychology.


2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110484
Author(s):  
Helen M. Beattie ◽  
Courtney A. FitzGerald ◽  
Sharon N. Koller ◽  
Karen S. Scott ◽  
Bernice Raveche Garnett ◽  
...  

Young people demand and deserve participation in shaping the health and well-being of their community. Getting to Y: Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (GTY) is a positive youth development initiative, whereby students analyze local youth health data and create change. This article adds definitive evidence to support the theoretical foundations of GTY expounded by Garnett et al. (2019). A mixed methods convergent study design, collecting quantitative data from pre- and postintervention surveys and qualitative data from focus groups, was enacted during the 2018–2019 school year. Survey participants were 256 students attending 20 Vermont middle/high schools. Surveys measured self-efficacy, health literacy, civic engagement, resiliency, and knowledge. Focus groups with 50 students solicited open-ended feedback. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined student-level change over time. Focus group transcripts were coded using grounded theory and a priori codes from the survey. Statistically significant improvements were seen in average scores from pre- to postintervention surveys in all five domains and differences in effect by gender. Results from the focus group complement the quantitative findings. Participation in GTY positively affected youth participant’s understanding of their own health and well-being and increased agency to take action on behalf of themselves and their community. As the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is available nationwide, GTY is poised for replication to critically engage youth with relevant data to inform social change.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e022273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ai Wen Chan ◽  
Petra Skeffington ◽  
Corinne Reid ◽  
Rhonda Marriott

IntroductionAdopting a process-oriented framework for test validation can help to establish whether this tool has the potential to be an acceptable, valid and reliable indicator of depression for mothers and mothers-to-be. This mixed-methods research protocol seeks to explore the views and experiences of Aboriginal mothers and healthcare professionals in relation to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and is intended to highlight potential barriers in perinatal mental health conceptualisation, engagement and response style.Methods and analysisThematic analysis will be applied to interview transcripts of Aboriginal Australian mothers (n=6+) and healthcare professionals (n=6+) to identify key themes. The process-focused validation model will use narratives about experiences of using the EPDS as the priority point of analysis. Item-level data and process-level (experience) data are key phenomenological data. The interview-based narratives will be then compared with EPDS scores to check for points of congruence and divergence. This will be done at two time points, antenatally and postnatally, to assess changes in assessment processes and perceptions. Bridging evidence-based research with clinical practice in an Aboriginal Australian context will be facilitated by an investigation of the perceived cultural relevance and likely clinical effectiveness of EPDS. Such evidence is critical to understanding whether the EPDS fulfils its intended purpose. The guiding principles in designing this research protocol is to benefit the well-being of young Aboriginal families and communities through partnership with Aboriginal women.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from Human Research Ethics Committee of Murdoch University and from Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC). Participating healthcare sites and services have provided letters of support. Results of this study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e028336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Jackson ◽  
Delphine S Courvoisier ◽  
Aline Duvoisin ◽  
Giovanni Ferro-Luzzi ◽  
Patrick Bodenmann ◽  
...  

IntroductionMigrants without residency permit, known as undocumented, tend to live in precarious conditions and be exposed to an accumulation of adverse determinants of health. Only scarce evidence exists on the social, economic and living conditions-related factors influencing their health status and well-being. No study has assessed the impact of legal status regularisation. The Parchemins study is the first prospective, mixed-methods study aiming at measuring the impact on health and well-being of a regularisation policy on undocumented migrants in Europe.Methods and analysisThe Parchemins study will compare self-rated health and satisfaction with life in a group of adult undocumented migrants who qualify for applying for a residency permit (intervention group) with a group of undocumented migrants who lack one or more eligibility criteria for regularisation (control group) in Geneva Canton, Switzerland. Asylum seekers are not included in this study. The total sample will include 400 participants. Data collection will consist of standardised questionnaires complemented by semidirected interviews in a subsample (n=38) of migrants qualifying for regularisation. The baseline data will be collected just before or during the regularisation, and participants will subsequently be followed up yearly for 3 years. The quantitative part will explore variables about health (ie, health status, occupational health, health-seeking behaviours, access to care, healthcare utilisation), well-being (measured by satisfaction with different dimensions of life), living conditions (ie, employment, accommodation, social support) and economic situation (income, expenditures). Several confounders including sociodemographic characteristics and migration history will be collected. The qualitative part will explore longitudinally the experience of change in legal status at individual and family levels.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Geneva, Switzerland. All participants provided informed consent. Results will be shared with undocumented migrants and disseminated in scientific journals and conferences. Fully anonymised data will be available to researchers.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e025497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shema Tariq ◽  
Fiona M Burns ◽  
Richard Gilson ◽  
Caroline Sabin

IntroductionAdvances in antiretroviral therapy have transformed HIV into a long-term condition with near-normal life expectancy for those in whom viral replication is well controlled on treatment. This means that age-related events, including menopause, is of increasing importance in the care of people living with HIV. The PRIME (Positive Transitions Through the Menopause) Study aims to explore the impact of the menopause on the health and well-being of women living with HIV (WLHIV).Methods and analysisThe PRIME Study is a multicentre, mixed-methods observational study deploying a multiphase sequential design with explanatory and exploratory phases. Phase 1 comprised three focus group discussions with WLHIV. In phase 2 we aimed to administer questionnaires comprising detailed assessment of menopausal status and symptoms to 1500 WLHIV aged 45–60 attending HIV clinics in England. Phase 3 comprised semistructured interviews with a subsample of phase 2 participants. Ongoing quantitative follow-up of 100 participants is planned between October 2018 and September 2019. Qualitative and quantitative data will be kept analytically distinct and analysed using appropriate methods. We will integrate quantitative and qualitative findings using coding matrices.Ethics and disseminationThe PRIME Study has ethical approval from the South East Coast-Surrey Research Ethics Committee on behalf of all National Health Service (NHS) sites, and approval from University College London Research Ethics Committee for qualitative work conducted in non-NHS sites. In conjunction with the study Expert Advisory Group (which includes WLHIV), we have drafted a dissemination strategy that takes into account a wide range of stakeholders, including patients, policy makers and healthcare providers. This includes at least five empirical research papers to be submitted to peer-reviewed journals, as well as an accessible report aimed primarily at a non-technical audience (published in May 2018 and launched at a live-streamed event). Both quantitative and qualitative data are held by the PRIME Study team and are available by request.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte D. Shelton ◽  
Sascha Hein ◽  
Kelly A. Phipps

Purpose The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to explore the relationships between spirituality, leader resiliency and life satisfaction/well-being. Design/methodology/approach Using an explanatory sequential design, the authors tested three research hypotheses to explore the relationships between the participants’ spiritual practices and level of resiliency, life satisfaction and sense of well-being. Data were collected from 101 executive MBA alumni of a US-based university. Following the quantitative analysis of the survey results, interviews were conducted with 25 executives who scored high in the frequency of spiritual practice to further explore how they applied their spirituality in stressful work situations. Findings The results found positive relationships between spirituality, resilience and overall life satisfaction. Participants who engaged in meditative practices had a significantly higher overall resilience score than non-meditators. Research limitations/implications Key limitations are sample size and the risk of common method variance. Though numerous procedural steps were taken to control for these issues, future research with a larger and more diverse sample is needed. Practical implications Organizational stress is pervasive and executive burnout is a risk factor for leaders and their organizations. This research offers practical suggestions for ways that human resource managers and organization development practitioners can provide prevention resources to their executives. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by providing support for mindfulness/meditation training for executives. It also demonstrates the value of mixed methods research for a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of the participants.


2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant J. Rich

This article builds on earlier work by Rich in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology on relations between positive psychology and humanistic psychology and examines both developments and challenges over the past 15 years, including discussion of leading critics of positive psychology such as Brown, Friedman, Held, Kagan, Waterman, and Wong. The discipline of positive psychology is contextualized with respect to the history of psychology in general, and humanistic psychology in particular, and several notable examples of well-being research are examined critically, including work by Fredrickson on the positivity ratio, and mixed-methods research by anthropologists. The article explores some limitations of the use of quantitative methods in positive psychology, notes some advantages of the use of qualitative methods for positive psychology, and discusses issues regarding the relationship between positive psychology and humanistic psychology, including how, whether, if, and when scholars from the two disciplines could collaborate in meaningful and effective ways.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Best ◽  
Brian Taylor ◽  
Roger Manktelow

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between online friend networks and the mental well-being (MWB) of adolescent males. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a mixed methods approach: first, questionnaire involving a validated MWB scale and questions regarding online friendship to 14-15 year old males (n=521); and second, focus group interviews (n=8) of between six and eight members three months later. Findings – Positive and negative associations were recorded between online friends and well-being. A positive relationship (p < 0.05) was found between the number of online friends and well-being scores. However, higher numbers of online friends were also associated with increases in negative online experiences namely, receiving embarrassing posts online or risky activities such as, chatting frequently with strangers. Online friends may influence perceptions of social support, status and belonging, each of which may contribute positively or negatively to well-being. However, by increasing these perceptions, online friends may cause additional distress when their presence does not provide tangible support during a crisis period. Originality/value – Online friends provide the context to which young males explore and negotiate the online world. To date, little mixed methods research has focused exclusively on the MWB of online friends. Policy makers could do well to consider the growing prominence of online social networking and produce targeted programmes to educate young people on the benefits and pitfalls of building large online “friend” networks.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1441-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Richardson ◽  
Gillian Pedley ◽  
Ferruccio Pelone ◽  
Farrukh Akhtar ◽  
Jacqueline Chang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:Dementia in younger people, known as young (YOD) or early onset dementia (EOD), can pose significant challenges. YOD is often diagnosed in those in paid employment who have relatively young children, leading to different challenges to those for older people. It is therefore very important to provide support tailored to their specific needs. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the literature investigating the impact of psychosocial interventions for people with YOD and their family carers.Method:Eight electronic databases were searched and three key journals were also hand searched. Narrative synthesis of the selected articles was undertaken.Results:Of the 498 records identified, 495 were ineligible after application of the exclusion criteria. The final sample included three studies, all of which were employment-based. Two were qualitative and one used mixed methods. Study quality was mixed. People with YOD and their carers reported benefits from participating in work-based interventions designed for those with YOD, including improved self-esteem and sense of purpose. Social contact was highlighted. Despite cognitive decline, maintenance in well-being was also reported. Carers described benefits for people with YOD, which extended outside the intervention, e.g. enhanced sleep and mood. The impact of the interventions on carers was not assessed.Conclusions:This review suggests work-based interventions providing supported, meaningful work outside the home can be beneficial. However, the dearth of studies, the lack of focus on family carers and their mixed quality demonstrate the need for better quality, mixed methods research with larger sample sizes.


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