Systematic Review Of Qualitative Studies Research Articles

Exploring Social Support for Women Coping with a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme after Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

ObjectiveFemale sex is a major barrier to completing a programme of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Women require significant social support to promote compliance and the ability to cope with CR programme attendance. The aim of this systematic review of qualitative studies was to explore social support among women coping with CR programme attendance at phase II CRP is 3 months after their cardiac event.MethodsArticles were searched through CINAHL (Cumulative Index and Allied Health Literature), Science Direct and PubMed databases using the following terms: “women”, “acute coronary syndrome”, “coping”, “social support” and “cardiac rehabilitation”.ResultsA total of 6 articles were selected based on eligibility criteria. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data using line to line coding into descriptive themes, interpreting further to generate new insights. The 3 most common themes regarding social support for women attending the CR programme were: family support, female as the primary caregiver in the family, and peer support. For most women who perceived themselves as the primary caregiver in the family there was a negative impact on their ability to cope fully with CR programme attendance. On the other hand, encouraging support from family and peers positively improved their coping mechanism for attending the CR programme, leading to improved compliance.ConclusionWomen with ACS consider that support from their family plays a vital role as a coping mechanism in their attendance at a CR programme. Healthcare providers should teach the importance of social support among women after discharge to help them cope with CR programme attendance.LAY ABSTRACTWomen face a major obstacle to coping with a programme of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after a cardiac event. In order to promote attendance at a CR programme, women often require significant social support to ensure compliance with the programme. This review evaluated the results of 6 studies that explored women’s experiences and their coping process in attending an outpatient CR programme after a cardiac event. The review found that family support, being female as the primary caregiver in the family, and peer support are the main social supports for compliance with an outpatient CR programme. Women who were extensively involved as the primary caregiver in their families had difficulty complying with attendance at the outpatient CR programme. On the other hand, women with good support from family and peers had better compliance. Therefore, healthcare providers should initiate strategies for promoting good social support among women on an outpatient CR programme in order to enhance compliance with attendance.

Parents' perceptions of the quality of infant sleep behaviours and practices: A qualitative systematic review

AbstractA systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted to explore how parents perceive sleep quality in their infants aged 0–24 months and the factors that influence these perceptions. A systematic search of the databases Scopus, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo and MEDLINE, was undertaken to identify eligible peer‐reviewed studies published between 2006–2021. Ten papers met inclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the review. Evaluation of papers with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist classified papers as weak, moderate or strong, with half considered strong. Thematic synthesis identified one superordinate theme, culture, and five interrelated subordinate themes regarding how parents perceive their infant's sleep and the factors that may influence these perceptions. These themes were: (1) Infants physical and emotional comfort; (2) Beliefs regarding safety; (3) Parental and familial wellbeing; (4) Perceived degree of infant agency; (5) Influence of external beliefs and opinions. The findings from this review may assist practitioners in providing parents with personalized and culturally sensitive information regarding infant sleep and may also inform antenatal and early intervention practices, subsequently minimizing parental distress regarding infant sleep patterns.

Effective healthcare communication with children and young people: a systematic review of barriers and facilitators

ObjectiveTo identify children and young people’s preferences for effective healthcare communication.DesignA systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted to identify evidence from children and young people on effective healthcare communication....

How to Improve Audiology Services: The Patient Perspective

How to Improve Audiology Services: The Patient Perspective

Support for Mothers, Fathers, or Guardians of Transgender Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review on the Dynamics of Secondary Social Networks.

Mothers’, fathers’, or guardians’ support for disclosures of diverse gender identity has significant relationships with decreased suicidality for transgender children and adolescents. They play an essential role in facing transphobia, protecting trans children, and strengthening the expression of their identity. These guardians need structural, emotional, and informative support; they need to be prepared to recognize and manage of their own feelings, as well as deal with the challenges that come with new social contexts of transphobia in schools, health institutions, and other community spaces. This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the dynamics of secondary social networks to support mothers, fathers, or guardians of transgender children and adolescents. This is a systematic review of qualitative studies, guided by PRISMA guidelines. Controlled and free vocabularies were used to survey the primary studies in the following databases: EMBASE; Scopus; MEDLINE; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); PsycInfo; Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS); and Web of Science. A total of 28 articles made up the final sample of this review. Secondary social networks were described as fragile, characterized by conflicting and broken ties with healthcare services and professionals, isolation and unpreparedness from schools, and emotional and informational support from peer groups and some qualified healthcare professionals. The literature shows the potential of the dynamics of secondary social support networks; however, it presented the unpreparedness of professionals and institutional policies for welcoming transgender children and adolescents and their families, with the peer group being the main emotional and informative support network.

Voices beyond the numbers: a systematic review of qualitative studies of disproportionality in special education

Researchers in the field of special education has voiced concerns about the disproportionality of diverse students identified for special education services for decades. However, most of the recent research has focused on showing this issue using quantitative data. The voices beyond the numbers are imperative in better understanding this decades long phenomenon. Unfortunately, these voices are rarely present within the context of disproportionality in special education. The present study reports a systematic review of qualitative articles to highlight findings in the literature to contextualize current quantitative data and provide a more representative picture of the phenomenon in the U.S. Results show the over and underrepresentation of students of color in special education according to the voices of educators, family members, and others supporting these students.

Self-reported explanations for self-injury by people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review of qualitative studies

Background Emotional distress has received less attention as an explanatory factor for self-injury in people with intellectual disabilities, with research and practice primarily focusing on biobehavioural factors. This systematic review examines the self-reported explanations for self-injury by people with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities, and discusses how the findings contrast with those from self-reported studies of people within the general population who self-harm. Methods Five databases (PsychINFO, IBSS, CINAHL, Web of Science and Medline) were systematically searched to find qualitative, empirical research since 2000 about self-reported reasons for self-injury. Results Four studies were found which conducted research with people with intellectual disabilities. Three primary themes are discussed: relief from overwhelming emotions; trauma and loss; and difficulty in articulating emotions. Conclusion This review found a paucity of research asking people with intellectual disabilities about their own self-injury. However, the research available suggests that explanatory factors for self-injury typically reported in the general population should be considered for those with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities.

Dynamics of Primary Social Networks to Support Mothers, Fathers, or Guardians of Transgender Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Mothers, fathers, or guardians of children and adolescents who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth face barriers in their social network to recognize their children’s gender identity. This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the dynamics of primary social networks to support mothers, fathers, or guardians of transgender children and adolescents. This is a systematic review of qualitative studies guided by the PRISMA guidelines. Controlled and free vocabulary were used to survey the studies in the EMBASE, Scopus, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycInfo, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), and Web of Science databases. A total of 21 studies composed the final sample. Primary social networks were described as fragile and conflicting family/blood relationship ties with disapproval, isolation, rejection, a lack of understanding, and feelings of exclusion were expressed. Some have lost friends, reported tension in marriage and with relatives, and were commonly treated with hostility and harassment. Social transition does take place in the mutual context of struggle and resistance which demands a support network for parents or guardians.

Investigating individual differences with qualitative research methods: Results of a meta-analysis of leading applied linguistics journals

The aim of the present article is to provide a systematic review of qualitative studies in the leading journals of our field focusing on their distributional properties in the various journals as well as topic choice and selected quality control issues. In order to achieve this aim, we carried out a systematic review of research articles published in leading journals in our field, namely, Applied Linguistics, Language Learning, Language Teaching Research, Studies in Second Language Acquisition and Modern Language Journal between 2016 and 2020. Our sample contains 93 articles in which researchers employed qualitative research methods or mixed methods including a qualitative component. Our main results indicate that there is great variation among journals in terms of the number of qualitative studies. As for topic considerations, some traditional individual difference variables seem to have a dominant role, with cognitive processes involved in language acquisition gaining some ground as well. Concerning quality control issues, there could be room for improvement with regard to reporting the quality control measures, including the tools employed in the studies. Based on our results, we can conclude that a more systematic understanding of acceptable processes in the field of applied linguistics could increase not only the number of qualitative articles published but also their topical importance.

Factors relevant to work participation from the perspective of adults with developmental dyslexia: a systematic review of qualitative studies

BackgroundThis review is focused on workers with developmental dyslexia (DD). In this review DD is considered an expression of neurodiversity, a consequence of a natural variant of the brain. Evidence was synthesized to explore which factors workers with DD consider relevant for their participation in work and whether these factors reflect shifts in the concepts of health and sustainable employability. The factors were classified according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), adapted for occupational health.MethodsA systematic review of qualitative studies was performed. Two search strings were used to determine the population and the context of work. The factors were classified using a recently proposed rearrangement of the ICF scheme that places participation in a central position and incorporates preliminary lists of work-related environmental factors and personal factors.ResultsFifty-one factors were found that appeared in 35% or more of the included studies and that were relevant to work participation according to the workers themselves. These factors were dispersed over all ICF categories. In the category Functions and Structures (11 factors), most of the factors had negative connotations. In the category Activities (9 factors), all the factors cause difficulties, except speaking (which is ambiguous). In the category Participation (4 factors), the formal relationships are important for the degree of participation. Overall, more than half of the factors are environmental (18) or personal (9) and they both hinder and facilitate work participation.ConclusionsThe results of this review give an indication for the importance of the biopsychosocial model as a relevant approach for people with a disability in the world of work. This review also adds data for the usefulness of the proposals for the reconsideration of the ICF scheme. The data has not (yet) returned any visible trends revealing that the concept of neurodiversity is common in organizations.

Stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for children with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Inclusive education is a key strategy in addressing the needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa, who rarely access specialist care or quality education. We aimed to systematically review qualitative research on stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched five databases and selected relevant studies through a two-stage screening process. We synthesised the papers identified through template analysis of the Results and Discussion sections, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Thirty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. The studies were conducted in seven countries and explored the experiences of pupils with developmental disabilities, parents, peers without developmental disabilities and teachers. Multiple barriers (e.g. unclear policies, insufficient training and support for teachers) and opportunities (e.g. teachers’ commitment to inclusion, collaboration between teachers, the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs)) for implementing inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa were identified, occurring across national and community contexts and school, classroom and individual teacher levels. To effectively implement inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities, teachers need access to appropriate training, resources and support. Governments can capitalise on motivated teachers and the relevant work of NGOs.Lay abstractIn sub-Saharan Africa, there are few services for children with developmental disabilities such as autism and intellectual disability. One way to support these children is to include them in mainstream schools. However, currently, African children with developmental disabilities are often excluded from mainstream education opportunities. People involved (e.g. teachers, families and children) can offer information on factors that could ease or interfere with inclusion. This article discusses the findings of published studies that explored the views of relevant groups on including children with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically searched the literature and identified 32 relevant articles from seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We found that unclear policies and insufficient training, resources and support for teachers often blocked the implementation of inclusive education. Factors in favour of inclusive education were the commitment of many teachers to include pupils with developmental disabilities and the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which provided resources and training. This review suggests that motivated teachers should be provided with appropriate training, resources and support for inclusive education, directly and by promoting the work of NGOs.

A systematic review of the qualitative literature on barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care among low-income women.

To examine the qualitative literature on low-income women's perspectives on the barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care. We performed searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, SocIndex, and CINAHL for peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2021. A systematic review of qualitative studies with participants who were currently pregnant or had delivered within the past 2 years and identified as low-income at delivery. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion, evaluated study quality, and extracted information on study design and themes. We identified 34 studies that met inclusion criteria, including 23 focused on prenatal care, 6 on postpartum care, and 5 on both. The most frequently mentioned barriers to prenatal and postpartum care were structural. These included delays in gaining pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage, challenges finding providers who would accept Medicaid, lack of provider continuity, transportation and childcare hurdles, and legal system concerns. Individual-level factors, such as lack of awareness of pregnancy, denial of pregnancy, limited support, conflicting priorities, and indifference to pregnancy, also interfered with the timely use of prenatal and postpartum care. For those who accessed care, experiences of dismissal, discrimination, and disrespect related to race, insurance status, age, substance use, and language were common. Over a period of 30 years, qualitative studies have identified consistent structural and individual barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care. Medicaid policy changes, including expanding presumptive eligibility, increased reimbursement rates for pregnancy services, payment for birth doula support, and extension of postpartum coverage, may help overcome these challenges.

Cultural factors related to childhood and adolescent obesity in Mexico: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

SummaryCulture and culturally specific beliefs or practices may influence perceptions and decisions, potentially contributing to childhood obesity. The objective of this study is to identify the cultural factors (expressed through decisions, behaviors, individual experiences, perceptions, attitudes, or views) related to childhood and adolescent obesity in Mexico. Ten databases and one search engine were searched from 1995 onwards for qualitative studies. The Sunrise Enabler Model, described within the Cultural Care Theory, guided this review. Sample, the phenomenon of interest, study design, and evaluation data were extracted, and the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Twenty‐four studies were included. Of these, 12 studies included children or adolescents, 12 included parents, eight included schoolteachers, four included school staff (other than teachers), four included food vendors, and one included policymakers. Cultural values, beliefs, lifeways (especially food and food costumes), kinship, and social factors (particularly immediate and extended family) strongly influenced childhood and adolescent obesity‐related lifestyles in Mexico. Most cultural factors related to childhood obesity in Mexico identified in this review may be modifiable and amenable to practical interventions.

Which features of ambulatory healthcare are preferred by people aged 80 and over? Findings from a systematic review of qualitative studies and appraisal of confidence using GRADE-CERQual

BackgroundDespite healthcare providers’ goal of patient-centeredness, current models for the ambulatory (i.e., outpatient) care of older people have not as yet systematically incorporated their views. Moreover, there is no systematic overview of the preferable features of ambulatory care from the perspective of people aged 80 and over. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize their specific wishes and preferences regarding ambulatory care from qualitative studies.MethodsThe study was based on qualitative studies identified in a prior systematic review. Firstly, the findings of the qualitative studies were meta-summarized, following Sandelowski and Barroso. Secondly, a list of preferred features of care from the perspective of older people was derived from the included studies’ findings through inductive coding. Thirdly, the review findings were appraised using the GRADE-CERQual tool to determine the level of confidence in the qualitative evidence. The appraisal comprised four domains: methodological limitations, coherence, data adequacy, and data relevance. Two reviewers independently evaluated every review finding in each domain. The final appraisals were discussed and ultimately summarized for the respective review finding (high, moderate, low, or very low confidence).ResultsThe 22 qualitative studies included in the systematic review were mainly conducted in Northern and Western Europe (n = 15). In total, the studies comprised a sample of 330 participants (n = 5 to n = 42) with a mean or median age of 80 and over. From the studies’ findings, 23 preferred features of ambulatory care were identified. Eight features concerned care relationships (e.g., “Older people wish to receive personal attention”), and 15 features concerned healthcare structures (e.g., “Older want more time for their care”). The findings emphasized that older people wish to build strong relationships with their care providers. The majority of the review findings reached a moderate or high confidence appraisal.ConclusionsWhile the listed features of healthcare structures are common elements of care models for older people (e.g., Geriatric Care Model), aspects of care relationships are somewhat underrepresented or are not addressed explicitly at all. Future research should further explore the identified preferred features and their impact on patient and care outcomes.

Social exclusion of US immigrants in the 21st century: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Corresponding to the growth of the immigrant population in the late-20th and early-21st centuries, immigrants’ difficulties have been intensified and diversified in the United States. Drawing on the lens of social exclusion, this study aims to synthesize recent qualitative studies on immigrants’ challenges in the United States. This study conducted a systematic review with 22 studies on immigrants’ exclusion experiences. Results from this study indicate several types of immigrants’ social exclusion and barriers to their inclusion. The findings of this study fortify our understanding of the social exclusion dynamics among immigrants and provide meaningful implications for their social inclusion.

The Young Carers' Journey: A Systematic Review and Meta Ethnography.

Despite growing international interest, the caregiving body of literature lacks a recent understanding of young carers’ experiences and their contact with the health care system. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies to (1) synthesize more recent qualitative evidence on young carers’ experience, and (2) to identify how these young carers interact with the health care system in their caregiving role. Using a meta-ethnographic synthesis, a total of 28 empirical studies met inclusion. Key findings helped inform an overarching framework of the experience of young carers as illustrated by a journey map. The journey map is a visual depiction of the stages these young carers go through when in a caregiving role framed by three themes: (1) encountering caregiving; (2) being a young caregiver, and (3) moving beyond caregiving. The caregiving experience is perceived by young people as challenging and complex, which could be improved with more informational navigation and emotional support. Understanding these experiences provides insight into gaps in health services and potential solutions that align with the stages outlined in the journey map.

Health-Related Challenges and Coping Strategies Among Women During Pandemics: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

Equality and empowerment for women are among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5). Although women were confronted with more challenges in various ways during pandemics; however, there is hardly any systematic synthesis of evidence on women's health-related challenges during pandemics. We reviewed the health challenges faced by women during the pandemic. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL following PRISMA guidelines. We identified 2,831 studies, of which we included 17. Reproductive health, psychosocial health, and gender-based violence emerged as significant challenges. Many studies reported challenges in provisions for routine services and increased anxiety, fear, and stress among women. The findings highlighted that pandemic have a significant impact on women's health. Women must have equal rights and opportunities without discrimination, which requires urgent action to enhance women's rights and to achieve SDGs. Women engagement/involvement in pandemic-related services needs to be explored, which will aid in developing strategies to alleviate vulnerabilities.

Motives of retirement-aged workers and the importance of doing, being, becoming, and belonging: A systematic review of qualitative studies

ABSTRACT Background: Although extended work activity is often associated with active and healthy ageing, it meets with a polarized response. Studying workers’ lived experience may provide important insights into their motives for working beyond typical retirement age. Objective: This systematic review aims to explore why people who could retire continue to work and applies the dimensions of doing, being, becoming, and belonging to describe prolonged participation in work. Methods: Our search strategy followed the guidelines of the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD, 2009). Original studies were identified from databases CINAHL, Web of Science, Business Source Premier, ERIC, and ProQuest. Data were analyzed from the perspective of doing, being, becoming, belonging. A thematic synthesis was applied to summarize key motives. Results: Eleven qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria and achieved the quality criteria of the The Qualitative Assessment Research Instrument. Eight motives were identified that were associated with extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors. Health was a theme of salience and was both a prerequisite for work and an important motivator in itself. The dimensions of doing, being, becoming, belonging emerged in the description of workers’ motives and formed an interwoven selection of motives that included achievement, positive relationships, helping others, and enjoying work. Conclusion: Retirement-aged workers appear to be a poorly represented population in the scientific literature on work motives. The main findings indicate that workers who prolong labour activity experience work as much more than the act of ‘doing’ or acquiring additional financial resources. This urges us to include the dimensions of ‘being, becoming, belonging’ into contemporary age management.

Experiences and perceptions of dementia in Vietnam and among the Vietnamese diaspora: a systematic review of qualitative studies

Objectives: This paper aimed to review and synthesise the qualitative research evidence on the experiences and perceptions of dementia in Vietnam and among the Vietnamese diaspora. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in June 2019 using Medline, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO and Cochrane electronic databases, as well as grey literature. Keywords and Medical Subject Headings [MeSH terms] for dementia and associated terms were combined with keywords for Vietnam and its provinces. Qualitative research articles published in English or Vietnamese were included to examine evidence on the life experiences of Vietnamese people with dementia using thematic analysis. Results: Our searches resulted in 3,940 papers, from which 21 qualitative research studies were included for final analysis. The majority of research has not been undertaken in Vietnam but with the Vietnamese diaspora in Western countries and has taken a cultural perspective to analyses. Research in Western countries has focused on the need for culturally adapted and culturally sensitive models of care. Emerging themes about the life experiences of Vietnamese people with dementia identified from the studies included: many people do not have diagnostic terms for dementia but use the descriptive language of symptoms; stigma was a reported problem and on occasions can be observed in the descriptive language used for people with dementia; cultural and traditional values create both an opportunity and a barrier, supporting compassion, family care and relaxation, but creating barriers to accessing health services or long-term residential care. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review reporting qualitative evidence on the life experiences of people with dementia in Vietnam and among the Vietnamese diaspora. Future research is needed on the voice of people with dementia themselves and their caregivers particularly in Vietnam, and low and middle-income countries with regards to living with dementia, pathways to care from diagnosis, treatment, care and support, additional social care and preparedness for end of life care for people with dementia.

Qualitative evidence syntheses of attitudes and preferences to inform guidelines on infant feeding in the context of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission risk.

BackgroundBreast-feeding holds considerable potential to reduce infant mortality. Feeding choices, already complex, take on additional complexity against a backdrop of the risk of transmissible Ebola Virus. This review describes the factors that influence infant feeding and attitudes of pregnant women, mothers, family members and health practitioners, policy makers and providers (midwives) concerning infant feeding when there is a risk of Mother-to-Child (MTC) transmission of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).MethodologyA systematic review of qualitative studies identified through rigorous searches of thirteen online databases and additional citation searches of included studies was undertaken. Search terms included breast-feeding, breast-feeding, infant feeding; Ebola; and qualitative, interview(s) and findings. Independent extraction of data by two reviewers using predefined extraction forms. Studies were assessed using the CASP Qualitative checklist.Principal findings5219 references were screened. 38 references related specifically to Ebola, and five papers met the inclusion criteria with data gathered from two settings: Guinea and Sierra Leone. The EVD outbreak had a significant impact on beliefs, attitudes, and resources to support infant feeding practices negatively affecting the nutritional status of children. The evidence from these studies highlight the need for guidance and appropriate psychosocial support need to be available to mothers who display symptoms and become infected and to front-line staff who are giving advice. Communities need to be engaged because stigma and fear may hinder uptake of appropriate interventions. The EVD outbreak caused multi-level system disruption akin to that seen following a natural disaster, meaning that logistics and coordination are critical and need adequate resourcing. Food production and distribution, and malnutrition screening are also disrupted and thereby compounding compromised nutritional status. The limited number of relevant studies highlights the need for further primary research, particularly in translation of messages to local settings.ConclusionsAn EVD outbreak causes multi-level disruption that negatively impacts infant feeding and child care practices. Negative impacts have multiple causes and successful planning for Ebola outbreaks requires that nutrition of infants and young children is a priority. Lessons from the Ebola pandemic have wider applicability to other pandemic contexts including Covid-19.