Advancing qualitative health research approaches in applied nutrition research

• Published in: Journal of human nutrition and dietetics Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 376 - 387
• Main Authors: Moisey, Lesley L., Campbell, Karen, Whitmore, Carly, Jack, Susan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Anthropology, Cultural; applied health research; Case studies; Data collection; Dietetics; Ethnography; focused ethnography; Humans; Illnesses; interpretive description |case study; Literature reviews; Medical research; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Qualitative analysis; qualitative description; Qualitative Research; Questions; Recovery; Research methodology; Research methods; Social sciences; Wellness; research methods; focused ethnography; qualitative description; applied health research; interpretive description |case study
• DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12989
• ISSN: 0952-3871

Applied health research methods are evolving to meet the demands of increasingly complex health research needs. Qualitative health research, focused on individual perspectives of health, wellness, illness and recovery, has emerged as a unique discipline of this field. With distinct foci, methods and rules, qualitative health research has the potential to answer applied health research questions to inform practice, education and policy. Despite this potential, there are challenges to the application of qualitative health research methods in nutrition and dietetics research. These include limited training and mentorship availability for the rigorous application of these methods, as well as misaligned goals between the traditional social science‐based qualitative approaches and emerging applied nutrition science needs. Recognising these limitations, this review aims to provide guidance to the nutrition scientist conducting applied qualitative health research. Using nutrition and dietetic examples from the literature, this review defines qualitative health research and advances the Emphasis‐Purposeful sample‐Phenomenon of interest‐Context (EPPiC) framework as a tool for constructing structured overarching research questions and introduces four qualitative health research designs (qualitative description, interpretive description, case study and focused ethnography) relevant to applied nutrition science. This includes guidance on defining the sample, identifying strategies for data collection, analytic techniques and data reporting. Key points Qualitative health research is a distinct research discipline defined by a focus on participants' perspectives and insights related to health, wellness, illness or recovery, as well as methods that take into consideration the applied, and clinically relevant, purpose of the research.