Social Work Research Method-II

A Qualitative Study on Perception of Overweight and Obesity from

Different Angles

Date: 29th January 2022

Kurian S Abraham

2137908

1MSWHRDM

Submitted To

Dr. Bharathi

Department of Sociology and Social Work

Master of Social Work – Human Resources and Development Management

Department of Sociology and Social Work

School of Social Science

INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.
Qualitative research is the process of gathering and interpreting non-numerical
data (e.g., text, video, or audio) in order to better comprehend concepts,
opinions, or personal experiences of participants. It can be utilized to gain in-
depth insights into a topic or to produce fresh research ideas for further
investigation and development. Qualitative research is the polar opposite of
quantitative research, which entails the collection and study of numerical data in
order to perform statistical analysis on the results. Among the humanities and
social sciences, qualitative research is extensively employed in subjects such as
anthropology, sociology, education, health sciences, history, and other related
fields of study.

TYPES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACHES

 Phenomenological Studies
 Ethnographic Studies
 Grounded Theory Studies
 Historical Studies
 Action Research Studies

PERCEPTION OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY FROM DIFFERENT

ANGLES
 Review on Abstract
Obesity has yet to be contained, with prevalence rates rising in most countries.
Obesity has several negative implications, including concomitant diseases,
reduced life expectancy, and the financial burden it places on healthcare
systems. Overweight and obese people also experience stigmatisation and
prejudice. Understanding how the general public and specific communities
(e.g., healthcare professionals) see overweight and obesity is critical to
developing stigma-reducing strategies. The current study sought to establish a
suitable questionnaire for use in the survey and to improve existing instruments.
Methods: This qualitative study reports data from focus groups with healthy
people and healthcare experts. Results: The topic of overweight and obesity was
similar in all three groups. Obesity is defined subjectively in our focus groups
by aesthetics, sympathy, and activity. However, other elements such as
socioeconomic influences were also mentioned. Obese people receive mostly
negative attributions, as expected. This study's findings illuminate various
populations' daily realities. The findings can be used to improve existing obesity
attitudes measuring tools.
 Review On Introduction
A BMI more than 30 kg/m2 is considered obese in the USA and other nations
(such as South Africa, Egypt, and Argentina). Obesity awareness and
prevention used to be a minor aspect of public health campaigns, but with rising
prevalence rates and expenditures, it is now becoming a major part.
Simultaneously, popular perception has shifted. During the early 2000s, only 2-
3 percent of the population believed obesity to be one of the most important
health issues, but presently the majority in, for example, Germany
acknowledges the significance of the problem.
 Review on Materials and Methods
Focus groups were used to construct an interview schedule for the IFB
Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Center project "The stigma of
overweight and obesity in the general community and among healthcare
professionals." Focus groups are structured discussions facilitated by a
facilitator. They are flexible, allowing participants to cover topics not yet
considered by the research team. The group dynamics foster thought, trade, and
innovation, allowing for what Morgan terms "naturally occurring interaction”.
They found three groups of participants via an electronic bulletin board in
Leipzig. The ad listed the study's details and inclusion criteria. Adiposity self-
help group in Leipzig and posters in large grocery stores were also used to
recruit. The study's participants were chosen by theoretical sampling. This
method aims to include the most significant differences in the study population
(age, gender, professional background, and experience with obesity). We
followed the principle of "inclusion based on maximum variation" to capture a
wide range of opinions. They identified three stakeholder groups whose
attitudes are crucial in improving obesity prevention and treatment: obese
people, health professionals, and the general public. Second, each group's age
and gender were kept as diverse as possible. This was considered when
selecting participants. We ensured equal representation of healthcare
professionals in the focus group.
 Review on Discussion and Overall Result
The current study examined how overweight and obesity are perceived by three
groups: unaffected, overweight and obese, and healthcare professionals. The
findings of this study add to the discussion of the topic (problem definition,
causes of obesity, and attributes of obese people) in the focus groups. Unlike
quantitative questionnaire analyses, no relevant information is lost due to
necessary abstraction and summarization in means, thus enhancing quantitative
research on obesity stigma.
Taking into consideration all focus groups, the participants' ages ranged from 19
to 47 years old. The majority of individuals in the normal-weight focus groups
had at least a high school diploma, therefore there was no difference in
educational attainment among this group of participants. Two additional focus
groups were comprised of individuals with a variety of educational
backgrounds.

Reference
 https://yuli-elearning.com/pluginfile.php/4833/mod_resource/content/
1/2.%20qualitative%20research%20design.pdf
 https://www.jstor.org/stable/45151106?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior
%3Ada37efd8954f94697fd1cbc48f15b8e0&seq=3#page_scan_tab_conte
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