Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 2 of 2
-
ItemResearching practice: the methodological case for narrative inquiry(OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2005-04)Research interest in the analysis of stories has increased as researchers in many disciplines endeavor to see the world through the eyes of others. We make the methodological case for narrative inquiry as a unique means to get inside the world of health promotion practice. We demonstrate how this form of inquiry may reveal what practitioners value most in and through their practice, and the indigenous theory or the cause-and-consequence thinking that governs their actions. Our examples draw on a unique data set, i.e. 2 two years' of diaries being kept by community development officers in eight communities engaged in a primary care and community development intervention to reduce postnatal depression and promote the physical health of recent mothers. Narrative inquiry examines the way a story is told by considering the positioning of the actor/storyteller, the endpoints, the supporting cast, the sequencing and the tension created by the revelation of some events, in preference to others. Narrative methods may provide special insights into the complexity of community intervention implementation over and above more familiar research methods.
-
ItemCreating SunSmart schools(OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2004-01)Kidskin was a sun-protection intervention study involving 1776 children attending 33 primary schools in Perth, Western Australia. There were three study groups: a control group, a moderate intervention group and a high intervention group. In addition to receiving a specially designed curricular intervention (1995-1998), the moderate and high intervention groups received an environmental intervention aimed at creating SunSmart schools (1996-1998). The environmental intervention focused on encouraging implementation of 'No hat, no play' policies and reducing sun exposure at lunchtime. In 1995 and 1998, observational methods were used to measure children's lunchtime sun exposure (i.e. polysulfone film badges) and hat wearing (i.e. video-taping of children). The proportion of children wearing broad-brimmed hats or legionnaire caps increased in seven of the eight high intervention schools between 1995 and 1998. In three schools, however, the impact was very positive with almost all children wearing these hats in 1998. There was no improvement in wearing these types of hats in either the moderate intervention group or the control group. In terms of sun exposure, there were only small non-significant differences among the three groups in terms of lunchtime sun exposure. The Kidskin program had a positive effect on hat wearing in the playground, but did not change children's use of shade at lunchtime. In this study, disseminating policy guidelines to schools using a mail-only strategy was ineffective, even when combined with an awards program. More information on 'champions' who bring about change in schools is required.