Was there a clear statement of the purpose and aims of the research?
The authors of the article Unique Factors that Place Older Hispanic Women at Risk for HIV: Intimate Partner Violence, Machismo, and Marianismo clearly state the primary purpose of the research (Cianelli et al., 2013). The experts aim to determine factors that consequently lead to an increase in the HIV risk for older Hispanic women. The study aims to provide some perspectives regarding the prevention of the risk behavior that contains the danger for the development of HIV.
Is the problem practically important?
The problem is practically significant because the majority of older Hispanic women show an increasing tendency of acquiring HIV. This issue is related to several factors; however, the problem derives from a cultural background and age peculiarities. It is significantly important to research this issue to prevent and reduce the number of people who suffer from HIV.
Review of Literature
Are the cited sources pertinent to the study?
The cited sources complement the research and are related to the problem of HIV, the link between acquiring HIV and Hispanic women, the health status of older women, cultural and age peculiarities (Cianelli et al., 2013). The sources are pertinent to the study.
Is the review too broad or too narrow?
The review is broad as it involves several aspects:
- Culture;
- Age;
- Violence;
- Biological factors;
- Emotional changes;
- Demographical aspect.
Are the references recent?
The references are recent for experts to provide actual information.
Was a theoretical perspective identified?
The experts take into consideration the theories that were offered by other scientists. The theoretical perspective is identified.
Design and procedures
What research methodology was used?
The authors of the article used a qualitative descriptive approach to reach the stated objectives and goals of the research.
What was the data collection method to generate data?
The experts used focused groups to obtain relevant data for the research. Fifty participants were chosen and divided into 5 groups.
Was the method appropriate for the study design type?
The chosen method was appropriate to the study design because the data obtained due to the focus group allowed making appropriate conclusions and helped to find answers regarding the research question.
Were participants relevant to the research question and was their selection well reasoned?
People who took part in the study were chosen from the Open Arms Community Center. This organization is non-profit. The center offers help to the representatives of the Hispanic community. Moreover, it was not the first experience of the Open Arms Community Center in the research of HIV and the high possibility of infection among Hispanic women (Cianelli et al., 2013). Also, women who were interested in the participation had to correspond to some points:
- Hispanic;
- Be the residents of Miami Dade County, Florida;
- Be sexually active recently (one year);
- Have the ability to read in English and Hispanic;
- I have a desire to take part in the study.
The participants were relevant to the research question.
Was sampling done until saturation or redundancy in data was reached?
Saturation was used for the determinacy of the sample size.
Data Analysis
How was the data analyzed? Was the process of transforming data into themes/codes described adequately?
The content analysis was used to reach the stated objectives. This analysis helped to:
- Identify;
- Recognize;
- Code the information.
The data in the study were described adequately.
Were findings consistent with and reflective of data?
The findings are consistent and reflect the data. The results obtained due to the research provide a necessary perspective in combatting the issue of HIV and getting better aware of the problem.
Was triangulation reported?
Triangulation is used for qualitative research to analyze the research question from different perspectives. The authors analyzed the issue from multiple perspectives:
- Culture;
- Age;
- Violence;
- Biological factors;
- Emotional changes;
- Demographical aspect.
Conclusions and Implications
Were the implications discussed?
The implications were discussed. Moreover, the authors aimed to motivate the scientific community to dedicate more time to the research of the problem of HIV in older Hispanic women.
Did the findings contribute to theory development and future practice or research?
The limitations of the study proved that further investigation is essential. The scientific community needs to research the problem to contribute to the struggle with HIV in older Hispanic women.
Reference
Cianelli, R., Villegas, N., Lawson, S., Ferrer, L., Kaelber, L., Peragallo, N., & Yaya, A. (2013). Unique Factors that Place Older Hispanic Women at Risk for HIV: Intimate Partner Violence, Machismo, and Marianismo. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 24(4), 341-354. Web.