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“Background: The syntheses of multiple qualitative studies can pull together data across different contexts, generate new theoretical or conceptual models, identify research gaps, and provide evidence for the development, implementation and evaluation of health interventions. This
study aims to develop a framework for reporting the synthesis of qualitative health research.
Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search for guidance and reviews relevant to the synthesis of qualitative research, methodology papers, and published syntheses of qualitative health BAY 73-4506 in vivo research in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and relevant organisational websites to May 2011. Initial items were generated inductively from guides to synthesizing qualitative health research. The preliminary checklist was piloted against forty published syntheses of qualitative research, purposively selected to capture a range of year of publication, methods and methodologies, and health topics. We removed Selleck Small molecule library items that were duplicated, impractical to assess, and rephrased items for clarity.
Results: The Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) statement consists of 21 items grouped into five main domains: introduction, methods and methodology, literature search and selection, appraisal, and synthesis of findings.
Conclusions: The ENTREQ statement can help researchers to report the stages
most commonly associated with the synthesis of qualitative health research: searching and selecting qualitative research, quality appraisal, and methods for synthesising qualitative findings. The synthesis of qualitative research is an expanding and evolving methodological area and we would value feedback from all stakeholders for the continued development and extension of the ENTREQ statement.”
“BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) has been reported to be associated with poverty, especially in developing countries. Hong Kong is one of the few industrialised areas with a high YM155 cost incidence of TB where previous reports on the effect of poverty at neighbourhood level have been conflicting.
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the spatial distribution of TB and its association with neighbourhood risk factors.
METHOD: A total of 17294 TB cases notified from 2005 to 2007 were mapped down to the District Council Constituency Area (DCCA) level, and were indirectly standardised by age and sex using 2006 census population data. The standardised TB ratio was correlated with neighbourhood risk factors classified by family, ethnicity, economic and environmental domains.
RESULTS: The indirect age- and sex-standardised ratio demonstrated a spatially varied pattern, and was significantly associated with all neighbourhood factors on univariate analysis. Only marital status, place of birth and low household income were independently associated with the standardised TB ratio on multivariate analysis.