A methodological review of solicited diaries as a qualitative tool in health research in low- and middle-income countries

IF 1.8 Q3 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SSM. Qualitative research in health Pub Date : 2024-10-22 DOI:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100492
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Abstract

Diaries have served as a vehicle to document personal narratives and as a research tool. However, diaries remain relatively underutilized in most research disciplines, particularly in the field of global health. This review aimed to explore the application, utility, and methodological potential of diaries as a qualitative data collection tool in the health sector within low- and middle-income countries. We applied a search string across several databases, which yielded 1796 articles that were screened for eligibility. Eleven articles, covering topics including menstrual health, HIV, and mental illness, met our criteria and were included in this review. Across studies, authors highlighted a need to provide instructions in a diary's early pages and make diaries appealing to the participants by incorporating color. Researchers and participants described diaries as an appropriate tool for conducting research especially among vulnerable populations (e.g. children) or on sensitive or stigmatized topics (e.g. HIV and menstrual health). Some participants said that diary entry clashed with existing obligations, leading to time conflicts and increased workload. Challenges related to diary comprehension suggests a need for researchers to engage more pointedly with participants to co-design diaries in a manner that facilitates understandability (e.g. language, use of audio/video recording among low literacy population) and age-appropriateness. An undercurrent across studies entailed a tension between what researchers desire from diaries (insights regarding a phenomenon of interest captured in a relatively timely manner) versus the original purpose of diaries (a space for individuals to note a variety of topics at a self-appointed pace). Studies generally under-report process insights from participants. Most studies stem from 2020 onward suggesting that this qualitative approach may continue to expand in the future. Our review organizes pertinent diary characteristics into a framework that may facilitate reporting of diary usage in global health research.
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对作为中低收入国家卫生研究定性工具的征集日记进行方法学审查
日记是记录个人叙述的载体,也是一种研究工具。然而,在大多数研究学科中,特别是在全球卫生领域,日记的利用率仍然相对较低。本综述旨在探讨日记作为定性数据收集工具在中低收入国家卫生部门的应用、实用性和方法潜力。我们在多个数据库中进行了搜索,共筛选出 1796 篇合格文章。有 11 篇文章符合我们的标准,并被纳入本综述,涉及的主题包括月经健康、艾滋病和精神疾病。在所有研究中,作者们都强调有必要在日记的最初几页提供说明,并通过加入颜色使日记对参与者具有吸引力。研究人员和参与者认为,日记是开展研究的合适工具,尤其是针对弱势群体(如儿童)或敏感或污名化主题(如艾滋病和月经期健康)的研究。一些参与者表示,日记与现有义务相冲突,导致时间冲突和工作量增加。与日记理解相关的挑战表明,研究人员有必要更明确地与参与者共同设计日记,使其易于理解(如语言、在识字率低的人群中使用音频/视频记录)和适合年龄。各项研究的一个共同点是,研究人员希望从日记中获得的内容(以相对及时的方式捕捉有关现象的见解)与日记的初衷(个人以自我指定的速度记录各种主题的空间)之间存在矛盾。研究通常对参与者的过程洞察报告不足。大多数研究是在 2020 年以后进行的,这表明这种定性方法在未来可能会继续扩展。我们的综述将相关的日记特点归纳为一个框架,该框架可能有助于在全球健康研究中报告日记的使用情况。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
1.60
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0.00%
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0
审稿时长
163 days
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