Healthcare
Health and particularly good health is an aspect that individuals, governments and other relevant bodies like non-government organisations (NGOs) are working hard to achieve. To make this attainable, different researches have been carried out to establish the factors that affect health and more so to come up with recommendations on how to fix the same. Innovations by health experts have gone a notch higher where more resources are channelled towards different learning institutions with an aim of developing and employing new technologies and methods to boost health. However, despite this modern approach to attain good health for longer lives, traditional methods are not looked down upon as some are very practical and effective. This is eminent in the study of an article on outcomes of traditional weight control and non-diet alternative. The design of this study based on the methods and approach used can be classified as semi-experimental. This is supported by the fact that an experiment or test was carried out on individuals or samples in this case who were put or taken through a prescribed condition then the behaviour analysed and conclusions drawn.
The study reveals that there was indeed a correlation between interventions and the results(Steinhardt, Bezner& Adams, 1999). There was a positive correlation where restrained emotional and external eating behaviours were high in both interventions. Positive relationship indicating they share common values was also reported in emotional, external eating and restrained behavioural aspects. On the other hand, a universal relationship meaning the values of psychological variables of body preoccupation and physical self-esteem differed in many aspects(Steinhardt, Bezner& Adams, 1999). Moreover, the two intervention groups reported a reduction of physical self-esteem and higher level of body preoccupation from their participants. There was an inverse relationship where women in diet free forever decreased their restrained eating while in the traditional weight control an increase was experienced. This is can be interpreted as negative correlation where the results of both processes are somehow parallel. Moreover, there was a correlation in the baseline where participants from both interventions were heavier. It can hence be seen that there were some correlations or similarities as well as some difference in the interventions.
The study can be more or less qualify to be classified as longitudinal. Though longitudinal studies takes years of observation of a given study, this study employed the same technique where a subject was observed over and over and the results taken Just like longitudinal study, there was no interference with the subject or samples selected for study in a manner that may alter or influence the outcome. One may further argue that this was a longitudinal study since it was an observational one where individuals with a given character were studied and analysis drawn from the changes experienced over time. Lastly, the study tends to examine correlation or relationship between variables and this is the basic principle under which longitudinal study works.
The author may have a valid or substantial reason to refer the case study as quasi-experimental. Considering the fact that the researcher takes assignment or control to the treatment condition of the subjects studied. Common issue on the baseline is more so not guaranteed in randomisation in this particular study. Lastly, as the author observes that it may not be substantial to connect observed outcomes and conditions for treatment in this study.
Reference
Steinhardt, M., Bezner, J., & Adams, T. (1999). Outcomes of a Traditional Weight Control Program and a Nondiet Alternative: A One Year Comparison. The Journal of Psychology,