Research Proposal

Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

This stage tries to explain the various ways in which the study can be accomplish. The

entire process revolves around getting the correct data for the experiment. The method to use will

need to be one to get the correct data and a method that will not be very hard to implement. Since

the research requires two types of data, as seen in the literature review, it will be vital to

achieving a methodology that will achieve both of these. The research will have to explain how

the data obtained will be analyzed to give the required information. The research question, which

is, in a pediatric population with HTN, what is the relationship between the contributing risk

factors such as obesity, inadequate physical activity, and race with behavioral modification? is

better answered with the correct methodology. The methodology process has to be efficient and

reliable, which will be portrayed in the chapter as shown below.

As discussed above, this process is very important, and in understanding this, it is clear

that it is the most vital part of the research. The methodology will revolve around understanding

whether blood pressure will be the perfect value to understand the relationship between the two

scenarios: the risk of obesity and the factors contributing to the behavior. Thus, it will be

essential to understand the correct methodology since an individual's health heavily influences

blood pressure. As seen from the hypothesis, it will be easier to prove that kids and teens do

better when they adopt behavioral lifestyle modifications toward a disease such as hypertension

compared with the kids and teens who do not intend to modify the behavior (Ihemeje et al.,

2016). Since the parents will be available, it will be an excellent chance to conduct a short survey

to get helpful information on the children.

Assumptions

The information here will be knowing the children's diet and their living at home, which

will be necessary for the research. With this information, it will be necessary for an assumption

to be made for some of these values. The necessary information that will have to be assumed for

the research will include specific data for the parents, certain data for the children's values, and

data about the way of living the children experienced. All for the data that would be assumed

would be essential since it would help analyze the study. Some of the data that will have to be

assumed will be any data that will not be discovered. The assumptions will thus be very

important since they assist the research process.

The first assumption for the research will be that the details the parents will provide will

be correct. Most of the parents may offer biased information to seem reasonable at their

parenting. Assuming that the parents' details will be correct will assist to give feedback for the

information that needs to be analyzed for the research. The research process relies very much on

this information, and it will thus be essential to find ways to enforce the parents to provide

accurate information. Assuring the parents that the data they provide will be kept in confidence

will assist them to have confidence and thus provide accurate information. The parents could also

be informed that their data will help more children and families with same condition.

Another assumption based on the research will be that the factors that will affect the rise

in blood pressure in children. All the factors that might cause this will be assumed, and only the

facts relevant to the research will be included in the research. Issues such as historical family

background will have to be assumed and rely on the results obtained from the research. This

helps in declaring a value based on the research, thus providing a required conclusion based on

the data.

Research Design

The research design helps declare the proper steps that should be taken to determine the

results of the research. This study will be based on the results obtained from a quasi-experiment

on the students' blood pressure and the answers from the short survey for the parents. A good

research design ensures that the results are reliable, and that the data could offer the best results.

The reason for selecting this is because the design also revolves around the fact of trying to

ascertain the influence of one variable on a dependent variable.

As discussed above, the research design is essential for this study. It is important to

determine if high blood pressure is caused by the factors being tested, and what is the

relationship between these variables. All of the processes included in the entire research will

determine whether the tested factors are responsible or related to the elevated blood pressure in

the participants.

Other designs are also effective in declaring a solution for this research, but as discussed

earlier, the research will be based on the experiment to get the blood pressure values of the kids.

The research will also have to determine whether variables such as obesity, low physical activity,

race, and behavioral modification play a role in elevating blood pressure. This could thus be said

to be the main reason why the selected research design is experimental.

Sample

The research will be based on a certain number of children and parents. The selected

number will have to be chosen since they will represent the fundamental research that will

conclude onto children at large. The selected number of children will be regarded as being the

sample of the population. This will be an important stage for this study since it will determine the

results and conclusion of the research. Based on the importance of the research and the variables

being determined, selecting the sample will revolve around choosing the children based on

different backgrounds.

Determining whether HTN in children is caused by variables such as obesity and race

will require that the sample be evaluated to determine whether these causes are the leading

causes of this issue. Students from different backgrounds will also be chosen to determine if the

social background could be considered a cause. A certain sample of students with these qualities

will thus be chosen to represent the different backgrounds that are available.

Obesity, physical activity, race and behavior are all the variables that must be considered

when choosing the sample. This means that the entire process of choosing the sample will

include checking backgrounds, as explained above. Out of all the available students, a sample of

15 will be enough to experiment. The sample will have all the various attributes associated with

the research to support the results.

The size of the sample, as explained, will be a minimum of 15 students. This sample size

is used due to the time constraints and restrictions related to COVID-19 pandemic; thus, all the

required variables would be determined by being found in the sample. These factors will ensure

that it will be easier to determine what factor or children with which characteristics were more

prone to high blood pressure when calculating and analyzing the sample.

The students would have to be of a similar age to ensure that age does not count as a

factor or variable. This means that the children being chosen to be in the same age group. Thus,

this would make when analyzing the data since the age would be similar, we would not include

age as one factor that can cause high blood pressure. Excluding age, as a factor would make the

analysis process to be easier in every aspect possible.

Data Collection

It will begin by getting permission from the parents voluntarily. Permission would have

to be collected from the parents, and the perfect way to do this is to go to parents who already

know each other. Targeting a single class to obtain the data would be the perfect strategy for

obtaining our sample since it would mean that the children are of the same age group. The

parents knowing each other would act as a bonus since they would convince each other if, in any

case, one of them have doubts. The study is meant to help families with children with elevated

blood pressure to understand the associated risk factors, thus understanding the correct measures

to be taken.

Since the parents would also be part of the research voluntarily, they will feel more

included, giving the sample permission to be used. For the children, verbal consent will be

required along with the parent’s written consent. The blood pressure results will need to be

recorded next to their details. This would make it easier to analyze the data.

For the parents, the data would be obtained through the use of questionnaires. The data

would assist in ensuring variables such as the diet the children were undergoing to note the

differences to be used in the analysis. No form of payment will be used thus ensuring ethical

considerations. Below is the questionnaire that the parents will be supposed to fill so as to assist

with the research.