8-2 Final Submission of Final Project Article Review

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6-1 Journal: Article Methods

Deanna Buchanan

1

SNHU

Articles Methods

The two articles chosen for this assignment are relevant to the topic of the influence of gender on the length of hospital stays for MI (Myocardial Infarction) patients. Although the articles did not directly address the length of hospital stays for MI patients, they provide insights into the gender differences in health status and depression symptoms among patients with CHD and ACS. These differences may potentially influence the length of hospital stays for MI patients. Thus, understanding gender-specific characteristics and depressive symptoms may aid in developing interventions to improve the management of MI patients and reduce the length of their hospital stays.

When examining the methods section of research articles, it is important to assess the appropriateness of the methods chosen to address the overall purpose of the paper (Gerstman, 2015). The methods should be aligned with the research question and the study design should be appropriate to answer the research question. In addition, the methods should be described in sufficient detail to allow for replication of the study (Gerstman, 2015).

For example, in the articles provided, the authors chose different methods to investigate gender differences in depression among patients with coronary heart disease. Doering et al. (2010) used a cross-sectional design where 1951 participants with CHD and depressive symptoms were given questionnaires to measure various characteristics, such as anxiety, education, employment, and social status. Frazier et al. (2012) used a survey to examine depressive symptoms and somatic depressive symptoms on patients hospitalized with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).

While both articles used survey methodology, there are differences in the methods used. Doering et al. (2010) collected data from a larger sample size and included multiple measures to assess different characteristics of individuals with CHD and depressive symptoms. Frazier et al. (2012) focused specifically on depressive symptoms and somatic depressive symptoms among patients with ACS. While both articles provide valuable insights into the relationship between depression and CHD, the differences in methods may impact the generalizability of the findings.

A strength of the methods used in these articles is that they allow for the collection of large amounts of data in a relatively efficient and cost-effective manner. However, a limitation is that survey methodology relies on self-report and may be subject to response bias or social desirability bias. Additionally, the cross-sectional design used in Doering et al. (2010) cannot establish causality and the survey methodology used in Frazier et al. (2012) does not allow for the examination of potential confounding variables.

Difference and Similarity Table

Methodological Aspect	Doering et al. (2010)	Frazier et al. (2012)
Study Design	Cross-sectional	Prospective cohort
Sample Size	1951 participants	825 participants
Health Condition	CHD and depressive symptoms	ACS
Data Collection Method	Self-report questionnaire	Self-report questionnaire
Statistical Analysis	Odds ratio, independent samples t-test	Independent samples t-test
Main Outcome	Gender-specific differences in depressive symptoms and CHD	Gender-specific differences in self-reported symptoms of depression among ACS patients
Similarity	Both studies used self-report questionnaires as a data collection method, and both studies used an independent samples t-test for statistical analysis.
Difference	The studies had different sample sizes, used different study designs, and addressed different health conditions (CHD versus ACS). Additionally, Doering et al. used odds ratio analysis while Frazier et al. did not.

Note: CHD refers to coronary heart disease, and ACS refers to acute coronary syndrome.

References

Doering, L. V., McKinley, S., Riegel, B., Moser, D. K., Meischke, H., Pelter, M. M., & Dracup, K. (2011). Gender-specific characteristics of individuals with depressive symptoms and coronary heart disease.  Heart & Lung,  40(3), e4-e14.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2010.04.002

Frazier, L., Yu, E., Sanner, J., Liu, F., Udtha, M., Cron, S., & Bogaev, R. C. (2012). Gender differences in self-reported symptoms of depression among patients with acute coronary syndrome.  Nursing research and practice,  2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/109251

Gerstman, B. B. (2015). Basic biostatistics: Statistics for public health practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.