Comparing two approaches to acquiring HIV-risk data from Puerto Rican women with severe mental illness.
Renewed interest has been expressed by researchers in mixed-method assessment that employs both quantitative and qualitative techniques in an expansive style that utilizes a variety of tactics to address research questions. Participants consisted of Puerto Rican women with severe mental illness living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The women were shadowed over a 2-year period to observe and verify behaviors that were self-reported using standardized instruments in semi-structured interviews. Concurrent criterion-related validity was employed to determine the extent of the correlation between responses obtained from the two approaches. Forty-four percent of the women were diagnosed with major depression and the mean overall GAF score was 58.5 +/- 14.5. A comparison of the data collected using the different methodologies revealed that inconsistent and contradictory responses are not uncommon. The mixed-method design provided a more complete way of obtaining HIV-risk behavior data. Researchers and clinicians could benefit from mixed methods research that can provide greater opportunities to obtain data of a sensitive nature.
Center for Minority Public Health, 3404 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA. elg9@case.edu
Emily L G
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Heaphy
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult