title: Ethnographic methods for process evaluations of complex health behaviour interventions.
abstract: This article outlines the contribution that ethnography could make to process evaluations for trials of complex health-behaviour interventions. Process evaluations are increasingly used to examine how health-behaviour interventions operate to produce outcomes and often employ qualitative methods to do this. Ethnography shares commonalities with the qualitative methods currently used in health-behaviour evaluations but has a distinctive approach over and above these methods. It is an overlooked methodology in trials of complex health-behaviour interventions that has much to contribute to the understanding of how interventions work. These benefits are discussed here with respect to three strengths of ethnographic methodology: (1) producing valid data, (2) understanding data within social contexts, and (3) building theory productively. The limitations of ethnography within the context of process evaluations are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Applied to Health Group, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK. s.morgan-trimmer@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgan-Trimmer
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Neuadd Meirionnydd, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Complex interventions; Ethnography; Qualitative research; Randomised controlled trials