This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by de Vries, H. Articles by Kok, G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by de Vries, H. Articles by Kok, G. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Utilization of Qualitative and Quantitative Data for Health Education Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation: A Spiral Approach

Department of Health Education, University of Limburg, Maastricht, the Netherlands

Wies Weijts

Department of Health Education, University of Limburg, Maastricht, the Netherlands

Margo Dijkstra

Department of Health Education, University of Limburg, Maastricht, the Netherlands

Gerjo Kok

Department of Health Education, University of Limburg, Maastricht, the Netherlands

The process of development of a Dutch smoking prevention project is described. An essential feature of the project is the combination and interaction of qualitative and quantitative research methods. It is advocated that each method has its own contribution and can be considered as a separate methodology contributing to social science in general and health education research in particular. Combining the two approaches in a spiral approach will result in a synergistic effect, because of the interaction of both approaches. The results of both methods suggest that qualitative methods enhanced the generation of ideas and theories. Qualitative methods were used to formulate ideas for improving quantitative data gathering, analyzing and comparing ideas with respect to program development, and for testing the internal validity of a quantitative design. The quantitative method enabled testing of results in different groups and detecting detailed differences. It also provided information that one of the assumptions of the program, the development of a teacher independent program, was not completely realized. The major advantage of using both methods is that this provides feedback between assumptions and data, thus enhancing comparison of results and critical reflection during the whole project.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?