Instructions: The goal of this discussion is to help you understand the steps of the research process. For this activity, you will attempt to answer the following questiAn using the Research Interest topic that you mentioned during the week 4 discussion. You will then be required to make a reply post to one of your peers.

Part 1-Initial Post

1. State the research interest topic that you communicated in discussion activity 1.
2. Explain the importance of studying this problem area (significance) in five to six sentences. Cite references.
3. Review the literature to highlight the problem. Provide a brief summary of the literature review from three articles. Use Loyola’s library resources to retrieve the articles. Include three references in APA style.
4. Refine your research focus from a broader perspective to a specific re-searchable problem. Write the “problem statement.”
5. Develop “purpose statement(s). (Note: I am looking for a purpose statement based on a quantitative study here).
6. Write “research question” from the purpose statement. Write one research question.
7. What research approach/design and sampling method would you choose to answer the research question?
8. What will be your data collection method? What level of measurement (nominal? ordinal? interval? ratio?) your data collection tool/instrument will elicit?
9. What descriptive and inferential statistical methods would you potentially choose in analyzing the data for the research question, approach/design chosen? Why have you chosen this analysis strategy?
10. Based on your responses in questions 1-9, do you think the research question; research design, sampling measurement, and data analysis method(s) are logically connected? Explain.
11. Now pose a question to your group on the area(s) (question 1-9) where you need clarifications.

(Note: To answer questions 4-9, review the assigned chapter readings from your textbook and apply the reading knowledge in your answers. You may not be 100% accurate in answering the questions. However, your level of understanding about the research steps must be reflected in the answers)

INITAL POST:

The 42 topics that are listed on the Healthy People are all very important to look at. The topic that I selected for investment priority is regarding to substance abuse. Substance abuse is one issue which has increasingly taken a huge toll on our community for years now. The damage caused by substance abuse can be seen in hospitals, emergency rooms, rehabilitation centers across the country. In 2005, it was estimated that 22 million Americans have drug abuse and alcohol problems (Healthypeople.gov). And out of those 22 million people, not many realize that they have a problem, only about 273,000 people recognized that they have an issue but had unsuccessful treatments. American’s abuse different substances such as prescription drugs, alcohol, illicit drugs and much more.

I believe substance abuse needs an investment priority is because it can lead to other issues. Substance abuse can lead to; suicide, crimes, motor vehicle crashes, child abuse, and many other problems. Additionally, people who suffer from substance abuse or have addictions do not realize how they are damaging their body. Such as, smoking marijuana exposes the user to carbon monoxide, tar, and ash (Recovery Village, 2019). This then leads to regular cough, wheezing, decrease activity of lung immune cells and much more. Drug use can also increase an individual’s chances of contracting other infections such as HIV and hepatitis c through sharing of injection.

Another issue to think about in reference to substance abuse is if a mother is using drugs while she is pregnant, she is now affecting her baby as well. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, the reason is due to many substances pass easily through the placenta, so substances that a pregnant woman takes also reach the fetus, which could also cause still birth. Also, many of babies who are born, will experience many symptoms of withdrawal immediately or up to 14 days after. Substance abuse is very complex and should be taken more seriously to help lower the number of people who suffer from this. This can be done by finding treatments to really help an individual long term. But also educating kids about risks.

1. Aside from rehabilitation centers, what do you think can help treat people who have substance abuse?
2. In Healthy People 2020, they touch bases on how there has was a decrease in 12thgraders use of amphetamines and cocaine. How would you go about educating the youth on substance abuse?

References

Listing the Health Concerns of Drug Use, Abuse and Addiction. (2019, March 20). Retrieved from https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/drug-addiction/health-concerns/#gref

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Substance Use While Pregnant and Breastfeeding. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/substance-u…

Substance Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics- objectives/topic/substance-abuse.