The effect of telling patients their lung age (critique)

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There are numerous methods and techniques that can be used in collection, presentation and analysis of a given data. The methods depend on the type of data and presentation type the researcher intends to uses. The paper criticizes the presentation of the data collected in the research carried (by Gary Parkes et. all) out to determine the effects of telling smokers their lung ages.

This quantitative research on the effects of informing the smokers on their health status lacks numerous aspects of data collection and presentations. The data collection and presentations weakly relates to the study scope (the conclusions are not drawn from the hypothesis). Though the data objective started that it was primarily aimed to determine the impact of telling patients their approximated spirometric lung age as an inducement for smoking quitting but the data collected is geared towards the effects of smoking on the smokers. It also majors on the diseases that are associated with smoking.

There are numerous scientific hypotheses that can be formed from the study. The study can hence be grouped as multi-purpose. It does not only address one hypothesis but numerous within one. The blanket of all the hypotheses is the effects of telling patients their approximated spirometric lung age. The others can be able to be implied from the way the research question is described. We can have one hypothesis from the conclusion of the whole research. The conclusion addresses the effects of quitting smoking and its effects on other diseases. The hypothesis can be started as; quitting smoking helps the smokers to reduce their chances of contracting other diseases. The other that the writer addresses secretly and quietly in the research is the effects of smoking on the smokers’ health. Smokers are likely to be more pruned to diseases more than none smokers (another hypothesis). The non-smokers are not interviewed or n the study but the research extend and views few aspects concerning health that refers to them.

From the first hypothesis, the dependent variables are the diseases and the independent is quitting smoking (from table two). The diseases and their chances wholly depend on the smoking outcomes. The second hypothesis can have its dependent variable as health and the independent is smoking. The health of the individual is affected by the smoking. This is addressed and presented in the second table.

The type of research can also be dependent on the hypothesis of the research. Taking the intended hypothesis of the researcher, the type of study design is randomized. It uses random assigning of the smokers to either control or the program group. We can refer to it as a true or randomized experiment.

In testing the hypothesis, the problem to be solved would have been created and followed by hypothesis formulation. Design the survey, objectives is then made. This could reduce bias through the design of techniques to be employed. The design would also reduce the probability of errors occurring. The data is then to be examined and interpreted. The examination assists in either accepting the hypothesis or rejecting it. In this case it would have been rejected.

In accordance to the research objective and the hypothesis that he intended, the research test would have been regression test. The differences between the two would have been noted and the deviations identified as well in this kind of test. This could assist him restrict him/herself in the research and minimize the generalization or inclusion of the related factors like in the study.

Though it based on assumptions and estimations but he does not move further to test even the hypothesis. The data were missing for some people who participated and this made it for the research to assume that the information and the outcomes were general and similar to all. This can be seen in table two. It might also be possible that the 38 left out could have caused major deviations in the data obtained. The way the results are presented cannot be considered as the most appropriate way of representing the research. They fail to answer the research questions since the diseases are what are presented. It does not give any satisfactory research finding and hence it moves the data from the scope f the study. The other aspects that are missing in the presented results are the comparison of the two groups. They ought to have compared and the major differences noted. Though a small aspect of comparison is found towards the end of the research but they are not according to the investigation. They only compared the health status of the two groups but failed to identify the effects of informing the smokers of their health status. The tables are not clearly designed and all aspects are not present. The result that was after the data and research was carried out is missing. The research fails to indicate clearly the effects but learns against the other factors like diseases.

In conclusion, the method that has been used by the research in obtaining the data concerning the effects of informing the smokers about their health, might not fully explored the topic. There are several subtopics that are presented in the data that dilutes the whole data (gives it another direction) rather than the intended meaning and scope. This is the short fall of randomized style of study.

Reference

Gary, P. (2008). Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age:

The Step2quit randomized controlled trial. Downloaded from bmj.com on 18 April 2008.