Sara E. Crann

Finding the Hidden Participant Solutions for Recruiting Hidden, Hard-to-Reach, and Vulnerable Populations

Certain social groups are often difficult for researchers to access because of their social or physical location, vulnerability, or otherwise hidden nature. This unique review article based on both the small body of relevant literature and our own experiences as researchers is meant as a guide for those seeking to include hard-to-reach, hidden, and vulnerable populations in research. We make recommendations for research process starting from early stages of study design to dissemination of study results. Topics covered include participant mistrust of the research process; social, psychological, and physical risks to participation; participant resource constraints; and challenges inherent in nonprobability sampling, snowball sampling, and derived rapport. This article offers broadly accessible solutions for qualitative researchers across social science disciplines attempting to research a variety of different populations.

Notes on the development of health psychology and behavioral medicine in the United States

A “standard” historiographical overview of the development of health psychology in the United States, alongside behavioral medicine, first summarizes previous disciplinary and professional histories. A “historicist” approach follows, focussing on a collective biographical summary of accumulated contributions of one cohort (1967–1971) at State University of New York at Stony Brook. Foundational developments of the two areas are highlighted, contextualized within their socio-political context, as are innovative cross-boundary collaboration on “precursor” studies from the 1960s and 1970s, before the official disciplines emerged. Research pathways are traced from social psychology to health psychology and from clinical psychology to behavioral medicine.

The Experience of Resilience for Adult Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence A Phenomenological Inquiry

While resilience research in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasing, there remains little known about women’s lived experience of resilience. Using a phenomenological approach, this study examined the experience of resilience for adult female survivors of IPV. Sixteen women who were currently experiencing or had previously experienced abuse by an intimate partner participated in semi-structured interviews. Resilience was experienced as multiple cognitive, emotional, and behavioral shifts across three theme areas: toward resistance, in the experience of control, and toward positivity. The results of this study suggest a number of applications for clinical practice and intervention.

Women’s genital body work: Health, hygiene and beauty practices in the production of idealized female genitalia

Women’s genitalia are constructed as a bodily site requiring ongoing surveillance, maintenance and modification to conform to social norms. Women engage in a range of genital health, hygiene and beauty practices, including the use of commercial and homemade vaginal douches, washes, wipes, sprays and pubic hair removal, to modify their bodies. Using a social constructionist framework, we draw on interviews with 49 Canadian women to examine the construction of idealized (Western) genitalia as hairless, odourless and free of discharge, and “natural” female genitalia as problematic through the mobilization of normative femininity and (hetero)sexuality discourses. Theorizing women’s genital health, hygiene and beauty practices as a form of body work, we examine how women’s genital body work is constructed as a necessary and thus normative practice of femininity undertaken in the pursuit of idealized genitalia. A minority perspective that drew on alternative discourses to construct female genitalia as acceptable irrespective of genital body work is examined. Throughout our analysis, we examine the ways in which women negotiate issues of agency and choice in relation to their genital body work. Implications for women’s health in the context of the vaginal microbiome are explored.

Healthcare providers' perspectives on the acceptability and uptake of HPV vaccines in Zimbabwe.

Abstract Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are a critical strategy in the prevention of cervical cancer, especially in countries like Zimbabwe where cervical cancer screening rates are low. In Zimbabwe, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women but the HPV vaccine is not yet widely available. This study examined healthcare providers’: (1) perceptions of current hospital practices and issues in cervical cancer prevention and treatment in Zimbabwe; (2) knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccines; and (3) perspectives on introducing HPV vaccination programs in Zimbabwe, including potential facilitators and barriers to successful implementation. Method: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted at a rural hospital with 15 healthcare providers in Zimbabwe. Interviews included eight main questions and a number of additional probes that reflected the study’s purpose. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported that women are not consistently being screened for cervical cancer. There were generally low levels of knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccines, but participants asked many questions indicating a desire to learn more. Although they were highly supportive of implementing HPV vaccination programs in Zimbabwe, they also identified a number of likely psychosocial, cultural, and logistical barriers to successful implementation, including cost, vaccine schedule, and hospital infrastructure. However, participants also provided a number of culturally relevant solutions, including education and community engagement. Conclusion: This study provides insight from healthcare providers about barriers to implementation and possible solutions that can be used by policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to facilitate the successful implementation of forthcoming HPV immunization programs in Zimbabwe.