Qualitative Methods and Data Analysis in Family Health Research

[Page 861]Qualitative research encompasses multiple methods and analytic approaches that are appropriate for studying both the family system and family roles and relationships. Qualitative methods are used to address a wide variety of research aims, including those related to how the family system responds to various health-related situations and how individuals experience health and illness in the context of the family. Qualitative research is especially well suited for studying the construction of meaning, perceptions of family process, sensitive topics related to family and family member health, and topics about which family members care deeply. For example, family health researchers have studied the subjective meanings parents attribute to having a child with a chronic condition. In some cases, parents view the condition as a tragic situation ...