Research Methods in Clinical Practice

Research

• Evidence-Based Practices: Clinical decisions based on best available research, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and informed decision-making. Application optimizes clinical practice and builds professional experience. Three best methods for whom, why, and what are key considerations.
• Body of Evidence: Accumulated facts in a specific area, developed through scientific inquiry and systemic evaluation, requiring time.
• Facts vs. Evidence: Science provides reliable knowledge. Assessing evidence, cumulatively, yields accurate, trustworthy evidence.
• Experimental vs. Non-Experimental Research:
  • Experimental: Manipulating independent variables (what's changed) and observing effects on dependent variables (the outcome), with control groups.
  • Non-Experimental: Observing variables naturally, without manipulation. Difficult to determine causation.
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative:
  • Quantitative: Numerical data (objective).
  • Qualitative: Observable or categorical data (subjective).
  • Basic: New knowledge, foundational information.
  • Applied: Builds upon basic research, using meta-analysis to address real-life problems.
• Observational vs. Intervention:
  • Observational: Watching participants without influencing them.
  • Intervention: Applying treatments to observe their effects.
• Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Design:
  • Cross-Sectional: A short snapshot at a single point in time.
  • Longitudinal: Observations over a long period.
• Repeated Measures Design: Measuring variables repeatedly on the same participants over time.
• Validity, Reliability, and Hypothesis:
  • Validity: Measures what it's intended to measure.
  • Reliability: Produces consistent results.
  • Hypothesis: A prediction of the study's outcome.
• Independent/Dependent Variables:
  • Independent Variable: Manipulated by the researcher.
  • Dependent Variable: The outcome measured by the researcher.
• Bias: Prejudice towards a specific result.
• Primary Source Research Articles:
  • Sections: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, and References.
  • Types: Original research articles, review articles, and meta-analyses (numerical summaries of research trends).
• Secondary Source Research Articles:
  • Types: Textbooks (educational summaries), professional books (comprehensive expert works), and review articles (narrative reviews); meta-analyses (require background in statistics). Sources range from popular magazines and websites to peer-reviewed journals.
• Epidemiology: Study of factors related to specific behaviors in relation to disease or injury.
• Cross-Sectional Surveys: Measure risk factors and disease presence/absence simultaneously. Don't show cause and effect, but can generate useful data.
• Randomized Control Trials: The gold standard for medical research, allowing researchers maximum control and random assignment to experimental and control groups.
• Framingham Heart Study: Longitudinal study tracking risk factors and disease incidence. Expensive and time-consuming but reveals risk profiles before outcomes, change in risk factors over time, and absolute risk estimates.
• Observational Studies:
  • Cohort: Comparing exposed and non-exposed groups (e.g., factory workers).
  • Case-Control: Comparing individuals with and without a disease to identify potential causes.
  • Prospective Cohort Studies: Following a randomly selected group over time to study disease incidence.
• Incidence Rates: Frequency of events over a specific time, divided by the population at risk.

Nutrition

• Nutrition's Impact: Fertility, fetal development, health, environment, body composition, and performance.
• Artificial Ingredients: Highly processed foods often contain numerous artificial ingredients with limited nutritional value.
• Mechanical Processing: Does not directly affect the healthfulness of food (e.g., freezing, grinding, heating, pasteurization). Only if it does not add chemicals.
• Missing Nutrients in Ultra-Processed Foods: Healthful plant compounds (antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic).
• Dietary Fiber Benefits: Slows carbohydrate absorption, promotes satiety, and acts as a prebiotic.
• Ultra-Processed Foods (Dr. Nestle's Definition): Foods that cannot be made at home.
• Science of Nutrition in Medicine: Often ignored in medical schools and not reimbursable by insurance.
• Public's Nutrition Adherence: Confusion, convenience, and how healthy foods are prepared.
• Plant-Based Diet and Heart Disease: Can substantially lower heart disease risk.
• WHO and Meat as a Carcinogen: Meat contains heme iron that might contribute to carcinogen production and cell damage, related to cancer.
• Animal Protein "Poor Package": Removes many beneficial plant compounds (fiber, antioxidants), concentrates contaminants, and adds inflammatory components.
• Reduced Dairy Consumption Reasons: Impact on immune function, increased male estrogen, and potentially decreased testosterone.
• Meat Ingestion on Blood and Performance: Increases inflammation by about 70%, impairs blood flow, potentially affecting heart disease and cancer risk with a significant impact on blood health.
• Plant Protein Superiority: Rich in fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Improves blood flow and reduces inflammation.
• Plant Proteins as Complete: All plants contain essential amino acids, though varying amounts. The quality is not inferior, and the body utilizes individual amino acids to build necessary proteins.
• Meat and Dairy's Hormone Effects: Animal products can increase estrogen levels, impacting hormone balance.
• Animal Agriculture's Environmental Impact: Contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, species extinction, ocean dead zones, and freshwater consumption. Also, produces contaminated waste.
• Ag Gag Laws, Cheeseburger Law, Common Sense Consumer Act: Laws and acts relating to consumer awareness of diet/nutrition issues.
• Environmental Impact of Big Pharma: Pharmaceuticals are found in water supplies across the United States.

Sport Psychology

• Mindset Matters (Placebo Effect and Maid Study): Study demonstrating the power of mental state on physical outcomes.
• Sport/Exercise Psychology: The scientific study of people in sports/exercise and the application of knowledge.
• ABCs of Psychology: Affect (feelings), Behavior (actions), and Cognitions (thoughts).
• Sport/Exercise Psychology Objectives: Understand the impact of psychology on performance and the impact of activity on well-being.
• Certified Mental Performance Consultant vs. Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychologist: Different levels of training and licensure related to treating disorders.
• Sport/Exercise Psychologist Roles: Research, teaching, and consulting.

Risk-Benefit Exercise Prescription

• Physical Activity Continuum: Progression from sedentary to peak performance.
• Five Components of Fitness: Aerobic, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility/functional movement, and body composition.
• Skilled-Based Components: Power, balance/coordination, reaction time, agility, and speed.
• Common Injuries: Lumbar muscle strains, ankle sprains, bone fractures dominate, with ankles and knees featuring highest incidence. Injuries also frequently occur during practices.
• Modifiable Injury Risks: Most injury risks are modifiable.
• Female Athlete Injuries: Potential factors include less training and lifting experience, and foundational limitations impacting skills.
• Physiological Factors in Exercise Prescription: To improve health and performance.
• Risk-Reward Considerations: Comparing the benefit of an exercise against the potential risk of injury. Pre-existing conditions, body systems, and appropriate fluid periodization of training load considerations.
• Keys to Safe Training: Evaluating joint mobility, and appropriate aerobic and anaerobic training.
• Core Utilization Biomechanics: Stabilizing spine, and avoiding excessive joint angles
• Hip Thrusters Risks: Hyperextension risks, impingement and wear-and-tear on the hip labrum.
• High vs. Low Risk Exercises: High-risk moves take joints outside their natural range or add significant resistance without foundational, prior capability.

Explore the fundamental aspects of research methods relevant to clinical practice. This quiz covers evidence-based practices, the distinction between experimental and non-experimental research, and the differences between qualitative and quantitative approaches. Test your understanding of how these methodologies influence clinical decision-making.