Vitamin D -- and if so Which

¶ … Vitamin D -- and if so which level of Vitamin D -- would prevent risk of falling of elderly. The problem is that elderly are at great risk of falling and, consequently, injuring themselves. Injury, sometimes, leads to death. There is a high rate of falls amongst the elderly Vitamin D may prevent and reduce quantity of falls. Most studies seem to point to this, but there are contradictory results. The level of Vitamin D too that is effective in preventing falls is unclear. Analyze the literature review.

The literature review is summarized, succinct, and pertinent to the subject. The authors cluster their research -- they do not deliberate on them in depth singling out studies and describing or analyzing those studies. Rather they take a cluster of related studies, mainly from the last five to ten years and show how they point to Vitamin D being a feasible solution for preventing falls. They also summarize their studies indicating gaps that still remain.

Three of the studies are from the 1990s; one is from 1987, but otherwise the majority of their literature review is pertinent. It would have been helpful for us to have known a bit about the key studies so that we can assess whether the design of the study (the sample, conditions and so forth) render it reliable and valid. 3. Analyze the study framework or theoretical perspective. There was no theoretical perspective. The study framework was a double blind, control design group.

It was double blinded in that both participants and researchers were unaware of the kind of supplement that participants were receiving -- whether they were receiving a placebo or one of the Vitamin D supplements since all Vitamin D tablets and placebos were packaged the same. It was also a control design group in that one group received the placebo whiles the other recie3ved the Vitamin D supplement. The Vitamin D supplement category was also divided into 4 groups (each with a different unit of Vitamin D).

The participants were randomly selected and divided between the 5 groups. Their design is the ideal scientific prototype: random selection was done amongst a sufficiently large population (n=184). There was a control and treatment group, and it was a double-blind study. 4. Identify, describe, and critique for appropriateness any research objectives, questions, or hypothesis. The term' fall' was insufficiently -- in fact, not all -- defined and, later, as we see minor falls were omitted. On the other hand, researchers were careful to elaborate and select all inclusive and exclusive conditions.

The researchers described a limited and clearly defined research question: they wanted to see whether, and, if so, which level of Vitamin D would be helpful in preventing falls. In implementing their research, they structured conditions that tightly matched their research question. These were: Is Vitamin D helpful -- they, therefore, put in place a control group. Which level of Vitamin D is helpful -- they divided the supplement into four distinct groups. 5. Identify, describe, and critique -- conceptually and operationally -- the major study variables.

The dependent variable was the falls of the people. The independent variable was the supplement. Researchers wanted to see whether the supplement would reduce (i.e. have an impact on) the amount of falls. Conceptualizing the variables means that researchers would have to set clear perimeters for their terms defining what it is they mean by 'falling' and by 'vitamin D'. They did so by Vitamin D, but not by 'falling'.

'Operationalizing' refers to the fact that researchers would have to specify how they intend to quantitatively measure their concept, turn it into concepts that they can evaluate mathematically. (Andrew, 2009) They did this by using their computerized data base to assess the amount of falls that the hospital had experienced before, and record the amount of falls that occurred once the supplements were given.

They also converted Vitamin D into a mathematical term by measuring and evaluating the blood serum that was the byproduct of the Vitamin D In this way, they could tell which participants received the Vitamin D and.