Physical Inactivity in Long-Term Care During COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Study
This paper outlines the research methodology for a study examining the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and physiological decline among elderly residents at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Center (EGCCC) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The study employs a mixed-methods (MM) methodology, with qualitative research as the dominant design. Data collection involves open-ended interviews and structured questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale. The paper discusses factors influencing data collection, data analysis strategies including thematic analysis and statistical tools, and measures to ensure trustworthiness through credibility, dependability, transferability, and validity across both research methods.
- Introduction and Purpose Statement: Research question, population, and study context
- Mixed-Methods Methodology: Qualitative-dominant MM design and its rationale
- Rationale for Selecting Mixed Methods: Why MM methodology best answers the research question
- Data Collection Design: Interviews, surveys, instruments, and ethical factors
- Data Analysis Plan: Thematic analysis and statistical tools described
- Trustworthiness and Validity: Credibility, dependability, validity across both methods
- References: APA-formatted citations for all sources used
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly links each methodological choice back to the research question, showing intentional design rather than arbitrary selection of methods.
- It thoroughly justifies the dominance of qualitative design within the mixed-methods framework by referencing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) literature and the lived experiences of elderly residents.
- Trustworthiness is addressed systematically for both qualitative and quantitative strands, demonstrating awareness of rigor requirements across research traditions.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates methodological triangulation — using qualitative interviews to capture lived experiences and quantitative surveys to verify and quantify those findings. By explicitly naming how member-checking, audit trails, and thick description each serve a specific trustworthiness criterion, the paper shows a sophisticated understanding of research validation beyond simply citing sources.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a purpose statement grounded in a previously developed research question, then introduces the mixed-methods design and justifies its selection. It moves logically into data collection (instruments, location, recorders), explains how collection connects to the research question, and concludes with separate trustworthiness sections for qualitative and quantitative strands. This mirrors the structure expected in a formal research methodology chapter at the graduate level.
Introduction and Purpose Statement
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly imposed unwanted restrictions on people's lives worldwide, a reality corroborated by a growing body of research. People of all ages — from children to elderly adults — have been massively affected. Older adults in particular, who are already physically vulnerable, have faced profound limitations, often confined to rest with little opportunity for movement. Social distancing and isolation have led to decreased physical activity, contributing to mental health disturbances such as stress, depression, and anxiety (Cunningham & O'Sullivan, 2020).
A previously developed research question asked: "Whether there is any relationship between physical declines in elderly people residing in EGCCC and the pandemic restrictions imposed during COVID-19?" This paper aims to provide the study's purpose statement and to outline the research methodology for the selected project.
The purpose statement is to investigate a relationship between physical inactivity — potentially forced by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions imposed by the government — and physiological decline among elderly residents. Although it is clearly understood that restrictions on social distancing and mobility were established for public safety against the virus, these measures have nonetheless affected the support networks for older people residing in long-term care facilities. Therefore, the purpose statement is to explore whether there is a connection between physiological health declines and the sedentary behavior of elderly residents at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Center (EGCCC) resulting from government-imposed limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The population under study consists of elderly residents at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Center who are 65 years of age or older. The facility is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. These are senior citizens who require special physical and psychological care and are therefore particularly sensitive to changes related to inactivity. Many are at risk of developing chronic diseases if they remain inactive for extended periods. Decisions regarding their care and support must be carefully considered, even during a global pandemic such as COVID-19.
Mixed-Methods Methodology
A mixed-methods (MM) methodology will be used in this research, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research designs. However, the qualitative research design will remain the dominant strand, as the opinions and self-reported views of EGCCC's older residents will be obtained to determine whether an actual relationship exists between their physical health and inactivity resulting from COVID-19 restrictions.
Patient-related outcomes (PROs) are considered key elements when collecting qualitative data, since health outcomes must be self-reported by the participants themselves (Regnault, Willgoss & Barbic, 2018). Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods helps clarify patient priorities related to their health while also providing scientific rigor for improved recommendations. The MM research paradigm suggests that a clearly formulated research question can be answered by applying both qualitative and quantitative methods; the articulation of both methods should be pre-specified within the study design. Responses to research questions should emerge from the results of both types of research within the MM framework (Regnault, Willgoss & Barbic, 2018).
Several studies have noted that quality of life (QoL) in the late stages of palliative care is linked to chronic diseases that negatively affect patients both physically and psychologically (Frazer & Mobley, 2017). During late-life stages, social and emotional stress are elevated. Patients' social, spiritual, and psychological needs demand attention, arising primarily from physical conditions and QoL. MM methodology allows these dimensions to be examined together. Interviews capture patients' self-reported beliefs about their personal QoL, while quantified results provide authentication for those beliefs. For this reason, the current study employs MM methodology.
The amalgamation of close-ended quantitative questions and open-ended qualitative questions within MM methodology helps expand the research horizon of the current study. The deep insight gained from the narratives of study participants — including their personal opinions about physical activity and COVID-19 restrictions in long-term care — supports generalization of findings from a small sample to a larger population of older adults in long-term care (Dawadi, Shrestha & Giri, 2021).
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