3.5.1 Sample. The qualitative data were collected in two phases. As the phases were sampled and conducted differently, each sample will be described separately. A table of the interviewees is provided in Appendix A. The original study design was to collect and analyse qualitative data from a sample in North Wales using the grounded theory approach of Charmaz (1995, 2009). Delays in the main CFAS study meant delays in gaining access to the North Wales sample and so an opportunity sample from the Wirral (where the researcher resides) was obtained in order to begin data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the process of random sub- sample generation from the main CFAS sample meant that participants (i.e. based on gender and marital status) had to be requested before the study commenced. Therefore, it was not possible to request participants on an ongoing basis and to
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3.5.1.1 Wirral interviews (Phase 1). The participants were recruited from the Wirral area of Merseyside through Age UK classes as well as using opportunity sampling. Contact was made with managers at Age UK and sheltered housing schemes who then facilitated informal meetings with potential participants. Further recruitment of participants was possible through referrals made by interviewees obtained through Age UK.
The Wirral interviews (N=20) consisted of 15 women and five men,who were aged between 65 and 87 (M = 74). Twelve of the participants were widowed, six were married and two were divorced. Twelve of the participants lived alone, six lived with their spouses and two participants lived with adult children. All respondents were retired, living in their own homes and not reliant on others for their shopping needs.
3.5.1.2 North Wales interviews (Phase 2). The participants (N=28) were recruited from the CFAS-Wales main sample. As mentioned above, preliminary analyses of phase 1 data provided a sampling frame for phase 2. As the phase 1 interviews were over-represented by people living alone, it was decided to include more married people in phase 2. Thus, the inclusion criteria at phase 2 were 10 people living alone and 18 not living alone (with a 50:50 gender split for each category), residing in North Wales. The exclusion criteria were that interviewees: wished to be interviewed in Welsh; had a MMSE score of less than 21; lived in residential care; had been selected for other qualitative interviews. A list of potential participants was randomly generated by the CFAS-Wales team. Contact with
potential participants was made by post with a standard CFAS-Wales letter of invite (Appendix C) and participant information sheet (Appendix E). A follow-up telephone call was made to ask for participation and to make interview arrangements. Of those contacted, five declined participation.
The North Wales participants consisted of 14 women and 14 men,who were aged between 66 and 95 (M = 77). Eighteen of the participants were married, eight were widowed and two were divorced. All but two of the respondents were retired; all were living in their own homes and not reliant on others for their shopping needs.
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3.5.2 Data collection. Qualitative data collection took place in two phases. The Wirral interviews were conducted between 2011 and 2013 and the North Wales interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2014. In depth semi-structured
interviews, lasting up to two hours, were held with each participant in their own homes. Conversations were recorded at the time of the interview using an Olympus DM-450 digital recorder and each interview was subsequently transcribed into a Microsoft Word document.
The interview schedule was divided into several sections, as shown in Appendix B. In practice the interviews loosely followed the order of questions outlined in the interview schedule. Each interview began by asking respondents factual questions such as their age, marital status and living arrangements. The next section asked interviewees questions about their shopping habits. Examples of questions asked are: How often do you visit supermarkets? How often do you visit other shops? Have you changed your shopping habits over the last few years? Subsequent interview questions concerned whether they shop with others or use shopping as a social activity. For example, participants were asked: Who do you shop with? Do you use shopping as a social activity? Do you enjoy shopping? In addition, participants were asked about their motivations for shopping and whether they plan and make lists.
As the purpose was to gain a thorough understanding of the participants’ experiences and what shopping activities mean to them, the interviewees were encouraged to freely describe their experiences. Thus, although interviews were semi-structured and organised around a number of broad themes, the interviews went with the flow of conversation rather than being prescriptive in terms of the interview schedule. This allowed the flexibility to cover the themes as they arose during the interview rather than following through in a sequential manner, which contributed to the naturalness of the interview situation. Nevertheless, whilst
interviewees were encouraged to talk freely, where necessary, prompts were used to bring conversation back to the central focus. In conjunction with the interviews, notes were taken immediately after to serve as aides memoire and to provide context for later interpretation. The data analysis strategy will be discussed below (section 3.8).
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