Responsabilidad por defectos

The study population was parents/carers of young children aged between 6 and 18 months registered at two medical practices in Dumfries and the local area. All eligible parents/carers (N= 83) were invited by their health visitor to participate in the study.

4.4.1 Selection criteria

A) To have a child that can be categorised into one of these three groups:

Aged 6 months +/- 2 weeks (SIMD 1-5)

Aged 12 months +/- 2 weeks (SIMD 1-5)

Aged 18 months +/- 2 weeks. (SIMD 1-5)

B) Ability to read and write English without assistance

4.4.2 Exclusion Criteria

A) Pre-term babies

B) Babies with illness affecting their normal dietary behaviour

4.5 Recruitment

Contact details of eligible parents/carers were obtained from their health visitor’s case files. Invitation letters and study information sheets (Appendices 2 and 3) were sent from their health visitor to parents/carers at the time when their child was due to reach the age groups as shown in the selection criteria. Eighty-three letters were sent over a six-month period. The letter had the contact details of the researcher (MW), and invited the parents/carers to contact her if interested in taking part. Eight participants contacted the researcher by phone call, text or email, requesting to take part in the study. The letter also stated that, if no response, a health visitor would contact them by telephone, approximately 10 days after receiving the letter. The telephone call from the health visitor supporting this study invited the parent/carer of the child into the study. Attempts were made to contact 75 parents/carers by phone call. Figure 4-1 illustrates the pathway for recruitment and participation in the study.

Figure 4-1 Flow diagram showing the process of recruitment and participation in the study

4.6 Consent

By telephone, the health visitor gained verbal consent of 34 participants to be contacted by the researcher. The eight participants who contacted the researcher independently gave consent in their voluntary contact. Then the researcher, on first telephone contact, gained verbal consent from 37 participants to visit their homes or other convenient location to engage them in the study. Five parents/carers failed to join the study at the point of researcher contact, either because it was not possible to contact them, or they refused to take part in the study.

4.7 Participant engagement

Throughout the study period, a log diary of research activities was kept by the

researcher in order to calculate the practicalities of diary administration, in terms of cost of resources, transport and time spent visiting participants and analysing data.

4.7.1 First visit

On first visit to the participants’ homes, the researcher gained written consent from the parent to take part in the study using the consent form (Appendix 4) approved by the REC. They were all asked if they had read over the information sheet sent out with the recruitment letter. Two copies of the consent form were signed by the participant (parent/carer of the subject child) and the researcher. In each case, one consent form was retained by the researcher and the other was kept by the participant.

Invitation letter to potential

participants from health visitor

Interest expressed via health visitor contact, then follow up telephone call from researcher First visit:

•

consent

•

parent profile questionnaire

•

introductory questions

•

delivery of diary

•

completion instructions Support telephone call during diary period Second visit:

•

collection of diet diary

•

feedback questionnaire and interview/ focus groups

4.7.2 Structured interview

Information was gathered from the participant during a structured one-to-one interview using the REC-approved Parent Profile Questionnaire (Appendix 5) and the Introductory Diet Information Form (Appendix 6).

4.7.3 Instructions on diary use

Verbal instructions were given by the researcher to the participant, and other present family members involved in the feeding of the child. This involved the talking through of the diary, demonstrating the quantities (using props brought by the researcher) and detail of information required, and advice on completion. Any questions from the participants were answered in order to aid their completion of the diary. Participants were given the researcher’s phone number, if they required any support during the diary completion period.

4.7.4 Collection of the diary

A mutually convenient date was arranged for the researcher to collect the completed diary from the participant’s home/workplace, and at this point the diary was briefly checked over by the researcher, for completeness and to clarify any uncertainties in the diary (such as brand of food item). An informal discussion about the diary and their experience was held, with semi-structured questions asked in order to gain feedback on the process from the participants. General themes discussed followed these questions:

• How did you find the diary and the process of filling it in? • How did you find the length of the diary period?

• Were the diary days typical?

• Was the diary any help to the parents/carers?

• Did you find anything helped with completion of the diary?

• How do they feel about a paper diary compared to a computer/phone diary? The participants’ comments were recorded during each interview. At this visit, the researcher asked the participant if they wished to be invited to focus groups at the end

of the data collection period, and gained their verbal consent to be contacted by telephone by the researcher in the future.

In document Licitación Pública Internacional Nº 01/09 (página 102-105)