Coding is a skill that requires practice to become proficient. In this assignment, you will analyze two interview transcripts by inductively coding the data, creating a codebook, and grouping the codes into categories. This experience will mimic the process and feeling of coding a large study, though on a much smaller scale.
General Requirements:Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:
Locate and download the document “Assignment Resource: Coding” attached to this assignment.
Locate and download the interview transcripts attached to this assignment
This assignment requires the inclusion of at least 4 scholarly peer reviewed research sources between 2021-2024 related to this topic and at least one in-text citation from each source.
Directions:Locate and download the document “Assignment Resource: Coding” attached to this assignment. Complete this assignment accurately. Ensure that you complete the transcripts document along with the coding worksheet. I want to see that all documents are thoroughly completed. Ensure that you are using peer reviewed resources to back up your responses. Peer reviewed resources must be between 2021-2024. Read the directions in the coding worksheet and for proper completeion of this work and FOLLOW the rubric!!!
1.Describe the analytic process you followed. Provide a description of how codes and clusters of codes or categories were developed. Explain the guidelines you used to group codes into categories. Explain how these will be related to themes.
2.Discuss how you might further refine your coding process and the reasons for doing so.
College of Doctoral Studies
RES-883 Assignment Resource: Coding
Assignment Overview
In this assignment, you will analyze two interview transcripts by inductively coding the data,
creating a codebook, and grouping the codes into categories. This experience will mimic the
process and feeling of coding a large study, though on a much smaller scale. In a subsequent
assignment, you will group these categories into themes. Follow the directions below to
complete the assignment.
Read the following key points before completing this assignment. NOTE: This assignment is
based on classic thematic analysis and may not be applicable to all qualitative research designs.
•
Coding is a phase in a thematic analysis approach to data. Different qualitative designs
may require different coding procedures. For example, coding in a qualitative descriptive
or case study may not be the same as in phenomenological or narrative designs.
•
Coding is conducted based on identifying similar topics that recur in the document
regardless of frequency of occurrence. Keep focused on the meaning of statements, not
on their frequency.
•
These assignments will use Braun and Clarke’s six-phase process: familiarization
with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining
and naming themes, and producing the report.
•
Coding generally follows this progression: Codes>categories>themes. Codes are the
smallest unit of meaning and are then subsumed into mid-level categories, which are then
subsumed into themes, which are phrases or sentences that directly answer the research
questions. For the purposes of Braun and Clarke’s six-phases, categories are established
in Phase 3: Search for Themes. All six phases are outlined below.
Components of Sample Study
Before beginning, take a moment to become familiar with the study components as noted below:
Title: Asthma Beliefs and Practices in an Urban Minority Community in Western New
York
Problem Statement: It is not known how asthma is perceived and managed in urban,
minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
Purpose Statement: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore how
adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
perceive and manage their illness.
Phenomenon: Managing asthma illness.
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Research Questions:
R1: How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the
Northeast of the U.S. perceive their illness?
R2: How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the
Northeast of the U.S. manage their asthma?
Braun and Clarke’s Six-Phase Process
Phase 1: Familiarization with Data: Read each transcript several times and identify statements
that strike you as important. Mark the statements in some fashion (highlight, circle, bold,
underline). When you recognize chunks of text (words, phrases, and sentences) that appear
frequently, or that seem relevant or significant, make note of them. That is, circle or highlight
them in the text.
Phase 2: Generate Initial Codes: After reading all transcripts several times, review the
statements you marked or wrote down and identify a list of useful codes. Create a codebook that
lists your codes, definitions, and examples from the transcripts. Display as shown in Table 1.
Phase 3: Search for Themes: From Phase 2, look over your codebook and condense these codes
into a reduced number of mid-level categories (potential themes) based on similarity and name
them. Develop a table that shows the mid-level categories, aligned codes, and an exemplary
quote from two interviews. Display as shown in Table 2.
Phase 4: Reviewing Themes. Group mid-level categories developed in Phase 3 into themes
based on similarities. Themes should be complete thoughts, phrases, or complete sentences that
directly answer the RQs. Display as shown in Table 3 below.
Phase 5: Defining and Naming Themes. In this Phase, you will begin to create a narrative of
the data. Check themes against that narrative to see if they fit. Go back through the transcripts to
look for other information that may not fit themes. Review themes to make sure you can
articulate what they are about. Finally, check the research questions and see if the themes you
developed directly answer the research questions. Display as shown in Table 4 below.
Phase 6: Producing the Report. Compile and Write up Your Findings. Write up a thematic
narrative of findings.
< Document continues on next page. >
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Assignment Directions
To analyze the data, you must first identify codes and categories that appear in the data. To
accomplish this, use the first three phases of Braun and Clarke’s six-phase process as presented
above. In this assignment, you will hand code the data to create codes, develop a codebook, and
group the codes into categories.
Task 1: Code the transcript as described above in Phase 1 of Braun and Clarke’s process. Do this
in Word. Keep in mind that codes may repeat. Retain your coded document for submission with
this assignment.
Task 2: Create a codebook. For this assignment, you should target 20 or 30 codes from these two
transcripts. Use Table 1 below to develop your codebook. Add table rows as needed.
Table 1.
Codebook
Code
Description of the Code
Example from Transcript
Task 3: Based on your hand coding, group the codes together into categories based on
similarities. As a guideline, you should probably have 10 or so mid-level categories. Use Table 2
below to define your categories. Add table rows as needed.
Table 2
Codes to Categories
Category
Category Meaning
Aligned Codes
Task 4: Write a reflection (750-1050 words) on the three phases of the coding process you have
just completed. Use the space provided below to address each of the following prompts. The
space will expand as you type.
1. Describe the analytic process you followed. Provide a description of how codes and
clusters of codes or categories were developed. Explain the guidelines you used to
group codes into categories. Explain how these will be related to themes.
2. Discuss how you might further refine your coding process and the reasons for doing
so.
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Task 5: Submit completed Tables 1 and 2, your written reflection, and copies of your coded
transcripts for instructor review and grading. You may upload this document in its entirety if you
prefer.
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College of Doctoral Studies
RES-883 Interview Transcript 1
Directions: Use the transcript below to complete the Topic 3 and Topic 5 assignments.
Asthma Beliefs and Practices in an Urban Minority Community in Western New York
Interview #31 at participant’s home
Interviewer (I)
Respondent (R)
Respondent’s Husband (RH)
Study Problem
There is a high prevalence of asthma and related poor health outcomes in urban, minority
communities in the Northeast of the U.S. Little is known about how asthma is perceived and
managed in these communities.
Study Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how adults with asthma living in urban minority
communities in the Northeast of the U.S. perceive and manage their illness.
RQ1
How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
perceive their illness?
RQ2
How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
manage their asthma?
I (Q.1): People have different ideas about what asthma is. What do you think is asthma?
As far as you know, what do you think it is?
R: Well my opinion would be something like a lung disease, um, that when a patient would get
asthma it can be triggered because of a cold, or … When it comes to asthma patients they are so
sensitive and, I don’t know, from so much experience that I’ve gone through with my daughter
I’ve kind of learned as … everytime she gets it I’ve learned something new of how to try to
avoid it. So, um, my opinion is that it’s a lung disease.
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I: When did you first learned about asthma? What happened?
R: O.K. my sister, the youngest, well not the youngest, the middle, she was diagnosed with
asthma when she was three months old.
I: And how old is your sister?
R: She is 20 years old now.
I: So, you’ve known about asthma for many years.
R: For many years, and she suffers from chronic asthma. And I remember most of my years
when I used to live at home with my parents she was constantly in and out of the hospital
because she was so sensitive and, um, that’s where I really got to know the meaning and
understanding about asthma. Cause I used to see how my Mom used to prepare all the solution
for the inhaler and all that and give her the, [not the inhaler the machine], and there was times
when she would only had that little wheezing and how she would show her how to use the
inhaler by herself and that’s, I always kind of said I hope I never have to go through this with my
kids because this is scary, you know. There was times when I remember my sister used to say I
just can’t breathe, she would like to try to, I need air, and I was like I hope I never have to get to
go through that experience. A couple of years ago I really did go went through that experience
myself with my daughter and it was very, very scary.
I: How old is your daughter?
R: My daughters’ upstairs, she six years old.
I: What was her first experience with asthma like? What happened the first time that she
was diagnosed with asthma?
R: O.K. At the time the lady that used to take care of her, her husband was a very, he was
chain-smoker…
I: …you are talking about your sister, right?
R: No, my daughter.
I: Oh, your daughter, O.K.
R: And this lady used to take care of my daughter and when I was, when I had to take him over
and this and that and I never knew that he had this kind of problem, his smoking, because she
was the kind of person, to church and all that. I never got to really have the chance to get to
know her husband until all this happened. Well one day I received a call at work and it was my
husband saying that my daughter had problems breathing, he had to rush her to the hospital.
And, I’m like breathing, what do you mean? And then he said the sitter was telling me that she
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spent most of today with her knees on the floor and her head resting on the cushion of her love
seat, trying to seek for air. I remember it was the winter, I believe it was January or February, it
was the coldest months of the year. And, you know how you keep all the windows closed and
the man was just smoking along in the house and my husband that when he went to pick her up
as soon the open the door there was a huge cloud of smoke was in that apartment. And that’s
her.
I: Hi, how are you? [R’s daughter: Fine.] I: She so cute.
R: And um we rush her to the hospital and that’s when they really didn’t diagnose it yet, with
asthma, they said it was a respiratory infection. So she stood there for a couple of days and she
was under a tent of oxygen, they were kind of keeping an eye on her and she was fine after that,
after a couple of days when she came back home. They didn’t even send me home with a
machine they just said, oh, they gave her some steroids, and they said she should be fine after
this.
I: For a respiratory infection they gave her steroids?
R: They gave her some kind of steroids, yeah. And I think it was for three days she had to drink
the steroids and after that she was fine. But they I noticed that every January or February she
ended up in the hospital really ill, cause of the asthma. First it would start as a cold, then it hear
the wheezing and that, and that’s when they said I’m sorry to tell you this, but your daughter,
she’s diagnosed with asthma. I … how can I explain .. I was like why is this happening to me,
but they said you just have to try to deal with it, we’re going to send you home with the machine,
they kind of should be how to use [abitrol ..] how to mix everything in there. I remember after
that they said try to follow-up with your primary doctor, Dr. Jaén. And he’s been great, I’m
telling you I remember after a couple of times going to the hospital when I finally some him he
was like why is she going in the hospital so often, this is no good. And then when they used to
send me home with another prescription of steroids and he said this is no good for her because
she’s still little this can affect her growth in the future, you know, and I’m like well what can I
do, and he was like, well, I’m going to prescribe you with an inhaler, it’s called [.. Into.]. He
said give this to her even though, he said give it to her, I believe it was three times a day, with
the air chamber. Even though she doesn’t have asthma you going to give it to her in the morning
before she goes to school, your going to give it to her when she comes home, this is to try to
avoid the flem in her chest, and I was like O.K. So I started doing that, I’m going to be really
honest with you, it worked. And it’s been I think two years, thank God, she hasn’t been
hospitalized since.
I: Now what do you think was responsible for her frequent visits to the hospital?
R: It was starting as a cold I would giver her the nebulizer. I would give it to her every two
hours, and nothing. She was like fine for 5 or 10 minutes and then again she would tell me, she
would be like a couch potato, she just wouldn’t move, and she’s very active. And when I saw
her like that I’m like there’s something wrong. I would put my ear against her back and I would
hear that wheezing and I’m like. My husband is a little bit more, he’s the one who kind of deals,
cause I get like nervous, so he’s a little bit more, he gets a little bit more involved than me
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because he has more patience than me. I’ll be like honey, I’m going to take you to the hospital.
No we don’t have to take her, she’s fine, don’t worry, I know what to do. I’m like O.K.
I: Does he go with you to the Doctor so he would get the same information you were
getting?
R: Yes. So we’re just giving her the [intel??] inhaler as indicated and I also got a prescription
for school and for the [albuterol] so if anything would happen they already have the permission
for them to give it to her, just when a wheezing may occur, you know for the albuterol inhaler. I
remember last year when she was in kindergarten, my fear was, you know how kids tend to carry
so may germs and getting colds and this and that, that maybe for her sweating in gym, may go
out to the cold, like a fire drill or something, she might get a draft or something and start
wheezing. My fear was that they probably wouldn’t know the proper way, how to do it.
I: They would not know?
R: They would not know, and [interruption] I had to go personally to show the nurse, and this is
said, because a nurse should at least know. Because she called once over the phone and she was
like how many cups do I have to give her, four? I’m like no no no. Would you like me to go
down there personally and show you because I wouldn’t like my kid to go through an overdose?
She’s like, please. So I went down there and I showed her personally how to use it. That kind of
freaked me out. But, thank God, she’s been doing great.
I: Those frequent hospitalizations started as a cold?
R: As a cold.
I: Do you know if there was something in the environment that might have affected her?
R: You know what also I noticed too, when the seasons changes.
I: When the season changes?
R: Yes, you know like in the summer when pollen comes out. I try to keep her indoors and it’s
hard. Because the kids in the summer want to go out and play. I try not to take her out that often
because I’m afraid of her, you know, getting sick.
I (Q.2): O.K. The next question is, what type of asthma education have you received from
your doctors?
R: Oh, so much. Literature, we have received, especially from Dr. _____, demonstrations on
how to use the [products ???] and all that. It’s been great, it’s like when things happen, it’s not
like, O.K. what do I do know? We know what to do.
I: Have you seen their videos?
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R: That I haven’t seen, not the videos. But how do mix the different solutions and the nebulizer,
how to use, she, I’m surprised, when she was 4 years old, she already know how to use an
inhaler. Not to many kids know how to use, the doctors prefer them to use the air chamber. Just
so you know that they’re getting mist in there. So, she can take it by herself, but I rather me
seeing it.
I: So they showed you how to use these medicines and got you to apply the medication. Now
did they also teach you what asthma is and the surrounding aspect of this?
R: Dr. _____ showed me [interruption]. He showed me I remember one room, well most of the
rooms that they have at the clinic, they have like a lung thing.
I: A poster?
R: They got the poster and if I’m not mistaken, I saw like a little diagram of the lungs and then
and he kind of showed me how the lungs look like when the got asthma and how it looks like
when their not. It kind of really surprised me, I’m like wow, I’ve never suffered from that, thank
God.
I: When you saw that image what came to your mind? That is, the image of the poster of
the lungs.
R: What came to my mind was I wish my kid didn’t really have to suffer from this because
maybe an adult can be able to really tolerate, but a kid, that broke my heart, that really did. I was
like I wish, I wish there would be a total, something a cure, to really knock this asthma away.
I: So seeing the poster with the diagram of the lungs and a normal lung and the lung with
asthmatic, did that help you really understand what this illness entailed, or did it make it
more confusing to you?
R: No it didn’t. It kind of made me understand more and being more on top of it. Because there
might be parents be like, okay, asthma, oh whatever, and then when you get, take care of ??? and
whatever, but it’s like I see that I got to be more careful. When its cold I got to make sure she has
proper clothing on, when she goes to sleep, I always make sure she’s got socks on in the house,
her slippers on. In the winter, not to keep her hair wet, you know blow drying it. I try make her
happy because I know by getting it, I know how miserable she gets, and I’m telling you it has
helped so far.
I (Q.3): Okay, the next question is [interruption]. What kinds of things do you know make
people have asthma? You probably alluded to some of them already. Now what kinds of
things do you know trigger asthma?
R: Dust. They might be I don’t know if its certain foods. Like my sister do certain foods she
can’t eat because it can trigger the asthma. The pollen, dust mites, upstairs I have to cover on the
mattress, a cover on the pillow. You got to be so protective when it comes to all that stuff.
Constantly were changing the vents in the furnaces, because that accumulates so much dust, and
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by turning it on that dust comes in. Try to keep the house as clean as you can, you know, your
kid tends to put their hand on the floor, sticking them in their mouth, and just trying to keep a
clean environment, as clean as you can for them.
I: And you also mentioned the cold, the cold weather, you mentioned cigarette smoke.
R: I can’t, like after that incident now I’m so careful when it comes to trying to get a babysitter.
Does your husband or do you smoke, no, o.k. I always try to check. I always tell them, I’m
sorry, but are you clean. Because that’s where my kids are going to be, and I always showed
them like in the past, thank God it hasn’t happened, before she was in school, I had to show the
babysitter how to use the nebulizer. How to mix everything in, or if not how to give her the
inhaler just so … and it was an experience to them because they weren’t really familiar with
asthma and when she would take them out or whatever make sure they had their hats and their
scarf just so that no draft would go in.
I: Do you know if overexerting themselves also affects their asthma?
R: What do you mean?
I: Playing too much, perhaps.
R: Playing too much, I’ve only noticed that when she jumps or plays to much it might cause a
cough. But for it to trigger asthma no.
I (Q.4): The next question, can you describe a couple of experiences that you’ve had with
asthma, like can you describe an episode of asthma that she’s had. Where was she, what
was she doing, what happened, how did she feel, what did she do?
R: There was, I think that after so much of her going into the hospital and coming home, that by
me taking out the machine and all the solutions, she already know. In the beginning she was like
a little, a little upset about it, because she really did want to go through it. But after a couple of
times of her getting asthma she would feel comfortable to come up to me and say, Mommy I
don’t feel good, I need my medicine. She wouldn’t just sit down and [….wheezing sound] and
I’m like Dane what’s wrong. She would automatically come to me Mommy I don’t feel good. It
really didn’t have to come to a point, a drastic point that I see her and I’m like of my God. For
her age she kind of know when I feel something different, something’s wrong, let me tell
Mommy about it. She would come up to me if she has a headache or running nose, Mommy I
don’t feel good, what’s wrong, and she would explain to me what it is, and from there I would
check further.
I: What other experiences have you had or episodes can you tell me, to give me a sense of
how does she get asthma? Has she gotten asthma in or sleep …?
R: Yes.
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I: O.K. Can you describe me one evening that she got asthma and what was she doing?
R: I believe a 1 ½ or 2 years ago she constantly got it for the cold months like January and
February. I remember I had to got up every hour on the hour, set my alarm, to give her the [????,
nebulizer] and she would like after the nebulizer she would try to toss and turn, I would have to
put probably 2 or 3 pillows to try to .. that would be the only way she could probably breath, by
sleeping on her back flat it wouldn’t work. So by at least putting at least pillows and give her the
nebulizer I think maybe the lungs would probably, the nebulizer would do something with the
lungs that she could at least get a little oxygen in here, maybe after a couple of minutes time ..
sleep. It was like every hour of the hour giving her the nebulizer she was miserable, miserable.
I: [Interruption] And um did you finish addressing that issue.
R: As long as I had those three pillows behind her back trying to maintain her body in a level,
where after taken the nebulizer she would at least get some oxygen in her lungs, she was o.k.,
but it was, oh my God, there were times like I said every hour of the hour I had to set the clock,
give it her that nebulizer. When she gets a cold, running nose starts, that’s when I have to start
my action. I can’t wait to hear that cough, cause after that she might start, the wheezing starts to
occur, so as soon as I see that running nose I’ll giver her that Dimetapp, and the next day the
running nose is gone. So, if I let it slide things will get worse. That’s how I see. So as soon as I
see a sign that’s when got to start to act.
I (Q.5): Do you know if there are different types of asthma? In your opinion. [Pause]
Cause you mentioned chronic asthma. What do you mean to have chronic asthma?
R: Chronic asthma. They get it all the time. They get it like, maybe, by even going up one step,
it’s just so sensitive. That constantly they have to be carrying around their medication, with their
puff. Um, maintain a clean environment.
I: So, would you describe your daughter’s asthma as chronic? How bad do you think is
your daughter’s asthma?
R: I don’t consider it chronic asthma, I really don’t. I’m not going to compare what my sister
goes through and what my daughter goes through. I see what my sister really goes through with
asthma and seeing how my daughter, and I’m like my daughter hardly, now, my daughter hardly
ever gets it and my sister, like, [….???] she gets it. It like she so sensitive when it comes to that.
Thank God for that, but it categories, I would say she’s in a very fair state.
I: So then would you say there are different types of asthma?
R: I would say there is different types. In my opinion.
I: And what kind of asthma would be your daughter’s?
R: My daughter would be, I would say like a level, I would say in a clear stage. She doesn’t
really get it that much. Maybe in a year she might get it, I might hear wheezing or something.
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Like I said I just try if I see a signal of a running nose or something I would act it right away just
to avoid the wheezing that happens. She hardly ever gets it. I would say maybe once or twice a
year might be a lot. And I thank God for that but I hope that she would outgrow it because she
really gotten it a couple of years ago when she was diagnosed.
I: So would you say there are different degrees of severity or different types of asthma?
R: I think there would be different degrees, not types. I think it would be different degrees.
Yeah, that would be my ….
I: So that chronic would be more what …?
R: More severe.
I: More severe. All right and have you ever heard of the term fatiga or fatigue. In which
context have you heard it? How do people use that term?
R: Fatiga would be kind of like asthma in my opinion. Fatigue would be somebody lets say if
they run and run, and like, oh my God, I’m out of breath. That would be more like a fatigue.
Like …
I: Shortness of breath, right.
R: Breath, yes.
I: You get fatigued. But the term in Spanish, fatiga, does that term evoke the same image
or the same definition as you know it or as you heard other people use it, in Spanish?
R: No. It’s totally different.
I: Have you ever of people referring to asthma as fatiga, I mean, sorry, have you heard
people using fatiga referring to asthma itself?
R: Uh huh.
I: No. Why would you say people in the Hispanic community sometimes refer to asthma as
fatiga? [Long Pause]. Have you been to Puerto Rico, have you heard it used in Puerto Rico?
R: Yeah, I remember my Mom used to tell me, [Spanish-speaking] ..
I: Your sister has fatiga?
R: Yeah she has asthma? You know putting it in English ..
I: Yeah, but knowing that she has asthma, right, knowingly? She would say your sister
has fatiga. [I’m translating] Or otherwise your sister is fatigued. Do you have any idea
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why would people use those terms or think of it those terms? So at this point will ask your
husband if he has any idea why people use that term.
H: I think since it’s only been heard in the Spanish-community, its rare to hear a person speak or
say or my daughter/son has fatigue, they know that they had asthma. I’ll have to say there is
probably two reasons: Fatigue (Spanish for fatiga) we use it when we see a person just breathing
hard, short of breath, so it kind of describes the same symptoms as asthma, they look alike. Now
fatiga we usually use it in a person that doesn’t have asthma, you know, maybe play baseball and
all of sudden short of breath. I’m fatigued. So when a person has an asthma attack it’s kind of
like the same symptoms when they’re breathing hard, trying to take some air.
I: So they borrowed the term.
H: I say they borrowed the term because, I have to say that Spanish-people tend to like change
words and let’s say, we could chose and say [Spanish words].
I: She has asthma …
H: Exactly, we could choose and say that, which is the correct term, if she really has asthma.
But I have to say that it just sounds better or maybe it’s easier to say fatiga. I wouldn’t know,
make it sound less serious, I have to say the signs are common.
I: O.K. What would you compare asthma to? Is there anything that comes to mind that
you could compare asthma to?
R: I compare it to like a lung disease, that’s what it is.
I: That’s like the textbook definition of asthma. Can you compare it to anything else? It
doesn’t have to be an illness, although you can compare it to something else…
R: Like right now they haven’t found really a cure for it, um, there is medicine that can control
it, triggering, I can’t say cancer, because, well I know people die from it and its so …
I: Now given your daughter’s experiences it doesn’t sound like her asthma is not as severe
as your sister. And I don’t know if you would compare her asthma to cancer.
R: Oh my sister, yes.
I: No, your daughter.
R: Oh my daughter, no.
I: Think of her with her asthma and what would you compare that to? Any ideas [to
husband. When I see that she’s running out of breath ….
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H: O.K. When she doesn’t have asthma, the first thing that I think of is her lungs and from what
I’ve read and studied about asthma I know its like an inflammation on the muscle where the air
path shortens, it gets smaller and then it just hard to breathe in and out the air, I know that part.
But I would compare it with, It’s like having a block right on top of your chest where you can’t
pump, you can’t expand your lungs and close it like you can’t really use it. I would compare it
with that, it’s all in the lungs, the force is in the lungs.
I (Q.6): O.K. That’s a good comparison. Now, back to you (R), what things do you do to
treat her asthma, and some of this gets repetitive because with the first question you have
already addressed some of these issues, what things do you do to treat her asthma?
R: Medication wise.
I: Medication or things that you do.
R: Maintain, one of the things is maintain the house clean, make sure she’s clean, her hair, cold
weather, not to keep it wet, make sure that she has socks at all times and T-shirt underneath her
shirt. When she goes outside make sure she always has a hat. Good clothing. Make sure no
draft would go into her coat, I’m not going to overdress her because that your body starts
sweating. Try to keep her the most clean and protected as possible.
I: (Q.7): You already talked about when she gets short of breath with the wheezing, what
you do and that your husband often helps her out when you get nervous. Now, how much
control do you feel that you have over your daughter’s illness? How much control?
R: He has more control than me, like in the past, when she used to get really, really ill he knew
exactly what to do. Even though I know what to do, he has had at those times a little bit more
patience than me.
I: He has more patience. But you would get more nervous.
R: Yes.
I: Even though you knew exactly what to do?
R: Yes. I can’t leave knowing that she’s like that. Just hearing her whining and she’s so
uncomfortable, it’s hard for her to breathe, a kid at that age.
I: Now would you say that you have control over her asthma or her asthma controls you?
R: No. No. I don’t know. I think so far ..
I: Think of your sister too, and think of other people who have asthma, given that the
asthma that she gets. Do you feel powerful or powerless?
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R: I think we should feel powerful, not have this disease we overcome you, you have to
overcome the disease. Well we should treat not wait until it gets worse, because when it gets
worse it’s when your really go through the … how they end up in the hospital or its going to ..
how much medication longer ….
I: It sounds like you have a certain degree of control.
R: Yeah.
I: As opposed to other people that I have interviewed that this has rules every second of
their lives in a way.
R: We have to thank Dr. ____ too, because he is a really good, he’s been… If I’m not mistaken,
I remember every time we used to go in there, he was like, again, she was hospitalized again.
We don’t want her going through these […..??] again. There something that you guys are doing
wrong and after he have us that [..?] inhaler he was like this is going to help.
I: So that was the magic …
R: That was the magic.
I: A treatment.
R: Yes. That was the magic treatment to avoid that flem occurring in the lungs. And like I said
you can’t wait until a kid ….
I: Did education play a role there also?
R: Oh yes. I think our past experiences going what we went through with her and what Dr.
____ really told us is like we don’t want you guys to go through this. He really was a really
good friend.
I: A really good what, friend?
R: Friend, besides a doctor. You know explaining when it came to her asthma, so thank God for
that. And I wish there was cruel, medicine. Here we guarantee this is going to be 100% and you
won’t go through this again. But thank God that she hasn’t had it for a while.
I (Q8): The next question is, what worries you most about this illness?
R: My worries are that it will get worse.
I: You mean progression?
R: Yeah, as the body develops and all this. You know how kids tend to get excited and like to
get involved in some other things, like sports and all that, right now she be just like a regular,
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probably like jumping-jacks and all that in school. That doesn’t trigger anything but my fear is
like if she would get into swimming, I heard swimming is great for the lungs, but if she would
get in any kind of sport or anything like that, that I hope it wouldn’t really trigger, cause that
when your really tried to really force your body to work a little harder, and I just that it won’t,
wouldn’t get worse.
I (Q9): So the next question relates to your expectations with your doctor. You already
talked about your relationship with your doctor, but what do you expect from your doctor
in helping you with your child’s asthma?
R: To give me the best advice as possible and I’m willing to go by it. I’m not going to say O.K.
Doc I’m not going to do it, and then […… prescription] one side and it’s going to sit in that
corner, no. If it’s something that’s going to help my daughter, why not try it. So …
I: You mentioned friendship … Do you expect that from your doctor?
R: Of course, yes. I really do feel comfortable going to Dr. _____ and explaining Doctor this is
what I’m going through what can you suggest me to do. And if I remember he has a son who
suffers from asthma, if not mistaken I think he told me something like that. He told me and his
personal point of view this is what I would do. I kind of felt, you know, o.k. he kind of rocks in
the same boat as we do, and he’s giving me a personal point of view of what you know, his
opinion. Not that its my choice to really do it or not, but that really helped me and you know, I
have experienced, also. I think that when you have the opportunity to go through it, you are able
to really, your able to explain it better. It’s not like you can study it and whenever, but if you go
through it your only basis of what your read. You understand what I’m saying. Once you really
go through it you can probably go based on what you read, then from there you be able to help
other people. Really Dr. ____ and been really helpful in that area to really giving us good advice
and that we have gone based on that, it has really helped us.
I: So are your expectations being met from your physician.
R: Yes.
I (Q.10): The next question, do you know or have you heard about alternative ways of
dealing with asthma? That you know, any treatments or tips that don’t really come from
your doctor, but that you have heard from neighbors, relatives, from community sources?
R: Based on the experiences that I’ve had at home with my sister and based on what Dr. ___’s
advised that’s really what I kind of like put things together. Like I said at home when I lived
with my parents I kind of knew already.
I: Now the treatment that your sister was going through was that similar to what you now
know that people do to take care of asthma?
R: Well my sister right now she’s going for allergy shots, because she’s allergic to certain
foods. She’s allergic to dust and all that other stuff. So …
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I: But say 10, 15 years ago when you realized, when you learned from your sister, what
was it like to have asthma. You never saw or heard people saying, trying this or that?
R: They would say, I know in Puerto Rico, they would say drink this whatever tea. This will at
least do cure, but never did. People would say [Spanish …]
I: Cause during interviews I have been able to collect from popular knowledge, from the
community, different things that people, from generation to generation have learned, to
deal, to use, most of it, ineffective, but that people try nonetheless, and I’m trying to learn
the variety of things that people try and what they’re opinions are about these alternative
ways of dealing with asthma.
R: I’ve also heard, I had mentioned to Dr. ___, it was like getting an air cleaner for especially
her room. And he said it wouldn’t be wrong having it. There was time when she would get a
cold and I had asked him about a vaporizer, and he was like don’t put the Vics liquid in there,
make sure it’s only with the water, maintain the room kind of humid. He said there was nothing
wrong with that but I had mentioned about an air cleaner and there was really nothing wrong
with that.
I: But you did mention the Vics.
R: Yes. No, no with asthma.
I: But you know within the Puerto Rican community every kid gets rub almost universally.
Vics is like pampers, every kid wears that, or as far as I know, it become like something
very ingrained in the Puerto Rican community medicine cabinet.
H: That and alcohol.
I: Rubbing alcohol.
H: Something about the Vics. I grew up using a lot of vix because my Mother use to use it on
me. I think just because of the smell. Two things we believe, we believe that the smell of it
nasal passages …
I: Open up your nasal passages, take care of the congestion.
H: Exactly, the stuffing nose. And then we also, at least me, I thought the Vics would penetrate
and do something to my lungs. When you have chest congestion, the flem, I would think, I
would ask myself, why put it in my chest, maybe just in my nose that would be enough. So
maybe the chest thing, my nose, do something with the chest thing, I always thought that helped.
I never had asthma, but I got sick.
I: Now the thing is that people use it a lot when you get a cold, right, a stuffing nose. But
asthma is not a cold and I don’t know if Dr.___ has mentioned not to use Vics for asthma.
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R: Yeah, he said no.
I: It’s probably because it’s not going to help you at all, and the vapors may be too strong
and it may cause a reaction in which the child may be able to breathe even less. But anyway
that’s one example of an alternative way of treating asthma which is not what the doctor’s
tell you to do. But it’s used because of popular beliefs.
R: Exactly.
I: Because from generation to generation, you know, people have gotten to trust this and
use it. I’m telling you I have a long list of things that people have heard of or used.
R: I always want to mention something else. There was a lady from my church, her son also
suffers from asthma. She once approached me and told me what do I give my daughter was she
has a heavy cough. She was just curious, her son had a very bad cough and he was constantly
coughing and he couldn’t sleep, she wanted to know would I give her something like that. Well I
would give her the nebulizer before going to bed, a cough is a good sign. But I wouldn’t giver
her cough medicine. She said why and I say well #1 she doesn’t have a cold, I remember Dr.
____ had mentioned to us giving Dane cough medicine would do something with asthma
patients. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but he said it would do something with asthma
patients. I would never recommend cough medicine for an asthma patient. But that doesn’t
sound right. I’m going to ask my Doctor [Spanish …] on Niagara …
I: Is that a clinic?
R: That’s a clinic. And she talked to her doctor and she said there’s this lady in church that told
me my son has a terrible cough and she told me that I can’t given my son cough medicine, why?
And you know something that lady is right. You can’t give an asthma patient cough medicine. I
can’t remember exactly what he said what can really cause by giving it, but I know he told me
don’t ever give her cough medicine and that has always stick in there.
H: What I remember. Let’s say she has asthma. She’s been treated and we give her the
nebulizer and whatever can eliminate the flem and all that. The coughing is good you tend to
remove it, so you don’t want to stop what really removes the flem and the thing in your lungs.
Now if you were to give her the cough medicine then she won’t cough, if she doesn’t cough, all
that would just stay trapped. Your doing nothing, your stopping the remedy. Cough medicine is
good for a child that is not asthmatic. That’s why it does not exist for a person that has asthma
and is coughing cause of that, that’s why he told us not to use cough medicine.
I (Q.11): That’s an interesting point, in a way that the coughing allows her to get rid of the
phlegm that is causing her to wheeze and all of that and your suppressing that coughing.
So if her problem was only the flu or [??] then it would stop right there. The next question
is, what do relatives and friends think about your daughter having asthma? For example,
teachers, your relatives, neighbors, friends. Do they know that she has asthma? How do
they relate to your daughter or help her because of her asthma?
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R: O.K. Um, when she was diagnosed after I explained to you that the lady who used to take
care of her, her husband was a chain smoker, I had to find another babysitter. And I had to
explain to her the reason why, didn’t you have a babysitter before, I kind of had to explain to
them the whole story. Some of them felt a little awkward, O.K. it was a more responsibility for
me now as the sitter, I got to take care of somebody whose ill. They consider it like that.
I: So you had to pay them more to…
R: Then when I had to bring the machine over and explain to them how to make the solution
like that they were like Oh my goodness. In a way it was good for them because they kind of got
to know a little bit more about and I can say they were more responsible. When it came time,
o.k. I got to give her medicine, they were right there and then they give it to her. When I would
come home from work, they were like this is the time, this is what I gave to her, she’s fine, she’s
doing good. They’re a little active, that [Berol …???] they’re high tends to ????? a little bit and
they get a little active for a little while. Showing them, thank God, it wasn’t a problem.
I: How about relatives or friends, have you trained them the same way as you train your
sitter, or have you told them about what your daughter has and how it’s treated and how
you deal with it and do they understand? How do they relate to you?
R: The only relative I have here is my sister, my sister that suffers from asthma. So the times
that she was living here for a couple of years so, she would, when I wasn’t present, and my
daughter needed the medication, my sister was there, she knew what to do. So I had no problems
with that. I would tell her such and such time she needs to take the Berol ?? my sister said times
she would need to take a nebulizer and there was times that [Celese ??] you know you told me to
give it to her maybe at 4 but I had to give it to her at 2 because she was wheezing, she didn’t look
too good. So her suffering from asthma and looking at my daughter, she knew I can’t wait to 4
o’clock like Celese said, I got to give it to her now. And she, and I would say I’m afraid, she’s
going to get an overdose or something … No, she’s not, the [???] she’s not going to get an
overdose. Don’t worry. I had to give it to her because she was shortness of breath. I’m not
going to leave her like that for an extra two hours, it had to be done. Don’t worry I know what
I’m doing.
I: Now does your daughter get any special treatment or is she treated any different
because of her asthma? By parents or friends or other care takers.
R: No
H: Going back to the question, this is what I’ve seen and what I believe. Seeing that she almost
never suffered from asthma, what was a major impact was when she had her first asthma attack.
We were not, especially me, educated. I grew up as a kid, believe I almost never heard of
asthma, not me. My wife, she grew up with her sister. I don’t know nothing about asthma.
I: You grew up here in Buffalo.
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H: New York and then Puerto Rico. But my family members or my friends, none of them
suffered asthma. And the first time she suffered, the first time it got serious because I didn’t
know about and seeing the symptoms in my face, I was thinking it was something else. How
other people visualize it, like friends, neighbors, people in church, well, she was hospitalized.
They saw it as a serious condition, I saw it as a serious condition, and I was weary of ……
INTERRUPTION – OTHER SIDE OF TAPE
I: You mentioned the church, does church come into play in coping or treating asthma for
you. Cause other people that I talked to have mentioned religion or church as having a role
in all of this. Does the church play a role in coping with this asthma?
R: We’re Christian, so when she was diagnosed with asthma this was a condition that we put,
we had asked the Lord to really heal, but it’s only when He says that’s when we want it to
happen, so were just waiting patiently. We just have to thank God that she hasn’t gotten asthma
for, it’s been like, over a year, something like that. We just hope and pray to God that she would
outgrow this just so she, I don’t like to see her ….
I: Does prayer play a role?
R: Yes we pray and even at night we, I kind of teach both of them like when one is ill I pray for
hear and ask God to heal your cold, and at night we got to pray, what do you want to ask God.
She would say in Spanish, I would like God to heal Mommy, she’s got a headache, or she’s not
feeling God, or heal ??? or heal me, with her running nose or something. And she would say I
thank you, I thank you God because I know you have healed me. And the next day she would
wake up feeling fine.
I: So would you consider prayer as perhaps an alternative way of dealing with asthma?
By alternative meaning whatever the Doctor does not prescribe. The doctor prescribes
medicine, a healthy regime, has your doctor prescribed prayer?
R: No.
H: We have to be realistic, and when it comes to talking about the Church, you know different
religions. Our point of view is this, we know there is God, that has all power over all nature, and
part of nature is sickness. We believe, we have to believe in doctors, and not saying that we
don’t have faith in God, I want to just point that out, I believe that God has given men the
knowledge to go this far on making studies and doing research. God doesn’t send any messages
on paper, well here is a new cure. I believe God gives the knowledge to men, you see, to a
certain point, you know. Adam didn’t get all the cures in his generation. Generation by
generation get studies and knowledge and get all these cures. Even though I go to the doctor,
and we get medicine, with medicine or not prayer is always going to be there. Even though the
medicine, if the medicine works, we thank God for the medicine, if it doesn’t work, we, for
everything we give thanks to God. And, why because for what the bible teaches us, there is
always a purpose in life, always a purpose. Even though things might seem so bad and negative,
in God’s hands, in God’s point of view there is always a purpose. There is nothing that happens
in [????] that does not have a purpose to God. Knowing that gives us a piece of mind, we are not
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… [Spanish] I don’t know how you say that in English. Where we sit down and my daughter has
asthma, well o.k. God’s responsible, were not going to do a thing about it, we’re not going to do
that. You know we should take care of what we got in our hands, in this case house, money, car,
children, our own lives. And we do physically, mentally, emotionally, what we can do, but
always putting God number 1 in our lives. I’m not going to say well if I go to a D=doctor I’ll be
rejecting God’s help. We have to keep everything straight; doctors are there because God uses
Doctors. Know Doctor’s don’t do miracles, God does the miracles and we just going to doctors,
with their wisdom and knowledge and cure, ….
I: You would consider for example, going to the doctor and getting prescription and give
daughter her medicine and accompanied by a prayer.
H: Let’s put it this way. In health or sickness prayer is always going to be there. So when you
sick we not pray because somebody’s sick – no, we pray because we will always pray even
though we were not sick. When this is somebody sick, we just pray to God this person is sick.
Say God you know what everything is fine, this day nothing happened, but my daughter is sick,
so if it is thy will you want, even though we give her medicine, if its thy will for her to be healed
right now, be thy will. We pray for even peace of mind, we even pray for [????] because in
sickness we know there’s more we see in sickness then other, and sometimes even though
medicine does there job, people tend to get desperate, nervous and they don’t know what to do
and we ask God in our sicknesses to at least give us the wisdom to how to cope and deal. I
believe in positive suggestion, positive thinking does help sick body. Not that it’s good as
healing, because I know the body itself has it’s own way to heal itself, but to have a positive
mind its way better than having a negative mind.
I (Q.12): Thank you for sharing. So the last question, how has this illness affected your
lifestyle or everyday life? Has it changed your lifestyle?
R: I think it kind of brought us more together, but it really kind of like we worry more about
each other, you know, and we kind of take care of one another. Just to avoid, I wouldn’t like her
to go through this, so we kind of keep an eye on each other …
I: She’s your little one…
R: Yeah, this is the little one, and um, when she’s a little ill or whatever like a little running
nose, Dimetap also and give them their vitamins daily. It kind of like brought us more together,
like I said, brought us more together as a family. We are more careful and awareness, more
aware and just to avoid getting sick. Always watch the hands, always on top of them. Come
home from school, wash your hands. Their surround of so much germs that sometimes you
won’t, they start eating, well I work at a bank and I’m constantly counting money and when I
feel my hands a little funny, I will put antibacterial soap on them, go to the bathroom and wash
them. Even myself contact with people at the bank, they’re sick with the flu …
I: You try not to bring that home.
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R: Exactly. I don’t want to bring that home. Always awareness, like I said it brought us more
united in the family.
I: On that note, I’m going to end this interview. Thank you.
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College of Doctoral Studies
RES-883 Interview Transcript 2
Directions: Use the transcript below to complete the Topic 3 and Topic 5 assignments.
Asthma Beliefs and Practices in an Urban Minority Community in Western New York
Interview #27 at Family Health Center (after doctor’s appointment)
Interviewer (I)
Respondent (R)
Study Problem
There is a high prevalence of asthma and related poor health outcomes in urban, minority
communities in the Northeast of the U.S. Little is known about how asthma is perceived and
managed in these communities.
Study Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how adults with asthma living in urban minority
communities in the Northeast of the U.S. perceive and manage their illness.
RQ1
How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
perceive their illness?
RQ2
How do adults with asthma living in urban minority communities in the Northeast of the U.S.
manage their asthma?
I (Q.1): People have different ideas about what asthma is. What do you think is asthma?
As far as you know, what do you think it is?
R: It’s a problem with breathing, tubes in your lungs got clogged. The air is not circulating
through your lungs properly. You get shortness of breath, a lot of time you have to go on
breathing treatments, if you have a tuff asthma attack you have to go to the hospital to have
treatments done at the hospital.
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I: So if you were going to summarize it like, “asthma is ….” and fill in the blank, how
would you define it?
R: Asthma is problem with the lungs, breathing, air not circulating properly, causing shortness
of breath.
I: Okay, thank you. When did you first learned about asthma? What happened?
R: In my personal life or just in general?
I: How ever you wish to describe it.
R: Well, two members of my family have asthma, a very close friend that I baby-sit, her son has
chronic asthma so, I’ve dealt with it for most of my life.
I: The baby had “chronic asthma”?
R: Yes.
I: And was that before you had asthma?
R: It was around the same time when I was babysitting him and we realized I had it.
I: So what happened? What was the first experience you had with asthma? What
happened that you ended up knowing that you had asthma?
R: I was in gym class in the beginning of high school. I was playing volleyball [unintelligible]
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and getting shortness of breath and I almost passed out, receiving oxygen treatments is when
they advised me to see my primary doctor about asthma. And that’s when I discovered I had it.
I (Q.2): O.K. The next question is, what type of asthma education have you received from
your doctors?
R: Normally, just when you get shortness of breath and you can’t catch your breath use your
inhaler to calm down and just rest for a little while after that, um, if it gets worse and the
inhaler’s not working call your primary doctor and find out what the next step would be to do.
I: So, they have only told you what to do when you get asthma?
R: We’ve been told how it happens and you know what happens when the body goes through an
asthma attack. How the things recover even after an asthma attack.
I: You mean like they have shown you diagrams or pictures?
R: Diagrams and lung flow pictures, things like that.
I: Was that like through videos or brochures or other documents?
R: It was a little of everything. I also had asthma education when I started babysitting this little
boy. His parents had the videotape from their doctor to educate the family and also the
caregivers of the children. So I also learned through watching him.
I: So, you also learn from these sources what asthma is, not only how to take care of it…
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R: Yeah, how to deal with it, what to do in case of extreme emergencies.
I: O.K. Did you also learn whether this illness is something temporary or long-term?
What else have you learned from those sources?
R: I’ve learned its hereditary, somebody else in the family would have had it. In my case we
don’t know, my younger cousin has it, but nobody, none of the older ones in our family have had
it. Um, my little cousin’s case, his is chronic, he’ll live with it the rest of his life as will the little
boy that I used to baby-sit. Mine I’ve kind of grew into it, it wasn’t something that happened
when I was a child, it came of later in life when we realized that I had it.
I: When was that?
R: I think it was about in 8th or 9th grade when we realized I had it.
I (Q.3): O.K. What kinds of things do you know make people have asthma?
R: Um, the type of air that their breathing, what chemical factors [unintelligible, parts of your
lungs], the high pollution, smoking, pets, some allergies cause the asthma, um a lot of it is just
your way of life, your occupation, what kind of buildings your in, central heating, central air,
things like that.
I: How about in your case? What things caused you to have asthma?
R: When I first started working, I worked at McDonalds. The fumes there, plus in my, where
we used to live it was an old house, an old building, some of the smells in the house were kind
of, they weren’t the best. The oxygen wasn’t the greatest in the house, because of the circulation
through the air. Um, the heating system was old, so the fumes when you start the new heaters,
they were just terrible.
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I: What else? Do you know if, for example, emotional problems can also cause asthma?
R: Yeah, really depressed, or never really thought too much about the emotional part of it.
I: That’s not relevant to your … case.
R: Not that I think of, no.
I (Q.4) O.K. The next question, can you describe a couple of experiences you’ve had with
asthma? In other words, can you describe a few episodes starting with what you’re doing,
what happened, what you did, and how you felt about it?
R: Like I said, in high school I was playing a volleyball game and at first I was getting shortness
of breath and I thought nothing of it, I thought it was just really exciting because we were
winning the game. I thought its nothing, its just excitement, but when the game was towards the
end and I really couldn’t breathe, I started getting really clumsy, that’s when I was pulled out of
the game and they realized I was really having a hard time breathing. The paramedics were on
the site anyway just in case something happened during the game, so that’s when they
administered the oxygen, called my Mom.
I: Right. But at that time you didn’t know you had asthma?
R: No, at the time we didn’t know.
I: How about one more recent episode in which you already knew you had asthma?
R: I was …, actually it was this past summer I went for a bike ride, really hot, shouldn’t of done
it, but [laughs], it was really hot, we had the waters with us anyway, but, moving so fast and the
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extreme heat we had this summer, I just started getting really short of breath, my chest felt like
somebody had knocked the wind out of me, somebody punched me or something. We had to
stop, I had my inhaler with me and it took about a good half hour before we could get up and
start going again, but the ride home was a slow ride home because of that. It was just very
exhausting after everything happened. My chest hurt for the remainder of the day. I went to
sleep and got up and I was fine the next morning.
I: Now, can you tell me one last example in which exercise didn’t play a role?
R: The type of asthma that I have is mainly an exercise … I think its called exercise asthma,
when your doing activities is when it comes, if I’m just sitting in the dust or something, or just
going my normal business, I’m fine, but if I’m moving a lot or even painting. I was painting a
room my chest start tightening up because of the fumes of the paint. But if I’m just sitting
normally I’m fine, I don’t have chronic asthma or anything, I just have what they call exercise
asthma.
I (Q.5): O.K. Can you describe if you think there are different types of asthma, you
mentioned the chronic asthma…
R: There’s chronic asthma, exercise asthma, I think there is a milder one, I don’t know the name
of it though, but I know there is different degrees of the asthma.
I: So there’s different degrees of asthma? That’s interesting… What about different types
of asthma?
R: Different types and different levels of the types, kind of like the tree, there’s the main tree
and then there’s the branches and those branches have little twigs. It’s kind of like that, they all
branch out and all come under the big thing of asthma.
I: O.K. And what does chronic asthma mean to you?
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R: Like I know my boyfriend’s mother has chronic asthma and she’s has to use the breathing
machine 3 times a day. She goes downstairs, she has a hard time breathing. Picks up the baby
she has a hard time breathing. Um. it’s just a really severe case. You have to watch what you do
and you can’t rush everywhere because she has a hard time breathing. There is not a lot of things
she can do. She can’t take certain smells, like the dog, she has a hard time with the dog. The
dog constantly has to be groomed. The smells are not really […?] the animal. Just have to
watch your every day life cause at any time an asthma attack can happen.
I: So you would relate chronicity with severity? Would you say that “chronic” asthma
means “severe” asthma.
R: Yes.
I: O.K. And then if its not chronic or severe, it’s what, more of the milder case? Is the
“exercise” asthma type a milder case?
R: It’s a milder case.
I: O.K. It’s just caused …
R: Constant movement.
I: Constant movement, O.K. And how bad do you think is your asthma?
R: It’s not bad. You know it happens maybe once a while. If I’m doing a lot of things or
running around or stuff that’s when it happens. But I have a really mild case of it.
I: O.K. What would you compare it to? Your asthma?
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R: Umm … Maybe being like the common cold compared to [the lungs reaction to?] ammonia.
Ammonia could cause death at some point, where a cold is very treatable and it goes away within
a few days.
I: O.K. Have you ever heard of people talking about “fatigue” in relation to asthma?
R: In relation to asthma no. In relation to other sicknesses, yeah.
I: O.K. I’ve found that in Spanish-speaking communities they sometimes refer to asthma
as “fatigue”, but in Spanish, “fatiga”. Does this term ring a bell for you related to asthma?
R: No.
I (Q.6): O.K. What things do you do to treat your asthma, in general?
R: Carry my inhaler with me after, you know, my chest starts getting back to normal. You just
take it slow for the rest of the day, just stop […], like when I was bike riding we couldn’t just
totally stop because we were on the middle a 10-mile bike trail but, you know, just took it slower
and didn’t rush as much for the rest of the day. Just slowing down is really much what I do.
I: O.K. Now how about in relation to before and after? What do you do when you get
asthma? What do you do when you’re not having symptoms? You described, carrying
your inhaler with you, right. That’s whether you have an attack or not, you just carry it
with you?
R: Just in the event that it does happen, its there to use.
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I: Is there any behavior other than carrying your inhaler? What else besides carrying your
medicines and stuff.
R: No, its mainly just carrying that with me, I mean I try to stay away from places that are just
freshly painted. Department stores the perfume centers, I’ll go in another entrance to the store,
stay away from the strong scents because that, you know, not really a favorite thing to go
through.
I: What is a typical day for someone with asthma like you?
R: Depends a lot on the season. What season it is. If its really dry like in the winter, um, it’s a
little harder to get up in the morning sometimes, the dryness of the air with the heat on. There’s
none of moisture in the air if you want to say. Sometimes your lungs hurt, your chest will hurt in
the morning when you get up, or when you go out in the cold, and its really bitter cold out and
your chest starts hurting, but other than that, mine is so mild, it usually doesn’t bother me as
much.
I: What do you think is like the life of a person with chronic asthma?
R: It’s a rough day, every day is a rough day for them. Like watching my boyfriend’s Mother,
she, I mean, there is a lot of times she’ll just walk down the stairs to the basement and you can
hear her wheezing all the way upstairs. She has to take it really slow, she can’t do a lot of heavy
lifting, things life that, cause she gets worn out very easily. She, it’s a rough day for her. She
can’t talk for long periods of time. Not a ½ hour straight or whatever, a normal, not a normal
place, today like myself I could talk forever, and I probably would have an asthma attack. But
with her she has to slow it down, she has to take a lot better care of what she does and how she
manages certain situations, like maybe the baby falling, she can’t get really excited about it, she
has to keep it down.
I (Q7): I see. The next question is how much control do you feel that you have over this
illness?
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R: My personal illness I think I have a pretty good control over it, because I pretty much know
how much activity I can do before I’m going to start having an asthma attack or having problems
breathing. I pretty much can control that cause mine is so mild.
I: Sometimes I ask people can you control your asthma, or your asthma controls you?
R: Well in the case of my mother, boyfriend’s mother, it kind of controls her because it limits
what she can do, but in my case I think I can control it.
I (Q8): And you feel that you have the control within yourself. O.K. What worries you the
most about this illness?
R: Umm, that in my case it can get to something bigger. I play an instrument so if it got worse
in me I think it would affect the way I play.
I: What do you play?
R: I play the clarinet and I need my lungs to play the instrument, so I think it would hinder me a
lot if it got any worse than what it is, I mean, now its fine. No problems playing the instrument,
but that’s, if it got worse, it would worry me, yeah.
I (Q9): That’s an interesting distinction because in your case what worries, since it’s a mild
case is that it may limit some activity or that it gets worse. For the more severe asthmatics
what worries them most is that they die, because they’re at that point where it’s a serious
threat to them. What do you expect from your doctors, in helping you with your asthma?
What kinds of expectations do you have from the medical community or doctors about it?
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R: Maybe about the more medications to, that might, I mean, there is probably never going to be
a cure for this, its something that whoever has it is probably going to have it for the rest of their
life. Just have the education on how they explain it to the patient. Helping the patient
understand maybe a more complex question of just what is it. Maybe like how they got it or you
know, just the complex questions that some people, like some doctors may not have the
information, just educating the physicians on it so they can better education their patients who
have it.
I: Do you feel that you have gotten that kind of education?
R: Yeah. Cause I’ve dealt with it, I mean, not only my family but kids that I’ve cared for.
I: You mean like working with kids.
R: Right.
I: O.K. So that you got that education, but you got it from different sources. Now from
your own physicians, do you feel that you have educated you about it?
R: Yeah.
I (Q.10): The next question is do you know, or have you heard about any alternative ways
of dealing with asthma other than what physicians tell their patients to do?
R: No. It’s pretty much what the physicians have said to do.
I: What about that you have heard, not that you have done them or tried them, but you
have heard that some people have tried this or that?
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R: Installing air ventilations, new ventilations in their homes, I think there was a, maybe a
company who changed their, changing their air filters to filter the better air for the dust. I think
its pretty much just the air filters, um, trying to stay away from the air conditioners, like central
air and heating, like cause asthma.
I: Now have you heard if using over the counter medication that is not prescribed for
asthma. Have you heard of anything like that? Like using rubbing alcohol that they put on
people’s body, like when having high fever, or using Vics? Have you heard of Vics?
R: The rubbing …. ? I pretty much just heard that using the Vics for a regular cold.
I: But not for asthma?
R: Right.
I: And how about teas, some herbal teas, have you heard of anything like that?
R: I’ve seen them on the shelves, but I think pretty much you have to go with what the
physicians say because their the ones doing the research on it.
I: Right. And what kinds of, in which stores have you seen them?
R: Tops and Wegmans.
I (Q.11): Next question is what do your relatives and friends think about you having
asthma and how do they treat you because of your asthma?
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R: Well there is three of us in the family who have asthma so its kind of like, you know, its, like
when I play with my cousin both of us are getting too wound up playing, they’ll tell us calm
down, we don’t need any accidents around and so… they, cause there’s three of us who have it,
its just a family thing that we’ve all dealt with so we’re pretty much used to how to control it and
the activities we can limit to.
I: So there’s awareness in the family?
R: Yeah.
I: How about among your friends?
R: Well, like my boyfriend his Mother has it, so he does the same thing, you got to slow down,
calm down, pretty much, my closest friends are within my central family or the ones who I’m
really close with they treat you like a regular person, if they see your getting shortness of breath,
their going to ask you is there anything I can do to help or things like that.
I: Are they supportive?
R: Oh yeah.
I: And do they treat you any special?
R: No.
I: O.K. But if they see you that your getting sick …
R: Right. Then they react to it.
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I (Q.12): They react to it, O.K. So the last question, how has this illness affected your
lifestyle or everyday life? Has it changed your lifestyle?
R: I changed my job. I left McDonald’s because one of the reasons was for my breathing. Um,
there just really, because mine is so mild it really …. pretty much I just have to be careful when
I do exercise or play activities, whatever, just be careful how much you do.
I: What other circumstances in your life affected how you deal with asthma, and the other
is how asthma has changed your life or limited your styles.
R: Um, well, you know, I’m limited as to how much I can do, especially in the summer. How
active I can be, um, because like I said mine is so mild, it doesn’t have a really big affect, it has a
big affect on my life, but not as big of an affect on chronic asthma. But, um, it’s pretty much, it
has limited some of the things I can do like I can’t play basketball in the middle of the day, like I
would like to, like I have to wait until it’s a little cooler out, in the evening to play.
I: And you play the clarinet, right?
R: And I play the clarinet. It hasn’t affected it a lot unless I have a cold, I mean between the
cold and the asthma …
I: So it hasn’t affected your lifestyle much?
R: Not drastically, no.
I: O.K. Well, Kelly is there anything else about asthma, your experiences, your opinions,
that I haven’t asked you or about or that we have not, that you have not mentioned,
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something that was not touched by any of these questions that you may like to add, before I
conclude .. Have we touched a lot of things?
R: Yeah, we touched them, about all of them, yeah.
I: O.K. I want to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to speak with me
about asthma and I’m going to conclude the interview. Thank you very much.
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Collapse All
Benchmark – Coding – Rubric
Coding
57.5 points
Criteria Description
Coding of Transcripts Using the Braun and Clarke Process
5. Excellent
57.5 points
Coding of transcripts is completed. Codes presented are clearly reflective of the key
ideas in the transcripts. There is significant evidence that the Braun and Clarke
process has been applied.
4. Good
52.33 points
Coding of transcripts is completed. Codes presented are reflective of the key ideas
in the transcripts. There is evidence that the Braun and Clarke process has been
applied.
3. Satisfactory
47.15 points
Coding of transcripts is completed. Codes presented are somewhat reflective of the
key ideas in the transcripts. There is limited evidence that the Braun and Clarke
process has been applied.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
41.98 points
Coding of transcripts is partially completed. Codes presented appear random and
not reflective of the key ideas in the transcripts. There is little or no evidence that
the Braun and Clarke process has been applied.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
Coding of transcripts is not completed.
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Codebook (B)
57.5 points
Criteria Description
Creation of a Codebook (Benchmarks C.1.7: Apply data analysis principles.) (C1.7)
5. Excellent
57.5 points
A codebook is created. Descriptions clearly convey meaning and are fully adequate
for use in the next steps of the process. Examples are closely aligned with the code
presented.
4. Good
52.33 points
A codebook is created. Descriptions generally convey meaning adequate for use in
the next steps of the process. Examples appear generally aligned with the code
presented.
3. Satisfactory
47.15 points
A codebook is created. Some descriptions do not convey meaning adequate for use
in the next steps of the process. Some examples appear misaligned with the code
presented.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
41.98 points
A codebook is partially created, but key elements of the codebook are missing or
inadequate.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
A codebook is not created.
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Categories
46 points
Criteria Description
Creation of Categories From the Codes in the Codebook
5. Excellent
46 points
Categories are created. Meanings clearly convey information and are fully adequate
for use in the next steps of the process. Aligned codes are well-suited to the
respective categories.
4. Good
41.86 points
Categories are created. Meanings generally convey adequate information for use in
the next steps of the process. Aligned codes appear generally suited to the
respective categories.
3. Satisfactory
37.72 points
Categories are created. Some meanings do not convey enough information for
adequate use in the next steps of the process. Some aligned codes do not appear to
fit the category.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
33.58 points
Categories are partially created, but key elements are missing or inadequate.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
Categories are not created.
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Reflection
23 points
Criteria Description
Reflection on the Completed Phases of the Coding Process
5. Excellent
23 points
A reflection on the completed phases of the coding process is present. A clear and
logical description of the process followed is presented. Suggestions and rationales
for process refinement are presented and display reasoned insight and depth of
thought.
4. Good
20.93 points
A reflection on the completed phases of the coding process is present. A description
of the process followed is presented and reasonable. Suggestions and rationales for
process refinement are presented and relatively sound.
3. Satisfactory
18.86 points
A reflection on the completed phases of the coding process is present. A description
of the process followed is presented but remains somewhat vague. Suggestions and
rationales for process refinement are presented but appear contrived.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
16.79 points
A reflection on the completed phases of the coding process is present but is
illogical. A description of the process followed is not logically presented.
Suggestions and rationales for process refinement are ill-conceived.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
A reflection on the completed phases of the coding process is either missing or not
evident to the reader.
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Synthesis and Argument
23 points
Criteria Description
Synthesis and Argument
5. Excellent
23 points
Synthesis of source information is present and scholarly. Argument is clear and
convincing, presenting a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner.
All sources are authoritative.
4. Good
20.93 points
Synthesis of source information is present and meaningful. Argument shows logical
progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth
progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are
authoritative.
3. Satisfactory
18.86 points
Synthesis of source information is present but pedantic. Argument is orderly, but
may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of
claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used
are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
16.79 points
Synthesis of source information is attempted but is not successful. Sufficient
justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious
flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
No synthesis of source information is evident. Statement of purpose is not followed
to a justifiable conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made.
Argument is incoherent and uses non-credible sources.
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Mechanics of Writing
11.5 points
Criteria Description
Includes spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, language use, sentence
structure, etc.
5. Excellent
11.5 points
Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.
4. Good
10.47 points
Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety
of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used.
3. Satisfactory
9.43 points
Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the
reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
8.4 points
Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in
language choice (register), sentence structure, and/or word choice are present.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
Mechanical errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of
meaning. Inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction are used.
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APA Format
11.5 points
Criteria Description
APA Format
5. Excellent
11.5 points
In-text citations and a reference page are complete and correct. The documentation
of cited sources is free of error.
4. Good
10.47 points
Required format is used, but minor errors are present. Reference page is present
and includes all cited sources. Documentation is appropriate and citation style is
usually correct.
3. Satisfactory
9.43 points
Required format is generally correct. Reference page is included and lists sources
used in the paper. Sources are appropriately documented though some errors are
present.
2. Less Than Satisfactory
8.4 points
Required format elements are missing or incorrect. A lack of control with formatting
is apparent. Reference page is present. However, in-text citations are inconsistently
used.
1. Unsatisfactory
0 points
Required format is rarely followed correctly. No reference page is included. No intext citations are used.
Total 230 points
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