Related Experiment Videos
Documenting natural recovery in American-Indian drinking behavior: a coding scheme.
Marjorie Bezdek1, Calvin Croy, Paul Spicer
1American Indian and Alaska Native Programs, Nighthorse Campbell Native Health Building, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Mail Stop F800, P.O. Box 6508, Aurora, Colorado 80045-0508, USA. Marjorie.Bezdek@uchsc.edu
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|September 21, 2004
Summary
Researchers developed a new coding scheme to understand how American Indians modify drinking behaviors, offering insights into natural recovery within these communities. This method highlights factors supporting behavior change, particularly for women and older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Anthropology
- Sociology
Background:
- Understanding natural recovery from problematic drinking behaviors is crucial in American Indian communities.
- Existing research often lacks culturally specific analyses of behavioral change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel coding scheme for analyzing changes in drinking behavior among American Indians.
- To explore the utility of this coding scheme in understanding natural recovery processes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of responses to open-ended survey questions on drinking behavior modification.
- Development of a coding scheme based on anthropological content analysis and refined by frequency and reliability analyses.
- Examination of code frequencies by demographic factors (gender, age) and drinking status.
Main Results:
- Reliable coding was achieved for survey responses related to drinking behavior change.
- The identified themes align with existing literature on natural recovery.
- Demographic analysis revealed specific factors influencing quitting and change, particularly for women, older individuals, and abstainers.
Conclusions:
- The developed coding scheme offers a comprehensive approach to studying drinking behavior changes in American Indian populations.
- This methodology can be applied to future research within American Indian communities and potentially other cultural groups.