Bronson: Strengths, Weaknesses and Intriguing Results
There is no secret that the effects of placebo have been known for quite a long time; however, despite the fact that the idea of placebo has been done to death, even nowadays, the given technique is practiced by a number of doctors on an even greater number of patients (Crosby, Diclemente, & Salazar, 2006). One of the placebo methods, the intervention that promotes physical activity, is considered in the article by Brownson et al. Discussing the specifics of the article, starting with the basic list of strengths and weaknesses and ending up with a detailed analysis of its value, one can possibly come to a certain conclusion about the ideas which Brownson et al. promote. When considering the research methodology on which Brownson et al. based their research, one must mention that its strongest aspect is the method behind it.
A Quasi-Experimental Design and Its True Value
Of all the elements which the research in question combines, its design stands out the most; described by the researchers as a “quasi-experimental design” (Brownson et al., 2007, 1901), it offers a lot of food for thoughts. Defined as the research design in which there is no control over the treatment allocations whatsoever, a quasi-experimental design is the only possible way to conduct research when the randomization of the elements is required (Crosby, Diclemente, & Salazar, 2006a), which is exactly the case. As Brownson et al. explain, “3 interrelated dissemination approaches: workshops, ongoing technical assistance, and the distribution of an instructional CD-ROM” (Brownson et al., 2007, 1901) were used. It is obvious that, for the research to be conducted in a fair way and to provide true results, the randomization of the treatment distribution was crucial. Hence, the quasi-experimental approach is fully justified.
The Design and the Validity of the Research Project
As has been mentioned, the research was conducted among the members of the Health Department. The validity of the project is fully justified since the issue of placebo and its use has been discussed for quite a long (Brownson et al., 2007).
Disseminating Research Results: The Key Principles
It is essential to mention that with the help of the quasi-experimental design, the authors managed to come up with certain solutions for the problem. As Brownson et al. claim, “7 physical activity interventions listed within the adoption and implementation category were those recommended as effective in the Community Guide” (Brownson et al., 2007, 1904). Even though the representatives of the state department were more eager to follow the instructions than the ones of the local departments, considerable improvement in both groups signifies that the research results prove right.
Conclusion: When the Ends Do not Justify the Means
Therefore, Brownson claims that promoting the evidence-based intervention which involves physical activities has had a positive effect on the Health Department staff. With the help of a careful analysis of the evidence and detailed consideration of the factors which shaped the health state of the Department members, Brownson et al. managed to offer the only possible solution to the situation. Despite the fact that the study did have its flaws, it still offers an efficient solution based on a solid theoretical background. Therefore, it can be concluded that in the given case, the use of a placebo treatment is fully justified.
References
Brownson, R. et al. (2007). The effect of disseminating evidence-based interventions that promote physical activity to Health Departments. American Journal of Public Health, 97(10), 1900-1907.
Crosby, R., Diclemente, R. J., & Salazar, L. F. (2006). Designing randomized controlled traits in health promotion research. In Crosby, R., Diclemente, R. J., & Salazar, L. F. (Eds.), Research methods in health promotion (pp. 129-149). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Wiley.
Crosby, R., Diclemente, R. J., & Salazar, L. F. (2006a). Basic principles of statistical analysis for randomized controlled traits. In Crosby, R., Diclemente, R. J., & Salazar, L. F. (Eds.), Research methods in health promotion (pp. 129-149). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Wiley.