Alpha 2.0
Login Register
» Articles » PMID: 29026403

Practicalities of Health Survey Fieldwork Research in a Resource Limited Setting: Challenges and Lessons Learnt from Uganda

Overview
Journal Afr Health Sci
Date 2017 Oct 14
PMID 29026403
Citations 1
Authors
Julie Abimanyi-Ochom
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Background: Countless research has been undertaken in sub-Saharan African countries to provide evidence for health policy interventions. However, despite the bulk of health research, very few studies have documented the experiences and practicalities of conducting health survey fieldwork in such settings.

Methods: Results were obtained through synthesis of notes on fieldwork experiences documented during a household survey as part of a doctoral research project. Challenges faced and adaptive strategies developed to overcome or reduce the impact on the survey are highlighted.

Results: Key challenges included infrastructure and electrical power outages; sampling and access to clients; ethics approval and political stability; and safety and wellbeing of researchers. Adaptive strategies were developed to overcome the different challenges faced.

Conclusion: The experiences highlighted and strategies developed to overcome fieldwork challenges give practical advice for future data collection research in similar sub-Saharan African settings.

Citing Articles

Challenges in addressing the knowledge gap on endomyocardial fibrosis through community-based studies.

Mbanze J, Cumbane B, Jive R, Mocumbi A Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2020; 10(2):279-288.

PMID: 32420110 PMC: 7225430. DOI: 10.21037/cdt.2019.08.07.

References
1.
Collins F, Beaudet A, Draghia-Akli R, Gruss P, Savill J, Syrota A . A database on global health research in Africa. Lancet Glob Health. 2014; 1(2):e64-e65. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(13)70012-3. View
2.
Sofaer N, Kapiriri L, Atuyambe L, Otolok-Tanga E, Norheim O . Is the selection of patients for anti-retroviral treatment in Uganda fair? A qualitative study. Health Policy. 2008; 91(1):33-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2008.11.001. View
3.
Abimanyi-Ochom J, Lorgelly P, Hollingsworth B, Inder B . Does social support in addition to ART make a difference? Comparison of households with TASO and MOH PLWHA in Central Uganda. AIDS Care. 2012; 25(5):619-26. DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2012.726337. View
4.
Casale M, Flicker S, Nixon S . Fieldwork challenges: lessons learned from a north-south public health research partnership. Health Promot Pract. 2011; 12(5):734-43. DOI: 10.1177/1524839910369201. View
5.
Gilbert L, Walker L . "They (ARVs) are my life, without them I'm nothing"--experiences of patients attending a HIV/AIDS clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. Health Place. 2009; 15(4):1123-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.06.006. View