THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Purpose of the study

Theory and Research Methodology
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Theory and Research Methodology
The neonatal mortality and its determinants in rural communities of Eastern Uganda
Introduction of the study
Mortality rates have remained high in Third World Countries. Researchers have concentrated on mortality rates in urban areas and the data collected from urban areas has failed to present the true picture of the situation in rural areas. The study in this peer-reviewed research article carried out by Kananura et al. (2016) finds that the neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) in rural areas in Uganda is as high as 27 deaths per a thousand live births. The research study focused on three rural districts in Eastern Uganda.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was to determine neonatal mortality and its determinants in the rural areas and compare it to the national average. Kananuri et al. (2016) also wanted to understand the factors that can help lower neonatal mortality rates in rural areas.
Problem statement
Health care providers rely on national average NMR data to determine the distribution of health resources. There is a mismatch between the national average NMR data and the real situation in rural areas. There is also difference in the factors responsible for NMRs in rural areas. This creates a need for reliable data from researchers for making decisions on distribution of the available resources. Health care providers and the national government also needs to understand factors that contribute to neonatal mortality rates in rural areas for them to determine how to channel resources to rural areas and reduce infant mortality.
Main theory
Uganda is one of the underdeveloped countries in the sub-Saharan Africa. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa face major challenges such as poverty and poor economic development. Women living in rural areas find it difficult to access health facilities before and after giving birth. Poor infrastructure lack of basic health facilities like hospitals and clinics make it possible for rural areas to be at risk of diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and prematurity. Access to medical facilities provides timely medical intervention for the mother and the child. Other interventions include treating maternal infections during pregnancy, ensuring a clean safe birth, and immediate exclusive breast-feeding to avert newborn preventable NMRs (Kananuri et al., 2016). Women and the whole community can also be empowered to practice safe newborn care practices, recognize danger signs and early care to avert preventable deaths.
Theoretical Framework/Foundation:The theoretical framework in the research by Kananuri et al. is explicit. The researchers have stated every detail in an explicit manner to avoid confusing the reader. The theory is also embedded in the research as a whole to enable the reader understand the link between the study and the real situation on the ground. The importance of the explicit theoretical framework is that it keeps the reader connected to the problem that the researchers want to solve. In this case, the researchers wanted to determine NMR in rural areas and the reasons that make NMR prevalent in rural areas in Uganda. The researchers also remain focused on the problem they want to solve.
Research methodology and research design
The theory of the study fits in the research methodology in the sense that the researchers carry out an actual study in three districts in Eastern Uganda. The choice of the geographical areas of the study is based on the development and access to health facilities. The researchers’ choice of the areas of the study is based on the prior knowledge they have about NMRs and access to health care. Kananuri et al. (2016) carried out face to face interviews with a sample of 2237 women that had delivered in the past twelve months in 2013. The interview did not consider the outcome of the birth and it was carried out in three districts in Eastern Uganda. The three districts are Kibuku, Pallisa, and Kamuli. Semi-structured questionnaires were also administered to women after they had given informed consent. Researchers hired a team of doctors to train data collectors on basic research methodology, study goals, objectives, and use of data collection tools. To validate the use of their tools and methods of data collection, Kananuri et al. trained data collectors for five days to eliminate bias and errors in the study. During data collection, data editors identified and corrected errors in the data to make sure that there was complete information (Kanaruri et al., 2016, p. 3). The researchers also carried out a pre-test of data collection tools on the final day of the study.
Conclusion and Reflection
Conclusions & implications put forth by authors
Kananuri et al. (2016) found that NMRs were higher in rural areas compared to the national average. Some of the factors identified and associated to reduction of NMRs include home visits by community health workers (CHWs), education about dangers and signs of neonatal deaths, and attendance of the Antenatal Clinics. The parity level was also above five in rural areas. The researchers recommended the use of CHWs in creating awareness on NMRs and home visits. Use of family planning methods was also recommended to help reduce parity levels. The methodological implication of this study is that it used a large sample and the researchers reached out to all women in areas of the study. The reliability of the data from these sections makes it possible for the findings to be applicable to other countries in the Third World with the same background like Uganda.
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Introduction ...