Ethnographic Content Analysis
Structured Thematic Framework for Ethnographic Content Analysis
Theme 1: Conceptualization of Wellness and Health in Participant Narratives
This theme explores how participants define wellness versus health and the practices they adopt to support these goals.
Subcategory: Interpretations and Distinctions Between Wellness and Health Concepts
Definitions of Wellness and Health: Using participants’ own words, it appears that wellness is more frequently described from a mental, emotional, and even holistic perspective, while health is more statistically and physically oriented. Rule of Inclusion: First, understanding or dichotomies of wellness and health.
Subcategory: Role of Health Monitoring and External Support Systems
Health Monitoring and Support Systems: Refers to message recipients’ personally identifiable health information or messages they relay from their healthcare givers, family, or any other relation. Rule of Inclusion: Comments about health-related information sources and external support.
Subcategory: Daily Practices Supporting Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Wellness Routines: These comprise physical and mental wellbeing exercises, dieting, sleeping, and avoiding stress. Rule of Inclusion: Occurrences of words that point to practices that support cognitive and physical health.
Theme 2: Structural and Personal Barriers to Achieving Health and Wellbeing
This theme focuses on the challenges people face regarding the practice of health-promoting activities and the achievement of wellbeing objectives.
Subcategory: Economic Constraints Affecting Access to Healthy Resources
Financial Barriers: It was pointed out that pricing was one of the challenges, as patients and caregivers expressed that it was expensive to prepare fresh, unprocessed foods. Rule of Inclusion: Any mention of the challenges faced by populations and households to fund healthy foods and other resources.
Subcategory: Temporal Limitations in Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles
Time Constraints: Participants expressed many concerns with regard to the constraint of time for healthy eating and exercising. Rule of Inclusion: Reflexive description of time-related issues in observing a healthy diet practice.
Subcategory: Psychological and Social Influences on Health Behaviors
Social and Emotional Barriers: Several participants spoke about how social media influences the perception of self or how stress and hunger negate the goals to achieve health. Rule of Inclusion: Refers to things happening outside, such as social media, or things that are happening internally, such as hunger pangs.
Theme 3: Determinants of Food Selection and Dietary Behavior
This theme deals with participants’ diet choices, changes due to health concerns, and the roles that tradition plays in their diets.
Subcategory: Patterns of Routine Food Consumption and Snacking Behavior
Routine Meals and Snacks: These include the usual foods that align with the participant’s intended goals and objectives. Rule of Inclusion: Recipes or catalogs of often cooked or eaten meals for health reasons and purposes of good health.
Subcategory: Influence of Cultural and Familial Practices on Diet
Family and Cultural Influence: Describes influences from childhood and culture that shape food choices, such as specific foods or prohibited foods adopted from family practices. Rule of Inclusion: References to consumption of particular foods or food groups as determined by culture or family.
Subcategory: Intentional Dietary Adjustments for Health Improvement
Health-Conscious Choices: Natural outgrowths do not require a specific focus; however, those identified based on specific targets and changes applied during initial consultations include changes in food items such as processed foods, fruits and vegetables, or oils such as olive oil. Rule of Inclusion: Participants who stated they intentionally changed their diet to include healthier foods or exclude undesirable ingredients.