Qualitative Research Methods (Part 2): Strategies for Interview Data Analysis Mignon R. Moore, PhD Co-Director, Methods and Analysis Core, UCLA RCMAR

Problematic Use of Qualitative Data in Research Papers One of the first questions asked in the focus group and in-depth interviews concerns the respondents’ perceptions of the major issues seniors who are lesbian and gay face as they age. Poor health and the lack of mobility because of health-related issues emerged as important problems, and were reported by 90% of respondents: “I had a stroke. I was jacked up from my left eye all the way down to my toe. I mean totally paralyzed on one side. I still have you know left arm you know challenges” (Respondent 030) “I haven’t had any bad issues except arthritis” (Respondent 004) “I am HIV positive and I need my medicine” (Respondent 020)

Qualitative Analysis of Interview Data In addition to the stigma of substance misuse, the majority of SLH residents in this study were members of other demographic and cultural groups that are often negatively stereotyped, such as racial⁄ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and people with mental illness. An Iraq⁄Afghanistan veteran said that the initial opposition to his home was motivated by ‘that stereotype of crazies running around the neighbourhood, hardened criminals, drug addicts, sleeping-on-the-lawn type of thing’. The comments of several participants suggested that belonging to multiple stigmatised groups was a salient aspect of their identities and their everyday lives.

Qualitative Analysis of Interview Data Responding to another participant’s questions about the etiology of bipolar disorder, a 31-year-old participant in the gay men’s group said, ‘You’re born with that... Just like you’re born with addiction, you’re born gay, you’re born black, you’re born white, you know?’ At the intersection of several stigmatised identities – specifically, the triple stigma of being a substance misuser, an African American, and a gay man – a 23-year-old YPDD group participant described an incident of enacted stigma in his neighbourhood: Heslin KC, Singzon T, Aimiuwu O, Sheridan D, Hamilton A.Heslin KC, Singzon T, Aimiuwu O, Sheridan D, Hamilton A. (2012). From personal tragedy to personal challenge: responses to stigma among sober living home residents and operators. Sociology of Health & Illness 34 (3):

Research Question  What are the major physical and mental health issues affecting African-American gay seniors as they age, and how can community institutions better service them  Given the importance of marital partners and children as sources of social support for heterosexual seniors, how do gay elders, who cannot legally form marital unions and who are less likely to have children, find and maintain social support systems as they age.

Data: “In the Shadow of Sexuality” RCMAR NIH Diversity Supplement Study Qualitative Portion of NIH Diversity Supplement Study  Two Focus Group Interviews (N=12, N=5)  48 In-Person, Individual Interviews digitally recorded, transcribed

Selected Categories from Codebook  Category B: Sex, Sexuality and Gender Identity  Category J: HIV/AIDS  Category K: Knowledge about Health Issues  Category L: Major Physical Health Episode  Category M: Mental Health  Category N: Drug Use/Addiction  Category P: Social Support  Category Q: Family of Origin  Category R: Aging Concerns  Category T: Retirement

Category L Major Health Episode: Subcategories  L1. Characteristics  L2. Duration  L3. Access to Care  L4. Health Care Provider  L5. Medical Insurance  L6. Alternative Medicines and Treatments  L7. Emotional Response to Health Episode  L8. Social Support for Health Episode  L9. Experiences in Treatment/Recovery  L10. Regularity of Medical Exams

Category L: Major Health Episode  L1. Characteristics Date Severity Symptoms  L3. Access to Care Hospital Doctor Medicine Home Visitation Use of Emergency Rm

Category L: Major Health Episode  L8. Social Support for Health Episode Partner Family Friends Others Sharing Information/ Disclosing Condition Quality of Support Received Sufficient/Insufficient Support Received  L9. Experiences in Treatment/Recovery Mental Health (Depression/ Loneliness/Anxiety) Physical Rehabilitation Change in Economic Status Social Isolation Visitation

Bonnie Harrison (b. 1941, retired educator) I have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, which makes you extremely, extremely tired. I: Okay. R: And it creates bone pain, so I developed this terrible osteoporosis as a result of the calcium overflow. And so, now I am suffering with this back pain and now the pain is in my hips and I was at the doctor’s last week. I have arthritis in my hips now and so there is a new regimen that is being put together for that. I am getting acupuncture massage and different forms of physical therapy and she wants me to be on these pills for a month, but I don’t take them the way they are prescribed because I told her the problem that I had with the other medicines. They were narcotics and…

Continued I: You didn’t want to get addicted. R: [She made a “no” sound] So, she said, “She just wants me to take it for a month. Take one pill every twelve hours.” I take one a day if I have to with a Tylenol and other than that if I am home, I will just lay down or sit down. I just will not become addicted to those meds. So, I have, you know, social support in a sense, I have group that I run. The women are very supportive and loving. There are men that I know that are supportive and loving. My partner had a diagnosis of liver cancer. They think it’s cancer and they are treating it as though it is cancer. They will not know until they biopsy it...