Focus Groups Use as a Qualitative Research Method in Child and Adolescent Population

Abstract

Fokusna grupa je tehnika kvalitativnog istraživanja koja je sve više zastupljena u području zdravstva, a primjenjiva je u radu s djecom i adolescentima, samostalno ili u kombinaciji s drugim oblicima istraživanja. Kvalitativnim metodama istraživanjima prikupljamo informacije o vrijednostima, vjerovanjima i motivima koji su u podlozi određenih ponašanja, a fokusna grupa ima kao ključnu zadaću spoznati dublji motiv koji se nalazi iza racionalne evaluacije određene teme te pridonijeti boljem razumijevanju podloge pojedinčevog, ali i grupnog stava, mišljenja i vjerovanja. Cilj ovog rada je prikazati specifičnosti provedbe, prednosti i nedostatke te mogućnosti primjene fokusnih grupa u istraživačkom radu s djecom i mladima. Za uspješnost primjene presudnim se pokazala što bolja adaptacija razvojnoj dobi djeteta te spoznajnim mogućnostima. Prednosti korištenja fokusne grupe u radu s djecom su da djeca bolje komuniciraju u grupi vršnjaka u odnosu na komunikaciju jedan na jedan s odraslima, nema pritiska na samo jedno dijete, te fleksibilnost, a nedostatci su da djeca mogu biti pod utjecajem druge djece prigodom formiranja mišljenja, ali nam to može ukazivati i na zastupljenost neke ideje unutar grupe vršnjaka. Mogućnosti korištenja su u dobivanju informacija o pitanjima javnog zdravlja mladih, informacija dostupnosti zdravstvene zaštite, o preventivnim programima u školi i drugo. / The focus group is a qualitative research technique that is increasingly represented in the field of healthcare and applies to children and adolescents, either separately or in conjunction with other research methods. Using qualitative research methods, we collect information about values, beliefs and motives that are in the background of certain behaviours, and focus groups, as a key task, have to recognize a deeper reason behind a rational evaluation of a specific topic and to contribute to a better understanding of the subject's individual but also group attitude, opinions and beliefs. The aim of this paper is to show the specificities of implementation, advantages and disadvantages and the possibility of applying focus groups in working with children and young people. For the success of the application, it is crucial to have a better adaptation to the developmental age of the child and its cognitive abilities. The advantages of using focus groups in working with children are that children communicate better in a group of peers compared to one-to-one communication with adults, there is no pressure on only one child and there is more flexibility as well; one disadvantage is that children can be influenced by other children when forming opinions, but this may also indicate the representation of an idea within the peer group. Focus groups can be used to obtain information on public health issues, information on healthcare availability, preventive programs at school, etc.