02 Oct Write a 2- to 3-page critique of the research you found in the Walden Library that includes responses to the following prompts: Why did the authors select binary logistic regressio

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Article Critic (Mutiple Regression Moderation or Meditation)

Jailya Wooden

Walden University

RSCH 8260

September 17. 2023

Why did the authors use moderation/mediation in their multiple regression model?

In "Stress and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Recurrence: Moderation or Mediation of Coping?" the authors used moderation and mediation analyses in their multiple regression model to examine the complex relationships between stress, coping strategies, and mental health QoL in breast cancer patients facing recurrence. Moderation was used to determine whether engagement coping might reduce the effects of traumatic and symptom-related stress on mental health QoL. This method enables the scientists to determine whether engagement coping buffers stress's harmful effects on these patients' QoL. Mediation analysis examined whether coping techniques, especially disengagement coping, mediated stress-related mental health QoL improvements. The authors investigated the mediation role of disengagement coping to understand how stress affects QoL in breast cancer recurrence patients. Moderation and mediation studies helped us understand the complex relationship between stress, coping, and QoL, which is vital for designing successful treatments to enhance these people's well-being.

Do you think moderation/mediation is the most appropriate choice? Why or why not?

Given the intricacy of the interactions being studied, moderation and mediation analyses may be suitable for stress, coping, and QoL studies in breast cancer recurrence patients. Moderation analysis is appropriate because it enables researchers to explore if engaged coping techniques might affect the stress-mental health QoL link. Understanding whether engagement coping protects QoL from stress is crucial as breast cancer recurrence patients experience varied kinds and amounts of stress. This technique offers detailed insights into when specific coping mechanisms work best, which may guide targeted therapies.

Mediation analysis is also important since it reveals how stress affects mental health QoL. The authors want to know how stress affects QoL by seeing whether disengagement coping methods buffer the link. This is essential for targeting therapies that address the coping techniques that underlie these effects. Moderation and mediation studies allow for a full study of stress, coping mechanisms, and QoL in a population facing a difficult and emotionally charged scenario like breast cancer recurrence. These analytical approaches allow researchers to go beyond simple associations and understand how coping strategies can buffer or mediate the impact of stress on mental health QoL, guiding the development of more effective interventions to improve patient well-being.

Did the authors display the results in a figure or table?

The authors reported their findings in figures and tables. Figure 1 shows how symptom stress and engagement in coping with breast cancer recurrence diagnosis predict mental health four months later. This graphic shows how engagement coping moderates the association between symptom stress and mental quality of life, using standard deviations to show data variability. However, Figure 2 shows path models that evaluate coping as a mediator between stress at breast cancer recurrence diagnosis and mental quality of life four months later. The graphic shows normalized route coefficients, illustrating variable associations' strength and direction. In Figure 2, asterisks (*p<0.05, **p<0.01) indicate statistically significant correlations by route (Yang et al., 2008). These charts help visualize the study's core results and show how stress, coping, and quality of life are connected. They simplify difficult statistical analyses and improve study comprehension.

Does the results table stand alone? In other words, are you able to interpret the study from it? Why or why not?

It needs to be clarified whether the study article has a results table. I can provide a broad opinion on whether a results table can be used to understand research. Research publications seldom include standalone results tables. The language frequently provides context, explanations, and interpretations of quantitative data like means, standard deviations, regression coefficients, and p-values. Readers learn about the results' relevance and consequences, their link to the study questions or hypotheses, and how they add to the subject. Although a results table contains vital numerical data, it must be understood in collaboration. Reading the text, methodology, discussion, and conclusion helps you understand the study's background, aims, techniques, and authors' insights and interpretations. Researchers explain their studies, defend their decisions, and give nuanced insights beyond the table's numerical statistics in the text.

References

Yang, H.-C., Brothers, B. M., & Andersen, B. L. (2008). Stress and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Recurrence: Moderation or Mediation of Coping? Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35(2), 188–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-008-9016-0