Why are Qualitative Methods Important in Epidemiology?
Qualitative methods are crucial in epidemiology for several reasons. Firstly, they help in understanding the social and cultural contexts that influence health behaviors and disease patterns. For instance, exploring the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy can provide insights that are not evident from statistical data alone. Secondly, qualitative methods facilitate the development of hypotheses that can be tested using quantitative approaches, thus complementing the overall research process.
