Adapting Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for Focus Group Data: A More Equitable Research Partnership with Older LGBTQ+ Adults

Background and Purpose:

The current study asked older LGBTQ+ adults, and key community informants, what they believe through their own lived experiences impacts the LGBTQ+ community’s health into older age. The study also sought what specific policies, interventions, or research is recommended to move towards creating change in this population’s oppressive environments. Both inquiries were sought with the aim of working towards bringing awareness to health disparities and ultimately improve health outcomes in older LGBTQ+ populations. This research is pertinent, as older LGBTQ+ populations often experience many health care access issues such as discrimination, internalized stigma, identity concealment, rejection, limited aging supports, social isolation, financial stability issues, and oppression (American Psychological Association, 2013; Choi & Meyer, 2016). Older LGBTQ+ populations are also the experts on their own health care experiences (Marchia, 2018) and should be then consulted as the authority on these health experiences and what health care solutions are best for their communities. A research study method was then needed be utilized that would honor older LGBTQ+ populations’ expertise.

Methods:

An innovative qualitative approach was needed to yield the findings that honored older LGBTQ+ people as the experts on their lived experiences. Specifically, a qualitative, phenomenological research lens was used, which summarizes participants’ lived experiences, creates context for experiences, and derives major shared themes (Padgett, 2016). This lens was infused with a data analysis plan that aimed to respect older LGBTQ+ people and their lived experiences through an adapted version of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA derives meaningful understanding of the lived experiences of the participants, while providing context for social factors involved in these experiences and allows for participants to tell their stories in a way that respects the experiential content being analyzed (Palmer et al., 2010). IPA can be adapted for focus groups so that the researcher immerses themselves in the data and also identifies experiences of the group members with specific emerging themes (Love et al., 2020). In the current study, focus groups (n=33) and credibility theme checking follow up interviews (n=15) were conducted with participants recruited from agencies that served older LGBTQ+ adults. Themes were derived using IPA regarding social health factors that impact older LGBTQ+ adults and what they believed would be solutions to support better health in their communities.

Results:

Nine themes about social health factors and nine solutions to better health were derived using the adapted form of IPA. Themes found in focus groups were examined by participants in credibility check interviews, with participants stating that their lived experiences were represented in themes found. One-on-one interviews helped to delve deeper into themes found.

Conclusions and Implications:

Using an adapted form of IPA to analyze focus group data can yield results that represent the truer lived experiences of older LGBTQ+ adults. Research done in a way that respects the true lived experiences of older LGBTQ+ adult populations will hopefully result in social work practice, policy, and research that will lead to meaningful change in the health outcomes for older LGBTQ+ adults.