A team of eight trained researchers facilitated the focus groups, which were held in WYE-125132 venues such as the local high school, community centre, library and café (outside normal business hours). Focus groups were the preferred method for obtaining data due to their strength in eliciting rich, indepth information derived from the interaction and exchange of information that occurs within and between participants, rather than interviewing individuals (e.g., Kitzinger, 1995). Focus groups are also beneficial as they can be inclusive of participants with low literacy (reading and writing) levels (Crookes and Davies, 2004). We completed 12 focus groups, which involved 51 adolescents (28 male, 23 female) and 27 adults (19 female, 8 male) and ranged in size from 6 to 10 participants. There were 5 groups of 12–14 year olds, 3 groups of 15–17 year olds, and 4 groups of adults. Most adolescent participants ![WYE-125132]()
knew each other prior to the focus groups as luteal phase went to the same school, played sport together, or they were siblings. Adult participants were all parents of adolescents aged from 12–17 years of age who were also known to each other through the local school and through sporting communities. A strength of this approach was the development of a sample that supported fluency and contextual detail in focus groups discussions, as familiar places and scenarios were often raised by participants. A potential weakness, however, could be that the groups, being of like mind, discounted other experiences and points of view. In some cases, participants from the adolescent groups were children of participants in the parent groups-this occurred only where there was an opportunity for different groups to be run concurrently due to the availability of specific facilitators and a suitably equipped venue. It was not an inclusion criterion for participation.
knew each other prior to the focus groups as luteal phase went to the same school, played sport together, or they were siblings. Adult participants were all parents of adolescents aged from 12–17 years of age who were also known to each other through the local school and through sporting communities. A strength of this approach was the development of a sample that supported fluency and contextual detail in focus groups discussions, as familiar places and scenarios were often raised by participants. A potential weakness, however, could be that the groups, being of like mind, discounted other experiences and points of view. In some cases, participants from the adolescent groups were children of participants in the parent groups-this occurred only where there was an opportunity for different groups to be run concurrently due to the availability of specific facilitators and a suitably equipped venue. It was not an inclusion criterion for participation.