THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Purpose of the study

Theory and Research Methodology
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Theory and Research Methodology
The neonatal mortality and its determinants in rural communities of Eastern Uganda
Introduction of the study
Mortality rates have remained high in Third World Countries. Researchers have concentrated on mortality rates in urban areas and the data collected from urban areas has failed to present the true picture of the situation in rural areas. The study in this peer-reviewed research article carried out by Kananura et al. (2016) finds that the neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) in rural areas in Uganda is as high as 27 deaths per a thousand live births. The research study focused on three rural districts in Eastern Uganda.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was to determine neonatal mortality and its determinants in the rural areas and compare it to the national average. Kananuri et al. (2016) also wanted to understand the factors that can help lower neonatal mortality rates in rural areas.
Problem statement
Health care providers rely on national average NMR data to determine the distribution of health resources. There is a mismatch between the national average NMR data and the real situation in rural areas. There is also difference in the factors responsible for NMRs in rural areas. This creates a need for reliable data from researchers for making decisions on distribution of the available resources. Health care providers and the national government also needs to understand factors that contribute to neonatal mortality rates in rural areas for them to determine how to channel resources to rural areas and reduce infant mortality.
Main theory
Uganda is one of the underdeveloped countries in the sub-Saharan Africa. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa face major challenges such as poverty and poor economic development. Women living in rural areas find it difficult to access health facilities before and after giving birth. Poor infrastructure lack of basic health facilities like hospitals and clinics make it possible for rural areas to be at risk of diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and prematurity. Access to medical facilities provides timely medical intervention for the mother and the child. Other interventions include treating maternal infections during pregnancy, ensuring a clean safe birth, and immediate exclusive breast-feeding to avert newborn preventable NMRs (Kananuri et al., 2016). Women and the whole community can also be empowered to practice safe newborn care practices, recognize danger signs and early care to avert preventable deaths.
Theoretical Framework/Foundation:The theoretical framework in the research by Kananuri et al. is explicit. The researchers have stated every detail in an explicit manner to avoid confusing the reader. The theory is also embedded in the research as a whole to enable the reader understand the link between the study and the real situation on the ground. The importance of the explicit theoretical framework is that it keeps the reader connected to the problem that the researchers want to solve. In this case, the researchers wanted to determine NMR in rural areas and the reasons that make NMR prevalent in rural areas in Uganda. The res...