Qualitative health research has been uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Various public health directives will likely remain in place until this pandemic is fully controlled, creating long-lasting impacts on the design and conduct of qualitative health research. Virtual qualitative research provides an alternative to traditional interviews or focus groups and can help researchers adhere to public health directives. In this commentary, we respond to methodological needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we explore unique elements of, and recommendations for, the design and conduct of obtrusive virtual qualitative research (online interviews, online focus groups, and email interviews) and demonstrate crucial ethical, recruitment, analytical, and interpretive considerations. Researchers are currently faced with an ethical imperative to advance virtual qualitative research methods and ensure that rigorous qualitative health research continues during this pandemic and beyond. Our discussions provide a starting point for researchers to explore the potential of virtual qualitative research.

Inclusive physical education (PE) for students with disability (SWD) evolved in line with ethical requirements and stakeholder morality. While inclusive PE is embraced at a conceptual level and desired at the classroom level, the complexity of successful implementation often remains overlooked in policy and curriculum guidelines. Qualitative studies on inclusive PE are generally small-scale, context-specific and limited in applicability to other settings, while current narrative reviews may indiscriminately select qualitative findings. To overcome existing limitations and extend understanding of world-wide teaching and learning experiences within inclusive PE, we conducted qualitative meta-analysis to systematically synthesise primary qualitative findings into secondary interpretations. First, 7 electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2016. Of 672 identified records, 12 met pre-set inclusion criteria. Second, an inductive-deductive hybrid analysis approach revealed two major and eight minor themes. Overall, themes indicated physical educators conceptually embraced inclusive PE with a creative outlook for collaboration, knowledge and support. Cooperative and supportive efforts between physical educators, SWD, parents and teacher aides are valued in creating PE environments that effectively respond to learner diversity. While access to practical teaching guidance remains scarce, this study may contribute to physical educator practice.

The school neighbourhood built environment (BE) can facilitate active transport to school (ATS) in adolescents. Most previous studies examining ATS were conducted in large urban centres and focused on BE of home neighbourhoods. This study examined correlations between school-level ATS rates among adolescents, objectively measured school neighbourhood BE features, and adolescents’ perceptions of the school route across different urbanisation settings. Adolescents (n = 1260; 15.2 ± 1.4 years; 43.6% male) were recruited from 23 high schools located in large, medium, and small urban areas, and rural settings in Otago, New Zealand. Adolescents completed an online survey. School neighbourhood BE features were analysed using Geographic Information Systems. School neighbourhood intersection density, residential density and walkability index were higher in large urban areas compared to other urbanisation settings. School-level ATS rates (mean 38.1%; range: 27.8%–43.9%) were negatively correlated with school neighbourhood intersection density (r = −0.58), residential density (r = −0.60), and walkability index (r = −0.64; all p < 0.01). School-level ATS rates were also negatively associated with adolescents’ perceived safety concerns for walking (r = −0.76) and cycling (r = −0.78) to school, high traffic volume (r = −0.82), and presence of dangerous intersections (r = −0.75; all p < 0.01). Future initiatives to encourage ATS should focus on school neighbourhood BE features and minimise adolescents’ traffic safety related concerns.