Digital Commons Network^™

Helicopter Parenting Of College Students, Lindsey R. Pautler

Masters Theses

Popular media often features stories about 'helicopter parenting' and asserts that this style is detrimental to youngsters (c.f., Fingerman, Cheng, Wesselmann, Zarit, Furstenberg, & Birditt, 2012; LeMoyne & Buchanan, 2011). However, few studies have examined the phenomenon empirically (Fingerman et al., 2012), particularly in a college population. The few existing studies of 'helicopter parenting' have evaluated different facets of this parenting style (e.g., intrusive parenting, inappropriate contact with school personnel), which makes comparing research results difficult. This paper discusses the literature on 'helicopter parenting' and discusses the initial steps in the development of a new comprehensive assessment of 'helicopter parenting' …

The Financial Burdens Associated With Managing Pku Dietary Needs As An Adult, Melissa C. Bernzen

Masters Theses

This study was designed to identify the financial burdens associated with purchasing medical foods and the impact this has on the dietary management of adults with PKU. PKU is a genetic disorder in which the body cannot metabolize the amino acid, phenylalanine, which occurs in all foods with protein. Dietary treatment of foods low in protein along with medical supplementation is required for the treatment of PKU. If PKU is left untreated this can lead to severe neurological damage. Medical guidelines indicate that dietary treatment is needed for the duration of one's life, but the medical foods needed are expensive …

Exercise Is Medicine: The Exercise Habits And Attitudes Towards Exercise Counseling Of Medical Practitioners, Zoë Roberts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the exercise habits of practicing physicians, physician assistants (PA), and nurse practitioners (NP) in Illinois to better understand their attitudes towards counseling their patients on exercise, and to analyze the frequency that these health care providers incorporate exercise counseling into their practices. Current data has revealed the exercise habits of physicians and how it has influenced the physicians' exercise counseling behaviors. But PAs and NPs have not been included in research collectively as a medical team on the topic using exercise counseling and prescription for patient care and treatment. The research was …

The Effects Of Religious And Body-Related Affirmations On Disordered Eating Attitudes And Body Dissatisfaction, Cassandra A. Vogt

Masters Theses

The relationship between disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and religion is complex. Previous research demonstrated that religious body affirmations are beneficial in reducing body dissatisfaction among undergraduate females. Because previous research used affirmations which were simultaneously religious in nature and related to the body, it is difficult to determine if the religiousness of the affirmation is the beneficial characteristic. The current study investigated which type of affirmation had the strongest effect on disordered eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction. More specifically, the five experimental conditions included: religious body affirmations, religious non-body affirmations, non-religious body affirmations, non-religious non-body affirmations, and neutral control statements. …

Nutritious Meals For The Homeless Population: Challenges And Opportunities, Kayla A. Albrecht

Masters Theses

Objective: Consuming a nutritionally adequate diet is extremely challenging for the homeless population. Though meals are available to the homeless population through soup kitchens and homeless shelters, these settings often do not serve meals that provide essential nutrients. The consumption of energy-dense, low-nutrient foods has led in part to high prevalence of obesity, heart disease, and chronic illnesses among the homeless. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the challenges that homeless shelters face in providing nutritious meals to guests and (b) investigate the need and interest of nutrition education at homeless shelters.

Methods: Nine homeless shelter directors …

Effects Of 17Β Estradiol In The Metabolism And Morphology Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Neeta Parajulee Karki

Masters Theses

Fish natural habitats are increasingly contaminated with various estrogenic compounds, including 17β estradiol (E2). This compound causes adverse effects on the reproductive system of male fish; however, the effects of E2 on other aspects of fish metabolism, morphology and histopathological changes in internal organs are not well known. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of E2 exposure on the basal and stressed metabolic rate, morphological changes in body shapes, and histological changes in the liver tissues of sunfish species. Fish were held individually in ten gallon tanks under two treatments of 40 and 80 ng/L and …

Preschool Oral Narrative Retell Intervention: A Contextualized Approach, Megan E. Miller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a contextualized, explicit narrative intervention on oral narrative retell skills in typically developing preschoolers as a means for fostering the development of narrative structure, story comprehension, and narrative retell skills. Participants were recruited from the Childhood Development Laboratory preschool classrooms located in Buzzard Hall at Eastern Illinois University. Prior to intervention, participants' core receptive and expressive language abilities were assessed using the Comprehensive Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool-2nd Edition (CELF-P-2), and oral narrative retells were analyzed for narrative complexity using the Test of Narrative Retell-Preschool Edition (TNR-P). The six weeks …

When Nutrition Kills You: Malnutrition For Children In Saudi Arabia, Layla Alahmari

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the issues of Saudi children and their sick and malnourished are shown. Many Saudi's children suffer from anemia. Usually Saudi's children suffer from malnutrition because their parents do not instill healthy food habits. Saudi's children also, suffered due to nutritional inequality consequential from the appearance of poverty, and parent illiteracy. The purpose of this study was to determine most significant factors that result in malnutrition of children in Saudi Arabia.

The study was a quantitative, non-experimental design. It was a survey and correlational study. The hypotheses results were not significant. The researcher observed in particular results, which …

Do Smartphone Applications Aid In Weight Loss? A Study On The Efficacy Of Apps As A Supplemental Weight-Loss Aid, Elizabeth C. Fitzsimmons

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, mobile technology has been developed in the hopes of improving health outcomes, especially related to weight loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone application as a supplementary weight loss tool among highly motivated individuals. Twenty-five individuals over the age of 18 were included in the study based on BMI and participation in a Midwest weight-loss clinic. Intervention group participants (n = 13) were instructed to use the MyFitnessPal app to monitor food intake and receive SMS-style nutritional messages. The control group (n = 12) received no mobile-based intervention, but …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Sports Performance: Vertical Jump And Shuttle Run Performance In Women's College Basketball Players, Holly Wohltman

Masters Theses

Introduction: Since Kinesio tape (KT tape) was invented in the mid-1970s, studies have been lacking in producing strong evidence to support the claims of its ability to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of KT tape at enhancing sports performance, in the areas of vertical jump and shuttle run performance, in Illinois College Women's Basketball Team, participants ranged from 19-22 years of age.

Methods: There were eleven female basketball players ranging from the ages 19-22 years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants performed a vertical jump test and a shuttle run …

Written Discourse Performance After Blast Injury, Brittany M. Loomis

Masters Theses

A blast injury (BI) is caused by a wave from a bomb which damages organs, specifically the brain. Once soldiers/veterans have sustained a BI, they will most likely present with a cognitive-communication deficit resulting from the traumatic brain injury. Language related symptoms are most apparent in written language skills due to the high level of cognitive function required for writing. This study investigated written discourse skills following a BI. Written discourse samples were collected from four participants and four controls. A description of the Butcher Picture from the Aphasia Diagnostic Profile was analyzed for productivity, efficiency, and local and global …

The Retrospective Diagnosis Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Adolescents: Family Physicians' Challenges, Adam M. Pechmann

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of the study was to identify current retrospective practices used by family physicians in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults. In other words, do physicians adhere to best practices and examine information from childhood in order to diagnose ADHD in adolescents and young adults? In addition, this study aimed to examine the information physicians request for ADHD diagnosis, types of treatments they recommend, the type of information they use to assess treatment outcomes, and professional attitudes regarding the nature of ADHD. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to answer the research questions. Participants …

The Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Syndromes As Emotional Disorders, Doty Jennings

Masters Theses

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have grouped together syndromes which are referred to as the obsessive-compulsive spectrum (OCS). The grouping of these syndromes is disputed because of lack of empirical verification for an organization purportedly based on research that supports similarity of observed symptoms. The taxonomy of emotional disorders was tested as an alternative model. Consistent with the model of the emotional disorders, this empirical research tested two proposed characteristics. The first was whether three OCS syndromes (hoarding syndrome, body dysmorphic syndrome, and obsessive compulsive syndromes) shared the broad factor of neuroticism or negative …

Examining College Faculty And Staff's Levels Of Confidence And Preparedness In Recognizing And Responding To Distressed Students, Rachel L. Chlebanowski

Masters Theses

Mental health on college campuses is a large focus, as students attending college with diagnosed mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). While college campuses should be a safe and supportive environment for students, many faculty and staff do not know the resources available to students, nor are faculty and staff able to identify when students are suffering from a mental illness (Bateman, 1997). This study was designed to identify staff and faculty's ability to work with students with mental illness, including identifying warning signs, as well as recognizes campus resources. The study took place at a …

The Impact Of Nutrition Education On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of Elementary School Students, Constance Evans Herriott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutrition education on the fruit and vegetable consumption of third grade students. This was in an effort to determine whether nutrition education played a role in the consumption of fruits and vegetables because current intakes are very low. This quasi-experimental study consisted of a relatively small convenience sample at a rural elementary school. For this study, thirty-minute nutrition education lessons were delivered for four consecutive weeks to the experimental group. In order to assess the impact of the lessons, fruit and vegetable plate waste were gauged prior to and …

Cyber-Victimization, Depression, And Social Anxiety Among College Students, Kenna L. Mager

Masters Theses

Cyber-victimization, a new form of bullying, emerged with the development and evolution of technology. Recent research shows discrepancies in cyber-victimization definitions and there are inconsistencies of methods used to measure cyber-victimization. This paper reviewed the literature on cyber-victimization and developed a new scale to measure cyber-victimization with the intention of making cyber-victimization research more consistent. The current study examined known correlates of cyber-victimization (e.g., depression and social anxiety) in a sample of college students using the newly developed measure. The current study also explored the moderating role of social support in the relationship between cyber-victimization and depression, as well as …

Moral Judgments Of Differing Transgressions & The Influence Of Willingness To Seek Counseling & Religiosity, Marni Naleway

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how moral judgments differ towards substance abusers and unfaithful spouses. Furthermore, the study compared judgments regarding the gender of the transgressor, the transgressor's willingness to go to counseling, and the participant's level of religiosity. Participants in the study were provided with a scenario describing a substance abuse transgression or an infidelity transgression followed by a survey of questions inquiring about their judgments towards the transgressor. Results indicated individuals judge a transgressor more harshly in an infidelity transgression compared to a substance abuse transgression. Results also indicated a gender bias between transgressions as …

Assessing The Impact Of Pre-Meal To-Go Containers On Consumption And Satiety, Claudia Bueno

Masters Theses

Lack of portion control is one of the main causes of obesity. Restaurants offer portions larger than recommended by the USDA. This can lead to portion distortion among consumers and increased consumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of offering a to-go box before a meal on reducing consumption.

In this quasi-experimentally designed study, a convenience sample of diners (N=35) served as subjects. The experimental group (n=18) was offered a to-go box before the meal, and the control group (n=17) was offered a to-go box after the meal. The food was …

The Effects Of Cued Speech On Phonemic Awareness Skills, Jessica M. Phillips

Masters Theses

Research suggests phonemic awareness is enhanced through multimodality training. Cued Speech is a multimodality system that combines hand signs with mouth movements to represent phonemes of the spoken language. This system has been utilized successfully in developing phonological awareness with children with hearing loss. However, no research is available on its effectiveness with children who are not deaf or hard-of-hearing. The efficacy of the use of Cued Speech for the enhancement of phonological skills in typically developing 1st grade students was evaluated in this study. Twenty-six 1^st graders identified as low-achieving readers by their classroom teachers were administered the …

Facebook Addiction And Impulsive Decision-Making, Daniel Delaney

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between Facebook "addiction" and impulsive decision-making. Impulsive decision-making as measured by the delay discounting task is associated with a number of addictions and other problem behaviors. We gave 152 students a paper-based packet including the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to measure problematic Facebook use and a delay discounting task to assess impulsivity. 16 Facebook "addicted" participants were matched to 16 control participants on demographic data to compare differences in impulsivity. Likewise, we explored whether a correlational relationship between Facebook addiction scores and impulsivity existed. We found that Facebook "addicts" discounted delayed rewards more quickly than …

Can Consumers Perceive A Difference In Quality When Comparing Whole-Grain Gluten-Free Baked Goods To Refined Gluten-Free Baked Goods At Varying Flour Levels, Jenna R. Carlson

Masters Theses

The prevalence of celiac disease and gluten intolerances has increased drastically in the last few decades, accounting for 1 in 100 individuals, or about 1% of Americans (Mager, Qiao, & Turner, 2012). The only treatment for celiac disease or any other gluten intolerance is the gluten-free diet. The gluten-free diet can lack many essential nutrients. The purpose of this research was to identify if consumers could perceive a difference in quality when comparing whole-grain gluten-free baked goods to refined gluten-free baked goods at varying flour levels of 20%, 50%, and 100%.

The researcher-developed Carlson Acceptability of Gluten-Free Baked Goods Survey …

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

Differences In Mental Health Treatment Recommendations For Older And Younger Adults, Michelle M. Smith

Masters Theses

Failure to meet geriatric mental health needs is increasingly problematic. Research indicates that the problem is not simply a matter of insufficient numbers of mental health practitioners (MHPs), but also ageist attitudes and lack of knowledge about and training with older adults. The current study reviews the literature regarding knowledge about older people, education and training that mental health professionals receive, and the attitudes that are held by mental health professionals. The study also assessed for differences in treatment recommendations that MHP made for older versus younger clients, investigated whether MHP knowledge about the mental health of older adults, attitudes …

Substance Abuse In Older Adults: An Exploratory Study, Rachael Hawn

Masters Theses

The increasing number of older adults in the United States, due in part to the Baby Boomer generation, means that there is also an increase in the number of older adults dealing with substance abuse problems. The compounded effects of multiple legal medications with alcohol, illicit drugs, or abused prescription drugs on the withdrawal process are likely to make delineating between legitimate medication side effects and withdrawal symptoms incredibly difficult for medical professionals working with older adults. With the average older adult legally using 17 medications from nine different medical professionals, the physical effects of substance abuse might easily go …

Increasing Cooking And Nutritional Knowledge Of Food Pantry Clients Via Cookbook Intervention, Joshua Kleczynski

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess eating habits, cooking habits, and nutritional knowledge of food pantry clients. As a whole, the average American consumes a less-than-optimal intake of nutrients. This, combined with the elevated national food insecurity rate of 14.5%, produces an advantageous situation to educate food pantry clients about healthy lifestyle practice through cooking. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design including a pre-assessment, intervention, post-assessment design. Forty-nine participants were included in study, and either received a cookbook (intervention group) or were a control subject and only completed surveys. Results revealed that the cookbook intervention did not elicit any behavior …

The Long-Term Effects Of An Aac Communication Partner Training Program, Brooke Capp

Masters Theses

The current investigation was a follow-up study to a research project conducted in summer 2012 by Fanale. The Fanale (2012) study looked at the effectiveness of parent training on parents' perspectives of AAC, as well as parents' use of specific communication facilitating strategies. The follow-up maintenance study investigated long-term effects of training on parent perceptions' and use of communication facilitating strategies. Through this project parents received additional training and different levels of support over four months in order to enhance the parents' abilities to utilize AAC in other environments, activities, and communication partners, as well as gather information on parents' …

Comparison Of Two Dark Chocolate And Their Effect On Blood Pressure, Melissa A. Foor

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine if dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and if the concentration of the dark chocolate varies the result. Currently, one in four Americans has high blood pressure. The recommended treatment may include medicine or a diet referred to as DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This study followed a within-subjects design having all participants receive each type of dark chocolate. Twenty-seven participants started the study to measure their blood pressure while consuming dark chocolate for a week at a time. Results showed that Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate did not lower blood pressure significantly …

Pre-Meal To-Go Boxes: Implications For Portion Control, Margaret J. Schuster

Masters Theses

Title: Pre-Meal To-Go Boxes: Implications for Portion Control

Authors: M. J. Schuster, BS; T. L. Brooks, PhD, RD; J.E. Painter, PhD, RD; C. Honselman, PhD, RD

Introduction: Obesity rates are increasing and seem to be correlated with increasing portion sizes of restaurant meals because of consumer desire for value. The purpose of this study was to determine if using a pre-meal to-go box has an impact on customers' total food intake of a restaurant meal.

Methods: Subjects were a convenience sample of adults (n=49) at a spaghetti dinner. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive approximately 18 ounces of spaghetti and …

The Effects Of Music Instruction On Phonological Awareness In Children With Hearing Impairment, Chelsea Fitch

Masters Theses

Phonological awareness skills are essential for reading development. Children with hearing loss lack access to essential auditory information that allows development of phonological awareness (Dillon, John, & Pisoni, 2011). Music instruction is becoming a popular approach to teach reading for typically developing children, and studies have supported beneficial effects from this treatment methodology. However, there is limited research regarding the use of music to teach phonological awareness and reading skills to children with hearing impairment (Gromko, 2005).

The effectiveness of a music program on increasing phonological awareness skills in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing was evaluated in this study. …

Students' Consumption Of Healthy Food Items Using A Social Marketing Intervention, Kayla Autumn Dalton

Masters Theses

This study was an analysis of student eating habits in an "all-you-care-to-eat" dining center at a mid-size, four year, Midwest residential institution. The present, quantitative study was replicated based off a study conducted in 2008 at a similar Midwest university by Diana Poovey Duncan. The present study examined college students' (n = 218) eating habits and consumption patterns over a nine-week study period. Participants were solicited to take the pre-intervention survey in person with incentives during the second week of the study while a post-intervention survey was sent electronically during the seventh week only to those whom provided an …