Digital Commons Network^™

Mobile Health App For Adolescents: Motion Sensor Data And Deep Learning Technique To Examine The Relationship Between Obesity And Walking Patterns, Sungchul Lee, Eunmin Hwang, Yanghee Kim, Fatih Demir, Hyunhwa Lee, Joshua J. Mosher, Eunyoung Jang, Kiho Lim

Nursing Faculty Publications

With the prevalence of obesity in adolescents, and its long-term influence on their overall health, there is a large body of research exploring better ways to reduce the rate of obesity. A traditional way of maintaining an adequate body mass index (BMI), calculated by measuring the weight and height of an individual, is no longer enough, and we are in need of a better health care tool. Therefore, the current research proposes an easier method that offers instant and real-time feedback to the users from the data collected from the motion sensors of a smartphone. The study utilized the mHealth …

Improving Care For Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Through The Use Of A Personal Electrocardiogram, Teresa Praus, Jonathan Li, Svetlana Barbarash, Manuel Proenza, Mary D. Bondmass

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia affecting more than six million people in the United States. The economic burden is estimated to be >$6 billion annually with catastrophic events dramatically increasing expenditure. When patients experience symptoms, they commonly present to an acute care facility; this can be costly and anxiety provoking. Local problem: Same-day access issues prohibit patients from communicating directly with their cardiology provider, forcing them to use resources and increasing psychological burden.Methods:A convenience sample, made up of 43 patients, was given a KardiaMobile device. Eligible patients had ≥2 AF-related emergency department (ED) or urgent care …

Implementation And Outcomes Of Complementary Therapies In Hospice Care: An Integrative Review, Catherine Dingley, Angela Ruckdeschel, Keshia Kotula, Nirmala Lekhak

Nursing Faculty Publications

Complementary therapies are increasingly integrated into hospice care, emphasizing the need to examine the evidence regarding implementation and effects on end-of-life outcomes. This review synthesizes the evidence regarding the implementation of complementary therapies and effects on end-of-life outcomes in hospice care. Whittemore and Knafl’s five-step integrative review process was applied. Using predefined search terms, research-based articles between 2006 and 2020 were reviewed. Twenty-three quantitative/mixed method studies conducted across eight countries met the final review criteria. Most commonly used complementary therapies were music, biofield therapies (reiki, therapeutic touch), and massage therapy. Most studies reported significant findings on physical symptoms (pain, dyspnea, …

Synergistic Effects Of Incident Diabetes Between Snoring, Family History Of Diabetes, And Obesity, Yoo-Jeong Jeon, Seung Ku Lee, Jin-Young Kim, Chol Shin

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The general public recognizes the connections between obesity, family history of diabetes (FHD), and diabetes, but remains unaware of synergistic effects that occur due to their combination. In this study, we investigate the synergistic effects of event diabetes between snoring, FHD, and obesity. Materials and Methods: Study subjects were selected among participants in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study Ansan- Ansung cohort, an ongoing prospective population-based study. Ansan-Ansung cohort initiated in 2001 and 2002 and has been followed biennially. At baseline, the initial cohort of 10.030 subjects, aged 40 to 69 years. A total of 5.759 participants were included …

Serum Micronutrient Status, Sleep Quality And Neurobehavioral Function Among Early Adolescents, Xiaopeng Ji, Charlene W. Compher, Sharon Y. Irving, Jinyoung Kim, David F. Dinges, Jianghong Liu

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine associations between serum micronutrients and neurobehavioral function and the mediating role of sleep quality in early adolescents. Design: In this cross-sectional study, peripheral blood samples were analyzed for iron and zinc levels. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery were used to assess sleep quality and neurobehavioral function, respectively. The generalized linear regressions (bootstrap) were performed to estimate the associations. Setting: Jintan, China Participants: 226 adolescents (106 females) from the Jintan Child Cohort study. Results: Adolescents with low iron (< 75 ug/dl) (OR=1.29, p=0.04) and low zinc (< 70 ug/dl) (OR=1.58, p0.05). Conclusion: Iron and zinc deficiencies may possibly be associated with poor sleep and neurobehavioral function among early adolescents. Poor sleep may partially mediate the relationship between micronutrients and neurobehavioral function.

Risk Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Among Adult Nevadans, Dieu My T. Tran, Nirmala Lekhak, Karen Gutierrez, Sheniz Moonie

Nursing Faculty Publications

© 2021 Tran et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Objective Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death in the US and Nevada is ranked 11th highest for CVD mortality. The study sought to examine the association between self-reported risk factors and CVD presence among adult Nevadans, between years 2011 and 2017. Methods This is a cross-sectional, population-based study that utilized the 2011 and 2017 Nevada Behavioral Risk …

Auricular Point Acupressure Smartphone Application To Manage Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Longitudinal, One-Group, Open Pilot Trial, Jennifer Kawi, Chao Hsing Yeh, Mengchi Li, Keenan Caswell, Maurice Mazraani, Nada Lukkahatai, Sylvanus Mensah, Janiece Taylor, Chakra Budhathoki, Paul Christo

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is the most common self-reported chronic pain condition. Current treatment for CMP is limited. Methods: This was a two-phase study. In Phase 1, three auricular point acupressure (APA)-naïve participants were recruited to explore their experiences of APA and a smartphone app was developed based on their feedback. In Phase 2, a prospective longitudinal study was used to examine the effectiveness of the smartphone app to self-manage CMP. Results: Phase 1 resulted in the successful development of the APA smartphone app. In Phase 2, after four weeks of APA, participants reported reduced pain intensity (30%), pain …

Healthcare-Seeking Behaviours In College Students And Young Adults: A Review, Dieu-My T. Tran, Angela Silvestri-Elmore

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background/aims: To review the literature on college students’ healthcare-seeking behaviours to uncover the current evidence and promote better healthcare-seeking behaviours and essentially better health outcomes in young adults. Methods: The researchers conducted an extensive literature review using CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar in the years 2018 and 2019. The search was limited to the past 18 years (2000–2018) and to studies reported in the English language focused on the general healthcare-seeking behaviour of college students. The search was also extended to young adults (aged 18–39 years). Results: A total of 56 articles were identified for abstract review and …

Long-Term Impact Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries On Multiple Functional Outcomes And Epigenetics: A Pilot Study With College Students, Hyunhwa Lee, Sungchul Lee, Ipuna Black, Laura Salado, Jonica Estrada, Katrina Isla

Nursing Faculty Publications

People who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) have heterogeneous symptoms and disease trajectories, which make it difficult to precisely assess long-term complications. This pilot study assessed and compared deficits in cognitive, psychosocial, visual functions, and balance performance between college students with and without histories of mTBI. Global DNA methylation ratio (5-mC%) in blood was also compared as a peripheral epigenetic marker. Twenty-five volunteers participated, including 14 healthy controls (64.3% females; mean age of 22.0) and 11 mTBI cases (27.3% females; mean age of 28.7 years) who self-reported mTBI history (63.6% multiple; 2.5 ± 1.29 injuries) with 7.1 years …

Scald Injury-Induced T Cell Dysfunction Can Be Mitigated By Gr1+ Cell Depletion And Blockage Of Cd47/Cd172a Signaling, Nadine Beckmann, Franziska Huber, Marc Hanschen, Barbara St. Pierre Schneider, Vanessa Nomelli, Charles C. Caldwell

Nursing Faculty Publications

Infection is a common and severe complication of burn injury: Sepsis accounts for 47% of postburn mortality. Burn-induced T cell suppression likely contributes to the increased infection susceptibility in burn patients. However, little is known about the kinetics of T cell dysfunction after burn and its underlying mechanisms. In this study, we show in a murine scald injury model that T cell activation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as T cell cytokine production is suppressed acutely and persistently for at least 11 days after burn injury. Purified T cells from scald-injured mice exhibit normal T cell …

Geospatial Variation In Caesarean Delivery, Jennifer Vanderlaan, Johnathan A. Edwards, Anne Dunlop

Nursing Faculty Publications

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variation in caesarean delivery rates across counties in Georgia and to determine whether county-level characteristics were associated with clusters. Design: This was a retrospective, observational study.

Methods: Rates of primary and repeat caesarean by maternal county of residence were calculated for 2008 through 2012. Global Moran's I (Spatial Autocorrelation) was used to identify geographic clustering. Characteristics of high and low-rate counties were compared using student's t test and chi squared test.

Results: Spatial analysis of both primary and repeat caesarean rate identified the presence of clusters (Moran's I = 0.375; …

Methodology For Sampling Women At High Maternal Risk In Administrative Data, Jennifer Vanderlaan, Anne Dunlop, Roger Rochat, Bryan Williams, Susan E. Shapiro

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: In population level studies, the conventional practice of categorizing women into low and high maternal risk samples relies upon ascertaining the presence of various comorbid conditions in administrative data. Two problems with the conventional method include variability in the recommended comorbidities to consider and inability to distinguish between maternal and fetal risks. High maternal risk sample selection may be improved by using the Obstetric Comorbidity Index (OCI), a system of risk scoring based on weighting comorbidities associated with maternal end organ damage. The purpose of this study was to compare the net benefit of using OCI risk scoring vs …

Cultural Factors Affecting Resilience Of Filipino Immigrant Women, Andrew Reyes

Nursing Faculty Publications

This presentation describes the results of a descriptive study exploring the relationship between resilience, acculturative stress, and cultural family beliefs about disclosing mental health problems among Filipino immigrant women living in the United States.

Using Cluster Analysis To Identify Subgroups Of College Students At Increased Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Dieu-My Tran, Kevin A. Kupzyk, Lani M. Zimmerman

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose: To examine the co-occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors and cluster subgroups of college students for cardiovascular risks. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted using co-occurrence patterns and hierarchical clustering analysis in 158 college students. Results: The top co-occurring cardiovascular risk factors were overweight/obese and hypertension (10.8%, n = 17). Of the total 34 risk factors that co-occurred, 30 of them involved being overweight/obese. A six-cluster-solution was obtained, two clusters displayed elevated levels of lifetime and 30-year cardiovascular disease risks. Conclusions: The hierarchical cluster analysis identified that single White males with a family history of heart …

Exploring Challenges In Conducting E-Mental Health Research Among Asian American Women, Andrew Thomas Reyes, Rose E. Constantino, Rogelio A. Arenas, Judzia N. Bombard, Alvin Ryan Acupan

Nursing Faculty Publications

In this discussion paper, we explore the challenges of conducting e-mental health intervention research among Asian American women and propose a model for addressing these barriers. Based on an extensive literature review, we identify two main types of barriers to conducting e-mental health intervention research among Asian American women: recruitment barriers and adherence barriers. Recruitment barriers are further subcategorized into those related to (1) stigmatized cultural beliefs about mental illness and mental health services; (2) lack of awareness about mental health services; and (3) language barrier. As to adherence barriers, the two identified subtypes concern (1) acuity and severity of …

Resilience, Acculturative Stress, And Family Norms Against Disclosure Of Mental Health Problems Among Foreign-Born Filipino American Women, Andrew Thomas Reyes, Reimund Serafica, Chad L. Cross, Rose E. Constantino, Rogelio A. Arenas

Nursing Faculty Publications

The present study explores the relationships between resilience, acculturative stress, and family norms against disclosure of mental health problems among foreign-born Filipino American women. The sample consisted of 159 foreign-born Filipino American women aged 18 years and above and residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Participants completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Results indicated high levels of resilience and moderate levels of acculturative stress. Findings also showed a significant negative correlation between resilience and acculturative stress, and a significant predictive effect of resilience on acculturative stress. We also found a significant negative relationship between resilience and family norms against disclosure of mental …

A Multicomponent Intervention Helped Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake In Economically Disadvantaged Hispanic Children, Du Feng, Huaxin Song, M. Christina Esperat, Ipuna Black

Nursing Faculty Publications

This study aimed to examine the effect of a multicomponent intervention program on consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and lifestyle factors associated with SSB intake, in Hispanic children from low-income families.

Low Back Pain In Student Nurses: Literature Review And Prospective Cohort Study, Nancy Menzel, Du Feng, Jessica Doolen

Nursing Faculty Publications

There is consensus that registered nurses worldwide have a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly of the back. Patient handling activities such as lifting present the highest risk of injury, activities that begin in nursing school. A literature review identified 21 studies of back pain in nursing students, indicating a wide range of prevalence rates. A prospective cohort study of nursing students in a United States baccalaureate program followed 119 students who completed the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire upon beginning the 16 month upper division major and then a year later. There was no statistically significant change in low back …

Do Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors Differ By Rural Classification In Women Who Enroll In A Weight Loss Intervention?, Dieu-My Tran, Carol H. Pullen, Lani M. Zimmerman Patricia, A. Hageman University Of Nebraska

Nursing Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: If clinicians and researchers are aware of specific cardiovascular risks associated with women's rural status, whether it be large or small/isolated rural areas, it may help in developing more relevant rural resources. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there were differences in modifiable cardiovascular risk factors of overweight and obese rural women living in large or small/isolated rural areas. SAMPLE: This secondary analysis examined baseline cross-sectional data from the "Web-based Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance Intervention for Older Rural Women" clinical trial. Analysis included data from 299 rural Midwestern women, ages 40-69 years with a baseline …

Effectiveness Of A Poverty Simulation In Second Life®: Changing Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Poor People, Nancy Menzel, Laura Helen Willson, Jessica Doolen

Nursing Faculty Publications

Social justice is a fundamental value of the nursing profession, challenging educators to instill this professional value when caring for the poor. This randomized controlled trial examined whether an interactive virtual poverty simulation created in Second Life^® would improve nursing students’ empathy with and attributions for people living in poverty, compared to a self-study module. We created a multi-user virtual environment populated with families and individual avatars that represented the demographics contributing to poverty and vulnerability. Participants (N = 51 baccalaureate nursing students) were randomly assigned to either Intervention or Control groups and completed the modified Attitudes toward …

Hispanic Construction Workers And Assertiveness Training, Pramen Shrestha, Nancy Menzel

Nursing Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hispanic (Latino) construction workers experience disparities in occupational death and injury rates in the United States. The cultural value of respect for those in authority may hinder these workers from requesting safe working conditions from supervisors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether Hispanic construction workers in Las Vegas, Nevada found assertiveness training more useful than non-Hispanic trainees and whether or not they practiced this behavior at work after the training.

METHODS: An assertiveness training simulation was part of fall prevention classes offered to area construction workers. Eight weeks after the training, participants were interviewed by telephone about class topics they found …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods. We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between …

Coronary Heart Disease Knowledge And Risk Factors Among Filipino-Americans Connected To Primary Care Services, Alona N. Dalusung-Angosta

Nursing Faculty Publications

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death of Filipino-Americans (FAs). Despite the growing numbers of FAs in the United States, little is known about their CHD knowledge and risk factors.

The purposes of this study were to examine the baseline knowledge and risk factors of CHD among FAs and to describe the relationships between knowledge, sociodemographic, and socioeconomic characteristic variables of FAs between the ages of 35-75 years.

The study sample consisted of 120 FAs (N = 120) who were connected to primary care services. Data were collected from three primary care clinics in Las Vegas, …

Raising Brn: Growth Of A Journal, Carolyn B. Yucha, Marnie E. Wiss

Nursing Faculty Publications

It is unbelievable how quickly time flies when you’re having fun. We have now been editing BRN for 8.5 years, and we are still speaking to one another! Over this time, numerous changes have occurred in our editorial procedures. We started our editing positions working in adjoining offices at the University of Florida, yelling back and forth to one another; we now work 2,200 miles from each other, communicating on a regular basis via e-mail. We started off using a homemade database combined with a complicated e-mail filing system; we now use ScholarOne’s Manuscript Central, a web-based system easily accessible …

Leveraging Higher Salaries For Nursing Faculty, Carolyn B. Yucha, Rosemary Witt

Nursing Faculty Publications

The nursing faculty pay scale at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has increased significantly over the past 5 years. This increase was driven by a number of factors: (a) the rapidly expanding population in Nevada, (b) the nursing shortage and the Nevada legislative mandate to double nursing enrollment in state schools, (c) the national nursing faculty shortage, and (d) the opening of private nursing schools in Nevada. This article describes how, given these factors, the faculty members were able to leverage a pay scale that is finally competitive with clinical appointments.

Student Stress And Academic Performance: Home Hospital Program, Carolyn B. Yucha, Susan Kowalski, Chad L. Cross

Nursing Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether nursing students assigned to a home hospital experience less stress and improved academic performance. Students were assigned to a home hospital clinical placement (n = 78) or a control clinical placement (n = 79). Stress was measured using the Student Nurse Stress Index (SNSI) and Spielberger’s State Anxiety Inventory. Academic performance included score on the RN CAT, a standardized mock NCLEX-RN®-type test; nursing grade point average; and first attempt pass-fail on the NCLEX-RN. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, or score …

Effectiveness Of An Evidence-Based Curriculum Module In Nursing Schools: Targeting Safe Patient Handling And Movement, Nancy Menzel, Audrey L. Nelson, Thomas R. Waters, Nancy Hughes, Pamela C. Hagan, Gail Powell-Cope, Viviam Thompson

Nursing Faculty Publications

Nursing schools in the United States have not been teaching evidence-based practices for safe patient handling, putting their graduates at risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The specific aim of this study was to translate research related to safe patient handling into the curricula of nursing schools and evaluate the impact on nurse educators and students' intentions to use safe patient handling techniques. Nurse educators at 26 nursing schools received curricular materials and training; nursing students received the evidence-based curriculum module. There were three control sites. Questionnaires were used to collect data on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about safe patient handling …

Effects Of Sodium Intake, Furosemide, And Infusion Of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide On The Urinary And Metabolic Clearances Of Arginine Vasopressin In Normal Subjects, Arnold M. Moses, Carol Jones, Carolyn B. Yucha

Nursing Faculty Publications

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) have important influences on water and electrolyte metabolism, and studies on the interactions between these hormones may have important implications. We have investigated the effects of sodium intake, furosemide, and infusion of ANP on the urinary and metabolic (nonurinary) clearances of AVP in hydrated normal subjects. On a high sodium diet there was an increase in urine volume, sodium excretion, osmolal clearance, plasma ANP concentration, and urinary clearance and fractional excretion of AVP, with a decrease in PRA. The infusion of furosemide increased urine volume, sodium excretion, osmolal clearance, and PRA, but …