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Effect Of The Interactive Computerized Information For Surrogates Icu Program In Increasing The Understanding Of Informed Consent And The Knowledge Of Genetic And Genomics Research, Ann Kathleen Shelton

Dissertations

Background: A significant and growing number of clinical research studies conducted in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) today have some genetic and genomics component. Surrogates approached to authorize participation in clinical research for a loved-one in the ICU may not be prepared to make informed decisions. A model of stewardship of genetic and genomics research was used as a framework for this study. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of an educational program, the Interactive Computerized Information for Surrogates (ICIS) ICU Education Program in assisting surrogates to (1) increase their understanding of the process of informed …

Is Parenting Style Related To Overweight In Mexican Or Mexican-American Preschoolers?, Darlene Mcpherson-Ventura Phd

Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood overweight (OW) continues to rise and children from low-income, Mexican or Mexican-American families are disproportionately affected. The preschool years have been identified as a critical period for excessive weight gain and during this time children respond to parental cues as they form their early eating habits. Certain parenting styles have been associated with improved health outcomes in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of parenting styles and feeding practices to the Mexican or Mexican-American preschool child's risk of overweight. Interdependence Theory was used to inform this study to understand the interaction …

Gender And Ovarian Hormone Effects On The Relative Contribution Of Chromaticity To Brightness, Brian Keith Foutch

Dissertations

PURPOSE: The chromatic contribution to brightness perception was compared in males and females. METHODS: Direct brightness matching (DBM) and heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) were used to measure relative luminous efficiency, and DBM/HFP ratios were predicted to be higher for females than males on repeated measures and for each "primary" color. No gender differences were predicted in DBM or HFP measures. Within-females effects of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PG) levels, contraceptive use, and menstrual cycle phase were also investigated. It was expected that E2 would directly predict DBM/HFP ratios and that PG would antagonize that relationship. Based on that prediction, DBM/HFP …

Sport As A Vehicle For Socialization And Maintenance Of Cultural Identity: International Students Attending American Universities, James Taylor Allen

Dissertations

Sport can be utilized by immigrants as a vehicle for maintaining cultural identity. Conversely, sport participation provides immigrants with opportunities for adopting an entirely new culture. Previous research also suggests that sport provides individuals with opportunities for attaining social capital. While this can be a beneficial situation for some, sport is also promoting elitism and serving as a powerful mechanism for exclusion. Globalization has led large numbers of foreign nationals to seek educational opportunities in the United States. Due to the increase in the number of international students and the lack of empirical studies, the need to study their participation …

Integration Of The Bscs 5e Instructional Method And Technology In An Anatomy And Physiology Lab, Tamilselvi Gopal

Dissertations

This research provides an understanding of how the 5E instructional method combined with educational technology tools can be used in teaching undergraduate college level anatomy and physiology laboratory classes. The 5E instructional model is the exemplary instructional model in teaching biology for high school students. The phases in the 5E learning cycle are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In every step of the learning cycle, the researcher used appropriate technology tools to enhance the teaching and learning processes. The researcher used the Dynamic Instructional Design model to identify the appropriate technology tools for instruction. The topics selected for modification …

The Relationship Of Level Of Traumatic Exposure, Perceived Stress, And Resilience With Salivary Cortisol And Salivary Alpha-Amylase Diurnal Rhythm In Palestinian Children 10-12 Years Exposed To Chronic War Violence, Mohammad R. Asia Phd, Rn

Dissertations

Political violence, war, and genocide exist across the world and often the innocent children and civilians become victims. War and long-term violence have potentially harmful psychological and physiological effects on children. There are limited studies on the effect of prolonged armed conflict on the child's physiologic and psychologic stress responses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between level of trauma, stress and resilience with salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) diurnal patterns in Palestinian children, ages 10-12, living in a long standing war zone. Salivary cortisol, a surrogate marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity, and salivary …

Psychometric Testing Of The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Of Behavior Change Questionnaire In Mexican-Americans With Diabetes Type 2, Beverley Brownell Phd

Dissertations

Background: The most successful diabetes self-management (DSM) programs focus on changing previously established behavior patterns. To develop focused and culturally appropriate self-management programs, health care providers need valid and reliable assessment tools. Purpose: To test the reliability and content and construct validity of an instrument developed to assess diabetes knowledge, motivation, and adherence to medical regimes. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) Skills Diabetes scale was tested with 83 Mexican-American adults with type 2 diabetes from a community in Orange County, CA. Methodology: A cross-sectional correlational study design was conducted with 64 female and 19 male Mexican-American adults diagnosed diabetes type 2 patients. …

Posttraumatic Spiritual Growth: A Phenomenological Study Of Cancer Survivors, Ryan Myles Denney

Dissertations

A small but growing body of research has sought to investigate the specific role of religion and spirituality in posttraumatic growth. Recently investigations have begun to focus on spiritual growth following trauma, specifically that of cancer patients and survivors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how having cancer effects the spiritual growth of cancer survivors across a multidimensional conceptualization of spirituality (Hill 2005; Tsang & McCullough, 2003). The researcher investigated the lived experience of thirteen cancer survivors with posttraumatic spiritual growth using a phenomenological method of data analysis. Participants reported experiencing spiritual growth across the following domains …

Adult Student Satisfaction In An Accelerated Lpn-Rn Nursing Program, Kathy French Batton

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the importance and degree of satisfaction placed by adult, nontraditional, accelerated LPN-RN students on student service item scales as measured by the results of the Noel-Levitz® Adult Student Priorities Survey™. In addition, the study examined the correlation between satisfaction with each of the scales and student success as measured by current nursing course grade point average (GPA). The student service scales of importance were: academic advising effectiveness, academic services, admissions and financial aid effectiveness, campus climate, instructional effectiveness, registration effectiveness, safety and security, and service excellence. The conceptual framework for the study was derived …

Exercise Motivation For Breast Cancer Risk Reduction, Maureen Elaine Wood

Dissertations

According to The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), 25% of worldwide breast cancer cases are due to having a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight or obese (2002). Unfortunately, less than 50% of women participate in physical activity as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine and more than 25% do not participate in any physical activity at all (CDC, 2005). Perceptions of increased personal risk and self-efficacy have been shown to promote exercise participation, and as such, are key elements of protection motivation theory, used as the theoretical framework to guide …

Gender Differences In Depression And Immune Response In Colorectal Cancer, Barbara Anne Rose Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The focus of this descriptive comparative study was to examine the relationship between gender and depression and immune system function in patients with colorectal cancer. The research questions were answered through secondary analysis, using data obtained from the answers of 117 men and women (71 men and 46 women) enrolled in a colorectal cancer study conducted between 1990 and 1991 in Pennsylvania. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample, and general estimating equations were used to analyze depression and immune system function between men and women. Depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory, and immune system function was …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Provider Response To Emergency Pandemic (Prep) Tool, Linda Suzzanne Good Phd

Dissertations

Background: History and science would suggest that a worldwide influenza pandemic is near and its implications are on the minds of healthcare workers (HCWs). Previous studies revealed that HCW have loss-related fears and concerns associated with working during a disaster, especially one with a biologic component. Most healthcare organizations have well-crafted disaster plans in place; however, these plans often rely on the assumption that HCWs will report to work as usual, which may not be the case. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if HCWs' fears and concerns are a predictor of their willingness to report to …

Factors Influencing Nurse Faculty's Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Sally Pulver Ruel

Dissertations

This study of nurse faculty examined the relationship of role conflict, role ambiguity, and work role balance, and their influence on job satisfaction and intent to stay in AACN nursing schools offering baccalaureate and higher degree programs within the United States. In light of the current nursing and nursing faculty shortage, this research was undertaken in an attempt to identify statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction and intent to stay in nursing education.

An online survey was conducted over seven weeks during the fall of 2008 and early spring 2009. A stratified random sample of each of the four regions …

Visual Impairment And Eye Care Among Older Americans: Secondary Analysis Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss), Amy L. Freeland

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper format dissertation is to explore three topics relevant to public health and vision loss. The three papers are independent studies, yet build upon each other by first describing the population of people aged 40 years and older in the United States in terms of visual impairment, diagnosed eye disease/injury, and their use of eye care, and then next exploring the factors that influence eye care use for both the general population and the subpopulation of people with diagnosed diabetes. The first paper provides a state-level examination of the characteristics of people aged 40 years and …

An Examination Of Alcohol Use In The Gastric Bypass Patient, Kathleen Winston Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Introduction: Obesity and morbid obesity, along with their co-morbidities, are impacting the national and international healthcare delivery systems and policy agendas. Bariatric surgery is a dynamic and fast-changing medical and surgical practice designed to mitigate the consequences of 60 million obese adults in the United States alone. Alcohol consumption after gastric bypass surgery presents potential physiological and psychological problems. Purpose: Examine the prevalence and incidence of increased alcohol consumption among a group of post-gastric bypass patients; identify the relationship of the alcohol use with time since surgery, psychosocial issues (depressive symptomatology, anxiety, coping) and demographic variables. Theoretical Framework: Coping serves …

Wellness Characteristics And Health Risk Behaviors Of Young Adult University Students, Nicole Mareno Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine wellness and health risk behaviors of young adults at a university in the southwest. Nutrition, physical activity, alcohol use, and safe sexual practices are high priority health concerns on college campuses. Health promotion is integral to nursing. Early identification of risky health behaviors allows for the design of campus health interventions. Health behaviors continue to be formed during college and interventions may have a lasting impact on health promotion and disease prevention. This study added to the research on demographic factors impacting wellness. A correlation between BMI and wellness level was also …

An Investigation Of The Knowledge And Beliefs Held By Teachers And Parents In A Parochial School System Regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And The Variables That Predict Their Knowledge, Kendra-Lee Yvonne Pearman

Dissertations

Problem

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders affecting 3 to 5% of school populations in the United States and other countries. Due to the behavioral and/or academic challenges of children with ADHD, they are at risk for grade retention, dropping out of high school, and teenage delinquency, which can lead to negative consequences in society. Children with ADHD are found in every school setting, including parochial schools. Past studies have found teachers and parents have inadequate knowledge about ADHD, which can negatively affect these children. This study investigated what teachers and parents of children in …