Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Psychotropic Medication Therapy On The Behaviors Of The Institutionalized Alzheimer's Disease Patient, Mary Beth Mckinneu

MSN Research Projects

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating illness that is common among the nursing home population. Treatment for Alzheimer's disease is usually palliative and consists of using psychotropic medications to control aggressive and agitated behaviors exhibited by its victims. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify behaviors exhibited by Alzheimer's disease patients before and after receiving psychotropic medications. Johnson's Behavioral System Model was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The sample (N = 33) consisted of nursing home residents with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease who were treated with one psychotropic medication. The researcher used chart review to …

Self-Efficacy In Type 2 Diabetics, Joan M. Hyett

Theses & Dissertations

There are 1.2 million diagnosed diabetics in Texas, 10 % of whom live in Bexar County, Texas. Diabetes is rated as the fifth leading cause of death in the same county. In addition to the diagnosed cases, it is estimated that 125,000 adults in Bexar County have undiagnosed diabetes (Foy, 1999). Diabetic education may prevent complications in some individuals, but sometimes knowledge alone is not enough. Patients often lack motivation or self-confidence in their capacity for self- management of their diabetes. Diabetic educators are often faced with the challenge of not only educating but also motivating patients to be compliant …

Professional Expertise Of Community-Based Occupational Therapists, Lori Ann Madaus Lemorie

Masters Theses

Occupational therapists are increasingly practicing in community-based settings. Due to changes in the health care system, the need for defining roles, and explaining what a profession can contribute to health care has been highlighted. The major goal of this study was to identify job roles, job skills, and professional expertise of community-based therapists. The Community Practice Project survey was mailed to 200 AOTA registered community-based therapists. A response rate of 42% was achieved. The results provided a profile of the typical community-based therapist. Principal roles, job skills, and areas of professional expertise were also identified. The adequacy of educational preparation …

The Utilization Of Spirituality In Occupational Therapy: Beliefs, Practices, And Barriers, Jennifer S. Collins

Masters Theses

Spirituality has become an increasingly important topic in healthcare and specifically in occupational therapy. Previous studies of spirituality in occupational therapy indicated that while therapists believed spirituality was important to health and rehabilitation potential, few therapists reported incorporating spirituality into treatment (Engquist, Short-DeGraff, Gliner, & Oltjenbruns, 1997; Howe, 1996; Rose, 1999). This study utilized a survey design to examine occupational therapists' current beliefs and practices regarding spirituality, as well as asking therapists to identify barriers to the use of spirituality in treatment.

The results of this study indicate that beliefs and practices regarding spirituality in occupational therapy may be changing. …

Gender Differences In Presenting Symptoms, Treatment, And Outcome In Myocardial Infarction, Alona Dalusung-Angosta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purposes of this study were to compare the presenting symptoms, treatment, and outcome between men and women with MI. The study sample consisted of 300 patients (N = 300) who were diagnosed with MI in a county hospital in the Southwest area of the United States.

Chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and left arm pain were the most common symptoms reported by both genders. Men had more chest pain than their women counterparts (p = .022). No significant difference was found in the cardiac enzyme levels between both genders. Men had more Q wave changes during MI than …

Determinants Of Health Promoting Behaviors In Older Adults, Kay Wallace

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between Health Locus of Control, selected demographic variables, and the Health Promoting Behaviors of Physical Activity and Nutrition in older persons. Pender’s (1996) Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as the conceptual framework to guide this study.

The sample consisted of 48 subjects, aged 65 years and older, who resided in senior living centers. The subjects were predominantly Caucasian (94%) and female (81%). Research instruments were self-administered questionnaires that consisted of demographic data, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale.

No significant relationships between …

Stress In Mexican-American Adolescence And Its Relations To Family Structure And Socioeconomic Status, Diana Villanueva

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

While previous research has demonstrated the importance of studying adolescence, few studies have explored the determinants of Mexican-American adolescent stress. Studies have shown that individual differences exist among adolescents that help determine adolescent stress. Individual differences such as family structure and socioeconomic status among Mexican-American adolescents may help to better understand adolescent stress. This study investigated incidence of Mexican-American adolescent stress in a public high school and middle school composed of 2,686 students from the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District. Data was obtained from the Teen Life Survey administered in the spring of 1998 by Dr. Israel Cuellar. The relations …

Induction Of Apoptosis In Human Prostate Cancer Cells By Resveratrol, Gary Zulfikar Morris

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Recently attention has been brought to trans-resveratrol's {TR) anticancer activity, as determined through a number of cultured cancer cell models. This activity was attributed to TR behaving as an estrogen, and the orientation of TR' s hydroxyl groups. Based on this work it was of interest to determine whether TR would also be toxic in prostate cancer cells; if toxic, did TR induce necrosis or apoptosis in the cells; was it toxic through hormone mediated pathways; and were TR's hydroxyl groups responsible for its biological activity. To this end, cellular viability was assessed in two different prostate cancer cell …

Elementary School Children's Fears Regarding School Violence, Laquita Bain

MSN Research Projects

Recent school violence and the media attention of recent school shootings have heightened public awareness and created a new era of fear among parents, teachers, and students. The consideration of school violence requires an examination of how school violence has affected children at various developmental levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore elementary school children's fears related to the risk of school violence. Johnson's Behavioral Health Model served as a guide for this research. A descriptive research design was used. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The research question for this study was as follows : …

Congestive Heart Failure In Elders: Relationships Among Adherence Behaviors, Depression, And Self-Efficacy, Sue Temple

MSN Research Projects

An estimated 4.8 million Americans have congestive heart failure (CHF). Increasing prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths have made CHF a major disease affecting elders in the United States. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to determine if correlations existed among depression, self-efficacy, and adherence behaviors of elders with CHF. Three null hypotheses guided the study: H^^, There is no correlation between depression and adherence behaviors in elders living with CHF. H^^, There is no correlation between self efficacy and adherence behaviors in elders living with CHF. Hq3 , There is no correlation between depression and self-efficacy in elders …

Gender Discrimination In Nursing, Robert Swanson

MSN Research Projects

Gender discrimination related to women's struggles to gain access to career ladders and equal compensation within a male-dominated society has been documented. However, little research has been conducted regarding discrimination among male nurses in a female-dominated work environment. In particular, there is a paucity of empirical data regarding male nurses in advanced clinical practice. As the number of male nurse practitioners increases, there is heightened concern about discrimination. The purpose of this study was to determine whether male nurse practitioners perceived gender discrimination in the workplace. Using Leininger's (1991) Theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality and Trentham and Larwood's …

Effect Of Early Childhood Tobacco Education Program On Knowledge And Attitudes Of Elementary Students, Dianne G. Pittman

MSN Research Projects

Tobacco use is recognized as the number one preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. As such, development of better tobacco-use prevention strategies, utilized by health care providers, is a worthy endeavor. Where it exists, initiation of formal tobacco education within the schools is focused at sixth- to eighth-grade students, the age research has shown when most tobacco experimentation begins, yet well beyond the age when ideas and attitudes are developed in favor of or in opposition to tobacco use. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effect of an early childhood tobacco education …

Factors Influencing Smoking In Adolescents, Jeff J. Mitchell

MSN Research Projects

Adolescents' use of tobacco products is an ever-growing sector of today's society. Adolescents continue to smoke cigarettes at an alarming rate. Early adolescent cigarette smoking between the ages of 11 and 13 years was found to be related to peer pressure and family role-modeling. Another influence cited was the use of media catering to adolescents. The ease at which adolescents acquire cigarettes is evidence that further restrictions need to be applied to those who sell to adolescents. The purpose of this study was to further explore influencing factors to adolescent smoking. The research question was what are the factors that …

Factors Which Influence College-Aged Men To Perform Testicular Self-Examinât I On, Keith Odendahl

MSN Research Projects

Testicular cancer (TC) has been determined to be the most common malignancy in men 15 to 34 years of age. An estimated 7,400 new cases of TC will be diagnosed in 1999, and approximately 3 00 men will die this year from TC. Evidence suggests the incidence of TC is on the rise in North America, especially among Caucasian men. However, TC is nearly 100% curable if detected in its early stages. Testicular self-examination (TSE), a strategy employed by men to detect TC in its early stages, has not been endorsed by leading authorities on cancer. Education on the disease …

The Impact Of An Education Program On Glycemic Control In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Norris Johnson Doss

MSN Research Projects

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of an education class on glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients.

Personal Health Screening Practices Among Female Nurse Practitioners, Lisa A. Dement

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which female nurse practitioners within the state of Mississippi are in compliance with the United States Preventive Services Task Force Guidelines.

Emergency Contraception: A National Survey Of Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes And Management Practices, Felicia Ellison

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an educational intervention on high school students' knowledge and attitudes about CNS injuries.

The Use Of Hormone Replacement Therapy In Rural Southern Women, Sylvia Blanchard

MSN Research Projects

The focus of this descriptive study was to describe the facilitators and barriers to prenatal care for African-American women in rural northeast Mississippi.

Prenatal Care In African-American Women, Angela Atkinson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, one-group test-retest study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching health-promotion knowledge to post-stroke patients.

Teaching Health-Promotion Knowledge To Post-Stroke Patients, Angela Atkinson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, one-group test-retest study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching health-promotion knowledge to post-stroke patients.

Effects Of Cns Injury Education On High School Students' Knowledge And Attitudes, Felicia Ellison

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an educational intervention on high school students' knowledge and attitudes about CNS injuries.

Prenatal Care In African-American Women, Sylvia Blanchard

MSN Research Projects

The focus of this descriptive study was to describe the facilitators and barriers to prenatal care for African-American women in rural northeast Mississippi.

Comparison Of Health Promotion Behaviors And Performance On The Navy Physical Readiness Test Among Active Duty Shipboard Personnel With And Without Anterior Knee Pain, Robin Theresa Mckenzie Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Health promotion is the number one health priority of the nation, yet, health promoting behaviors (HPB) are rarely part of the management plan for persons with anterior knee pain (AKP). In an active duty military population, AKP can interfere with performance on the required, semi-annual physical readiness test (PRT). The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to compare the relationships among HPB, AKP and performance on the PRT between two groups of active duty Navy shipboard personnel (those with AKP and those without AKP). Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model (HPM) served as the theoretical framework. Subjects completed demographic and …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Eye Protection Methods Used In General Anesthesia, Larry W. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi experimental, clinical study was to determine whether taping of the eye or applying ophthalmic ointment along with taping of the eye yields a difference in occurrence and symptoms of corneal epithelial defects in surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia. Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory provided the theoretical framework for this study.

Fifty subjects were randomly selected from a convenience sample of surgical patients in two 300 bed hospitals located in a Midwestern state. The subjects ranged from 18 to 60 years of age. The subjects had no history of previous eye surgery or glaucoma, and were not …

Gender Identity Development In Self-Disclosed Gay Men In Hidalgo County, Texas, Sammy Lee Flanagan Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Although gay individuals are now more visible than ever, homosexuality remains among the most stigmatized of personal identities. It is because of the various variables associated with coming out and being out and the multitude of persons affected by an individuals' decision to disclose his orientation that are the focus of this research.

This research is designed to document the “coming out” experiences of self disclosed homosexual men, in Hidalgo County, Texas a predominately Mexican American, Catholic community, This research will look at the identity change that takes place when people choose to disclose their homosexual identity to other people. …

Bipolar Disorder And Locus Of Control: Implications For Treatment Compliance, Linda J. Ryan-Cox

Theses

Theoretically, a paradigm shift in the 1960s made community-based care and out-patient treatment an acceptable alternative to institutionalization of the chronically mentally ill. Utilizing the Levenson Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale for Psychiatric Patients, the author conducted a causal-comparative study to determine if a link exists between having bipolar disorder, a chronic mental illness, and an external locus of control, a link which might explain the inability of this population to maintain their optimal level of mental health utilizing the out-patient treatment model. Though the study failed to demonstrate any significant differences in external measures of loci of control between …

Participation In A Support Group And Quality Of Life For The Caregiver Of The Patient With Alzheimer's Disease, Shirley Ffreeman Wade

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

Alzheimer's disease presently affects four million people in this country. This disease not only affects the patient, but it also has a profound effect on the family. The caregiver could potentially spend two decades caring for the Alzheimer disease patient. Provision of this care can cause feelings of loneliness and despair for the caregiver. The caregiver should be encouraged to seek support from family and community programs to ease the burden of caregiving and to improve quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of support group participation on the quality of life for caregivers …

Role Of Lipolysis And Lipogenesis In The Development Of Diet-Induced Obesity, Michael John Davies

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Obesity is an increasingly common public health problem with approximately one-half of the American adult population overweight and one-quarter considered obese. This alarming trend has led researchers to determine potential causative factors of excess weight gain in humans. However, it is difficult to discern whether perturbations that result in obesity are the cause or simply the result of the obese state. Diet-induced obesity is one of the animal models that allow researchers to address temporal issues. Our laboratory utilizes a diet-induced obesity model in which Sprague-Dawley rats are placed on a purified moderately high fat diet and ultimately diverge into …

Medical Students And Their Attitudes Toward Abortion: An Assessment Of Which Factors Influence Medical Students' Willingness Or Unwillingness To Perform Abortions, Katherine M. Krupa

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to determine which factors, if any, influence medical students' willingness or unwillingness to perform abortions. Ample research has been conducted evaluating both the general population's and college students' attitudes toward abortion; however, limited research has been collected on medical students. The present research study attempts to fill this void. The following research questions will be reviewed and evaluated throughout the current study: (1) What personal factors if any influence medical students' willingness or unwillingness to terminate a pregnancy; (2) Are medical students willing to perform abortions for the reasons that women are requesting them; …

Therapist Factors As Predictors Of The Experience Of Memory Recovery In Psychotherapy, Tami Lorraine Young

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Psychotherapist factors as predictors of client memory recovery of childhood sexual abuse following a period of amnesia were investigated. Marriage and family therapists and clinical psychologists in California were surveyed regarding the degree of research emphasis in academic training, knowledge of memory processes and professional standards of care regarding memory recovery in psychotherapy, degree of ambiguity tolerance, use of memory recovery techniques and client memory recovery. Therapists with greater research emphasis in academic training reported having fewer clients with memory recovery. Also, therapists who were intolerant of ambiguity used memory recovery techniques more than did therapists who were tolerant. Finally, …