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The Psychosocial Effects Of Beryllium Sensitization And Chronic Beryllium Disease, Jeffrey Robert Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a theoretical model that explains the psychosocial effects of beryllium sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Sequential, mixed research methods were used. The study population was current and former workers from Department of Energy laboratories and manufacturing facilities who have either BeS or CBD. A theoretical model based on uncertainty in illness and psychosocial adjustment to illness theories was developed. It was hypothesized that uncertainty had a negative effect on health quality of life unless mediated by the ability to make psychosocial adjustments to illness. Qualitative study results supported …

Assessment Of Physical Activity Levels Of Elementary School Students Participating In The Mornings In Motion Program, Andrew Michael Howard

Masters Theses

Purpose: To objectively assess the physical activity levels of students during three different time blocks on days when the Mornings in Motion before-school activity program is offered, and on days when it is not. Methods: Subjects were 69 elementary school children (8.5 ± 1.9 years) who were all apparently healthy. Subjects were all enrolled in the Mornings in Motion before-school physical activity program that was offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The program focuses on health related fitness through the implementation of aerobic activities, stretching to improve overall flexibility, as well as calisthenics to build muscular strength and endurance. Physical …

Latin Hypercube Sampling And Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient Analysis Applied To An Optimal Control Problem, Boloye Gomero

Masters Theses

Latin Hypercube Sampling/Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient (LHS/PRCC) sensitivity analysis is an efficient tool often employed in uncertainty analysis to explore the entire parameter space of a model. Despite the usefulness of LHS/PRCC sensitivity analysis in studying the sensitivity of a model to the parameter values used in the model, no study has been done that fully integrates Latin Hypercube sampling with optimal control analysis.

In this thesis, we couple the optimal control numerical procedure to the LHS/PRCC procedure and perform a simultaneous examination of the effects of all the LHS parameter on the objective functional value. To test the effectiveness …

Active Video Gaming Compared To Unstructured, Outdoor Play In Children: Measurements Of Estimated Energy Expenditure And Measured Percent Time In Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity, Susan Brittin Macarthur

Masters Theses

It is recommended that children and adolescents participate in > 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Despite the current recommendations and positive health benefits, many children and adolescents still do not engage in regular physical activity (PA).

One challenge for assisting children in becoming more active is sedentary screen-based activities (SBAs), such as watching television (TV), using computers, and playing sedentary video games (VGs), as SBAs may compete with time for being physically active in children. One modification to sedentary VGs that may increase PA in children is to alter them so that the VGs actually provide an …

Influenza Immunization Status Among African Americans: Factors Influencing Vaccine Decisions, Chandra Russell Story

Doctoral Dissertations

A disproportionate number of African American adults are susceptible to influenza- related morbidity due to chronic health conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing influenza vaccination decisions among African American adults ages 18 and older in Blount County, Tennessee. Factors included constructs of social influence, access, vaccine safety, doctor recommendations, and sources of knowledge regarding the flu vaccine. Research questions were formulated to specifically address factors influencing one’s decision to be immunized for influenza. The theory of planned behavior served as the framework for developing the study.

A survey based on national phone surveys was modified …

Safety Climate Perceptions Of Contingent And Permanent Employees Associated With The Manufacturing Of Office Products, Anthony Jeffery Depietro

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there were differences in the perceived safety climate experienced by contingent employees as compared to the perceptions of permanent workers’ safety climate. Knowledge of these differences will help safety professionals provide better safety training and working conditions for contingent workers. Safety climate is defined as employees’ perceptions of safety polices, procedures, and practices (Kath, Marks, & Ranney, 2010). The population for the study included employees who work for a manufacturer of office products located in Tennessee. A total of 813 employees participated in the study with a response rate of 87% …

A Consideration Of The Potential Side Effects Of Health Insurance Coverage, Melanie Jane Cozad

Doctoral Dissertations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is federal health care reform legislation that represents the most significant health insurance expansion since Medicare and Medicaid were created in 1965. In this dissertation, I focus on how health insurance expansion affects the supply side of health care markets as well as health expenditures. While health insurance expansion potentially increases the demand for care, it also creates uncertainty, thereby impacting health care utilization, delivery, and input decisions. In my first chapter, I examine whether changes in health insurance coverage rates impact state-level health care delivery efficiency. Health care providers may vary …

A Factor Analysis Of The Health, Safety, And Welfare In The Built Environment Toward Interior Design As Perceived By Building Industry Professionals, Dana Marie Moody

Doctoral Dissertations

This research study created, piloted, and field tested a new instrument designed to collect perceptions toward an interior designer’s impact on the health, safety, and welfare of the public. It also established an initial profile of perceptions within building industry professionals, identified the salient factors within those perceptions, and determined the level of these factors through a factor analysis. The Health, Safety, & Welfare in the Built Environment instrument was developed using a Table of Specifications based on the subject content that interior designers must be familiar with in regards to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public …

Organizational Cultural Competence Assessment Of Health-Related Academic Units, Alviony Febrina Pangloli

Masters Theses

The US is increasingly becoming more diverse; however, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience health disparities and poor health outcomes. To better respond to the needs of diverse populations, cultural competence training for future health professionals is needed. Important to the cultural competence of individuals is organizational cultural competence. Models and recommendations have been developed to apply cultural competence education and training formally in government agencies, health care organizations, and academia. An example of such a model in academia is the Dotson Organizational Cultural Competence Model for Health-Related Academic Units, which consists of 4 domains (organizational accountability, …