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Determinants Of Long-Term Care Service Utilization By Mexican-American Family Caregivers, Angelica P. Herrera

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objectives: Participation in long-term care services may prevent the deterioration of family caregivers' mental and physical health, yet research suggests that Latino caregivers may forego using long-term care services in the absence of other barriers to long-term care use (e.g., lack of insurance).

Methods: An adapted version of the Andersen Model of Health Care Service Utilization served as a framework for examining familism, acculturation, gender roles, religiosity, and knowledge and perceptions about long-term care, as potential determinants of long-term care service use, alongside other factors known for their association with long-term care use (e.g. functional status of care recipient, caregiver …

The Relationship Between High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, Metabolic Syndrome And Exercise, Micheline A. Vargas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: It is well known that regular physical activity is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity is also considered an important determinant of metabolic syndrome. All levels of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are thought to involve inflammation. Physical activity may reduce risk, at least in part, by modifying the inflammatory process. Recent studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between inflammatory markers, such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and physical activity. Elevated hs-CRP appears to be an independent predictor of both CVD and diabetes. Recent evidence also suggests that …