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Diabetes Self Care Behaviors And Social Support Among African Americans In San Francisco, Liseli Inonge Mulala Jan 2017

Diabetes Self Care Behaviors And Social Support Among African Americans In San Francisco, Liseli Inonge Mulala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are significant public health issues that affect people of all races; Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans with higher diagnosis, morbidity, and mortality than it affects Caucasians, and Type 1 has been increasing in incidence. Diabetes self-care activities (DSCAs) and social support have been shown to help in managing both types, which can reduce morbidity and mortality. African Americans with diabetes in San Francisco have higher rates of complications, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits secondary to diabetes. This study assessed whether a relationship exists between emotional support, practical support, affirmational support, informational …


African American Graduates' Experiences Of Managing College Debt, Christal Blalock Jan 2017

African American Graduates' Experiences Of Managing College Debt, Christal Blalock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education is a means to improve professional status and economic mobility; however, mounting college debt has become a hindrance to college graduates, primarily African Americans. A disproportionate number of these graduates incur significant debt while attending college. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American college graduates who were managing debt incurred to pay for their education. Human capital theory and critical race theory provided the conceptual framework. Two research questions motivated this study: How do African American college graduates living in the state of Georgia manage their college debt? What …


Spirituality Among African American Christian Women Who Have Contemplated, Marilyn Wiley Jan 2017

Spirituality Among African American Christian Women Who Have Contemplated, Marilyn Wiley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that African American women had the lowest recorded number of suicide completions among all ethnic and gender groups in the United States. In addition, the number of suicides among African American women continued to soar without a clear reason or understanding of their lowest completion rates. Further research in the area of spirituality among African American women may be critical in understanding why African American women's rates of completed suicides are statistically lower than other ethnic groups and how to prevent future rate increases. A phenomenological framework was used to examine the …


Influence Of Intercultural Experiences Abroad On African American High School Students, Kadima Bukasa Jan 2017

Influence Of Intercultural Experiences Abroad On African American High School Students, Kadima Bukasa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American high school students are underrepresented in study abroad programs, and their lack of intercultural skills and international understanding can impede their personal and professional development, and limit their career opportunities. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to explore the influence of intercultural experiences through study abroad and immersion programs on African American high school students' intercultural competence. The conceptual framework drew on 2 theories: Bennett's development model of intercultural sensitivity and Kolb's experiential learning. Data from interviews and focus groups with 13 African American high school students, 2 parents, and 2 teachers as well as …


Income, Education, Age, And Physical Activity Among Physically Disabled African American Women, Sherèè Johnson Johnson Jan 2017

Income, Education, Age, And Physical Activity Among Physically Disabled African American Women, Sherèè Johnson Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was designed to identify possible risk factors about physical activity in middle-aged disabled African American women (AAW) aged 45 to 64 years. Disabled middle-aged AAW has a disproportionate prevalence of obesity and chronic illness than nondisabled women. Most disabled middle-aged AAW leads a sedentary lifestyle, and they do not meet the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Little is known about this group, and a social ecological model was used to explain PA patterns. Data were extracted from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 1,599) for women who responded yes to indicate that they needed specialized …


Behavioral Impacts Of Father Absence On Middle School African American Boys, Ivy J. Johnson Jan 2017

Behavioral Impacts Of Father Absence On Middle School African American Boys, Ivy J. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Father absence is the experience of children who grow up in households without their biological father. The African American population experiences the highest level of father absence of all demographic groups in the United States. Research shows that father absence influences school behavior. There is a lack of literature evaluating the extent to which father absence affects children, particularly African American boys, at different stages of development. This quantitative study was used to evaluate how father absence affected school behavior of African American boys, ages 13-15, in the middle school setting, in Houston, TX. Guided by attachment theory, the research …


African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb Jan 2017

African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male students have a high risk of not completing high school and not going to college. Students receive some college preparation as early as middle school, yet it is not enough to increase the number of African American male high school or college graduates. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what 18-24-year-old African American male college students recalled from middle school and high school about college preparation, college planning, and college attendance. Critical race theory was used to reveal how outside factors such as oppression, racism, or socioeconomic status prevent African American male students from …


The Effects Of The Foreclosure Crisis On The Black And Hispanic Population In Lee County, Florida, Stenia K. Reid-Hall Jan 2017

The Effects Of The Foreclosure Crisis On The Black And Hispanic Population In Lee County, Florida, Stenia K. Reid-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The housing foreclosure crisis of 2007-2010 in the United States disproportionately affected persons of color. Some states, such as Florida, were heavily impacted by property value losses, yet there has been little research since about the experience of losing a home and recovering from that loss from the perspective of the homeowner. Using Carlson's conceptualization of resiliency theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the impact of housing foreclosure and the experience of recovery from foreclosure on Black and Hispanic people in Lee County, Florida. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 people in Lee County …


Biosociocultural Factors And Motivation To Lose Weight Among Obese African American Women, Odette Marie Russell Jan 2017

Biosociocultural Factors And Motivation To Lose Weight Among Obese African American Women, Odette Marie Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a pandemic that has a substantial impact among African American women. Biological, social, and cultural acceptance of obesity, collectively referred to as biosociocultural factors, represents an obstacle to efforts to address this health risk among this group. The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the relationship between biosociocultural factors and motivation to lose weight. Self-determination theory, objectification theory, and social learning theory formed the study's theoretical framework. The key research question concerned the extent to which the investigated constructs (BMI, internalized body image, and social networks) helped to explain motivation for weight loss …


Successful Strategies Used By Small Business Owners For Company Sustainability, Robert Oppong Jan 2017

Successful Strategies Used By Small Business Owners For Company Sustainability, Robert Oppong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, African Americans are the fastest growing entrepreneurial minority group in the United States. However, they suffer the highest business failure rates. The research design for this study was a multiple case study to explore the strategies small business owners used to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the systems theory. The population was small business owners in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis, Texas. Data collection sources included semistructured interviews, company documents, company websites, and site visit observations. The data analysis process included data cleaning, uploading transcribed interviews …


Objectification Of Gay African American Males In The Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism Community, Gregory Wayne Jackson Jr Jan 2017

Objectification Of Gay African American Males In The Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism Community, Gregory Wayne Jackson Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to improve the understanding of Sexual Objectification (SO) of gay African American males in the bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism (BDSM) community. Although many studies have been conducted on SO of women and other minority populations, there is a lack of research on the lived experience of gay African American males participating in the BDSM community. The theoretical framework for this study was Fredrickson and Roberts's objectification theory, with a conceptual framework focused on SO that gay African American males experienced while participating in the BDSM community. The research questions were designed to elicit …


Therapeutic Alliance Between African American Clients And European American Providers: A Phenomenological Study, Dr. Pamela Johnson-Hood Jan 2017

Therapeutic Alliance Between African American Clients And European American Providers: A Phenomenological Study, Dr. Pamela Johnson-Hood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans do not seek mental health help at the same rate, as do European Americans; furthermore, African Americans who do seek help tend to leave therapy prematurely. A poor therapeutic alliance between African American clients and European American clinicians may be one reason that African Americans do not seek therapy or leave prematurely. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of African American clients in therapeutic relationship with European American clinicians. Rogers' theory of therapeutic alliance, which included empathy as a key concept, served as the conceptual framework of this study. Through purposeful sampling …


How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel Jan 2017

How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an upward trend in obesity among African American (AA) adolescents over the last 2 decades. While parenting characteristics (e.g., styles and practices) are linked to adolescent eating habits and weight status, related research has focused on European American children from 2-parent middle-class households or economically disadvantaged AA children from single mother households. The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to investigate the relationship between parenting characteristics on the weight status of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (n = 325) among a broader population of AA mothers and fathers residing both inside and outside of …


Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of Special Education Referral For African American Students, Darlene Smith Jan 2017

Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of Special Education Referral For African American Students, Darlene Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patterns of representation of African Americans in K-12 special education programs vary across the United States. A school district in Arizona has a 13% African American population, yet the African American special education representation is 17%. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate an understanding of the processes related to special education referral and assignment of African American elementary students as perceived by 7 teachers and 6 parents in the school district. Inductive analysis including open, axial, and selective coding led to the categorization of three themes: complexity in the referral process, inadequate teacher-parent communication and lack …


The Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Parents In The Management And Care Of Obese Children, Priscilla Ann Huggins Jan 2017

The Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Parents In The Management And Care Of Obese Children, Priscilla Ann Huggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a global concern among all ethnic groups. Childhood obesity is a problem that continues into adulthood, exacerbating the incidence of diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore, understand, and describe the perceptions and experiences of African American parents in the management and care of their obese or overweight children. This study used the health-belief model (HBM) as its theoretical foundation, focusing on the constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. This research study used an interview tool and an 8-item …