Digital Commons Network^™

Lived Experience: East African Somali Speaking Women Accessing The U.S. Healthcare System, Shukri Adam Phd

Dissertations

Access to prenatal healthcare for East African Somali Speaking Women (EASSW) who are immigrants to the U.S. has been dependent on the availability of a systematic healthcare treatment model. The purpose of this study was to explore EASSW's lived experiences in accessing prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. A descriptive, qualitative phenomenological approach informed by the work of Husserl was used to explore EASSW's experiences, views, and problems encountered while attempting to access prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. Fifteen EASSW of childbearing age (ages 18–45) were recruited for this study. All participants interviewed privately, beginning with a semi-structured, open-ended …

Creating Community With Homeless And Marginally Housed Women, Judy Schlaefer

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a weekly Drop-In Center where Homeless and Marginally Housed (HMH) women receive support, respite, and respect in a safe, welcoming environment. Homeless and Marginally Housed (HMH) women have unique needs due to daily struggles with disenfranchisement which include barriers to health services, battering, poor transportation, lack of recreation and education, neglect, and institutionalized poverty. The impetus for the Drop-In Center was to offer respite from the harsh environment created by the institutionalized violence against HMH women who deserve significant emotional and social support, nutrition, and respite. The transculrural nurse will be focused …

Cord Blood Collection In Pregnant Women For Stem Cell Research, Irene Carr Phd

Dissertations

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells form commonly banked types of human tissue. Confusion remains about sources of stem cells and their use. Birth is a once in a lifetime opportunity with 74 million births per year in the world and four million occur in the United States. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells and pluripotent mesenchymal cells (Moise, 2005). There is a surge of interest in the clinical use and research investigation of umbilical cord blood for transplantation and regenerative medicine. Clinicians need increased awareness and education of options for private versus public donation and banking of cord blood …

Perceived Susceptibility Of Cardiovascular Disease As A Moderator Of Relationships Between Perceived Severity And Cardiovascular Health Promoting Behaviors Among Female Registered Nurses, Deborah Mcclendon

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Significance: Morbidity and mortality related to CVD among women in the U.S. and most developed countries surpasses that of all cancers combined (AHA, 2008). Yet, CVD in women remains understudied, yielding low awareness among women and healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship between health beliefs related to perceived cardiovascular disease (CVD) severity and health promoting behaviors were different in women with high self perception of CVD susceptibility versus women with low self perception of CVD susceptibility.

Methods: This study used a descriptive, correlational design. A convenience sample (N = 220) included female registered …

Fibromyalgia Self-Care Management: Use Of Essential Oils, Regina Ann Sacco Izu Phd

Dissertations

Fibromyalgia is a female dominant chronic syndrome of diffuse muscle pain on palpation of at least 11 of 18 syndrome-associated tender points present for 3 months or longer. There is no cure. Self-care management involving multimodal integrative medicine approaches may increase treatment involvement resulting in a sense of control and pain relief. This embedded, single case study explored 'how' and 'why' an informant with fibromyalgia chose to initiate and continue self-care management using essential oils over several years to treat symptoms within context reality. Orem's Self-Care Deficit Model and the Principles of Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona formed …

Factors That Influence Smoking Cessation In Women Following An Invasive Cardiovascular Procedure, Leslie C. Moore

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Women smokers with heart disease (HD) are at increased risk for negative health effects. At the time of invasive cardiovascular (CV) interventions is a critical opportunity to make lifestyle changes to reduce future CV interventions. The purposes of this study guided by the Health Belief Model were to determine which factors predict smoking cessation (SC) in women following an invasive CV procedure and to explore assistance received with SC.

A correlational, prospective design was used. Data were collected from women smokers at the time of an invasive CV intervention and three months later. Instruments measured commitment to stop smoking, perceived …

Adherence Practices Of Caucasian Women With Hypertension Residing In Rural Florida An Exploratory Study, Jeanne M. Hopple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Elevated blood pressure is often a silent process affecting multiple organ systems. Risk for heart disease is associated with poorly treated or unrecognized hypertension that is more common among women than men. Non-adherence to prescribed treatment regimens has been identified as a major reason for inadequate hypertension management. This exploratory descriptive qualitative study using narrative inquiry investigated adherence practices among Caucasian women with diagnoses of hypertension from a rural area of Florida. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding from women who …

Exploring Women's Life Course Experiences With Weight Using Story Theory, Poff Allison Edmonds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study included women who had gone through the menopausal transition and had experienced obesity, and it focused on their weight histories and experiences across the life course. The goal of this research was to add to the body of knowledge concerning weight gain by applying a novel middle range theory (story theory). Story theory was used to collect and interpret from women’s life course stories the critical themes and patterns of their weight gain. Oral accounts were elicited during personal interviews from a convenience sample of ten women recruited from a weight loss and exercise program in Central …

Evaluation Of The Sageplus Steps Program To Promote Physical Activity And Decrease Cardiovascular Risk In Low-Income Women, Callie Anne Avis

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is little known about the effectiveness of the Steps Program specifically used in the SagePlus program in Minnesota to promote physical activity and reduce cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SagePlus Steps Program for low-income middle-aged women ages 40 to 64 to meet a daily physical activity goal of 10,000 steps and reduce their cardiovascular disease risk, measured by their Framingham Risk Score. A nonexperimental, descriptive correlational design was used to guide data collection for this study. Demographic data, step counts after weeks 1, 4, 12, and 24, activity level at …

Alcoholic Women In Recovery: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Spirituality And Recidivism Prevention, Jennifer Irene Mcleod

All ETDs from UAB

In the United States, 7-12% of women compared to 20% of men, abuse alcohol, yet the social and medical consequences impact women much harder and faster than men. Women aggrieved by alcoholism have unique health and social consequences which are not well understood because women have been marginalized in studies of alcoholism. Little is known about the nature of the lived experience of the recovery process in women who have achieved a stable recovery and prevented recidivism. The aim of this study was to describe the lived experiences of alcoholic women in a stable recovery, defined as sustained abstinence for …