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Successful Aging Among Midlife Black Women: A Latent Class Analysis, Joshua Christian Julian Lewis Jan 2023

Successful Aging Among Midlife Black Women: A Latent Class Analysis, Joshua Christian Julian Lewis

All ETDs from UAB

Successful aging (SA), as outlined by Rowe and Khan, with its objective focus on disease and disability avoidance, maintaining high physical and cognitive function, and sustaining engagement in social and productive activities, was meant to be a benchmark for assessing health and aging. However, given its rigid criteria virtually no one “ages successfully” despite being in otherwise relatively good health. The assumption of unsuccessful aging in populations who experience a higher prevalence of chronic disease, illness, disability, and other health disparities, is implicit in the SA framework outlined by Rowe and Khan and would preclude many Black women from being …


Embodied Fat Stigma And Health Beliefs About Exercise And Diet, Brie Scrivner Jan 2021

Embodied Fat Stigma And Health Beliefs About Exercise And Diet, Brie Scrivner

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how individuals navigate the cultural mandate for thinness, which pressured individuals to pursue weight loss through exercise and restrictive diets. While sustainable weight loss is not probable for the majority of people, there are still significant physical and mental health benefits to be had from engaging in regular, enjoyable movement. For many, physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. It can improve quality of life for individuals regardless of weight, body size, chronic illness, or disability. However, many fitness facilities focus on weight loss as the most essential goal …


Occupational Health Outcomes In Women Living With And At Risk For Hiv, Jenni Wise Jan 2019

Occupational Health Outcomes In Women Living With And At Risk For Hiv, Jenni Wise

All ETDs from UAB

Women living with HIV (WLWH) are now able to work and need to work to attain the fruitful benefits of employment. Regardless of the need for income, employment provides esteem, confidence, structure, social support, and is associated with improved physical and psychological outcomes. Yet, in spite of the documented benefits associated with employment, an estimated 60% of WLWH are not employed. Thus, occupational disparities among WLWH contribute to disparities in health and quality of life among this population. While the historical trajectory of HIV is unique compared to other populations with chronic disease, evidence suggests that gender-specific difference in socioeconomic, …


Cognitive Correlates Of Driving Behavior In Older Adults With Hiv, Caitlin Northcutt Pope Jan 2017

Cognitive Correlates Of Driving Behavior In Older Adults With Hiv, Caitlin Northcutt Pope

All ETDs from UAB

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) currently affects over 1 million individuals in the United States. It is estimated that by the year 2020, up to 70% of individuals with HIV in the United States will be ages 50 and older, as these individuals live longer due to more advanced medicine and later diagnosis. Aging research suggests individuals with HIV may be at risk for accelerated or accentuated aging making age-related deficits, particularly with cognition and everyday functioning, of public concern. The current study investigated the complex associations between age, HIV disease state, cognition, health, and driving in 139 older adults (Mage …


Conceptualizations Of Health And Health Communication By Clergy In Jefferson County, Alabama: A Qualitative Exploration, Anthony David Campbell Jan 2016

Conceptualizations Of Health And Health Communication By Clergy In Jefferson County, Alabama: A Qualitative Exploration, Anthony David Campbell

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how clergy define health and how they communicate health messages to their congregations and communities. Clergy are influential figures who fulfill a variety of roles outside of their unique pastoral responsibilities, including serving as a source of health-related information and resources. Little is known about how clergy perceive the role of churches and their own role in health and health ministry. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 32 African American and white clergy members from a variety of religious denominations in Jefferson County, Alabama between January 2015 and February 2016. Data were …


When Age Is More Than A Number: The Effects Of Age And, Chenoia Bryant Jan 2015

When Age Is More Than A Number: The Effects Of Age And, Chenoia Bryant

All ETDs from UAB

There is substantial evidence indicating that mechanisms of inequality negatively affect health, yet little is known about the health outcomes of transgender populations across the life course. Despite consistent evidence showing that transgender persons in the United States face overt and covert discrimination, discrimination as it relates to age remains unexplored. Age discrimination has implications for transpersons’ mental and physical health outcomes and warrants further exploration. This analysis uses data from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to examine the relationship between age and discrimination, and to determine how this relationship may play a potential role in producing health disparities between …


The Impact Of Cultural Competency On Patient Experience Of Care, Emily Lane Koudelka Jan 2015

The Impact Of Cultural Competency On Patient Experience Of Care, Emily Lane Koudelka

All ETDs from UAB

The impact of hospitals’ cultural competency on inpatient experience of care will be examined. Enhanced patient experience of care may alter an individual’s willingness to use health services, thereby increasing access and decreasing health disparities. As a result, to the extent that cultural competency influences patient experience of care, the integration of cultural competency into healthcare organizations has emerged as a critical issue for researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers. Findings from this study will inform policies, practices, and processes across the broad spectrum of healthcare industry stakeholders.


An Integrative Literature Review Assessing The Need For A Health Education Intervention For Adults With Pedophilia In Alabama, Lynn V. English Jan 2014

An Integrative Literature Review Assessing The Need For A Health Education Intervention For Adults With Pedophilia In Alabama, Lynn V. English

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to assess the need in the State of Alabama for a health education intervention for adults with pedophilia. Following the PRECEDE half of the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model, the author examined the health issue of pedophilia within the State of Alabama. There are three constructs by which a health issue may be examined using PRECEDE: Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling. The extant literature on pedophilia and child sexual abuse (CSA) was reviewed organized by these constructs. PRECEDE also consists of five assessment phases: social assessment; epidemiological assessment; behavioral assessment; educational, environmental, and ecological assessments; and administrative …


Predictors Of Falls Among Older Adults, Jaspreet Kaur Jan 2013

Predictors Of Falls Among Older Adults, Jaspreet Kaur

All ETDs from UAB

With an aging population, more attention has to be focused on the needs of older adults, especially regarding medical and psychological concerns. Thirty-three percent of older adults fall each year, and falling is one of the leading causes of accidental death nationwide. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of falls among sedentary community-dwelling older adults (age 65+). The study employed a secondary data analysis of measures collected in the Physical and Cognitive Exercise Study (PACES). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether individual or composite measures of vision, cognition, and physical functioning were associated with an …


Health Literacy: A Community-Based Mixed Methods Study Of Prescription Medication Self-Management Among Community Dwelling Older Adults, Joy P. Deupree Jan 2011

Health Literacy: A Community-Based Mixed Methods Study Of Prescription Medication Self-Management Among Community Dwelling Older Adults, Joy P. Deupree

All ETDs from UAB

During the next decade, it is estimated that 7,918 Americans will turn 60 years old every day. This increase is expected to impact future health care costs. The aging population must be knowledgeable about health care needs to self-manage chronic conditions requiring multiple medications. Nearly half of all American adults have limited literacy skills. Adults at the lowest literacy levels may misunderstand instructions from a health care professional. Confusion about health care instructions can put patients at risk for adverse drug events. The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to explore how community dwelling adults ages 60 …