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Assessing A Pandemic: Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Covid-19 In Tennessee School-Age Children, Omobolaji Olawuyi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a spatiotemporal analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in school-age children (5-18 years) in Tennessee, from 2020-03-19 to 2022-02-12. Trend Analysis, Emerging Hot Spot Analysis, and a time series revealed three significant waves in both age groups. Therefore, Change Point Detection at the county level was completed using six defined change points to identify the wax and wane of the three COVID-19 waves. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis grouped counties with similar change points into six clusters. No spatial pattern was observed in distribution of the six clusters, however, when each change point was evaluated separately, spatial autocorrelation was present, …

Children's Beliefs About Hierarchical Structures And Relationships., Megan Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children are surrounded by social structures such as families, schools, and workplaces which are often arranged hierarchically with some people holding more power than others. This dissertation explores how children think about hierarchical relationships and more complex hierarchical structures. In Chapter 2, children were asked to evaluate the traits of people who hold hierarchically dominant and subordinate social roles. With age, 4- to 6-year-olds increasingly inferred that dominant individuals have social power and they deferred to their instructions (Chapter 2, Study 1). Furthermore, 5- and 6-year-olds attributed knowledgeability to individuals with dominant social roles but overall children did not prefer …

The Perseverance Of Play: An Archaeological Analysis Of Residential Blocks With Preschools At The Amache National Historic Site, Megan Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to expand on the understanding of experiences of Japanese American children, specifically preschool-aged children, within the Amache National Historic Site, a WWII Japanese American internment facility located in Granada, Colorado. Through archaeological methods, GIS analysis, oral histories, and archival research, I analyzed the landscape and material culture of the five residential blocks within Amache that had designated preschools. I then compared these blocks with preschools to residential blocks without preschools to determine if there are any patterns and discernable differences between the two study areas. The findings of this research provide insight into how …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Covid-19 Infection Control On Visual Art Installations In Hospitals With Pediatric Patients, Shannon Kimich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection control on visual artwork in pediatric hospitals and hospitals caring for pediatric patients. The study involved five hospitals in three southern America states and addressed visual artwork and art installations. The researcher administered an internet-based survey to participants in job functions related to hospital administration, environmental services, and project management across the facilities and received participation from 18 respondents. Additionally, telephone interviews were conducted with three participants with the job titles project manager/analyst, child-life specialist, and environmental services director. Survey questions were designed to examine visual art programs in selected children’s hospitals …

Biomechanical Characterization Of Video-Recorded Short-Distance Falls Involving Children Equipped With A Biometric Device In A Childcare Setting: A Pilot Study., Danielle K. Cory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: A fall is the most common falsely reported injury scenario when a young child presents for medical care and the caregiver is concealing abuse. There is a lack of reliably witnessed falls with known outcomes to aid in the distinction between accidental and abusive injuries.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to characterize video-recorded short distance falls involving young children in a childcare setting, to identify body regions most commonly impacted in these short distance falls, to characterize the head biomechanics of these falls, and describe fall characteristics. Additionally, physics-based models were used to predict fall biomechanics in …

A Part Of The Family: Funerary Preparations For Children And Adolescents In Late Ptolemaic And Roman Egypt, Branson Dale Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children in Roman Egypt lived in a complex, multi-cultural world. Due to the numerous risks to life at the time, children and adolescents died at rates much higher than today yet they do not appear in the archaeological record as often as one might expect. Nevertheless, their sometimes elaborate burial preparations, incorporating native Egyptian and Hellenistic religious and artistic traditions, reveal that they were valued members of their families and of society. This thesis presents a catalog of child burials in Roman Egypt and will discuss which religious motifs and art styles the families of the deceased drew upon, how …

Children’S Health And Maternal Work Activities, Termeh Tavangar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I estimate the effect of poor child health on maternal labor force participation. Mothers of health-impaired children may decide not to work and stay at home to take care of their children. Alternatively, mothers may choose to enter the labor force to pay for these children’s additional resources. Which action dominates is the empirical question I answer in this paper. I control for the potential endogeneity of a child’s health status by using an instrumental variables approach. I find that if mothers have a child in poor health, the probability that the mother works is decreased by thirteen percentage points, …

Reactive And Regulative Temperament Dimensions, Emotion Regulation, And Concurrent Internalizing And Externalizing Pathology Among Youth With Adhd., Kirsten D. Leaberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging research has increasingly identified the detrimental effect of internalizing and externalizing comorbidity on the functioning of youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Research in the broad child psychopathology literature has identified a variety of dispositional and developmental risk factors for psychopathology development in youth. However, a conceptual model of psychopathology development has yet to be developed and empirically evaluated in an ADHD sample. Children with ADHD may be particularly vulnerable to exhibiting high rates of psychopathology, given deficits in self-regulation prevalent in this population. The current study proposed and evaluated a theoretical model of distal and proximal risk factors for …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Military Families, Who Have Children With Disabilities And Maladaptive Behavior, With School-Based Mental Health Personnel, Londi J. Segler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of military families who have children with disabilities and maladaptive behavior to note risk and protective factors that might impede the mental health development of that population of student. Through interviews with at-home-caregivers, I explored their experiences with public school staff, outside mental health services, and school psychologists. Study findings revealed that participants felt they were going to battle with school staff who were not willing to incorporate culturally responsive practices when working with their children. School staff who implemented regular bi-directional communication were more likely to gain …

Nyku: A Social Robot For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dan Stephan Stoianovici

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The continued growth of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) around the world has spurred a growth in new therapeutic methods to increase the positive outcomes of an ASD diagnosis. It has been agreed that the early detection and intervention of ASD disorders leads to greatly increased positive outcomes for individuals living with the disorders. Among these new therapeutic methods, Robot-Assisted Therapy (RAT) has become a hot area of study. Recent works have shown that high functioning ASD children have an affinity for interacting with robots versus humans. It is proposed that this is due to a less complex set of communication …

Integrated Psychological Services In Pediatric Primary Care: A Program Evaluation, Kristen Laprade Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many children and youth experience emotional and/or behavioral health difficulties and lack appropriate access to care. Access to care limitations are particularly relevant to rural populations such as Mississippi. Integrated care models could serve as an innovative solution to increasing access to care for children and youth. In particular, the Three World View model of integrated care asserts that attention should be given to the clinical world (i.e., provision of evidence based services), operational world (i.e., charting, scheduling, referrals, etc.), and the financial world (i.e., funding and reimbursement). The current study utilized program evaluation tools to develop and evaluate a …

Parenting Styles, Parenting Practices, And Dietary Intakes Of Preschoolers And Their Parents, Biyi Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging research efforts have focused on the role of parents in the development of dietary behaviors of their children. Parental influences play a particularly important role in determining the children’s weight and shaping children’s dietary behaviors, especially during early childhood. Parent-related determinants can be classified as two types—general parenting (parenting style) and specific parenting practices (e.g, food parenting practices). Examining the interactions between parental influences and preschoolers’ and their parental dietary behaviors and may reveal important insights into how parents influence children’s dietary behaviors. Therefore, the goal of this research is to examine the associations between parenting styles, food parenting …

Differences In Running Mechanics And Tibial Plateau Dimensions Between Overweight/Obese And Healthy Weight Children, Claire Sylvestre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obese (OW/OB) children display increased knee joint loading during running, which may lead to excessive frontal plane motion and moments at the knee joints. The relationship between tibial plateau dimensions and knee vertical loading may explain the loading related injuries OW/OB children experience.
PURPOSE: Compare knee mechanics during running and tibial plateau dimensions between healthy weight (HW) and OW/OB children.
METHODS: Ten HW children and ten OW/OB children aged 9-12 participated in the study. Kinematic and kinetic data were captured as participants ran across a force platform at 3.5m/s. Tibial plateau area and density were collected by …

A Comparison Between The Efficacy Of Traditional Periodization, Undulating Periodization, And Plyometric Training And Their Lasting Effects On Performance Outcomes In Youth Athletes. A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Andre Mcintyre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recreational and competitive youth (≤ 16 years old) sport participation over the years has increased in recent years. As a result of increased sport participation an emphasis on sport performance training and more particularly resistance training along with plyometric training have been on the rise. Resistance training and plyometric training can improve sports performance, rehabilitate injuries, prevent injuries, and enhance long-term health in adolescent athletes. Resistance training can be periodized numerous different ways, but the most popular training methods are traditional periodization, undulating periodization, and plyometric training. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined studies that compared traditional periodization, undulating periodization, …

Mapping Patterns Of Restricted And Repetitive Behaviours And Media Use In Youth Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Typically Developing Youth, Eric Gilliland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the potential influences of media use on youth mental health and development have received increasing attention. Emerging research has suggested that youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) use media in problematic ways. However, few studies have investigated the possibility that the media use shown by these youths may be an extension of the symptoms of ASD into the media context. The current study explored similarities between classical restricted repetitive behaviours (RRBs) and proposed media RRBs in children with ASD. A sample of 36 parents of 4- to 11-year-old children (ASD = 25; non-ASD = 11) completed …

Prevention Of Violence Against Children: A Systems Readiness Assessment In Côte D’Ivoire, Marie-Kaye Soletchi Seya-Sery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Violence against children (VAC) is a global problem with significant consequences. Recognizing the need to better understand the problem of VAC in Côte d’Ivoire (CI), the government of CI recently completed a survey on violence against children. The recent data will support an evidence-based national action plan for the prevention of VAC. Research shows that initiatives tackling specific problems will only be as successful as the community’s readiness to take action. This study applied the community readiness model to assess the readiness of the multisectoral task force (MSTF) to implement the national action plan in CI. Eight MSTF participants’ interview …

Camp Geronimo: Evaluating The Influence Of An Animal Assisted Intervention Based Summer Camp On Social Participation In Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Joelle Ruggeri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research regarding animal assisted intervention (AAI) has found that it can be an effective intervention towards promoting positive social participation in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). A quality improvement project was implemented at The Barn at Spring Brook Farm, where children ages 2-12 with IDD are able to participate in AAI activities. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Barn’s Camp Geronimo, a six-week long summer camp program, and its impact on the social participation of participants using the Home & Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS). The study findings showed positive results, with statistically significant change …

The Association Between Sentence Repetition And Other Cognitive Abilities In School-Aged Children, Alicia Nicole Bartlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the association between sentence repetition and other cognitive abilities in 6- to 14-year-old children (N = 118; 60% female) recruited from schools in Windsor, Ontario. The effect of age and sex on children's SR was also examined. Children completed Benton's (1965) sentence repetition task, which required them to repeat a series of 26 verbally presented sentences of increasing length. Language, auditory verbal memory, processing speed, fluid reasoning, and visual perception were measured with subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (5th edition) and auditory nonverbal memory was assessed with the Seashore Rhythm Test. A multiple …

Concussion History And Behavioural Problems In Child And Adolescent Athletes, Robin Jessica Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport-related concussion has become a “hot-button” topic in the media and in science. Increasingly, researchers are beginning to understand the association between concussion history and psychosocial adjustment in adults. But little research has been conducted examining this relation in children, and studies done have yielded discrepant results. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate this relation by using current internalizing and externalizing behaviour to predict past history of concussion among child athletes. Forty-eight (77.1% female) elite community athletes aged 11 to 14 years old (M age = 12.95) completed baseline assessments at the University of Windsor as part of a …

Examining Correlates, Antecedents, And Outcomes Of Children’S Imagery Use In Physical Activity Contexts, Michelle Guerrero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Imagery is described as a conscious internal experience and involves re-experiencing past events and/or creating never-experienced events in one’s mind (Guerrero & Munroe-Chandler, 2018). The benefits of using imagery in physical activity contexts are well-documented (see Munroe-Chandler & Guerrero, 2018). People can use imagery in both structured and less structured physical activity contexts. Children, for example, have reported using imagery in both active play (unstructured physical activity; Tobin et al., 2013) and sport (structured physical activity; Munroe-Chandler et al., 2007) settings. Children’s imagery use in active play has proven to increase motivation and physical activity participation, while children’s imagery use …

Longitudinal Examination Of Forms Of Childrens Antipathetic Relationships And Peer Social Competence: An Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis, Sarah Elaine Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present research (N = 121) examined a) the stability of previously established, empirically derived profiles of forms of childrens dislike relationships (i.e., unilateral-received dislike, unilateral-given dislike, mutual dislike) at two time points (one academic year apart) and, b) the reciprocal, cross-lagged relations between these antipathetic profiles and a number of peer social competence measures (i.e., loneliness, peer optimism, self-perceived social competence, mutual friends, sociability nominations, and popularity nominations). The three profiles included a High Disliked profile (characterized by high unilateral-received and mutual dislike nominations), an Average Dislike profile (characterized by average dislike nominations across all indicators), and a High …

Psychotropic Medications And Children: Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals, Elinor Jane Brereton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores mental health professionals' perspectives on the prescription of psychotropic medications to children. It emphasizes the placement of biomedicine within its larger social, economic, and political context, and the influence these structures have on the way mental illness is conceptualized and treated in children. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted in Denver, Colorado with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and a pharmaceutical board member to capture multiple perspectives from different positionalities within the field. Participants discussed factors that they believe influence prescribing practices including: professional role changes, issues of access, limited evidence, cost, and institutional pressures to practice within a …

Factors Associated With The Need For Hospitalization, Length Of Hospital Stay, And Parental Consent To Participate In Research Among Children With Community Acquired Pneumonia, Cori C. Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children in the U.S. This research is comprised of three studies of children with CAP. The data were collected for the CDCs Etiology of Pneumonia in the Community (EPIC) study. Study one aimed to examine the association of clinical factors with potentially unnecessary hospitalizations, as defined by a length of stay (LOS) in the hospital ≤ 24 hours. Study two aimed to validate the Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS) questionnaire among an inpatient pediatric population with CAP. This study also examined the utility of the CARIFS …

An Investigation Of Physical Literacy And Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity In Children Aged 8-12 Years Of Age In Southwestern Ontario, Patricia Christine Dube

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical literacy has been described as means to achieve an active lifestyle (Physical and Health Education Canada, 2014) and as the building blocks of physical activity, including fundamental movement skills, physical fitness, motor skills, the motivation and confidence (MC), and the knowledge and understanding (KU) to be physically active (Lander et al., 2017; Tremblay & Lloyd, 2010). In Canada, the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) was developed as a means to collect and monitor physical literacy in Canadian children 8 to 12 years of age. The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between objectively measured moderate …

The Use Of Assistive Technology In School-Aged Children With Learning Disorders, Lynette Renee Kivisto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assistive Technology (AT) allows children with Specific Learning Disorders (LDs) to adequately access school curriculum. There is a paucity of literature addressing the use, perception of use, and training of students who qualify for AT. The few studies completed suggest that children with AT like their devices and find them useful. The current exploratory study examined the grade level of children provided AT devices, the types of AT hardware and software being used by children with various learning limitations in a school environment, and children’s perception of their AT devices. Archival data collected from school-aged children referred to the Learning …

An Assessment Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Behaviour Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students From Northern Ontario, Christian O'Neil Paton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity (PA), and sedentary behaviour within Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students in grades 5-8 from northern Ontario, Canada. Students (N=872) from 34 schools within the catchment area of Porcupine Health Unit completed the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program Evaluation survey in May, 2016. The odds of participants having a higher fruit and vegetable intake was lower among (1) those living in remote locations compared to urban locations (OR = -1.299 (95% CI: - 2.336, -0.240), p <0.05) and (2) Indigenous, compared to White, participants (OR = -.674 (95% CI: -1.336, -.0120), p = 0.05); in addition to no associations among ethnicity, location and PA/sedentary behaviour. Among Indigenous participants, those living in remote locations consumed statistically significant less fruit and vegetables (compared to urban and rural; F(2, 128) = 3.780, p = 0.025), and were less physically active (compared to urban and rural; F(2, 121) = 4.724, p = 0.011). There were no statistical differences observed by school location and meeting the sedentary behaviour guidelines for Indigenous populations. Although there were some statistically significant findings pertaining to fruit and vegetable intake among students in northern communities in Ontario, the health behaviours of all participants within this study were concerning. In the future, health interventions are needed to address low fruit and vegetable intake, PA, and sedentary behaviours of children and adolescents. Support through funding opportunities (pertaining to increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables provided to schools) is needed, and it is necessary to advocate for more PA and sedentary behaviour education.

Investigation On Gross Motor Development Of Children With Different Sociocultural Backgrounds: A Pilot Study, Kaitlyn Michelle Downing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Movement is important for successful development in children. It is widely accepted that sociocultural influences have an effect on childhood motor development. The present study aimed to investigate similarities and differences in gross motor skills among American, Chinese and Japanese children. One hundred fifty children from the three countries were recruited to participate in the study. Three test skills were selected from the Test of Gross Motor Development, second edition (i.e. run, hop, and catch). A 3 (groups) X 2 (gender) ANOVA was conducted to examine whether there would be a significant differences between the three groups, as well as …

Attitudes About The Acceptability Of Aggression As A Predictor Of Cyber Aggression, Allyson Kelsey Topps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of cyber aggression is prevalent and increasing among children, and it is important to consider factors that may influence children's decisions to engage in cyber aggression. Little research has examined the relation between children's attitudes about the acceptability of the use of aggression to children's engagement in cyber aggression. This is the focus of the present research, controlling for children's use of traditional face-to-face aggression. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were computed separately for boys and girls in grades three through five (N = 201), with grade level (Block 1), traditional relational and overt aggression classroom nominations (Block 2), …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Young Female Dancers' Use Of Imagery, Irene Leigh Muir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although dancers have noted using imagery to mentally rehearse a routine, understand and reinforce movement, inspire strong emotions and lower arousal levels (Pavlik & Nordin-Bates, 2016), this finding is specific to adult dancers, overlooking imagery use with young dancers. The present study qualitatively examined the 4 W's of imagery use (Where, When, What and Why young dancers are imaging) with young female dancers 7-14 years of age. Furthermore, age differences between the four cohorts (7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14) were also examined. Twenty-three female dancers (Mage = 10.43, SD = 2.19) from various dance styles participated in one of four focus …

Relationships Between Children’S Use Of Imagery And Domains Of Physical Competence, Jesse Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low levels of perceived motor and physical competence are viewed as barriers to physical activity in children (Weiss, 2000). Imagery is an effective psychological skill that can create feelings of competence in those who use it (Weinberg, 2008). As such, imagery may be one way to enhance perceptions of competence and increase physical activity participation. The overall purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between children’s use of active play imagery (fun, capability, and social imagery) and the domains of physical competence (global self-worth, physical self-worth, sport competence, body attractiveness, physical strength, and physical conditioning). Male (n …