Digital Commons Network^™

Qualitative Study Of A Mindfulness-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Adults, Charlayne A. Scarlett

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Research suggests that mindfulness-based treatment may improve smoking cessation outcomes; however more research is needed to understand and improve these interventions for diverse populations. Historically, racial/ethnic minorities and low-income individuals have been underrepresented in mindfulness studies. It is critical to understand experiences with mindfulness training among diverse and underserved populations. Aim: The current study examined qualitative data from a diverse group of participants who received Mindfulness-Based Addiction Treatment (MBAT) for smoking cessation. The study provides insight about how mindfulness-based training is experienced by individuals of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, races and ethnicities and provides suggestions of ways in which to …

Examining Indoor Levels Of Carbon Monoxide And Black Carbon In Metropolitan Atlanta Smoking Establishments, Hookah Establishments, And Non-Smoking Venues, Chandan Morris Robbins

Public Health Theses

Background:

This research is an environmental exposure study examining indoor levels of carbon monoxide and black carbon in Metropolitan Atlanta smoking establishments, hookah establishments, and non-smoking venues. Recently, there has been an increase in the use of shisha or “hookahs” in the U.S. Hookahs are water pipes that are used to smoke specially manufactured tobacco that comes in different flavors. The legal age for smoking hookah is 18 years; however, children of any age may be permitted into a hookah lounge/restaurant depending upon the particular city’s ordinances and many U.S. hookah establishments are classified as “family dining.” It is a …

Examining The Association Of Distance To Hospitals With Labor And Delivery Services And Maternal Mortality Rates In Georgia Counties (2010-2016), Alina Karim

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: There is no formal research conducted that accounts for maternal mortality rates in the state of Georgia in association to the distance to hospitals that provide labor and delivery services.

AIM: To raise awareness about the number of maternal deaths that occur in Georgia, provide better geographical and financial access to maternal care to bring about reform.

METHODS: A quantitative secondary analysis integrating the spatial aspect of distance to hospitals from a centroid for each county was used to explore how maternal mortality rates differ across the 159 counties in Georgia, aggregating data from years 2010 to 2016. Other …

Living Links: Examining Immigrant Teens' Experiences In Communication Technology Enhanced Transnational Spaces, Bethany Massey

Learning Sciences Dissertations

This study examined the technology-enhanced lived experiences of three Mexican-American secondary students in Southwestern United States. This work extends the research of Basch, Schiller and Blanc (1994) and Faist (2000) in which they explain that immigrant teens experience dual lives due to simultaneous connections that may have resulted in barriers and stressors between their host and home countries. The study answers a call from Velez-Ibanez and Greenberg (1992) and Gonzales, et al. (2005) for research that regards household practices as "funds of knowledge" or that are encountered through lived experiences and that may support the individual in making sense of …

Shifting Professional Dialogue: Engaging Algebra 1 Teachers In Research-Based Professional Development, Jennifer Henderson

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine how learning about research-based principles of student learning shifts teacher professional dialogue within an Algebra 1 professional learning community (PLC) using single case study methodology. Golden High School (pseudonym) – a large socioeconomically and racially diverse school in Georgia was chosen as a convenient, yet purposeful site for the study. The participants were four Algebra 1 teachers, members of the same PLC and participating in job-embedded professional development within their PLC. Data collection included group discussions, reflection journals, student artifacts, lesson plans, and researcher field notes. This case study bridged …

The Effects Of Autonomy-Based Instruction On Motivation To Learn And Academic Performance, Mariana Stone

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

This study, which was informed by self-determination theory, examined the impact of an autonomy-based instructional intervention on the motivation and academic performance of American university students (N=219) enrolled in an elementary Spanish course. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with the experimental group receiving an autonomy-based instructional intervention while a comparison group receiving a business as usual course experience. Both the experimental and comparison groups were exposed to the same curricular material, with the difference being that the experimental group was given the opportunity to apply autonomous decision-making to structuring their learning experience. The following research questions were examined: (1) …

The Effects Of Mathematical Modeling Instruction On Precalculus Students' Performance And Attitudes Toward Rational Functions, Solomon A. Betanga

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

According to Blum (2011), mathematical modelling is the translation between the real world and mathematics and from mathematics back to the real world. Blum and other studies Nourallah and Farzad (2012) for example, have indicated that this process of alternating between reality and mathematics during mathematical activities has impacts on students’ mathematical knowledge.

This study investigated the effects of mathematical modeling instruction on precalculus students’ performance in a Rational Function Exam (RFE) and their attitudes toward rational functions. It was an exploratory embedded single case study design using both quantitative and qualitative methods. A sample of 54 precalculus students enrolled …

Timss 2015: Influences Of Student And Classroom Related Background Variables On Eighth-Grade Mathematics Achievement In Asean+3 (Apt) Countries, Michael Nguyen-Quan

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

Mathematics proficiency and achievement relate to a country’s future economy in many aspects. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) serves as an international evaluation and comparison among the countries and nations around the globe. The mission of TIMSS is to provide comparative data on mathematics and science achievement on fourth- and eighth-grade students of participating countries and a collection of information in terms of students’ school, teachers, and homes (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow, 2016). While many Asian countries remain as top performers, other Asian countries perform well below the international average. Furthermore, a review of relevant …

Personalized Texts And Second Language Reading: A Study In Self-Efficacy, Lewis Mullins

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if 1) reading personalized texts influenced novice language learners’ self-efficacy in reading in the target language, and 2) if feelings of efficaciousness promote communicative competence. The study utilized a quasi-experimental research design with a pretest and posttest (Edmonds & Kennedy, 2017) and a correlational analysis.

The participants were 38 diverse, novice, Spanish students from a large, suburban, high school in the southeastern United States. During the study, the researcher collected self-efficacy data via a Google form as participants completed the pre- and post-Spanish reading self-efficacy questionnaire. The National Spanish Exam (NSE) …

The Effect Of Ipad Instruction On Capital Letter Recognition Of Preschoolers, Jessica Adkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of iPad instruction on capital letter recognition in preschool children between the ages of four and five. The study divided participants into two groups. One group received capital letter instruction with an iPad. The second group received capital letter instruction using letter manipulatives. Letter manipulatives were wooden puzzle letters. Baseline data was taken on capital letter recognition of all participants before this study began. At the end of the study, data was taken on capital letter recognition of all participants. Baseline and final data was compared to show growth. …

An Examination Of Pre-Major Health Student's Readiness For Interprofessional Education At A Technical College, Ryan G. Cheek

Learning Sciences Dissertations

Interprofessional education (IPE) can be defined as knowledge gained when two or more professionals (or students) learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes (World Health Organization, 2010). The ultimate goal of IPE is to improve patient care outcomes through the promotion of teamwork, and through collaboration between various healthcare professionals. The current literature supports the notion that the concept of IPE should be initiated as early in the educational process as possible, and sustained throughout a student’s education. This study examined a group of early career health sciences students at a local …

Income Level And Educational Attainment As Predictors Of Self-Reported Type 2 Diabetes In African American Women Residing In The United States, Vondra Crowell

Public Health Theses

Background: Type 2 diabetes (hereafter “diabetes) is the fourth leading cause of death amongst African American women and an increasing public health problem. Existing statistics show that African American adults are 50%-100% more likely to have diabetes than White Americans. The National Diabetes Statistics Report (2017) also noted that diabetes prevalence significantly varied by educational attainment with 12.6% of adults with less than a high school education compared to 9.5% of those with a high school education, and 7.2% of those with more than a high school education. There was a similar pattern observed when using socioeconomic status (SES) as …

Child Maltreatment Victimization And Adolescent Weapon Carrying: Exploring The Role Of In-Home Firearm Access And Parent-Child Relationships, Melissa Osborne

Public Health Dissertations

Youth violence is a widespread public health problem affecting thousands of adolescents ages 10-24 each year. Violence-exposed youth have greater risk for negative physical and mental health outcomes. Adolescent weapon carrying is a form of delinquent behavior associated with youth violence. Child maltreatment (CM) has been identified as a risk factor for weapon carrying. This study sought to elucidate the relationship between CM and weapon carrying by exploring three potential mediators at the interpersonal level of the social-ecological model: in-home firearm access, quality of relationship with father, and quality of relationship with mother. Data were from the Longitudinal Studies of …

A Report On The Estimates For E-Cigarette Use And Past Year Dental Visit - From 2015-2016 Nhanes And 2015 Nhis In The United States, Pavani Priyanka Karri

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-operated devices that entered the U.S. markets in 2007 and are marketed as safe alternatives to traditional cigarettes. The nicotine present in the e-cigarettes and the amount of vapor produced is a major concern for oral health. The purpose of this study is to report on the estimates for e-cigarette use from two different national surveys in the United States and to assess the association between e-cigarette use and outcomes related to dental care.

Methods: Data from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n=5884), and from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey …

Assessing Patterns In Sexually Transmitted Disease From Hospital Discharges In Chile: 2001-2010, Oluwadamilola Ode-Martins

Public Health Theses

Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV are still a significant public health burden globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally there are more than 1 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infections acquired on a daily basis. In 2016, there was an estimated 97,000 new HIV infections that occurred in Latin America. There is little to no information regarding the trends over time of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infections in multiple Latin American countries, especially Chile which is considered a developing country.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the patterns of …

Understanding Educational Vulnerability In The Context Of Disasters Using Visualizations, Cherish Caldwell

Public Health Capstone Projects

BACKGROUND: Children are particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters, yet limited scholarly attention has been placed on understanding their needs. The effect disasters may have on children’s educational attainment and achievement, otherwise known as educational vulnerability, is one of the least studied aspects of children’s disaster research. The use of visualizations using open access data repositories can facilitate researchers understanding of children’s educational vulnerability post-disaster.

AIMS: This paper illustrates how visuals can be used to address challenges that researchers may encounter when using educational datasets to evaluate disaster-related educational vulnerability. The challenges addressed include: (1) understanding data quality, …

Protecting College Students With Good Samaritan Policies: A Call To Action!, Nia Sutton

Public Health Capstone Projects

This Capstone project centers a five-page policy brief which petitions the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) to implement a system-wide Good Samaritan amnesty policy for college students and alcohol-related emergencies. Each year, nearly 2,000 college students die due to alcohol-related harm₅. College students are most susceptible to dangerous drinking and alcohol misuse_6,14.Alcohol misuse describes alcohol consumption that puts individuals at increased risk for adverse social and health consequences₃. Alcohol misuse through the form of binge and heavy drinking are the most common patterns of dangerous drinking for college students. …

The Epidemiology Of Wasting In Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Victoria Omotosho

Public Health Capstone Projects

Wasting or acute malnutrition can be defined as low weight for height; it is used as an indicator of malnutrition. Wasting is a significant public health problem affecting children aged 5 and below in developing countries around the world. Nigeria, a developing country is severely affected by wasting and it is one of the countries that accounted for the high burden of wasting in the World. Over the last decade, the global prevalence of wasting has decreased. Despite this, the prevalence of wasting in Nigeria has drastically increased at a percentage of 18%. Evidence has shown that wasting leads to …

The Effect Of Instruction (Rapid Automatic Naming Versus Repeated Read Aloud) On Vocabulary Building For Preschool Children, Alison Bendickson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

STUDY ABSTRACT

Title

The Effect of Instruction (Rapid Automatic Naming Versus Repeated Read Aloud) on Vocabulary Building for Preschool Children

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research was to determine whether using the strategy of rapid automatic naming or repeated read aloud would increase children’s vocabulary development. The study assessed children in an inclusive classroom. The participants were 3 year old students who required specialized instruction and have Individual Education Programs and students who were typically developing. The students were assessed using Individual Growth and Development Indicators (picture naming) to assess which intervention strategy produced more growth in …

The Use Of Media Technologies In Long-Distance Relationships, Paola P. Soto Herrera

Theses

Communication technologies have helped reduce personal distances and stay connected. This study pursued the following questions: What are the most popular media used to communicate in long-distance relationships? Are those in long-distance relationships more likely to use rich or lean media? Do family, friends, and romantic partners differ in their selection of media? Instant Messaging, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat), telephone (cellular, mobile, or landline), online video chat, online audio chat, SMS, and regular mail were the most used media. Respondents were significantly more likely to use rich media. Romantic partners were more likely than either family or friends …

Effects Of Cultural And Language Barriers On The Outcome Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Amongst Children From The Somali Immigrant Population Of Minnesota, Amal Farah

Theses and Graduate Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a devastating developmental disorder with a decline in both neurological and behavioral functions. ASK can present with delays in language development, social skills, and restricts behavioral patterns. The prevalence of ASD has been on the rise int he United States with a rate of one in 69 children. Moreover, the prevalence of ASD has been drastically increasing in the Somali community of Minnesota affecting one in 32 children. Many research studies associate the rise of ASD in the Somali community with the elements of culture, tradition, and language barriers. This research paper will explore how …

Adaptations Made To Evidence-Based Public Health Programs In Low- To Middle- Income Countries: A Concept Mapping Analysis, Elizabeth Holguin

Nursing ETDs

One of the most challenging barriers to implementing successful and sustainable evidence-based programs in public health is the ability to remain faithful to original protocols grounded in scientific evidence while adapting programmatic components to reflect the reality of the communities they are meant to benefit. It is generally accepted that some degree of adaptation should occur in order to achieve positive, sustainable outcomes in public health programs. A concept mapping methodology was used to explore types of adaptation that occur during implementation of evidence-based global health programs in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Purposive and snowball sampling produced a sample …

Structure And Function In Petioles Of Pelargonium, Dustin M. Ray

Doctoral Dissertations

As the connection between lamina and stem, petioles are essential for plant survival. Petioles serve two major functions in service to the leaf blade. First, they hold the leaf blade away from the stem to reduce self-shading and optimize light interception, a mechanical function. Second, petioles serve as the bridge between the stem and lamina allowing water to move up the plant body and photo-assimilates to move down to the plant body from the leaf blade, a physiological function. While mechanics and physiology have been studied independently, the petiole could be a space-limited structure leading to tradeoffs between the two …

Automating The Detection Of Precipitation And Wind Characteristics In Navy Ocean Acoustic Data, Joseph T. Kuhner

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A challenge in Underwater Acoustics is identifying the independent variables associated with an environment’s ambient noise. A strict definition of ambient noise would focus on non-transient signatures and exclude transient impacts from marine mammals, pelagic fish species, man-made sources, or weather events such as precipitation or wind speeds. Recognizing transient signatures in acoustic spectra is an essential element for providing environmental intelligence to the U.S. Navy, specifically the acoustic signatures from meteorological events. While weather event detection in acoustic spectra has been shown in previous studies, leveraging these concepts via U.S. Navy assets is largely an unknown. Environmental intelligence collection …

The Effectiveness Of Government Mandated Disclosure Reform, Sakshi Raj

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The higher the level of information asymmetry between a firm and its investors, the higher is the firm’s reluctance to raise money externally, potentially leading to investment distortions. An improved disclosure system reduces information asymmetry and therefore, lessens the adverse selection effects of external financing, thereby moderating investment inefficiencies. In this paper, we examine the impact of potentially improved transparency stemming from stricter disclosure requirements (Clause 49) on financing and investment decisions of Indian firms. The results show that reliance of Indian firms on internal financing in the pre-reform period gives way to greater use of external financing …

Shaking The Frame: Graduates' Perceptions Of A School Leadership Program With A Social Justice Focus, Cherie H. Goins

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Educational leaders who have an awareness of social justice are those who advocate for and achieve more equitable schools. School leader preparation programs that focus on social justice may help to improve schools, systems, and society (Dentith & Peterlin, 2011; Boske, 2012; Marshall and Oliva, 2006; Shields, 2004, 2010, 2012). For the purpose of this study, social justice is defined as fairness in terms of distribution of wealth, social privileges and opportunities within society. Some school leaders experience transformative processes which increase their critical awareness or consciousness during their formal preparation.

What is not known is the extent to …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Recycled Crushed Glass Cullet For Use As An Aggregate In Beach Nourishment And Marsh Creation Projects In Southeastern Louisiana, John C. Wildman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To combat the rapid degradation of the Louisiana coast, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has planned strategic land building initiatives throughout the Louisiana Gulf coast, including beach nourishment and marsh creation projects. It is commonly agreed that the state lacks sufficient renewable sediment resources to maintain the planned CPRA land building program. However, Louisiana, the state that commonly ranks last in state recycling percentage, recycles an estimated 0.6% of the waste glass consumed in the state. Glass is predominantly silica sand. This thesis evaluates laboratory‑determined characteristics of recycled crushed glass cullet to assess its suitability as a renewable …

Creating The Water Clock, Amy C. Laws

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will discuss the making of my short film The Water Clock at the University of New Orleans from its inception to its final short film form. Part One discusses the balancing of content and style and explores the relation between time and water as inspirations for story. Part Two details the preproduction process and major crew members’ collaborations and contributions before filming. Part Three describes daily successes, struggles, and direction while in production. Part Four describes every phase of the post-production process as the film is completed. Lastly, I will analyze my personal growth as a filmmaker.

Feasible Form Parameter Design Of Complex Ship Hull Form Geometry, Thomas L. Mcculloch

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a new methodology for robust form parameter design of complex hull form geometry via constraint programming, automatic differentiation, interval arithmetic, and truncated hierarchical B- splines. To date, there has been no clearly stated methodology for assuring consistency of general (equality and inequality) constraints across an entire geometric form parameter ship hull design space. In contrast, the method to be given here can be used to produce guaranteed narrowing of the design space, such that infeasible portions are eliminated. Furthermore, we can guarantee that any set of form parameters generated by our method will be self consistent. It …

Singing Their Stories: A Musical Narrative Of Teaching And Testing, Desi Richter

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This musical, arts-based educational research describes the lived experiences of four K-12 New Orleans educators who believe that end-of-year standardized tests hinder their ability to teach in ways they believe are best. Using songwriting as a form of data elicitation and narrative restorying, this study documents the lived experiences of teachers who have experienced test-related cognitive dissonance. While curricular narrowing and other test-related practices have been studied in many contexts, the perspectives of New Orleans teachers are barely documented. Thus, this study fills a content gap in the testing literature. Musically restorying the data contributes to the accountability literature in …