Digital Commons Network^™

Our Food Is Healthy Too!, Destiney Mcdaniel

Nutrition Masters Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a children’s book titled, Our Food is Healthy Too!, about healthy eating that includes cultural foods, specifically the southern African American and Mexican American cultures. I will use illustrations and characters that will appeal to the targeted audience. My targeted audience are elementary school-age children, particularly second and third-graders. The book will address the main food groups and the different cultural foods or meals that consist of those food groups. The book will educate children on having a healthy, balanced diet with the foods they typically eat.

Imaging, Cognitive, And Functional Correlates Of Vascular Depression In Older Black Adults, Hannah Bogoian

Psychology Dissertations

Black older adults have a higher prevalence of vascular conditions (e.g., heart disease) and greater cerebrovascular disease burden compared to Whites. Decreased brain white matter integrity as a result of vascular burden is associated with a form of late-life depression, known as vascular depression (VaDep), which is marked by chronic vascular risk, executive dysfunction, poor treatment response, and high levels of functional disability. Older Black adults may be particularly vulnerable to developing VaDep; however, the literature examining VaDep in Black older adults is sparse. The present study used publicly available data from the Healthy Brain Project, a substudy of the …

Postpartum Social Support Experiences Of Black Mothers With Depression During Covid, Brooke Dipetrillo

Public Health Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Social support is a protective factor against depression (Szkody et al., 2020). Current social support literature within the western epistemology of research failed to include the voices of Black mothers to provide a meaningful cultural context within which to view this protective factor (Spates, 2012). The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated adversities, including maternal depression, which is experienced disproportionately among Black mothers (Bailey & Moon, 2020; Farewell et al., 2020). Research within Black communities indicates the importance of social networks (e.g., extended kin) (Hunter et al., 2019). However, this literature does not focus on Black mothers living with depression …

Fullness, Jamaal Barber

Art and Design Theses

Fullness is an exhibition of paintings that manifests self-affirming Blackness separate from a world that is unwilling to engage with it. Blackness refers to the Black racial identity that embodies the collective consciousness of all melanated people. Removed from the confines of enslavement and systemic oppression, Black people become free to edify themselves visually and spiritually. In this body of work, I reimagine and rebuild Black identity with unexpected forms through mixed media paintings. The works employ layers of color and abstracted shapes to represent the Black body not only as an ethnic identity but as a psychological state of …

Elementary Science: A Critical Race Perspective Of Exemplary African American Teachers, Mario Pickens

Early Childhood and Elementary Education Dissertations

The elementary years are a critical time for all students to learn science and 21^st century skills needed to function and flourish in a scientifically advanced world. Despite such importance, research consistently documents that students of color have less access to science opportunities and receive lower quality K-12 STEM education (Atwater 2000; Prime, 2019). These factors, along with the low priority generally given to science education at the elementary level, present significant challenges to the field. As the student population becomes increasingly diverse, the teaching workforce continues to remain predominately White. Research reveals that African American teachers play an …

Men’S Externalizing Depression: Invariance Of The Male Depression Risk Scale And Latent Symptom Profiles Among African American And European American Men, Robert A. Stewart

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

Empirical studies of the well-documented deleterious psychological effects of rigid conformity to traditional masculine norms suggest that many men experience, express and respond to negative affect through a syndrome that combines internalizing depression with externalizing symptoms such as substance use, impulsivity, anger/irritation and risk-taking. These symptoms are not captured by the largely internalizing criteria (e.g. low mood, anhedonia, fatigue) indexed in current depression criteria. Researchers examining men’s externalizing depression have used the Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22; Rice, Fallon, Aucote, & Möller-Leimkühler, 2013), a brief, psychometrically sound self-report instrument, with largely homogeneous Canadian and Australian samples. The current study extends …

Building In Struggle: A Home Buying Cooperative As A Transformative Asset Accumulation Enterprise- A Case Study Analysis, Angela Yaa Jones

Africana Studies Theses

The object of this study is twofold: One of the objectives is to analyze predatory lending practices as a result of the subprime market crisis and the effects it posed to African Americans wealth accumulation. And the second objective is to explore how the cooperative structure and principles examined through a case study analysis and analyzed within a soci-economic black political economy framework, has the capacity to be transformative in alleviating correlates caused by economic discrimination and economic disenfranchisement experienced by African Americans.

Culturally Targeted Decision Aid Use In Intention To Complete Colorectal Cancer Screening Among African American Women, Cecilia Porcher

Nursing Doctoral Projects (DNP)

Title: Culturally Targeted Decision Aid Use in Intention to Complete Colorectal Cancer Screening among African American Women

Purpose: African American (AA) women experienced approximately 41% more deaths related to Colorectal Cancer (CRC) than White women in 2016. Provider recommendation has been a positive predictor of screening behavior. Along with provider recommendation, decision aids (DAs) can be useful tools to decrease health disparities and increase screening rates in racial, sex, and gender minorities. The purpose of the project is to determine if the use of DAs along with provider recommendation improve intention to complete CRC screening.

Method: 21 AA women ages …

The Effects Of A Diabetes Education Program Among African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Immaculata Okere

Nursing Doctoral Projects (DNP)

Abstract

Title: The Effects of a Diabetes Education Program among African American (AA) adults to Improve Medication Adherence and Decrease Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a diabetes education program to decrease HbA1c and improve medication adherence in AA with diabetes in a Primary Care setting.

Method: This a quality improvement study and a descriptive quantitative design with a convenience sampling of 21 participants. Eligibility includes AA, ages 18 to 65, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and who attended routine care at project site. The results of pretest and posttest, and pre and post HbA1c were analyzed …

Campus Racial Climate And Academic Outcomes: Examining The Moderating Role Of Racial Identity For African American College Students, Allana Zuckerman

Psychology Dissertations

Campus racial climate, including individual perceptions of interracial interactions between students and with faculty (Hurtado, Griffin, Arellano & Cuellar, 2008). African American students often report more discriminatory perceptions of campus racial climate than White, Latino and Asian American students (e.g., Reid & Radhakrishnan, 2003). Campus racial climate has implications for a range of academic outcomes during college (e.g., Fischer, 2010; Torregosa, Ynalvez, & Morin, 2015). Specifically, Black students report experiencing hostile racial climates on their college campuses from both peers and professors and this can influence academic outcomes such as student motivation (e.g., Byrd, 2015), GPA (Torregosa et al., 2015) …

Maternal Responses To Children;S Exposure To Violent/Tragic News Media In A Sample Of Multiply-Traumatized, African-American, Low-Income Youth, Susanna Crowell Mcquarrie

Psychology Dissertations

Given children’s ready access to media, particularly to sensationalized media reports of violent/tragic news (Pew Research Center, 2013), it is important to understand whether and how exposure to this news affects children’s psychological functioning. Studies in the general population have found that media exposure to violence correlates positively with anxiety and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in children (Becker-Blease, Finkelhor, & Turner, 2008). However, little is known about the impact such exposure may have on children who are vulnerable to myriad health and mental health problems as a consequence of multiple traumas (Fowler, Tompsett, Braceiszewski, Jaques-Tiura, & Baltes, 2009). Moreover, given …

The Role Of Racial Ideology In The Relation Between Racial Discrimination And Psychological Well-Being Among African American College Students, Ciera B. Lewis

Psychology Theses

The present study examined whether two dimensions of racial ideology, specifically nationalist ideology and assimilationist ideology, moderate the link between racial discrimination and a comprehensive measure of psychological well-being (i.e., well-being, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms). The purpose was to understand how each ideology may be a risk or protective factor. The study was conducted with 339 African American college students attending a large ethnically diverse minority-serving institution. Results revealed that frequency of perceived racial discrimination was linked to poor psychological well-being. Nationalist ideology was not associated with psychological well-being outcomes and assimilationist ideology was associated with poor psychological …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Education On Knowledge And Condom Use Among African American Males In Clayton County, Ga, Charles Jenkins

Nursing Doctoral Projects (DNP)

Purpose: Georgia remains fourth in the nation for new HIV cases. Young African American adults are responsible for 49% of the new cases in Georgia. The purpose of this project was to explore the effectiveness of a nurse led HIV prevention education program on increasing knowledge of HIV prevention and increasing the frequency of condom use among males between the ages of 18-30 years old in Clayton County, Georgia.

Methods: This educational intervention was implemented in a primary care clinic. Data on knowledge and condom use as well as sexual health, sexual behavior, sexual communication, and perceptions of risk for …

Understanding African American Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Students Who Are Homeless, Sharhonda Davies

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions of African American in-service teachers and their beliefs about the academic, social and emotional needs of African American students who were homeless. While research supports the importance of teacher perceptions in building the teacher-student relationship at school (Powers-Costello & Swick, 2008), this research has been limited primarily to white female preservice elementary teachers. There has been little research in the area of African American in-service elementary teachers’ perceptions of students who are impacted by homelessness due to systematic racial disparity and poverty.

This study included three African American …

Black Matter: Re-Evaluating Representations Of Blackness Through Theatre Arts, Aubrey S. Williams

Africana Studies Theses

There are many studies that detail the misrepresentation of Black people or lack thereof in classic media (visual art, literature and theatre). This study seeks to explore how Blackness is represented in classic media: film, television, visual art and theatre and how these representations shape the consciousness of young Black and African American adults ages 18-25. Using a narrative research approach, this study explores the arc of Black representation in classic media beginning in the late 1800’s and ending with the Black Arts Movement. This study utilized an original stage play as a creative component to mirror the content of …

Teaching Black Kids When Black Excellence Isn't A Curriculum Priority - A Phenomenological Study, Letitia Y. Thornton

Africana Studies Theses

This study examines the Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) strategies of culturally aware teachers who serve high populations of African American students. This study posits that teachers share the phenomenon of classroom CRP implementation through creative, and sometimes covert tactics. This phenomenon exists since cultural relevance is often omitted in curriculum norms. This study seeks to provide field examples of CRP, allowing stakeholders to evaluate them for their audiences.

The theoretical framework for this phenomenological study is Critical Race Theory in Education. CRT in Education explains why CRP is necessary, contributing to the rationale that learning environments should support its implementation. …

Albinism: Cultural And Ethnographic Perspectives In A Southern City, Tabitha C. Green

Anthropology Theses

This research is focused on the lived experience of individuals with albinism, both OCA (oculocutaneous albinism) and OA (ocular albinism). The cultural aspects of albinism are what will be primarily looked at during this study, as it is what the majority of the interview questions will be focused on. Following this will be a review of literature that is based on albinism, historical components, and how albinism has progressed over time. The main objective of this research is to aid in the reduction of stigmatization that is associated with albinism, further educate those who are unaware of the cultural complexities …

Examining The Association Between Perceptions Of Racial Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms Among African Americans In Georgia, Obioesio Bassey

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Depression in the United States is a persistent but relatively understudied public health issue, especially among particularly burdened populations that suffer from comorbidities and additional conditions that may trigger or exacerbate the presence of depressive symptoms. Stress is a leading causes of many health defects and many recent theories concerning health disparities center around the differences in stress between different subpopulations contribute to health. Perceived discrimination is a unique stressor that has been linked to the observed wellness gap between races. Discrimination in the United States is often targeted towards African Americans and the effect that this unique stressor …

The Hidden Curriculum: A Narrative Study On Instructors’ Need To Understand The Behavior & Schooling Of African American Youth Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Dia Bennett

Africana Studies Theses

The purpose of this study is to +understand the instructor perspective of their pedagogical approach to the needs of African American students of low socioeconomic status (SES) in urban school settings. Utilizing surveys and a questionnaire will prompt the dialogue for this narrative study. Thus, utilizing the narrative of the instructors will make their personal history and opinions an indicator for their choice of approach or if they recognize a need for specialized instruction for African American youth of low SES. This study will use a sample of 6 experienced and less experienced instructors teaching in urban low- income schools.

The Effects Of Psychological Stress On Abdominal Obesity Among African American Women, Sankan W. Nyanseor

Public Health Theses

African American (AA) women have the highest prevalence of obesity than other groups in the US making them disproportionately at high risk for chronic diseases associated with obesity such type 2 diabetes mellitus. Research has shown that stress may be a risk factor for obesity and that it may be more prevalent within AA women. The aim of this study was to identify if there is an association between psychological stress in AA women in the US and abdominal obesity (AO). A cross sectional study design was employed using secondary data from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey …

Imagining Home: Tracing The Bond Between African Americans And Africa From 1619 To 1936, Darrell W. B. Kefentse

History Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intellectual, cultural, and political links between African American communities and the changing fortunes of Ethiopia. This I feel marks an important contribution in African American history and the broader global histories of the African diaspora. This dissertation also moves to demonstrate the multiple ways in which Ethiopia marked a conceptual beacon and point of reference in the struggle for African American belonging and achievement. In the broader sense, it incorporates the dynamic relationship between Anglo-Saxon Europeans, Africans, and those of the African diaspora. By tracing the founding of the North American colonies and the consequences of …

African American Males Pursuing Stem Degrees: A Phenomenological Case Study, Dante Edwards

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

A disturbing epidemic in the United States is there are too few African American males that graduate from high school and go on to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Harper, 2012). An explanation as to why this is so may reside in their experiences while in high school. By using attribution theory as a theoretical framework, this study allowed its participants to identify those events that led them to pursue STEM degrees as undergraduates. Applying a phenomenological case study as a methodology uncovered the essence of the phenomenon of four African American males’ lived experiences in …

Susceptibility For Hepatitis B Infection Within The United States Population With Special Focus On African American Females., Dajuana Phillip

Public Health Theses

In 2010, the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected 1.2 million people in the United States, many of whom were unaware of their infection (CDC, 2010). The available research on HBV infection is predominately among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander. HBV infection and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection share similar modes of transmission. Very little HBV research has been dedicated to the African American females; who accounted for 29% of the new HIV cases among young adolescents in 2010 (CDC, 2010). Due to the common mode of transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B many persons at risk for …

Gendered Racism And The Moderating Influence Of Racial Identity: Implications For African American Women?S Well-Being, Justin L. Williams

Psychology Dissertations

Intersectionality theory has been put forth to explain how gender and race dually impact and act upon African American women (e.g., Settles, 2006; Thomas et al., 2008). Although there is a growing body of literature on the negative effect that perceived racism has on Black/African Americans well-being and that sexism has on women’s well-being, there is a paucity of research on the intersection of racism and sexism (i.e., gendered racism) and its influence on African American women’s well-being (e.g., Perry, Pullen, & Oser, 2012; Thomas et al., 2008). To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined gendered …

Characteristics Of African American Adolescent Females Who Use Emergency Contraception, Erin Little

Public Health Theses

Unintended pregnancy remains to be a public health priority for adolescents as there are a myriad of negative social and developmental consequences for both young mothers and their children. The goal of this study was to examine associations of individual-level determinants of health with sexual risk behaviors and protective factors among a sample of African American female adolescents. African American adolescent females were recruited from sexual health clinics to participate in a cross-sectional survey at 18 months post-participation in a STD/HIV prevention trial. Surveys were administered using Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (ACASI). Statistical analyses were run to determine associations …

Ascribing Meaning To Kidney Disease: A Qualitative Study Of African Americans With A First Degree Relative On Hemodialysis, Loretta Brown

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a serious health threat to African Americans (AA). CKD is responsible for the high incidence of end stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis among AA. CKD is a preventable condition associated with modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Having a family history of CKD is an independent non-modifiable risk factor for CKD yet many AA do not perceive CKD as a major health concern. Previous studies on CKD awareness and knowledge have not included the voices of individuals with a relative affected by CKD. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the meaning of …

An Ethnographic Study Of Socio-Emotional Factors In Interpersonal Peer Relationships And Their Impact On The Academic Success Of African American High School Students In Mathematics, Alanna Johnson

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

Nationally, the outlook for African Americans in K-12 education is dismal. While gains are being made, African Americans still lag behind their White peers. The latest reports by the National Center for Education Statistics (2009) show a 31 point gap between 8^th grade African Americans and Whites in mathematics. While statistics such as these are in abundance, there are few accounts of stories of success (Berry, 2005; Jett, 2009; Stinson, 2004). Studies directly related to the role of socio-emotional interpersonal relationships and the means by which African American high school students negotiated that space in terms of successful math …

Language And Literacy Multilevel Constructs In Young Nonmainstream American English Speakers: Examining Relationships Between Latent Variables, Souraya Mansour Mitri

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP, 2013), children from race and language minority groups continue to perform significantly lower than their peers on reading achievement tests. Current perspectives suggest that multiple factors (e.g., household income, parent education) likely contribute to the achievement gap between African American children and their White peers and children from low income and middle income households (Barton & Coley, 2010; Chatterji, 2006; Jencks & Phillips, 1998), leading to multiple approaches (e.g., Head Start Early Reading First) to prevent or alleviate the trend (Barnett, Coralon, Fitzgerald, & Squires, 2011). However, African American children continue …

“Fifty Years Of Our Whole Voice”: An Examination Of The History And Culture Leading To The Publication Of Fire!! Devoted To Younger Artists And Aiiieeeee!: An Anthology Of Asian American Writers, Joni Louise Johnson Williams

English Dissertations

According to African American literary theorist Henry Louis Gates, “the slave wrote not primarily to demonstrate humane letters, but to demonstrate his or her own membership in the human community” (128). Two efforts at this demonstration of community membership exist in the publication of the literary journal, Fire!!, written and published by African American artists and writers in 1926 and in the anthology AIIIEEEEE!, compiled and edited by Asian American writers and published in 1974. These compilations, published not quite fifty years apart, are direct responses and reactions to the efforts of the larger society to influence and/or …

Diversity Within Discrimination: Does Victim Nativity And Discriminator Race Matter For The Mental Health Of Blacks?, Aja Simpson Zulfiqar

Sociology Theses

The current study focuses on the variations in mental health effects due to the race of discriminators and the heterogeneity of the Black racial group. Using NSAL data, this study seeks to determine whether skin color discrimination has differing mental health impacts if it originates from a Black perpetrator versus a White one. The study examines these effects on both foreign-born and native-born Blacks to determine similarities and differences in their experiences in distress. The findings can provide a unique insight into diversity within the discrimination experience and inform interventions and policies that seek to improve the mental health among …