African American Studies Commons^™

The Role Of Mistrust In African American Organ Donation, Gina M. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican Americans (AAs) who suffer from life-threatening organ failure often need an organ transplant to sustain or to improve their quality of life. The shortage of donor organs, and AAs willing to become organ donors, limits the number of organs available for transplant. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of AAs regarding the role of mistrust and to understand its influence on their organ donation decision-making. Social cognitive theory guided this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study designed to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of the AAs related to the role of mistrust in their …

The Role Of Mistrust In African American Organ Donation, Gina M. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican Americans (AAs) who suffer from life-threatening organ failure often need an organ transplant to sustain or to improve their quality of life. The shortage of donor organs, and AAs willing to become organ donors, limits the number of organs available for transplant. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of AAs regarding the role of mistrust and to understand its influence on their organ donation decision-making. Social cognitive theory guided this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study designed to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of the AAs related to the role of mistrust in their …

Leadership Relationships And Advancement Opportunities Among African American Female Nurses, Kendra Pitts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A healthy work environment for nurses is critical to staff recruitment, retention, patient safety, and the financial sustainability and viability of a healthcare organization. The specific research problem under study was whether a lack of advancement opportunity or a lack of good leadership has an impact on African American female nurses leaving the nursing profession. Researchers have investigated the impact of leadership and advancement opportunity on the general population, but there is a dearth of research specific to African American female nurses and their reason for leaving the profession. Secondary quantitative data analysis was performed using survey data from the …

Improving Medication Adherence For African American Patients With Hypertension, Kimberly Fitzgerald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adherence to antihypertensive medications is essential for positive outcomes in treating hypertension (HTN). But the rate of nonadherence to antihypertensive medications among African Americans (AA) is low. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) that would assist in improving hypertensive medication adherence in the AA patient population as well as assess whether the CPG would be recommended by a team of content experts for use in their practice. The Hypertension Medication Adherence CPG incorporated the medication adherence model and the transtheoretical model to generate evidence-based interventions. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation …

Developing A Lifestyle Modification Tool To Prevent And Manage Elevated Blood Pressure Among African Americans, Magdalene Oziwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension is a national medical problem that has been predominantly seen amongst African Americans. Within this community, hypertension has been associated with obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition. It is for this reason that lifestyle modifications can be used as applied tools in the field of nursing in the prevention and management of hypertension among African American patients. This doctoral project was conducted to address the gap in nursing practice that currently exists for the African American population with regards to hypertension. The project focused on a nursing staff education program with 10 participants to promote the implementation of …

Improving Hypertensive Therapy Outcomes Among African Americans, Tanya Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of nonadherence to prescribed blood pressure medication adversely impacts

African Americans (AA) in comparison to their European American counterparts. The

associated health consequences of uncontrolled hypertension include heart failure, stroke,

and renal dysfunction. And the treatment of the complications negatively impacts quality

of life and contributes to increased health care costs. To address the problem at 1 clinic, a

quality improvement (QI) project was developed by the clinic nursing staff, but the

project had never been evaluated. The project included blood pressure measurements

assessed among AA patients before and after implementation of a 4-item Morisky

Medication-Taking Adherence Scale …

Perceptions Of Nursing As A Career By African American College Students Attending Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Brenda Marie Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies and official organizations have indicated that African Americans are underrepresented in the healthcare workforce and that patients belonging to minority groups feel they are treated slightly differently in healthcare settings. Limited research examines perceptions of the nursing profession among a variety of demographic groups, and exploratory investigations into the perceptions of nursing as a career by African Americans are limited. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to explore perceptions of nursing as a career by African American students who attend an undergraduate program at a historically black college or university (HBCU) in an attempt to further …

Perceptions Of Childhood Obesity Among African Americans In A Low-Income Community, Cotella Wilkes Wilkes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a prevalent chronic condition affecting millions of children and adolescents in the United States and is rising in record-breaking numbers among African Americans in low-income communities. Guided by the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this evidence-based project was to understand the impact of an educational intervention on parents' perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors, weight status, and prevention strategies in a rural South Carolina community. A convenience sample of parents who attended a church-based community health promotion service in a low-income area (n = 10), aged 28 to 54, completed The Childhood Obesity Perceptions survey before …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Parents In The Management And Care Of Obese Children, Priscilla Ann Huggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a global concern among all ethnic groups. Childhood obesity is a problem that continues into adulthood, exacerbating the incidence of diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore, understand, and describe the perceptions and experiences of African American parents in the management and care of their obese or overweight children. This study used the health-belief model (HBM) as its theoretical foundation, focusing on the constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. This research study used an interview tool and an 8-item …

An Obesity Needs Assessment With African American Adults In Central Virginia, Nicole Michelle Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The risk for obesity is especially prevalent among African American adults in Central Virginia, who have one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation. Efforts to address obesity in African American adults through diet, weight reduction, and increased physical activity in settings such as schools, worksites, healthcare organizations, churches, and communities, are among the initiatives of Healthy People 2020. The objective of this project, conducted with 91 African American adults (33 females and 58 males) in central Virginia, was to complete a community needs assessment that related to obesity among members of an African American church. The needs …

Racism Vs. Social Capital: A Case Study Of Two Majority Black Communities, Bruce W. Strouble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several researchers have identified social capital as a means to improve the social sustainability of communities. While there have been many studies investigating the benefits of social capital in homogeneous White communities, few have examined it in Black homogeneous communities. Also, there has been limited research on the influence of racism on social capital in African American communities. In this dissertation a comparative case study was used within a critical race theory framework. The purpose was to explore the role of racial oppression in shaping social capital in majority African American communities. Data were collected from 2 majority Black communities …

African American Race And Culture And Patients' Perceptions Of Diabetes Health Education, Linda Marie Keenan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans diagnosed with diabetes are less likely to self-manage diabetes-specific modifiable risk factors. As a result, utilization of healthcare services occurs at a greater rate than other racial groups, and thereby incurs higher than expected healthcare costs. This ethnographic study explored the elements of diabetes educational material African Americans in a large city in the southern part of the United States found most useful to facilitate self-management of their disease. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical framework. Research questions addressed the preferred educational content, layout of material, and methods for educational delivery and caregiver support. A purposive sample of …