Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Factors Associated With Lifestyle Modification For Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management And Prevention, Leigh Anne Koonmen

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, affecting roughly 13% of U.S. adults aged 18 years or older. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases and is characterized by the progressive development of insulin resistance leading to sustained elevated blood glucose levels. Management of type 2 diabetes includes risk-reduction strategies and continuous medical care to prevent the development of complications.

Lifestyle is a major contributing factor to morbidity and mortality rates in the United States. Preventative health behaviors, such as engaging in physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and following a healthy …

Dietary Assessments And Their Association With Psychological Factors, Inflammation, And Cardiovascular Health Outcomes, Junghee Kang

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, are the leading cause of death worldwide, causing one-third of deaths each year. Diet is one of the most important behavioral risk factors for CVD. The effects of behavioral risk factors, such as diet, may lead to increased blood pressure, increased blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and obesity. Inflammation contributes to the development of CVD and can be influenced by diet. Dietary assessment indices can measure diet quality from an individual's dietary intake by scoring food and nutrient intakes. However, the mediation effects of diet …

Responses To Symptoms Among Patients With Heart Failure, Chin-Yen Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Patients with heart failure (HF) suffer from chronic and progressive symptoms. Failure to respond appropriately to escalating symptoms of HF causes a delay in seeking care, which results in worse symptom status, frequent rehospitalizations, and contributes to higher mortality. In order to enhance HF self-care, promote timely care-seeking, and improve outcomes, identification of factors that affect patients’ responses to symptoms and their decisions to seek care is essential. Thus, the purposes of this dissertation were to (1) identify factors associated with patients’ responses to worsening HF symptoms, and (2) determine the impact of responses to symptoms on outcomes in patients …

Associations Between Psychosocial Stressors, Genes, And Cardiovascular Disease In At-Risk Adults, Kaitlin Voigts Key

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Psychosocial stressors have a significant adverse impact on cardiovascular health. While better medical treatments and increased emphasis on healthy lifestyle have improved cardiovascular health for many in the United States over the past 50 years, there are persistent inequities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates, with the highest rates among populations burdened by chronic exposure to psychosocial stressors such as discrimination and anxiety, among others. Genetic factors may interact with these stressors further influencing the rates of CVD in these populations. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine associations among psychosocial stressors and other CVD risk factors, and the influence …

Neurochemical Factors Associated With The Initial Pathophysiological Reaction To Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke, Sarah R. Martha

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of disability world-wide and affects over 800,000 people per year in the United States. The majority of these strokes are ischemic due to a blockage of blood flow to the brain. Damage to the brain occurs at the onset of stroke, neuronal cell death is irreversible and therefore, quick treatment to remove blockage is critical factor in the recovery from stroke. Mechanical thrombectomy as a treatment for ischemic stroke provides an ideal opportunity to collect blood distal and proximal to the cerebral thrombus to examine neurochemical changes occurring during stroke.

The purpose of this …

End-Of-Life Decision-Making In Patients With A Cardiac Device, Jessica Harman Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Heart failure (HF) is one of the top causes of mortality in the United States and globally. In order to combat the high mortality rates of this disease, medical technology, including internal cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), have become one of the most common treatments. Over the past 10 years the utilization of these cardiac devices has increased exponentially, which has created a new phenomenon of how we discuss death with patients who have one of these devices. The purpose of this dissertation is to increase understanding of the end-of-life decision making processes and current experiences …

Biological, Behavioral, And Psychosocial Attributes Of Individuals With Copd, Andrew A. Bugajski

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the biological, behavioral, and psychosocial attributes of individuals diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Specific aims were to: 1) explore the predictive power of spirometry measures for event-free survival in patients with heart failure and suspected COPD, focusing on the differences in survival between those with and without airflow limitation; 2) examine the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in patients with concomitant COPD and heart failure; and 3) test the efficacy of a theory-based, multidimensional, self-care educational intervention using an eHealth platform on measures of …

The Relationship Of Social Support In Self-Care, Depressive Symptoms, And Quality Of Life Outcomes In Patients With Heart Failure, Shannon C. Shumaker

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate outcomes associated with social support in patients with heart failure and their caregivers. Specific aims were to: 1) examine the association of depressive symptoms with self-care in patients with HF; 2) evaluate the psychometrics properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) instrument as a measure of perceived social support in patients with heart failure; and 3) determine whether patient and caregiver perception of relationship quality measured at baseline upon enrollment predicted quality of life at baseline in both patient and caregiver using a multilevel dyadic analysis in patient and …

Adherence To Physical Activity Among Individuals With Or Without Cardiovascular Disease, Zyad T. Saleh

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health problem and a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Regular physical activity is recommended for prevention and management of CVD. Despite the cardiovascular health benefits of physical activity most adults are physically inactive. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to examine the factors associated with adherence to physical activity among individuals with or without CVD.

The first paper is a report of a study conducted to examine which baseline demographic (age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, and place of residency), psychosocial (social support, depression, anxiety, and fatalism), …