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Walden University

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

2016

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Treatment Adherence Among Women Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With A History Of Gender-Based Violence, Olivia Mcgregor Nov 2016

Treatment Adherence Among Women Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With A History Of Gender-Based Violence, Olivia Mcgregor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at high risk of myriad conditions, especially gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can be a hindrance to treatment adherence, which is pertinent to improving the health of people living with HIV. The purpose of this longitudinal research study was to assess the effects of GBV on treatment adherence among HIV infected women, with specific focus on when the violence occurred (recent or lifetime) and the stratifying type of GBV (sexual, physical, and psychological). The health belief model (HBM) served as a theoretical groundwork. Participants were selected from secondary data, collected by the Women’s …

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Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey Jun 2016

Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engaging in physical activity can help older adults to take part in community activities, maintain relationships, and initiate new friendships, thus preventing loneliness and depression. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate whether participation in physical activity improved depressive symptoms in 15 older adults at a local senior center. Pender’s health promotion model was used to determine nursing and behavioral science views on components that affect health behavior. The Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale (EBBS) survey was evaluated before implementation of the walking program to measure the benefits of and barriers to exercise. The EBBS results showed that …

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Health Literacy Among Elderly Hispanics And Medication Usage, Wilda Parker May 2016

Health Literacy Among Elderly Hispanics And Medication Usage, Wilda Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy among the elderly Hispanics is a problem for 44% who read at the lowest level due to issues with recognition, cognition, or vision. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that elderly Hispanics have problems with medication adherence due to health literacy. The social cognitive theory was the framework for this study. Inclusion criteria consisted of being 65-75 years of age, and speaking and/or reading English and/or Spanish. Questionnaires from 156 individuals were completed in Cobb County/Atlanta GA and analyzed using multiple regression to determine the relationship between health literacy and medication usage. Medication adherence …

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Health Care Clinicians' Compliance With Conducting Spiritual Assessments And Providing Spiritual Care To Infertile Women, Lesa Miller Feb 2016

Health Care Clinicians' Compliance With Conducting Spiritual Assessments And Providing Spiritual Care To Infertile Women, Lesa Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Infertility is a disease that can cause psychological impairments in women, and the inability to achieve motherhood brings about cultural and social stigma. Spirituality is a protective element that may provide consolation to women experiencing infertility, yet the literature has shown that few clinicians conduct spirituality assessments or provide spiritual care to patients. The objectives of this scholarly project were to conduct an assessment to determine the needs of health care clinicians in regard to spirituality and spiritual patient care and to develop an educational module based on identified knowledge deficits. Guided by the knowledge-to-action cycle, a needs assessment was …

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Life Events, Initial Sexual Behaviors, And Teenage Pregnancy Among African American Females, Yonzetta Brook Tillman Jan 2016

Life Events, Initial Sexual Behaviors, And Teenage Pregnancy Among African American Females, Yonzetta Brook Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy is disproportionate between African American and Caucasian females. This disproportion is notable because African American teenagers are 3 times more likely to become pregnant than their Caucasian counterparts are. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists among major life events, sexual behaviors, and resultant teenage pregnancy among African American females in the United States. The theoretical framework for this study was social learning theory. Three key research questions focused on relationships among (a) major life events and initial sexual behavior, (b) ethnicity, and (c) teenage pregnancy. Independent variables were life event and ethnicity, …

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Analyzing Interrelationships Between Food Safety Practices And Inspections Among Food Staff In Manitoba, Kirandeep Kaur Brar Jan 2016

Analyzing Interrelationships Between Food Safety Practices And Inspections Among Food Staff In Manitoba, Kirandeep Kaur Brar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence and prevalence of food safety practices among food staff working in food establishments in Manitoba is underrepresented and has not been adequately reviewed and researched. Uncertified food staff are at higher risk of not following food safety practices that can cause contamination of food and result in foodborne illness. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the prevalence of food safety practices among food staff in Manitoba and to determine the relationship between food safety certification and routine health inspections. Pender's health promotion model and Bandura's social cognitive theory were used to explain the relationships and …

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Effect Of Home Telehealth On Vterans With Chronic Heart Failure, Yolanda Major Jan 2016

Effect Of Home Telehealth On Vterans With Chronic Heart Failure, Yolanda Major

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 5 million Americans have heart failure, with approximately 5% of those affected being veterans. As the number of patients with CHF continues to rise, new treatment options are needed to improve the quality of care. Current studies show Telehealth is one treatment option. The purpose of this scholarly project was to determine if veterans diagnosed with CHF were able to maintain optimal weight and blood pressure following participation in Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) program. The CCHT program provides care to veterans, through the use of monitoring devices placed in their home. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was used as …

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Tools That Measure Caring: A Systematic Literature Review Of The Impact Of Caring, Jennifer Drake Jan 2016

Tools That Measure Caring: A Systematic Literature Review Of The Impact Of Caring, Jennifer Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology and the complexity of the patient care can take the nurse's attention away from caring for the patient to caring for the technology. The purpose of this systematic review was to gather evidence from the literature on tools for measuring caring and the outcomes in order to make that body of knowledge easily accessible to the direct care nurse for implementation. Jean Watson's theory of human caring 'the theoretical framework that guided and informed this DNP project' focuses on human caring processes and experiences. It assumes that effective caring promotes health and outcomes of the nurse and patient. By …

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Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii Jan 2016

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The debate about healthcare reform revolves around a triple aim of improving the health of populations, improving the patient experience, and reducing the cost of care. A major tool discussed in this debate has been the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to record and guide care delivery. Due to low adoption rates and limited examples of success, the problem was a lack of understanding by healthcare organizations of how the EHR fundamentally changes an organization through the interactions of people, processes, and technology over time. The purpose of this case study was to explore the people, processes, and …

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Chronic Disease Management Of The Uninsured Patient At Ohio Free Clinics, James Benedict Jan 2016

Chronic Disease Management Of The Uninsured Patient At Ohio Free Clinics, James Benedict

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management of chronic disease requires a different service delivery model from that of acute illness. The uninsured population experience poorer health status and increased incidence of chronic disease than do the insured population. The purpose of this study was to identify the supports and barriers present in providing chronic disease management to patients at Ohio free clinics. Wagner's theory of chronic disease management served as the theoretical lens. The sequential, exploratory mixed methods study collected data from 13 free clinics belonging to the Ohio Association of Free Clinics (OAFC). Quantitative questions focused on processes in clinics with high and low …

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Promoting Annual Depression Screening In A Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, Denise Lesley Alleyne Jan 2016

Promoting Annual Depression Screening In A Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, Denise Lesley Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects about 350 million people worldwide. In 2014, only 50% of the adult patients were screened for depression in the community-based Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) for which this doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) project was developed. In an effort to meet the 100% benchmark set nationally for the screening of adult patients in the primary care settings, the FQHC's quality improvement team now requires that 80% of adult patients in the clinic be screened for depression. Framed within the Iowa model of evidence-based practice, the purposes of this project were to: (a) …

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Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings Jan 2016

Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence and bullying are major public health concerns but are preventable. Both dating violence and bullying occur within similar social context and the prevalence of teen dating violence was highest for African American teens as reported on the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Social learning theory provides a foundation for understanding and changing behavior related to dating violence victimization and bully victimization. The research questions focused on relationships between bully and teen dating violence victimization when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, substance abuse, age, and age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, the potential mediating variable of spending time …

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Managing Acute Pain In Postoperative Surgical Patients, Sabrina Gregory Jan 2016

Managing Acute Pain In Postoperative Surgical Patients, Sabrina Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, millions of Americans suffer from either chronic or acute pain that results in tremendous healthcare cost, rehabilitation, and loss of work productivity. Pain is an unpleasant sensation associated with sensory and emotional experiences that can cause potential or actual tissue damage. One plausible solution to managing pain is the use of nonpharmacological modalities such as guided imagery. The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a difference in pain scores following pharmacological interventions and the use of guided imagery among postoperative same day surgical patients. Guided imagery is a nonpharmacological modality that uses pictures, music, …

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Crafting A System Of Profound Knowledge Management In Long-Term Care, Charlotte Johnston Jan 2016

Crafting A System Of Profound Knowledge Management In Long-Term Care, Charlotte Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The paradigm shift to a knowledge economy, predicted by Drucker, is currently reflected in a knowing-to-doing gap in healthcare, potentially threatening the lives of long-term care (LTC) residents and sustainability of LTC organizations. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to seek a substantive conceptual theory to explain how LTC uses knowledge management (KM) to improve performance by probing the a priori views and lived experiences of 11 LTC knowledge creators, managers, and users. Data were collected via semi structured interviews that were transcribed and coded. The research questions guided by the conceptual concentrated on how KM is used …

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Chiropractic Student Infection Control Practices And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin Infections, Jonathon Todd Egan Jan 2016

Chiropractic Student Infection Control Practices And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin Infections, Jonathon Todd Egan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chiropractic training involves many hours of skin contact, and chiropractors have manual contact with millions of patients annually, but chiropractic has only had professional clinical hygiene guidance since 2010. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common cause of cultured skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) in the United States. Using the epidemiologic triad of person, place, and time as a framework, this quantitative, cross-sectional study obtained the first assessment of MRSA SSTI incidence among chiropractic students and its association with infection control behaviors (hand and table hygiene, sharing gowns, and sharing lotion) and initiation of patient care. The study …

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Association Between Haart And Metabolic Syndrome Components Among Hiv-Positive Adults In Southeastern Nigeria, Bridget Okiemute Amechi Jan 2016

Association Between Haart And Metabolic Syndrome Components Among Hiv-Positive Adults In Southeastern Nigeria, Bridget Okiemute Amechi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) contributes to metabolic disorders and the growing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Hypertension, obesity, and hyperglycemia (components of MetS) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that HIV patients on HAART have a 2-fold risk of dying from MetS. There are no such studies in Umuahia; hence the need for this study to fill this gap. Using a sample size of 192 medical records of HIV-infected patients in Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, and applying metabolic syndrome theory, this study examined the relationships among types of HAART regimen, …

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Improving Bedside Swallow Screening In Acute Stroke Patients: An Evaluation Plan, Juliette Segree Jan 2016

Improving Bedside Swallow Screening In Acute Stroke Patients: An Evaluation Plan, Juliette Segree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A stroke is a life-changing event for a patient and his or her family. The acute stroke patient is at risk for developing aspiration pneumonia, whether silent or overt. Prevention of pneumonia in this population requires timely completion and documentation of the bedside swallow screen to identify those patients at risk for aspiration pneumonia; however, anecdotal data from the emergency department at the site of this project suggested that completion and documentation of the screening were inconsistent. Guided by the quality caring model adopted by the project site as well as the logic model, the aim of this project was …

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Gestational Age, Birth Weight, And Incidence Of Adult Type 2 Diabetes Among Southeast Alaska Natives, Renee Elaine Crawford Jan 2016

Gestational Age, Birth Weight, And Incidence Of Adult Type 2 Diabetes Among Southeast Alaska Natives, Renee Elaine Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Indian and Alaska Native adults are 2.6 times more likely to have adult onset diabetes resulting from higher weight at birth. Pregnant women, providers, and Indian Health Service administrators may benefit from timely information during pregnancy to intervene and prevent Type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of birth weight in the development of Type 2 diabetes among Southeast Alaska (SEA) Natives. Guided by the socioecological model, this study examined the extent to which birth weight and gestational age predict the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. The study used a quantitative research design …

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Implementation And Evaluation Of Dietary Modification With Gestational Diabetes, Celia T. Ojeaga Jan 2016

Implementation And Evaluation Of Dietary Modification With Gestational Diabetes, Celia T. Ojeaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) negatively affects the health of both mothers and babies, and is the most common pregnancy complication in the United States. Many dietary modification programs for pregnant women diagnosed with GDM rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to menu planning. The purpose of this project was to develop a diet modification program for GDM management using a patient-centered approach. The project objective was to develop the policies, procedures, and supporting documents needed to implement a successful GDM management program for pregnant women receiving antenatal care at an obstetrical clinic. The developed program incorporated strategies for clinic nursing staff …

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Transforming Care Of The Behavioral Health Patient In An Emergency Department Setting, Theresa J. Kubiel Jan 2016

Transforming Care Of The Behavioral Health Patient In An Emergency Department Setting, Theresa J. Kubiel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral and mental health issues contribute to the needs of many patients presenting to emergency departments, and yet these needs often go unrecognized. Patient processing procedures in emergency departments may not include mechanisms to consistently identify and triage patients whose care is complicated by behavioral illness. The purpose of this project was to plan a program to improve early identification and management of behavioral health patients presenting to the emergency department. The objective of this project was to develop a rapid mental health screening tool and policies guiding use of the tool in the emergency department. A multi-disciplinary team of …

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African American Single Mothers' Perceptions Of Physical Activity, Sheryl Lynn Richard Jan 2016

African American Single Mothers' Perceptions Of Physical Activity, Sheryl Lynn Richard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Insufficient physical activity detracts from healthy living and has a disparate impact on African American women and their female children. The extensive body of prior research addressing preventable chronic disease and other consequences of insufficient physical activity includes limited information specific to African American single mothers. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of African American single mothers' perceptions of physical activity. Specifically investigated were African American women's familial influences and potential effects of these influences on their children's health behaviors. The health belief model served as the theoretical framework for this study and provided …

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Differences In Preferences For Using Microbicides Among Gay Men Seeking Internet, Nnenna Jean Wilson Jan 2016

Differences In Preferences For Using Microbicides Among Gay Men Seeking Internet, Nnenna Jean Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts to reduce the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and find innovative alternatives to condom use are important public health challenges. While the incidence of HIV is leveling off among some populations, it is escalating in other populations such as young African American men who have sex with men (MSM). Guided by the health belief model (HBM) and the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM), this quantitative, cross-sectional study sought to use multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, and Fisher's exact test to determine how perceived susceptibility, as measured by the AIDS Health Belief Scale (AHBS), and labeling of unprotected …

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Health Care Provider Perceptions Of High Blood Pressure Screening For Asymptomatic African American Teens, Juanita Braxton Jan 2016

Health Care Provider Perceptions Of High Blood Pressure Screening For Asymptomatic African American Teens, Juanita Braxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care provider perceptions of typical practices play a significant role in evaluating the efficacy of screening and diagnosis of teen high blood pressure in African Americans. African American adults are more likely to develop high blood pressure than are any other ethnic group; however, there is a gap in the literature concerning high blood pressure in teens. Approximately 1 to 5 of every 100 children has high blood pressure. This purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives of health care providers on high blood pressure screening and diagnosis of African American asymptomatic teens. The health belief …

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Cultural Influences On The Weight, Diet, And Physical Activity Of Pregnant Immigrant Latinas, Martha Eugenia Dominguez Jan 2016

Cultural Influences On The Weight, Diet, And Physical Activity Of Pregnant Immigrant Latinas, Martha Eugenia Dominguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this phenomenological study is how culture and acculturation can potentially influence gestational weight during pregnancy, leading to overweight and obesity among immigrant Latinas. To understand the possible influence of culture and acculturation on the diet, exercise, and weight of pregnant immigrant Latinas, the experiences of immigrant Latinas who had undergone a pregnancy in Mexico and were pregnant in California were examined. The ecological model theory was applied as a framework for exploring the participants' experiences regarding nutrition, physical activity, and weight gain. Semistructured interviews with 10 qualified participants were conducted. Data analysis entailed an inductive approach …

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Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Among Older Hispanic/Latinos With Diabetes, Kathy Bianco Jan 2016

Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Among Older Hispanic/Latinos With Diabetes, Kathy Bianco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the 6th leading cause of death in older Americans. Currently there is no cure for AD, and even though the specific cause is unknown, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is regarded as a risk factor. Hispanics have a higher incidence of DM2 and possibly AD. I chose a life course theoretical model for this quantitative cross-sectional study to illuminate the variables most pertinent to a pathway from good health to poor health. The variables chosen were hypertension (HTN), obesity, smoking, stroke, dyslipidemia, and lower educational attainment. The research questions were used to examine biologic, metabolic, sociologic, …

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Experiences Of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Leaders, Laketa Monique Hillman Jan 2016

Experiences Of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Leaders, Laketa Monique Hillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic conditions are public health threats. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is an evidence-based disease management program that addresses personal self-management of chronic conditions. The CDSMP involves peer trainers who instruct and assist with chronic disease preventive measures. Although disease management demonstrates promise to improving patient self-maintenance, previous researchers have not evaluated how the program affects program leaders. The purpose of this study was to discover how self-help leaders feel about the CDSM program. The overarching research question asked about perspectives that self-help leaders had toward the program. Through a narrative qualitative approach, the perceptions of peer leaders were …

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Health Care Leaders' Experiences Of Electronic Medical Record Adoption And Use, Joseph B. Weagraff Jan 2016

Health Care Leaders' Experiences Of Electronic Medical Record Adoption And Use, Joseph B. Weagraff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technology systems of meaningful use has been slow despite the mandate by the U.S. government. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by health care leaders to implement EMR technology systems of meaningful use to take advantage of federal incentive payments. Diffusion of innovation theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 health care leaders from a military installation in the Southeast United States. Data were analyzed using software, coding, and inductive analyses. The 3 prominent themes were patient, provider, and champion. Alerts …

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Insecticide Treated Nets As An Effective Malaria Control Strategy In Liberia, Taiyee Nelson Quenneh Jan 2016

Insecticide Treated Nets As An Effective Malaria Control Strategy In Liberia, Taiyee Nelson Quenneh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a vector-borne disease that presents the most persistent and serious public health burden in Liberia. Numerous studies have examined the relationship between ITN use and malaria prevalence. However, little research has explored the effectiveness of ITNs in controlling malaria among children in postwar Liberia. The aim of this study was to examine the association between ITN ownership, parental economic status, ITN installation support, and malaria prevalence among children. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study guided by the health belief model. The study used secondary data from the 2011 Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey. Chi-square for association and Logistic regression …

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Culturally-Based Diabetes Self-Management Education And Diabetes Knowledge In The Hispanic Population, Leslie Weldon Grunden Jan 2016

Culturally-Based Diabetes Self-Management Education And Diabetes Knowledge In The Hispanic Population, Leslie Weldon Grunden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Hispanic population has an elevated prevalence of diabetes, resulting in large part from a lack of self-management skills required to obtain glycemic control. The purpose of this project was to determine whether diabetes self-management knowledge was improved through the use of a culturally-based diabetes self-management program for Hispanic adults with diabetes using elements of the Hispanic culture. The research question asked whether a researcher-developed diabetes self-management education program that incorporated elements of the Hispanic culture improved diabetes knowledge in the Hispanic population when compared to a non-culturally based diabetes self-management program. The project was conducted using a quasi-experimental control …

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Lived Experiences Of Women From The Odi Community In Nigeria Of Female Genital Mutilation, Doris Atibinye Dotimi Jan 2016

Lived Experiences Of Women From The Odi Community In Nigeria Of Female Genital Mutilation, Doris Atibinye Dotimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a public health challenge because it jeopardizes the health of women and girls. FGM is condemned worldwide but, it is still practiced in the Odi community of Nigeria. The literature on women's lived experiences of FGM in other parts of the world was reviewed, but knowledge is lacking on the lived experiences of women from Odi community in Nigeria. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore their lived experiences, their perspectives on the current legislation for the prevention of FGM, and their perspectives on the cultural myths surrounding the practice. The phenomenological lens …

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