Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Associations Of Chronic Stress, Social Support, Health Behaviors And Metabolic Syndrome Among Hispanic Women, Edna Esquer

Dissertations

The Associations of Chronic Stress, Social Support, Health Behaviors and Metabolic Syndrome Among Hispanic Women

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence is 25% among Mexican American women 30 – 49 years of age, compared to 22% among non-Hispanic Whites in the United States. Little is known about the additional contributions of chronic stress, social support and health behaviors to the development of MetS among this population.

Purpose: Describe the associations between chronic stress, social support, and health behaviors and the presence of MetS in Hispanic women living in an underserved community.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study design. The Adult Treatment Panel …

Life Satisfaction: Aging Female Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Deborah Ann Monson

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between aging female informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and care recipients’ PWD demographic factors, aging female informal caregivers of PWD social support factors, positive and negative feelings, a sense of flourishing, stress, and life satisfaction.

Background/Rationale

Older adults with dementia are living longer and the majority are receiving care by aging female informal caregivers. Dementia incrementally worsens over time impacting informal caregiver life satisfaction. Most studies have focused on negative aspects of informal caregiving. Therefore, this study investigated both positive and negative aspects of caregiving.

Conceptual Basis …

La Maestra’S Circle Of Care: Studying The Impact Of An Integrated Service Model On The Health And Well-Being Of Vulnerable Populations, Zara Marselian

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need to reform the health care delivery system in the United States, as recognized through current bipartisan efforts. Society’s vulnerable populations especially need health care reform as health care outcomes are the poorest among disadvantaged populations. Moreover, vulnerable populations are twice as likely to develop chronic diseases than the general population and they remain ill due to other contextual, societal factors affecting their ability to achieve health and well-being. This population is subjected to adverse life events that suggest a more comprehensive approach to health and well-being is called for.

The Circle of Care is …

Health Care Access And Utilization By U.S. Farmworkers, Genesis Bojorquez

Dissertations

Background: Agriculture industry has the highest fatality rate among all United States industries. Farmworkers experience high rates of occupational injury, illness, and mortality, yet have limited access to health care. Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 increased health care accessibility and broadened farmworker eligibility for health insurance, yet no study has measured the impact of the ACA upon U.S. farmworkers.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine health care access and health care services utilization among U.S. farmworkers following the implementation of the ACA in 2010.

Specific Aims:

1. Apply the …

The Lived Experience Of Discharged And Readmitted African Americans With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease To A Safety-Net Hospital, Kiiyonna Jones

Dissertations

Background:Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a debilitating respiratory disease that negatively affects the quality of life of those affected and has been a major contributor to the continuous rise in healthcare cost in the Unites States (Guarascio, Ray, Finch, & Self, 2013; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2009; Shavelle, Paculdo, Kush, Mannino, & Straus, 2009; Scott, Smith, Sullivan, & Mahajan, 2001). In 2014, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identified COPD as an applicable condition to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which penalizes healthcare organizations having readmissions higher than the national average. COPD is the second …

Exploring Factors Impacting Veterans' Hypertension Control, Jian Hua Liu

Dissertations

Exploring factors impacting veterans’ hypertension (HTN) control is essential in reducing the common cardiovascular disease event of stroke, heart attack, chronic kidney disease and mortality. The purpose of this study was to describe multidimensional factors impacting veterans’ HTN control. Utilizing a descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional, retrospective, convenience sampling research design, 331 electronic medical records in a VA dashboard data set were reviewed for men and women veterans between the age 24 and 98 years (M=62, SD=13) in a Southern California Veterans Affair primary care clinic from October 17, 2014 through October 17, 2016. Data were analyzed by univariate, bivariate and multivariate …

Exploring The Lived Experience Of Male-To-Female Transgender Youth Accessing Trans-Related Healthcare In Los Angeles, Marcel Fomotar

Dissertations

Background: According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (2015), LGBTI individuals delay healthcare treatment because they fear stigmatization or because they believe many healthcare professionals lack knowledge and experience working with LGBTI individuals. The phenomenon of living as a transgender person and accessing trans-related healthcare is understudied.

Aim: To explore the perceived meaning of accessing transgender-related healthcare among transgender youth.

Method: A phenomenological qualitative design grounded on Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology was used to explore the ascribed meaning associated to accessing trans-related healthcare services among transyouth as they experienced and perceived it. A purposive and thematic sample of Male-to-Female transyouth …

Factors Associated With High Risk Infant Follow-Up Attendance, Martha Grant Fuller

Dissertations

Prematurity is a significant public health problem and preterm infants face well described risks of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of development describes interactions between biological and environmental factors and explains how these interactions can impact development. Systematic follow-up of preterm, high-risk infants is recommended for early identification of problems and provision of interventions and support services. Most research on follow-up attendance has involved small, single sites. A retrospective analysis of population based data available in the California Children’s Services High Risk Infant Follow-up Quality of Care Initiative (HRIF-QCI) data system was performed to examine factors associated with attendance …