Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Tai Chi And Mindfulness Training To Improve Balance In People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Community-Based Intervention Study, Julianna Eve

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Tai Chi and meditation have led to improved quality of life, and reduced fatigue and depressive symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Tai Chi interventions have successfully improved balance, however the few studies evaluating meditation impact on motor skill improvement have reported conflicting results. Benefits of meditation on improving alertness and attention have been reported, but it is unknown whether these benefits might extend to physical balance. Objective: determine the impact of an 8-week Tai Chi or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on physical balance, psychosocial wellbeing, and sensorimotor function; and whether benefits are retained after …

A Co-Parent Intervention To Reduce Prenatal Depression In Low-Income Couples: A Pilot Study, Rachel J. Herman

Doctoral Dissertations

Significant health disparities in the U.S. place low-income and racial and ethnic minority families at greater risk for parental depression, stress and poorer outcomes for children. The goal of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to assess the initial feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an intervention aimed at reducing stress and depression in a sample of low-income expectant parents early in pregnancy. Twenty-four couples (48 participants) were assigned to the 6-week PREParing for Parenthood (PREP) intervention and 22 couples (46 participants) were assigned to a treatment-as-usual comparison group. The group intervention consisted of six sessions during pregnancy and was taught by …

A Cyberbullying Needs Assessment In A Middle School Population: Identifying A Direction For Nurses, Ashley M. Eggleston

Doctoral Dissertations

Cyberbullying is a fairly new phenomenon that most adolescents will experience or be exposed to during their lifetime. It produces devastating outcomes on those who are victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying. There is a limited amount of research regarding the prevention of cyberbullying. The evidence that is available is mostly exploratory in nature. Currently, the literature recommends conducting a needs assessment to validate the problem, raise awareness, and identify potential solutions that are specific to a population and/or setting. Therefore, the purpose of this scholarly project was to administer a cyberbullying needs assessment at a local west Michigan middle school. …

Primary Care Assessment And Interventions To Improve Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Adults Ages 18 Through 64 Years Old, Thomas A. Sanchez

Doctoral Dissertations

A number of chronic and debilitating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, anxiety, depression, pain, osteoporosis, and falls are known to be delayed, improved, or prevented by increasing physical activity (PA) levels. The numbers of those affected form a substantial portion of the US population. As of 2011, for example, 26 million adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) alone. Another 79 million people had elevated blood glucose measurements putting them at risk for DM. Despite knowledge of the connection with chronic disease, PA levels are not consistently and quantitatively assessed during primary care office visits. …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

The Effects Of A Brief Mindfulness Intervention On Lab-Based Aggression, Amanda Eliza Seavey

Doctoral Dissertations

Aggression and violence are severe and prevalent problems associated with numerous negative health consequences and increased health care costs. Prevalence rates vary with the highest rates being among young adult populations. Some research indicates that aggression perpetration is an attempt at controlling negative affect. Therefore, many have posited that emotion regulation may be an amenable risk factor for violence and aggression, and interventions such as mindfulness-based therapies designed to enhance emotion regulation and distress tolerance may be helpful. Previous research has found positive effects on psychological well-being using even brief mindfulness interventions. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate how …

An Evidence-Based Approach For The Implementation Of An Osteoporosis Educational And Exercise Intervention Among Perimenopausal Women, Joanne Maura Cecile Finazzi

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the osteoporosis criteria developed by the World Health Organization, 10 million individuals residing in the United States are estimated to have osteoporosis, and 8 million of these individuals are women (National Osteoporosis Foundation [NOF], 2009). Educational and exercise interventions (Bohaty, Rocole, Wehling, & Waltman, 2008) have been developed in an effort to prevent osteoporosis. However, medical record reviews reveal that only 18% of patients receive counseling regarding osteoporosis educational interventions and exercise preventive measures during health care visits (Lee, Zuckerman, & Weiss, 2002).

The purpose of the pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of a 4-week, 4- …

The Effect Of Reflective Writing Interventions On Critical Thinking Skills, Jessica L Naber

Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of critical thinking as an outcome for students graduating from undergraduate nursing programs is well-documented by both the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National League for Nursing (NLN). Graduating nurses are expected to apply critical thinking in all practice situations to improve patient health outcomes. Reflective writing is one strategy used to increase understanding and ability to reason and analyze. The lack of empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of reflective writing interventions on increasing critical thinking skills supports the need for examining reflective writing as a critical thinking strategy. The purpose of this study …