Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sexual Behavior And Substance Use Among Women Across The Spectrum Of Sexual Orientation, Margaret M. Wolff

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Compared to non-sexual minority women, sexual minority women are at greater risk for substance use and abuse, sexual risk behaviors, and unplanned teen pregnancy; few studies measure differing associations by sexual orientation (e.g., identity, behavior, attraction) or discordance (e.g., heterosexually-identified women with female partners) components. Minority stress may explain sexual minority women’s health disparities; thus, as U.S. policies evolve to reflect growing acceptance of all sexual minorities, research should examine sexual minority women’s health risk behaviors using multidimensional constructs of sexual orientation.

Methods: Using the female sample of the 2002-2013 National Survey of Family Growth (Aims 1-2 n=25,523; …

Moving After Baby: Developing Informed Dance/Movement Therapy Interventions For Symptoms Of Postpartum Depression, Tonia Levison

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This thesis was a phenomenological study, which investigated the lived experience of four women who had changes in mood and behavior postpartum. The purpose of this study was to fully understand the actual experience of women going through the changes instead of basing interventions off of a list of symptoms in a book. The study culminated in the development of three client centered dance/movement therapy interventions to treat the changes in mood and behavior that the participants experienced in hopes of preventing a formal diagnosis of postpartum depression. This study expanded the literature related to the treatment of postpartum depression, …

Effect Of A Yogurt Intervention On Adiposity And Metabolic Outcomes In Women, Eryn N. Boyet

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Over 40% of women in the United States are obese. The Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research focuses on “ways to hasten the translation of research evidence from discovery to intervention.” The Strategic Plan also calls on investigators to look at influential points in the lifespan which may affect obesity. Few interventional studies on obesity in women during the perimenopausal time period have been completed. Research in broader populations suggests increased dairy, particularly full-fat products, may decrease central adiposity and improve metabolic indicators of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dairy …

Does Age Influence Dynamic Stability And Muscular Power Following Neuromuscular Fatigue In Women?, Ben J. Hoffmann

Masters Theses

Older adults, especially older women, produce less muscular power than young adults, due primarily to slower maximal contractile velocity. These decrements may lead to increased fall risk in older women and can be exacerbated by fatigue. Recently, a 32 min walking task (32MWT) was shown to elicit fatigue in older women. The purpose of this study was to determine whether knee extensor (KE) maximal velocity is related to dynamic stability (margin of stability, MoS) in young and older women pre- and post-32MWT. METHODS: Nine young (Y; 24.3+1.1years, mean±SE) and 17 older (O; 71.1±1.1years) healthy women completed 2 testing sessions on …

Baby Dust To All! Identity Construction In Two-Week Wait Online Discussion Forums, Danielle R. Derose

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Women with a self-identified infertility status sometimes choose to address this status by seeking medical intervention. There are a variety of methods available when attempting to conceive using medical treatments, with the choice heavily dependent on the health of each partner. A common first approach by reproductive endocrinologists is that of intrauterine insemination, or IUI. Women undergoing IUI invest significant time and money into the process and often must undergo procedures or take medication that can be enormously distressing. Once the IUI is complete, the woman must wait an emotional two weeks before she finds out if she is pregnant …

Myocardial Infarction In Women Versus Men, Anna Day

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

As a future advance practice nurse (APN), it is important to recognize the symptoms of myocardial infarction (MI) and provide prompt treatment to patients to reduce morbidity and mortality. The worldwide leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease (CVD). In 2008, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the cause of 7.3 million deaths, while cerebrovascular disease was responsible for 6.2 million deaths. Since cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, it is imperative for the medical community to identify risk factors and seek an increased awareness of gender differences (Worrall-Carter et al., 2011). After myocardial infarction, 23% of …

Influences On Self-Care In Women With Heart Failure: A Pilot Study, Joy Corcione

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background: Heart Failure self-care becomes exceedingly difficult to perform as the disease progresses; therefore social support becomes important in facilitating heart failure self-care. Woman with heart failure represent a significant and growing vulnerable population. Women tend to have lower self-confidence in providing self-care, experience greater negative emotions, decreased social support, experience more adverse psychosocial factors affecting self-care and experience greater psychosocial adversity than do men. Self-care is vital in managing heart failure and social support greatly facilitates self-care behaviors.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to gain a deeper understanding about the sources of perceived social support and …

Unaffected Women’S Decisions To Have Prophylactic Risk-Reducing Mastectomies, Stephanie N. Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

When a woman is at an increased risk of developing breast cancer due to a pathogenic mutation or a significant family history of the disease, she will be faced with choosing from among multiple management options, including risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM). The relative rate of RRM for both diagnosed and unaffected high-risk women has increased in recent years. Previous research has investigated the factors that influence women diagnosed with the disease to undergo RRM, but has not fully addressed how unaffected women make their decisions to choose RRM as an option when they are still healthy. This study was designed to …

Understanding Conceptualizations And Structural Environment For Improving Pre-Pregnancy Planning For Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Chiwoneso Beverley Tinago

Theses and Dissertations

Zimbabwe has a high maternal mortality with adolescent girls and young women facing disproportionately high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Current approaches to reducing maternal mortality in Zimbabwe focus on the pregnancy period with antenatal care, obstetric care, and micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy. Although important, these approaches are not reaching a large number of women and may benefit from integration with pre-pregnancy approaches. The importance of pre-pregnancy interventions to promote young women’s health has been emphasized, yet many young women in developing countries like Zimbabwe do not have access to pre-pregnancy care because little is understood about the concept …

The Medicalization Of Childbirth Within The United States, Alexandria Gesing

Honors Theses

The World Bank rates the United States last amongst developed countries for maternal mortality, with 14 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to Canada and the Netherlands with 7 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the UK with 9 per 100,000 live births. This paper argues that these deaths are strongly linked to excessive use of Cesarean sections, resulting from increased access to technology, and explores the attendant medicalization of childbirth in the United States. Drawing on interviews with patients, midwives, and physicians, in addition to participant observation of hospitals and private practices within the Tristate area; I compare the …

Effect Of An Educational Intervention For Prevention Of Std In Minority Women, Umparrys L. Witherspoon

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Historically, African Americans and Hispanics in the United States have been disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as compared with non-Hispanic whites. Females continue to outnumber males with these diagnoses. Women are generally at greater risk of acquiring HIV and other STDs than men because the female genital tract is more prone to injury and infection resulting from high-risk heterosexual contact (Crepaz et al., 2009). The purpose of the evidence based project was to implement and evaluate an educational intervention for the prevention of HIV and STDs. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was …

Predictors Of Quality Of Life For African American Women Who Assist Persons Who Receive Dialysis, Shaquita A. Starks

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to describe predictors of quality of life (QoL) for African American women who were caregivers of persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Five purposes, derived from a review of literature and conceptual model, guided this study. First, the study described the association between demographic factors (i.e., education, employment, age, marital status), and QoL. Second, the study explored the relationship between stress and QoL. Third, the study described the association between depressive symptoms and QoL. Fourth, the study described the association between family health/happiness and QoL. Fifth, the study described the extent …

Bringing The Pieces Back Together: An Organic Inquiry Into Women’S Spiritual Transformation Through Depression, Jami A. Collins Lillquist, Ann L. Machmeier, Elizabeth A. Mulvihill

Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies Research Papers

Women experience depression at twice the rate of men. Researchers have focused on biomedical and psychosocial factors in their extensive exploration into the causes and treatments of women’s depression. When viewed from a holistic lens of mind, body, and spirit, the spiritual experience of depression is missing in the literature. The purpose of this research study is to describe how a woman's spiritual self transforms through depression. Organic Inquiry incorporates transpersonal psychology and feminist spirituality and was used in this study to collect and analyze the stories of 12 women through unstructured interviews. Results suggest the women's spiritual transformation involved …

Uprootedness And Health Of Women Temporary Agricultural Workers: A Critical Ethnography, Kathryn Ann Edmunds

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years, increased global mobility for work, gendered approaches to migration, and the vulnerabilities of women in temporary and precarious work have received increased attention. However, there is limited evidence regarding the health of women temporary foreign workers in Canadian agriculture. The purposes of this critical ethnography using feminist and intersectional perspectives were to: 1) explore and describe women temporary agricultural workers’ experiences and meanings of health in the context of prolonged and repeated uprootedness from their homes and families, 2) to critically examine how the intersections of current gendered, global, political and economic conditions shaped their everyday lives …

An Analysis Of Women’S Access To Acute Opioid Detoxification Services In Maine: Identifying The Barriers To Treatment, Karen E. Conley

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The lack of treatment facilities and services for opioid use disorder in Maine, combined with an increased prevalence of addiction, creates a potential for health inequity between men and women that may be intensified by barriers in access to care. This capstone study utilized detoxification screening inquiry forms and data obtained from the Milestone Foundation’s acute opioid detoxification program to assess and categorize barriers to access by gender. A barriers model was developed based on existing literature and was to identify potential associations among and between the known barriers to accessing treatment. Barriers were described as internally or externally based, …

Concerns Of Water Scarcity And Water Quality Among Two Andean Communities In Peru, Kelsey Anne Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to explore the perceptions and experiences of Andean women regarding water quality, water scarcity, and health among two communities in Carhuaz province of Ancash, Peru. Household surveys (n=25), semi-structured interviews (n=10), unstructured interviews (n=2), and participant observation were conducted with local women to investigate their concerns and perceptions of water and health. An additional two unstructured interviews were conducted with a local water authority and doctor in order gain another perspective on the issues of water security and health.

The pressure of a changing climate and of a problematic water governance system in Andean Peru create an …

Health Maintenance And Goal Setting For Women Joining And Re-Joining The Workforce, Tess Barbach

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Abstract

Poverty is a major health barrier in the United States which disproportionately affects women, who earn lower wages than men and are often single mothers responsible for the care and wellbeing of their families. Chronic socioeconomic depression is a cyclic, multigenerational problem that can make it difficult for women to adequately engage in healthy behaviors such as eating well and exercising. Poor self-care practices can in turn lead to cycle of poor health outcomes across the board, including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more. Poor health may subsequently pose a challenge for women trying to find the energy to …

Preventing Reincarceration Of Women With Mental Illness, Anne M. Dolmovich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Since deinstitutionalization of state hospitals began almost 50 years ago, there has been an increase in the population with mental illness seen in the prison system. A combination of factors were looked at when studying causes behind incarceration, including active symptoms of mental illness, socioeconomic status, social support systems, history of trauma, history of drug abuse, police education on mental illness, and public perspective on mental illness. This study is a literature review focusing on people with mental illness in the prison system, with particular attention to women.

It is costly to house inmates for any extended period of time. …

Factors Affecting Body Mass Index Levels In African American Women Living In North Carolina, Padmini Shanti Kirpalani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of obesity has doubled over the past 25 years in the United States, particularly in North Carolina. Obesity is influenced by biological, social, and environmental factors; its prevalence has been found to be higher among African American women and other racial ethnic minorities. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine the relationship of the psycho-social, psycho-behavioral factors, and body mass index levels (BMI) in African American women living in North Carolina versus their Hispanic American and European American counterparts. A logistic regression model using secondary data from the Behavioral …

The Use Of The Illness Perception Questionnaire: Enhancing Clinical Staff Understanding, Typhanie Beasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women with Type II diabetes face unique challenges coping with the physiologic complications of the disease, which can be enhanced or hindered by their perception of their ability to effectively manage their diabetes. The Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) is a tool that evaluates factors influencing patient-provider communication and assesses patient's perception of their health. Guided by the common sense model of self-regulation, this quality improvement project focused on familiarizing health care providers with the IPQ-R and evaluating their receptiveness to implement it with women with Type II diabetes. Seven Primary Care providers participated in an educational in-service that included information …

Bone Health Education For Osteoporosis Risk Reduction In Premenopausal Women: A Quality Improvement Project, Gloria Nichols Nichols

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, about 8.5 million women live with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a debilitating systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and reduced bone mineral density that occurs with the loss of estrogen. The mortality rate for this group is about 3 to 4 times higher than other women and as many as 1 in 3 experience a fracture. Guided by the Health Belief Model, this project evaluated how a bone health fact sheet impacts knowledge about osteoporosis and self-efficacy for preventative behavioral change in premenopausal women (age 40-58 years). The project also evaluated if an electronic medical …

Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women is a significant public health issue. The purpose of this study was to assess drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women and the setting in which they sought service or treatment to determine whether U.S. census regions and race data could predict the type of addiction service or treatment that pregnant addicts chose. The theories of self-efficacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were used to examine whether there was a relationship between the source of addiction treatment referral …

Assessment Of Depression Screening In Women’S Primary Care Clinic, Susanna Gorton

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this practice inquiry project was to evaluate provider adherence to depression screening documentation in the ambulatory electronic health record (AEHR) before and after changing locations of the depression screening questions within the AEHR. Provider knowledge about depression screening and barriers related to depression screening were also examined.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed for patients seen for an annual exam by a physician provider in a women’s primary care clinic. Data collected included demographic data, co-morbid conditions, depression screen documentation (PHQ-2 & PHQ-9), and interventions documented. A questionnaire was sent to providers in the primary …

Focas Appalachia: A Cervical Cancer Prevention Program For The Women Of The Kentucky River Area Development District, Chrisanthi M. Masero

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In response to the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) funding announcement, the Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD) proposes to implement an evidence-based cervical cancer prevention program in the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) in southeastern Appalachian Kentucky. The proposed evidence-based program was part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) “Public Health Approaches to Breast and Cervical Cancer” research initiative and is one of nine cervical cancer Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) on the NCI’s RTIP database. The Forsyth County Cancer Screening Project (FoCaS) was designed to improve the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding breast and cervical cancer screening …

Measuring Self-Reported Exercise, Motivation To Exercise, And Sexism In Women, Sydney C. Jensen

All Master's Theses

The harmfulness and pervasiveness of benevolent sexism is not a well disseminated issue, despite the belief that women are treated with equality in today’s society. The current study was designed to investigate whether exercise type and motivation to exercise would predict participants’ self-reported benevolent and hostile sexism, particularly in light of gender-related stereotypes about physical activity. A sample of 79 females completed an online survey that included questions about demographic characteristics, primary exercise type (i.e., cardiovascular exercise, weight-lifting, or hobbies), average number hours spent engaging in their primary exercise weekly, exercise motivations, and finally the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory which served …

Delaying First Pregnancies: Canadian Women's Knowledge And Perception Of The Consequences, Deborah Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many women aged 20-30 are postponing their first pregnancies until their mid 30s and beyond, which has resulted in compressed childbearing years and/or infertility. Little is known about the knowledge and understanding that Canadian women of advanced age (age 35-45) possess of their reproductive capacity. This phenomenological study sought to explore these women's knowledge and perception of their reproductive capacity in relation to the timing of first pregnancy. Research questions using the constructs of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior were developed to explore how the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs of women's childbearing behaviors were based on their perceptions of …

What Are The Perspectives Of Osteoporosis Screening Among Black Women?, Angela Alsberry Wilkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Osteoporosis is a serious disease which often brings pain, disability, hospitalization, and even death. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in White women, yet a paucity of research exists to explain disparities in screening and treatment of osteoporosis in Black women. This narrative study describes the perspectives of Black women regarding individual barriers to osteoporosis screening. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perspectives of Black women regarding prevention of and screening for osteoporosis. Selections included purposive, criterion sampling of 10 Black women who were 50 years and …

Asthma Determinants, Health Care Utilization, And Control Among Women In Puerto Rico, Maria Calixta Ortiz-Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active asthma and asthma-related health care utilization are higher among adult females than they are among adult males in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of the risk of active asthma and associated health care utilization and asthma control among women in Puerto Rico. Guided by the Andersen behavioral model, the study included data from the Asthma Call-Back Survey (ACBS) during 2011 and 2012 in Puerto Rico. The associations between active asthma and behavioral, demographic, and environmental factors were assessed using logistic regression. The relationship between asthma-related health care utilization and predisposing, enabling, and …

Use Of Social Networking Websites And Receipt Of Cervical Cancer Screening, Patricia Drayton Drayton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pap smear screening detects cervical cancer in its earliest stages, yet thousands of women in the United States die annually from this disease. Social networking websites commonly provide information about recommended health screenings. In this quantitative study, the Health Belief Model provided the theoretical framework to determine if the use of social networking websites affected nurses' decisions to receive Pap smear screening. A convenience sample of nurses was used, with the rationale that they were knowledgeable of and receptive to participating in a relevant health study. A total of 2,336 registered nurses practicing in Durham, North Carolina were invited to …

Experiences Of Non-Traditional Female College Students With Bipolar Disorder, Taylor Lynn Massie

Online Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although research has been done on many aspects of bipolar disorder, research has not examined the individual living experiences of college students with bipolar disorder. Research looks at the

Methods: In-depth interviews were used to learn the details of the experience of attending college with bipolar disorder. Three volunteers came forward to be interviewed. They had a bipolar disorder diagnosis, and are current students at a southern university. Questions focused on the lived experience of being a student with bipolar disorder, and probing questions were used to learn more about each participant’s particular experience. The first two interviews had …