Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Living With Hypertension: Experiences Of Black Men Related To Their Perceptions Of The Clinical Encounter At Diagnosis, Glenda Mccartney Feild

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: In the U.S., hypertension (HTN) is the most common primary diagnosis and HTN related illnesses are the number one cause of death. Being a member of the Black population increases the risk for developing HTN. Black males are reported to develop HTN earlier in life and have a high incidence of undiagnosed, untreated, and uncontrolled HTN. Sociocultural and gender barriers influence this population’s perceptions of medical experiences, which affects their participation in health-promoting behaviors such as eating a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, and decreasing stress.

Purpose: The purpose of this study …

Stochastic Models For Capacity Planning In Healthcare Delivery: Case Studies In An Outpatient, Inpatient And Surgical Setting, Asli Ozen

Doctoral Dissertations

U.S. healthcare system has become far too complex and costly to sustain and operations research has much to contribute in improving health systems by addressing a large spectrum of problems. We study capacity planning in healthcare while considering the case-mix of patients, using stochastic modeling in different application areas: primary care, inpatient bed allocation and (spine) surgery scheduling. This body of work was developed over four years of collaborative research with hospitals and healthcare providers. The main objective of our research in primary care is to optimize the patient mix of primary care physicians in a group practice to maximize …

Understanding Health Issues Among Adolescent Females In A Northeast Province Of Afghanistan, Amina Davlatshoeva

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the health issues facing adolescent females (ages 18-21) in rural, northeastern Afghanistan. Incorporating participant observations, in-depth interviews, and narrative inquiries, this study seeks to illustrate adolescent females’ perspectives on health issues. To achieve this goal, ten adolescent females were interviewed in rural, northeastern Afghanistan during 2010. The participants were between 18- and 21-years old. The one-on-one interviews were conducted in a multiple-response format and were structured around three research questions:

• How does a young female’s understanding of health issues shape her identity in northeastern Afghanistan?
• In what ways …