Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Process Of Maintaining Self In Individuals Living With Systemic Sclerosis: A Grounded Theory Study Of American Women, Donald D. Miller, Jennifer J. Doering

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: People with chronic illnesses may struggle to adapt psychologically to the illness experience and have feelings of identity loss, self-diminishment, and biographical disruption. This may limit people’s ability to engage in optimal selfmanagement. Systemic sclerosis is a debilitating, stigmatizing, and life-limiting progressive chronic illness with significant disfiguring effects. Little is known about the identity management process in people with disfiguring and debilitating conditions such as systemic sclerosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to generate a grounded theory explicating the process of maintaining a sense of self in people living with systemic sclerosis.

Methods: Fifteen women with systemic …

‘If The Partner Finds Out, Then There’S Trouble’: Provider Perspectives On Safety Planning And Partner Interference When Offering Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) To Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Noelene K. Jeffers, Jessica L. Zemlak, Lourdes Celius, Tiara C. Willie, Trace Kershaw, Kamila A. Alexander

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is an effective women-controlled HIV prevention strategy but women experiencing intimate partner violence fear partners’ interference and subsequent violence could limit its utility. This study explores provider perceptions of safety planning strategies to prevent escalating violence, mitigate partner interference, and promote daily oral PrEP adherence. We conducted interviews (N = 36) with healthcare providers (n = 18) and IPV service providers (n = 18) in Baltimore and New Haven. Using the Contextualized Assessment for Strategic Safety Planning model we organized data into two categories: the appraisal process and strategic safety planning. Themes revealed during …

The Relevance Of Sex Differences In Performance Fatigability, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Performance fatigability differs between men and women for a range of fatiguing tasks. Women are usually less fatigable than men, and this is most widely described for isometric fatiguing contractions and some dynamic tasks. The sex difference in fatigability is specific to the task demands so that one mechanism is not universal, including any sex differences in skeletal muscle physiology, muscle perfusion, and voluntary activation. However, there are substantial knowledge gaps about the task dependency of the sex differences in fatigability, the involved mechanisms, and the relevance to clinical populations and with advanced age. The knowledge gaps are in part …

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 …

Only Women Report Increase In Pain Threshold Following Fatiguing Contractions Of The Upper Extremity, Kathy J. Lemley, Jonathon Senefeld, Sandra K. Hunter, Marie K. Hoeger Bement

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The perception of pain in response to a noxious stimulus can be markedly reduced following an acute bout of exercise [exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH)]. Sex differences in EIH frequently occur after exercise but may be confounded by the sex differences in muscle fatigue. The purpose was to determine if sex differences in pain relief occur after an exercise protocol when muscle fatigue is similar for both young and older men and women.

Methods

Pain perception of 33 men (15 young) and 31 women (19 young) was measured using a pressure pain stimulus on the left index finger before and after …

Conducting Research With Community Groups, Mary Molewyk Doornbos, Adejoke Ayoola, Gail Landheer Zandee, Robert V. Topp

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nurse scientists are increasingly recognizing the necessity of conducting research with community groups to effectively address complex health problems and successfully translate scientific advancements into the community. While several barriers to conducting research with community groups exist, community based participatory research (CBPR) has the potential to mitigate these barriers. CBPR has been employed in programs of research that respond in culturally sensitive ways to identify community needs and thereby address current health disparities. This manuscript presents case studies that demonstrate how CBPR principles guided the development of: (a) a healthy body weight program for urban, underserved African-American women, (b) a …

Weight Loss Intervention Efficacy Among Black Women, Callie Chiroff, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Obesity is a complex disease state that has challenged the health of Americans and has become a main concentration in health care. The highest rates of obesity are observed among black women. The purpose of this evidence-based review was to find evidence that specifically examined black women to determine if participation in weight loss interventions led to successful weight loss compared with usual care and control groups. Twelve experimental studies and 4 systematic reviews revealed that interventions contributed to successful weight loss among black women with obesity. However, maintenance of weight loss is an ongoing challenge.

Antecedents Of Regular Exercise Among Women Who Do And Do Not Achieve Weight Loss Over Six Months, Heather Vartanian

Dissertations (1934 -)

In the United States, 35.5% of adult women are classified as obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of > 30 kg/m2. The health risks associated with obesity can be mitigated through losing even 5-10% of initial body weight. Evidence shows that reductions in caloric intake alone without increases in caloric expenditure leads to a decline in resting metabolic rate, thereby impeding attainment or maintenance of weight loss. The purpose of this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was to explore the antecedents of regular exercise among women with obesity who did and did not achieve weight loss over six months. The antecedents …

Sex Differences In Human Fatigability: Mechanisms And Insight To Physiological Responses, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Sex-related differences in physiology and anatomy are responsible for profound differences in neuromuscular performance and fatigability between men and women. Women are usually less fatigable than men for similar intensity isometric fatiguing contractions. This sex difference in fatigability, however, is task specific because different neuromuscular sites will be stressed when the requirements of the task are altered, and the stress on these sites can differ for men and women. Task variables that can alter the sex difference in fatigability include the type, intensity and speed of contraction, the muscle group assessed and the environmental conditions. Physiological mechanisms that are responsible …

Electromyographical Analysis Of Lower Extremity Muscle Activation During Variations Of The Loaded Step-Up Exercise, Christopher J. Simenz, Luke Garceau, Brittney Lutsch, Timothy J. Suchomel, William P. Ebben

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

The loaded step-up exercise allows strength and conditioning practitioners to incorporate a unilateral resistance for athletes while performing extension at the hip, knee, and plantar flexion at the ankle. This study evaluated the activation of the biceps femoris (BF), gluteus maximus (GMx), gluteus medius (GMe), rectus femoris, semitendinosus (ST), vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis during 4 variations of the step-up exercise to assess the specific muscle training stimulus of each exercise variation. The exercises included the step-up, crossover step-up, diagonal step-up, and lateral step-up. Fifteen women who regularly engaged in lower body resistance training performed the 4 exercises with 6 …

Is There A Sex Difference In The Age Of Elite Marathon Runners?, Sandra K. Hunter, Alyssa A. Stevens, Kelly Magennis, Katalin W. Skelton, Mckenzie Fauth

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine i) if there is a sex difference in the age of the elite marathon runners and ii) if the sex difference in performance altered across the years that women have participated in the marathon.

Methods: Age at time of competition and running times of the first five placed male and female runners who competed in the seven marathons of the World Marathon Majors Series were analyzed. Data from as many years as was available online were retrieved so that 410 men and 410 women were included in the analysis. …