Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Evaluation Of A Health, Wellbeing And Lifestyle Promotion Intervention Among A Cohort Of Year 1 Male Gaelic Games Student Athletes In An Irish University Setting, Anthony Casey

Theses

Background: The current research investigated the health, wellbeing and lifestyle behaviours of a cohort of 1st year male Gaelic Games student athletes (Study 1), and subsequently evaluated the impact of a bespoke intervention on these health, wellbeing and lifestyle behaviours in the same cohort (Study 2).

Methods: Participants were 1st year male Gaelic Games student athletes (mean age 18.6 ± 0.6 years, n=166) in a university in southern Ireland. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach during the 2018/19 and the 2019/20 academic years. Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire (Bickerdike et al., 2018), which assessed health, wellbeing …

‘A Healthy Mtu’ A Mixed Methods Baseline Programme Of Research To Empirically Inform A Campus Health Promotion Initiative Within An Irish Higher Education Setting, Andrea Bickerdike

Theses

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been called to lead global health promotion actions, yet there remains a dearth of empirically informed ‘Healthy University’ (HU) initiatives. This thesis constituted a baseline mixed methods needs assessment to inform a settings-based health promotion (HP) initiative (‘A Healthy MTU’) within a multi-campus ‘case’ HEI in Ireland (Cork campuses of MTU, formerly CIT). Specific aims were to (i) investigate student and staff health metrics, and (ii) identify the cultural and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing within the case HEI setting. Using a phased, mixed methodology (QUAN-QUAL), five sequential empirical studies were undertaken. Quantitative data …

A Different Perspective: An Exploration Towards The Emancipation Of Practice Within Social Care, Jonathan Condon

Theses

In Ireland today, it is recognized that the Reflexive Practitioner is the dominant paradigm within the district of Social Care and the approach of professionals is obtained through the traditional ways; whilst Social Pedagogy is still a relatively new import with only a couple of organizations operating across the country. Both disciplines work with the same general clientele and have similar goals for the clients with whom they work (Lalor and Share, 2013). The professional approach of both disciplines was unfastened and discovered throughout this study. Social care professionals focus on the protection of those in their care. Along with …

The Impact Of Weighted Football Training On The Skill Acquisition Processes Of Place-Kicking In Sport, Sam Jermyn

Theses

Weighted implement training (WIT) involves performance of sport-specific motor skills with heavier-than-normal sporting implements. Typically, full range of motion (ROM) and similar kinematic characteristics of the respective motor skill are maintained concurrent to minimal changes in the force-velocity movement profile. While the majority of WIT research has been conducted in baseball, track and field, and cricket, there is a paucity of research conducted in the football codes, particularly Gaelic football. Existing observations of increased standard implement velocity and distance following the use of weighted implements infers potential benefits for Gaelic football performance, such as increasing kick-out ball velocity (BV) and …

An Evaluation Of The Psychosocial Benefits For Children Experiencing Homelessness Arising From The Introduction Of An Integrated Community Care Project Across The City Of Cork, Traolach O' Callaghan

Theses

The purpose of the research is to evaluate an intervention within a new model of family support being delivered in Cork City, on addressing child and family homelessness. This new model is being delivered for the first time in Ireland during ‘Youth Club’ and strives to act as an intervention to assist children experiencing homelessness. The model was first developed by Tusla Springboard Child and Family service and Good Shepherd Services Cork in 2016 in response to the alarming rise in child and family homelessness in Cork city, and the resulting impact of same. The research investigates the model and …

An Investigation Of ‘Restrictive Practices’ Within Services For Adults With An Intellectual Disability: Perspectives Of Professionals And Those Involved With Their Care., Rebecca Donovan

Theses

Restrictive practices “are an infringement of a person’s fundamental rights to personal liberty and bodily integrity” (Health Information and Quality Authority, 2019, p.1). The most recent study in Ireland, found 23% of the 627 inspection reports by HIQA, human-right were violated by the use of restrictive practices (Murphy and Bantry- White, 2021). It is recognised that the core function of restrictive practices is to stop, or prevent, an individual from doing something they wish to do, in such a way that manages challenging behaviour outbursts, and provides safety for both staff and service users (Nankervis and Chan, 2021). The uncertain …

Why Post- Leaving Certificate Students In Ireland From Disadvantaged Backgrounds Are Less Likely To Proceed To Third-Level Education, Edward Hayes

Theses

Educational disadvantage continues to be a cause for concern, and addressing it remains at the forefront of education policy in Ireland (Houses of Oireachtas, 2019; Weir et al., 2017). This research extended across the academic years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and during the period of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed public health measures, and enforced an emergency online digital learning environment. A socio-economic profile of Ireland’s student body registered an attainment gap between rich and poor, finding that young people from backgrounds of disadvantage continue to be underrepresented at third-level when compared to their middle-class counterparts (HEA, 2020). The primary …

A New Method For Cluster Life Cycle Stage Identification: Mapping The Evolution Of The Biomedical Competitiveness Cluster Of Wallonia., Conor Michael Harte

Theses

National governments and policy makers alike need data and expertise as they seek to develop accurate and relevant cluster policies and initiatives. It is argued that clusters also have life cycles similar to the way industries, products, and technologies have a life cycle, including a variety of stages (Ingstrup and Damgaard, 2013; Jia et al., 2015; Fornahl and Hassink, 2017; Ferrari et al., 2020). This research addresses three objectives: 1. Analyse the longitudinal development of a cluster to record, measure and analyse its evolution over a three-year period; 2. Create a new methodology to support cluster life cycle stage identification; …

Project Spraoi: The Implementation And Outcomes Of A Process Evaluation Of A School-Based Health Promotion Intervention, Yvonne Larrissa O’Byrne

Theses

Large multi-site school-based interventions are challenging to implement and difficult to evaluate due to the complex adaptive nature of schools as a research setting. This study focused on implementing a comprehensive process evaluation of a multicomponent primary school-based health promotion called Project Spraoi (PS), alongside intervention delivery, to aid the translation of outcomes and understand the moderating role of contextual factors on intervention delivery. PS is led by a physical activity (PA) specialist known as an Energizer and aims to improve children’s PA levels and reduce sedentary time by delivering 20 minutes extra daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during …

Lighting Up The Black Box –Digital Transformation In German Lobbying, Kathrin Barabara Stürmer

Theses

Digital transformation, alongside social media channels, influences policymaking. The aim of this research is to build knowledge of the consequences of digital transformation on lobbying at German federal level. This analysis uncovers how digital lobbying works in Germany and how it changes classic communication within the political sphere. Taking a grounded theory approach, the study addresses both communicating sides: lobbyists, on the one hand, and members of the German Bundestag and their employees, on the other. A profound understanding of, and differentiation between, lobbying and digital lobbying is gained through a first data-gathering step of 15 interviews with representatives of …

An Exploratory Study Of Change Management In The Irish Defence Forces For Implementing New Technologies., Paul Dermot Hegarty

Theses

The aim of this research is to determine if the Irish Defence Forces would benefit from the introduction of change management processes when implementing new technological systems. The extant theory has neglected to examine the application of change management processes in military organisations, a shortcoming this thesis addresses. The research draws on semistructured interviews undertaken with military and civil servant professionals from the Irish Defence Forces and the Department of Defence. Analysis of the interviews resulted in a number of new findings. The research highlighted the current deficiency in long-term funding and long-term strategic planning at the political level, and …

Public Perceptions Of Hydrogen As An Energy Vector And Aid To Decarbonisation In The Republic Of Ireland, Colm Delaney

Masters

In the face of global commitments to decarbonise society by 2050, there is growing excitement surrounding the potential of hydrogen to emerge as a solution to many decarbonisation challenges. A transition to hydrogen as an energy vector in place of fossil fuels such as natural gas will require a significant transformation of existing energy policy, infrastructure, and regulations. While the technical aspects of a potential transition to hydrogen as an energy vector are undergoing large scale research, much of which is moving into the trial phase, it is widely presumed that a transition would be met with the widespread acceptance …

Is The Irish Immigration Policy Delivering The Best For Its Economy Through Its Non-Eu Dependent Immigrants. An Empirical Study, Pai M.J Arjun

Masters

The Emerald Isle is fast becoming the next big hotspot for highly skilled migrants aspiring to relocate to the last English-speaking nation within the European Union [EU]. The transition from the state of being an emigrant country to an immigrant nation poses complex opportunities for the country, its people, and the immigrants who relocate in making Ireland their home. Despite a consistent inflow of skilled immigrants migrating into the country since the last few decades, policy reforms adopted in Ireland towards dependent immigrants remain reactive, lacks the backing of studies in evaluating the utilization of available skilled dependent immigrants in …

The Positive Effects Of Exercise On Active Transplant Recipients And Its Impact On Medication Adherence, Travane Morrison

Theses

Organ failure is a life-threatening condition (Daugirdas et al, 2014). Non-adherence to medication is one of the main causes of the failure of a transplanted organ (Oberlin et al, 2016). In an effort to combat non-adherence to medication, research had employed intervention studies to tackle the main cause of non-adherence (Chisholm-Burns, 2013). The aims of this project are three fold. Firstly it aims to find if complications associated with organ transplant affect the individual’s medication adherence. Secondly, it explores the connections between exercise and medication adherence. Thirdly the research explores if exercise assists with possible complications associated with an organ …

Don’T Mention Dark Tourism: An Irish Perspective, Emilie-Kate O'Mahony

Theses

This study investigates dark tourism in the Irish context with international supporting research. Dark tourism is connected to sites of death, the macabre and suffering and there are many sites in Ireland that fit this description. Examples include prisons, famine sites, graveyards, sites of terrorist attacks and many more. In this document the term dark tourism is thoroughly researched via secondary sources to provide a foundation of understanding. By including this academic research from journals and books, the researcher is provided with the background information necessary to understand the importance of dark tourism and to identify gaps in knowledge suitable …

A Town Centre Management Framework For Rural Ireland: Fit For Purpose, David Jordan

Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify a Town Centre Management Framework [TCMF] for future-proofing towns in rural Ireland. Town centre management has been widely credited as a mechanism for town rejuvenation to combat high vacancy rates, online retail sales, changing demographics, out of town shopping centres, changing consumer behaviours. Despite the popularity of this public-private partnership model growing internationally in the last decade (Currently over 600 schemes currently operating in the UK), Ireland remains steadfastly dependent on volunteers anchoring up retail-focused strategies. Initiatives, through Business Improvement Districts [BID] somewhat redress this imbalance in some larger towns. The model, …

Identification And Characterisation Of Novel Phages Of Pectobacterium And Erwinia, Colin Buttimer

PhDs

Losses in crop yields due to disease need to be reduced to meet increasing global food demands associated with growth in the human population. There is a well-recognised need to develop new environmentally-friendly control strategies to combat bacterial crop diseases. There are several crop diseases for which no effective bactericidal agents are currently available, such as potato blackleg and soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium atrosepticum and other members of soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (Czajkowski et al., 2011). Furthermore, current control measures involving the use of traditional chemicals or antibiotics are losing their efficacy due to the natural development of bacterial …

Exploring The Role Of Irish Local Authorities In Tourism Development: A Senior Management Perspective On Tourism Development In Cork County Council, Monica Moisuc

Masters

In an Irish context, the government's engagement in tourism and its role in developing the sector is acknowledged across most Irish government publications. However, despite efforts made to highlight the major role of the government in tourism, the number of studies that seek to understand how Irish local governments are engaging in tourism is limited. In an attempt to fill this knowledge gap, this study brings a new contribution to the current relevant literature by exploring the role of the government in developing tourism within a local Irish context.

Using a qualitative case-study approach, the particular entity under investigation is …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Public Policy On Spatial Concentration And Company Linkages In The Martitime Sector, Eoin G. Moynihan

PhDs

Industry clusters (Porter, 1990, 1998b) have been the focus of numerous studies, and public policy programmes in recent decades (Ketels, 2013b). The maritime sector in particular has seen a number of maritime cluster organisations established in recent years as policy tools for regional development. Cluster analysis has focused on identifying and mapping clusters, yet comparatively little research has been undertaken on the optimal structure for cluster organisations (or initiatives) as additionality policy tools, to achieve the aim of strengthening cluster linkages and boosting the innovation capacity of cluster firms.

Therefore this research addresses the following questions:

1. To what extent …

An Analysis Of Strategic Planning In Delivering Infrastructure In Ireland, Noel Murtagh

Theses

The 2009 recession was the most severe recession in the history of the state and led to bankruptcy and subsequent bailout of the Irish state by the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank (collectively known as the 'Troika'}. In this context, this research looked at the role of strategic planning and investigated did Ireland lack a strategic planning perspective in economic development, with a particular focus on the delivery of critical national infrastructure. This research also looked at the impediments to the delivery of infrastructure in Ireland, the benefits to national growth with investment in infrastructure …

A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Study Of Male Farmers' Health Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices In Rural Kerry, Chrystal O'Brien

Theses

Aim/Background: Beliefs and attitudes about health directly and indirectly influence concomitant behaviours, practices and health outcomes. In Ireland, male farmers are experiencing a disproportionate burden of ill health in preventable lifestyle diseases, yet there is a lack of behavioural research in relation to male farmers and their health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the health beliefs, attitudes and practices of male farmers in rural Kerry, and to explore healthcare professionals' insights of male farmers' health beliefs, attitudes and practices.

Methodology: The study adopted a mixed methods design. Phase one of the study involved structured interviews with …

Readiness For Assisted Decision-Making: An Exploratory Qualitative Study, Kay Cronin

Theses

Background: Ireland has recently enacted the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The enactment of the legislation has allowed Ireland to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (2008). The convention obliges all member states to assist people with disabilities to make their own decisions, with their will and preference taking precedence over what others deem to be in their best interests. Implementation of this legislation requires a change in working practice among health and social care providers to promote autonomy and decision-making among service users. To date, this topic has not been researched in Ireland. …

Investigation Into The Effect Of The Upsee On The Cognitive, Social And Physical Development Of Young Children With Down Syndrome., Diana Issac

Theses

Young children with Down syndrome face developmental delay in walking compared to a typically developing child. This delay in upright exploration can in turn affect other areas of development such as cognitive, social, self- help and emotional development. Acquisition of particular motor milestones is therefore vital. UPSEE is a new mobility device designed to help children with movement delays to stand and move with the help of an adult. This research investigated the use of UPSEE and measured children’s progress covering areas such as cognitive, social and physical development. Moreover, active parental, siblings and peer group involvement during the UPSEE …

Project Spraoi: The Effectiveness Of A Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention On The Dietry Intake, Dietary Patterns, Nutritional Knowledge And Markers Of Health Of Irish Primary School Children, Alison Merrotsy

PhDs

Aim: To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition and physical activity (PA) intervention (Project Spraoi) on dietary intake (DI), dietary patterns (DP), nutritional knowledge (NK), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), blood pressure (BP) and markers of health of Irish children in one primary school in Cork. The relationship between DP and NK, CRF, BP and anthropometric data will also be examined.

Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Food diary, NK questionnaire and 550m walk/run test were used to assess DI, DP, NK and CRF, respectively. BP, body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were also calculated.

Setting: Two …

Destination Cork : A New Frontier For The Culinary Curious Tourist, Catherine Fitzgibbon

Theses

Food is an important aspect in creating tourism destinations and can be perceived as an immensely influential attraction for tourism. There are excellent examples of destinations that brand themselves through food tourism, using this special-interest area as a strategy to develop regional tourism and ultimately, increase tourist numbers. However, not all destinations use food tourism as a strategic branding strategy. One such example is Cork in Ireland. While having an excellent food offering, food is not a primary tourism activity in the region’s destination branding strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of branding Cork as …

Nutritional Labelling Providing Education On Its Usage Could It Impact On Patient's Food Choice Selection For Those In The Obese Classification?, Celia Lane

Theses

A build-up of too much body fat can cause significant health risks and development of medical conditions and disabilities (National Institute Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2014). The causes of obesity involve the disproportionate intake of calories that are not utilised (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2016). The rising trend towards obesity threatens to bankrupt medical systems (Heifer and Shultz, 2014). There has been a heighten awareness from the general public in the last decade of the affiliation between health and nutrition (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (lUNA), 2011). In light of the ever increasing obesity trend, individuals still desire to take control of …

An Investigation Into The Obstacles And Barriers Preventing Farmers In Rural Areas Using Information Communication Technologies, David O'Leary

Theses

Technology and in particular, mobile devices can help farmers both from a social and business perspective. This study focuses on the areas preventing farmers using smart phones and the downfalls they might be facing on a regular basis in the adoption of mobile devices. The objectives of this study were to identify what devices are being used and for what purpose, identify who helps the farmer when they are in difficulty with their device, identify if broadband is an obstacle and to develop a set of recommendations based on my research for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) …

The Value Of Local Authority Investment In Active Recreation In Terms Of Citizen Life Satisfaction And Levels Of Physical Activity, Lee Patrick Conor Rushe

Theses

Local authorities in Ireland have historically had an input in to the delivery of sport and physical activity nationwide, and are often seen as a key player in this area (Irish Sports Council, 2013). Various legal acts governing Irish local authorities outline the role of local authorities in the provision of sport and physical activity (Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, 2012; Government of Ireland, 2014). Local authorities provide sport and physical activity opportunities through the provision of facilities predominantly and to a lesser extent through the provision of programmes and employment of personnel. Varying approaches to this …

Activating Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities In The Youth Sector, Oliver Fahey

Theses

This study is an action research that has been conducted with the collaboration of the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service. Its primary objective has been to examine the influencing elements that encourage or impede the activation of social entrepreneurship in the youth sector in Ireland. Also, how through participation in social entrepreneurship activity young people can be linked with further education, training or attachment to the labour market. Using a mixed method data gathering approach by means of a quantitative online national survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research has garnered an understanding of how practitioners and key stakeholders conceptualise the …

Electric Vehicles In Ireland: The Past, The Present And The Future?, Emma Sadleir

Theses

This research is undertaken as part of the researcher’s efforts to achieve a Masters Degree in Business from Cork Institute of Technology. The research topic of Electric Vehicles in Ireland and the concentration on those vehicles exclusively or primarily powered by battery was prompted by interest and curiosity, but with a significant undertone of concern for the environment, all of which led to the research question: Electric Vehicles in Ireland: the past, the present, and the future?

It was not possible to start with a complete void and therefore initially assumptions were made, particularly that serious environmental damage arises from …