Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Practical Scale For Multi-Faceted Organizational Health Climate Assessment, Zandra M. Zweber

Master's Theses

The current study sought to develop a practical scale to measure workplace health climate in a way that has not previously been conceptualized – as a three-faceted approach from the employee perspective serving as an indicator of a healthy organization. The goal was to create a short, useable yet comprehensive scale that could translate into practical use by organizations and occupational health professionals planning workplace interventions. To accomplish this, the proposed multi-faceted organizational health climate scale (MOHCA) assesses three-facets which match up with three organizational levels: 1) organization 2) supervisor and 3) workgroup. Ten items were developed and tested on …

A Seat At The Table: A Nonconformist Approach To Grassroots Participation In The Articulation Of Health Standards, Leanne Bekeris

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This paper assesses the need to articulate standard protocol in regards to decision making and monitoring of biomedical and ecosystem health in Canadian Aboriginal communities. This is critical, as standards in Aboriginal communities are applied by external regulators. Absence of collaboration between the Aboriginal community, healthcare institutions, and the federal government has perpetuated the deterioration of health among Aboriginal people through structural violence. This thesis utilizes toxicity results from the University of Western Ontario’s Ecosystem Health Team’s biomonitoring study of Walpole Island First Nation, which reveals that the absence of community input regarding health standards, combined with a fear of …

Health And Religious Commitment Among College Students: The Effects Of Health Behavior, Mental Health, And Social Support, Monica Yvette Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical findings supporting the connection between religion and spirituality and health have been consistently found in the literature, whereas the factors explaining this relationship have lacked clarity. The present study sought to explore this relationship and establish health behavior, mental health, and social support as mediating factors to the proposed association between religious commitment and physical health. Physical health was measured by a number of indicators: body mass index, self-reported medical conditions, prescription drug use, over-the-counter medication usage, and problem use of drugs and alcohol. A sample of 150 college students from a university in Central Virginia participated in this …

Analyzing Nurse-Physician Discursive Practices In Acute Patient Care, John Dinolfo

All Dissertations

This mixed methods study in inter-professional health communication assesses the pedagogical role of writing and visual communication in the education of non-traditional and traditional Nursing students as they interpret and apply the concepts of message framing and message reception in nurse-physician communication. To achieve that goal, this study analyzes the dynamics of terministic screens as message frames that can determine message reception in nurse-physician communication regarding the status of an acute care patient.
The study was conducted in two Nursing writing and communication classes during the Spring 2011 semester. Two study groups (combined across classes) included a mixed population of …

“We Should Be Listening To Our Elders”: Evaluation Of Transfer Of Indigenous Knowledge Between Anishinabe Youth And Elders, Kassandra Kulmann

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Indigenous knowledge (IK) (knowledge held by Indigenous peoples regarding local environments, ways of life and culture) can potentially improve health and environment conditions. This thesis examines IK transfer between Anishinabe Elders and youth. A knowledge translation intervention was applied to address community concerns regarding decline of IK transfer between Elders and youth.

Youth were hired to participate in a summer school and interview Elders regarding environment and health issues. Qualitative interviews were conducted with youth before and after their internships to evaluate their experiences and IK uptake. The summer school and internships were effective for facilitating IK transfer between Elders …

From The Gas Pump To Our Hips: The Impact That U.S. Corn-Ethanol Production Has On America's Obesity Epidemic, Scott Reddy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that increased U.S. corn-ethanol production has on food prices and, in turn, the diet choices of the U.S. population. Previous literature has confirmed the linkages between the energy market and the corn market and has separately examined the relationship between relative food prices and obesity. The purpose of this study is to link ethanol production to obesity. The first two sections of the model will utilize various econometric techniques to test the existence of certain empirical relationships over the period of January 1982-May 2011. The final stage will employ ordinary …

Obesity In The United States: The Food Environment And How It Is Linked To Obesity, Meredith Allenick

Honors Theses

The rising obesity rates have been constantly discussed in the media, academia, science, and society in the United States; from root causes and possible solutions to effects on individual health and the health of our nation. In my thesis, I focus on the social and economic causes of obesity, especially on the food environment in the United States. My ultimate goal is to effectively argue that obesity a problem rooted in society, often caused by factors such as the price of food, the availability of food, and the mass marketing of food to both children and adults.

Self-Regulation: An 'Active Ingredient' In The Spirituality-Health Relationship, Claire Ellyn Brownson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Recent research suggests that spirituality promotes physical well-being. Explaining this relationship proves difficult. This cross-sectional study was conducted to test whether self-regulatory ability acts as a mediator between spirituality and health. It has been proposed that high levels of spirituality are related to strong self-regulation, which in turn should be related to better physical well-being. To address this hypothesis, a questionnaire containing validated measures of the targeted constructs was administered to a sample of 78 Butler students. Additionally, some ancillary data were collected concerning participants' level of religiosity. Regression-based mediational analyses indicated that self-regulatory ability does indeed function as a …

Underemployment, Unemployment, And Mental Health, Heather L. Maddocks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Inadequate employment, through unemployment or underemployment is expected to have consequences for the health and well-being of Canadians. This dissertation presents three studies centered on the relationship between underemployment and mental health. In the first study, ideal indicators for underemployment are described, and the stress process model is proposed as a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between underemployment and adverse health outcomes. The second and third studies use data from a community-based survey conducted in London, Ontario, Canada in 1994/5 and 1996/7. Four indicators of underemployment are used including: lower income or benefits than in a previous job, involuntary …

The Effects Of Parentification, Attachment, Family-Of-Origin Dysfunction And Health On Depression: A Comparative Study Between Gender And The Ethnic Groups Of South Koreans And Caucasian Americans, Sunnie Giles

Theses and Dissertations

Parentification is a process where children or adolescents assume adult roles before they are emotionally or developmentally ready, which, in turn, disrupts the development of healthy, secure attachment in childhood. Using 1,001 men and women from South Korea and the United States with equal division between males and females and multiple group comparison technique in structural equation modeling, this paper examined the relationship between parentification during childhood and depression during adulthood. It explores the cross-sectional long-term effects of parentification into adulthood, using a retrospective survey technique. This study also confirmed previous research findings that attachment, physical health and family-of-origin dysfunction, …

Injury Risk At Work, Safety Motivation, And The Role Of Masculinity: A Moderated Mediation, Timothy J. Bauerle

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Intensive Mental Health Intervention And Incidence Of Discipline, Andrea Mulcay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A new trend when dealing with behavior issues in the classroom is that of providing mental health services within the school systems. This study is researching an alternative school that offers mental health services for students that have been expelled from their home school. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if these mental health services provided within the alternative school helps reduce the amount of discipline issues in the school system. There are 77 participants, 33 receiving academic services plus intense mental health services and 44 receiving academic services plus minimal mental health services. Findings show no statistically …

An Examination Of The Interactive Effects Of Mindfulness And Stress On Negative Health Habits In A Primary Care Population, Christina J. Dichiara

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The overarching goal of this study was to better understand relationships between health habits, stress, and mindfulness. In doing so, this research examined the interaction of mindfulness with responses to stress as it affects negative health habits. There was also a psychometric development study conducted, using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to test the applicability of the two-factor model of the PHLMS to a primary care population. Data were collected from 198 adult patients in a primary care medical practice. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 89 years old, were 51% female, and 92% Caucasian. For CFA analyses, three fit …

The Impact Of A Video Game Intervention On The Cognitive Functioning, Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, And Video Game Attitudes Of Older Adults, Giovanni W. Sosa

CGU Theses & Dissertations

While a well-established body of empirical work indicates that engaging in mentally stimulating activities is linked to positive physical and mental health outcomes, relatively few studies have specifically examined the impact that video game training can have on cognitive functioning and well-being. Given the substantial implications that such work has for an ever-growing older adult population, this area of research has begun to pique the interest of researchers world-wide. The present study employed an experimental paradigm to explore the impact of a Nintendo DS video game, Brain Age, on the cognitive functioning, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and video game attitudes of …

Growing Health: Community Gardens And Their Effects On Diet, Physical And Mental Health And Community, Brittany Minnick Hanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, research on community gardens and their benefits to health and community has become very popular. However, this influx of research has failed to investigate challenges to successful community gardening. Some articles examine issues between community gardeners and the land owners, but other than these conflicts community garden challenges, like lack of participation and quality leadership, have not been discussed in the literature (Draper and Freedman, 2010). To allow future gardens to be as successful as possible it is important to identify potential obstacles. Additionally, it is just as important to continue to examine possible benefits, for example, physical activity …

Taiwanese Preferences And Cultural Factors Influencing Visuals In Taiwanese Health Pamphlets, Lucas Keola Baclayon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study aims to discover what preferences Taiwanese people have for visuals in health documents, with the research question being, "What are Taiwanese preferences for visuals and visual elements in health documents?" Research is conducted through a mixed-methods approach with a comparative analysis of a collection of American and Taiwanese health pamphlets, surveys conducted with Taiwanese people inquiring about preferences concerning visuals in health documents, and interviews conducted with doctors educated and practicing in Taiwan. In this way, the study moves from what visuals are currently being used, to what kinds of visuals Taiwanese people prefer, to how health professionals …

Health Behind And Beyond Bars : Understanding The Link Between Incarceration And Health, Lauren C. Porter

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary aim of this dissertation is to better understand the link between incarceration and health. Drawing on a sample of young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the effect of incarceration on self-rated health, serious injury, STD infection, cold/flu symptoms, and blood pressure is assessed. The effect of incarceration on health behavior is also examined, including diet, smoking, binge drinking, and physical activity. In order to rule out selection bias, current and former inmates are compared to respondents who have been arrested (or arrested and convicted of a crime), but not incarcerated. Findings suggest …

Income Inequality And Mortality: A Test Of Competing Pathways, Lisa Winters

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Findings from numerous studies indicate that individuals living in more unequal societies are at greater risk for a variety of health problems. However, questions remain about the possible pathways that link health outcomes and income inequality. In general, the debate about how income inequality affects individual health centers around two issues: 1) whether the relationship is representative of the level of social cohesion within a given area, and/or 2) whether it is more indicative of the level of local investment in public health infrastructure. Each of these theories, then, represents a potential mediating mechanism through which income inequality impacts individual …

Beyond Practice And Constraint: Toward Situating Female Sexual Agency On St. Croix, Usvi, Jamae F. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women are shaped by the social structure, but they are not simply passive products. They act. They respond. They pursue. This holds true for many aspects of women's complex and dynamic lives, including their sexual health. Daily, women negotiate social expectations, individual proclivities and desires, and the need to provide for themselves and their families. Through the use of ethnographic methodology, focusing on three major social pillars--the regulation of the female body, the organization of social space, and the structuring of gender--this investigation, based on the island of St. Croix, USVI, seeks to offer an ethnographic assessment of women's attempts …

Fit To Lead? Supervisors' Health Behaviors, Well-Being, And Leadership Behaviors, Kristin Saboe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study proposes a model to test the relationships amongst supervisors' health behaviors and leadership behaviors. Specifically, 107 supervisor-subordinate pairs responded to a cross-sectional survey. Supervisors provided self-reports of their health behaviors (physical activity, diet, sleep, alcohol/tobacco use) and perceived well-being. Subordinates rated the supervisors' perceived leadership style and the quality of relationships they share at work. Results were mixed with support largely being found for previously established relationships between (a) physical activity, sleep duration and quality, and well-being, and (b) leadership behaviors and supervisor-subordinate relationship quality. The primary thesis of this study--that leaders with improved health behaviors and well-being …

Creating A Cohesive Triple Bottom Line: Helping The Urban Planner As A Liaison To The Citizen, Jeffery Earl Bell

Public Affairs Theses

This thesis is an attempt to create a viable liaison tool for the urban planner to create a cohesive idea of the Triple Bottom Line of sustainability between the citizen and the government of the city. By using consistent policy standards and adequate focus upon the new ideas of a sustainable lifestyle, the city should be able to create a viable structure for the future. In order to create a viable Triple Bottom Line, the citizen and the government will need to combine long term planning with current policy and standards of use and compliance in order to dedicate a …