Psychobiobehavioral Model For Preterm Birth In Pregnant Women In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Shahirose S. Premji, Ilona S. Yim, Aliyah Dosani (Mawji), Zeenatkhanu Kanji, Salima Sulaiman, Wangira Musana, Pauline Samia, Kiran Shaikh, Nicole Letourneau

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Preterm birth (PTB) is a final common outcome resulting from many interrelated etiological pathways; of particular interest is antenatal psychosocial distress (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression). In LMI countries, both exposure to severe life stressors and rate of PTB are on average greater when compared with high-income countries. In LMI countries women are exposed to some of the most extreme psychosocial stress worldwide (e.g., absolute poverty, limited social resources). High prevalence of antenatal stress and depression have been observed in some studies from LMI countries. We propose a psychosocial, biological, and behavioral model for investigating the complex multisystem interactions in …

Transition: A Concept Of Significance To Nursing And Health Care Professionals, Nabeel Al-Yateem, Charles Docherty

Centre for Innovation in Medical Education

The concept of transition has growing significance within the healthcare settings. Healthcare professionals’ encounters with patients and family during periods of health-illness transitions in addition to other transitions (e.g., developmental) can be significant. Therefore healthcare professionals should be aware of the meaning and the process of transition, to ensure efficient and competent provision of care. This paper will explore the concept of transition in the context of healthcare, and will suggest strategies to enable professionals to manage transition effectively.

Pancreas: Do All Roads Lead To Mitochondria?, Amit Mukherji, Omobola Onikoyi, Vasudeva G. Kamath

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Middletown) Publications and Research

Over several millions of years of evolution, mitochondria have transformed into specialized organelles. Today, they cannot live outside the cell nor can the host cell live without them, resulting in a symbiotic relationship. Richard Altmann, in 1894, documented them as cell organelles and called them “bioblasts”. Later, the term “mitochondria” itself was coined by Carl Benda in 1898. Ever since these findings, we in the field of medicine have learned a lot about this tiny organelle, but numerous aspects continue to be discovered. In this article, we will review the significance of this organelle in terms of pancreatic dysfunctions.

Health Care Inflation And It's Implications For Monetary Policy, Takeshi Yagihashi, Juan Du

Economics Faculty Publications

Motivated by recent findings on the cyclical movement of both health and health spending, we construct a general equilibrium model that distinguishes health care demand from the demand for other goods. Using this model, we are able to generate inflation dynamics and cyclicality of health that match the US data. When the model is subjected to an expansionary monetary policy shock, it yields different output and inflation responses compared with a two-sector model with homogeneous demand. We show that the trade-off between leisure and health spending plays an important role in model dynamics. The model further predicts different degrees of …

Health Utility Assessment Among Caregivers Of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Namita Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVES The study objectives were to evaluate psychometric properties of the EuroQoL–five–dimensional questionnaire (EQ–5D–3L) among caregivers of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), assess caregiver utilities and determine predictors of utilities, and compare caregiver utilities obtained from the EQ–5D–3L and the SF–6D. METHODS A web–based survey was administered to MS caregivers via Qualtrics survey software using assistance from a MS patient registry– North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS). Measurement properties including convergent, discriminant, and known–groups validity, reliability, and ceiling and floors effects of the EQ–5D–3L were tested. Caregiver health utilities were estimated using the EQ–5D–3L and compared with population norms; …

Defining Young In The Context Of Prostate Cancer, Suzanne Chambers, Anthony Lowe, Melissa Hyde, Leah Zajdlewicz, Robert F. Gardiner, David Sandoe, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The experience of prostate cancer is for most men a major life stress with the psychological burden of this disease falling more heavily on those who are younger. Despite this, being young as it applies to prostate cancer is not yet clearly defined with varied chronological approaches applied. However, men’s responses to health crises are closely bound to life course and masculinities from which social roles emerge. This paper applied qualitative methodology (structured focus groups and semistructured interviews with expert informants) using interpretative phenomenological analysis to define what it means to be young and have prostate cancer. Structured focus groups …

African American Grandparents Residing In A Nursing Facility: Perceptions Of Influence With Their Grandchildren, Family, And Community, Monica Bester

Wayne State University Theses

African American older adults have historically been identified as vital members of the African American family and community (Hill, 1972; Cox, 2002; Waites, 2008). Unfortunately, research has shown an increasing number of older African Americans are being admitted into nursing facilities (Paul, 2004; Feng et al., 2011). Between the years of 1998-2008, it was projected African Americans living in nursing homes increased by 10.8% (Feng et al., 2011).

This study explores the intergenerational relationships of older African American adults with their grandchildren, family, and community through the lens of Intergenerational Family Systems Theory. By viewing this qualitative study through the …

The Effect Of Training Older Adults In Tai Chi And Compensatory Stepping On Balance Control, Hannah L. Moore Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Introduction: In Canadian society, there is a growing prevalence of older adults and one of the main problems facing this generation today is the risk of falling. Tai Chi (TC) is a martial art that has demonstrated improvements in balance control. It uses a series of fluid movements that engage head, neck and trunk rotation while simultaneously reducing base of support. In addition, it has been demonstrated that training older adults by administering unpredictable perturbations to challenge balance better equips them to react successfully in response to balance perturbations. This study aims to determine the potential balance specific benefits …

The Impact Of Physical And Psychosocial Factors On Workplace Injuries In Nursing Assistants, Colleen Roberts

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

Objective: The objectives of this study were to 1) Describe the nature and prevalence of workplace injuries in nursing assistants (NAs) and 2) Assess the impact of physical and psychosocial works factors on the occurrence of back injuries and muscle strains in these nursing assistants.

Methods: Data for this study are from the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS), which was conducted as a supplement to the National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS). The original dataset contained 3,017 records. The data were analyzed as a case-control for this study’s purpose. Cases were defined as participants who had experienced a …

Diabetes Phenotypes In Transgenic Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Models, Toya Albury-Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein Kinase B/AKT, a serine/threonine kinase with three isoforms (AKT1-3), is downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and signals through the phosphorylation and subsequent activation or inhibition of downstream substrates, such as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) or glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3?), respectively. The AKT1 isoform is predominantly recognized for regulation of cell survival, growth, and proliferation, due to its constitutive activation in pancreatic cancers (e.g., islet cell carcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma). The progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most lethal common cancer, is initiated by activation mutations of the KRas oncogene. This leads to additional …

Is Alzheimer Disease Related To Age-Related Macular Degeneration?, Seden Demi̇rci̇, Ali̇me Güneş, Kadi̇r Demi̇rci̇, Serpi̇l Demi̇rci̇, Levent Tök, Özlem Tök

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To compare the cognitive functions and define the frequency of Alzheimer disease (AD) between participants with and without age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Materials and methods: Fifty-nine patients with late-stage AMD (74.3 ± 7.3 years) and 49 age-, sex-, and education-matched control subjects were compared for the presence of AD according to the guidelines of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA). Detailed neuropsychological tests were performed for all subjects. Results: Neuropsychiatric tests scores were lower in the AMD group than the control group. The frequency of AD …

Osteoporosis In Older Saudi Women: A Perspective Study, Zahra Saeed Alfaraj

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research is to first discuss and discover reasons behind this increasing outburst of osteoporosis cases in older Saudi women and then to develop certain prevention strategies based on Social Cognitive Theory and this research and its reasoning, in an attempt to check the rapid increase of this disease in menopausal Saudi women. All of these targets can be achieved by an in-depth study of osteoporosis, and then applying this knowledge toward prevention of the disease.

Attention Test Performance And Normal Aging: The Effect On Executive Function, Rachel Carmen

Honors Program Theses

In this pilot study, twenty-nine participants completed the following three executive function tests: the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive System, the Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies, and Auditory Process Training. Participants, aged blank to blank, were divided into two age groups: young adults, which was comprised of 16 participants, and older adults, which was comprised of 13 participants. Performance means of the two groups were established and compared. There were no predictive qualities to the younger adults’ scores, and there were only in two FAVRES subtests for the older adults: accuracy and reasoning. Further research is needed …

Hood's Theory Of Aging, Drew Michael Hood

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis proposes that the theory of gerotranscendence can be improved by emphasizing life course events that influence the gerotranscendence process. Further, this paper proposes that teaching gerotranscendence to long-term care staff and residents with Hood's theory of aging and with a departmental framework will yield better results in staff following gerotranscendence best practices and thus result in increased resident development towards gerotranscendence.

Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Determining The Relationship Between Social Networks And The Risk For Falls, Smita Sikhrakar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Falls among community-dwelling older adults is a big public health problem, which have an effect on older adults' health, independence, and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social networks and the risk for falls among community-dwelling older adults. This was a descriptive correlational study, which utilized a cross-sectional survey for the data collection. The dependent and independent variable of this study were the risk for falls among the community-dwelling older adults, and the strength and type of social networks respectively. In this study, 218 community-dwelling older adults were recruited, who were living …

A Therapeutic Approach For Senile Dementias: Neuroangiogenesis, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related senile dementias (SDs) represent a growing medical and economic crisis in this country. Apart from cautioning persons about risk factors, no practical, effective therapy is currently available. Much of the recent research in AD has been based on the amyloid cascade theory. Another approach assumes a vascular basis for SDs. This paper presents evidence from a score of studies that cerebral capillary density (CCD) declines during old age in animals and people as well as in AD. Neuroangiogenic (NAG) factors initiate and maintain capillaries in the brain. Thus a waning level of these factors and …

Fostering Reading, Writing, And Communication Skills Through Intergenerational Relationships: An After-School Program, Cynthia Nelson, Laurel Prusak

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Intergenerational programs are known to bring older adults together with children in order to promote social inclusion, and increased self-confidence and motivation for both age groups (Hatton-Yeo, 2010). Programs of this nature have proven to influence greater academic outcomes and school performance, decreased criminal behavior and greater personal adaptability in younger populations (Hatton-Yeo, 2010). Research with community dwelling seniors who participated in intergenerational programs indicated that older adults showed a decrease in depressive symptomology after participating in weekly programming (Kamei et. al., 2011). While the outcomes of these studies clearly identify the benefits of intergenerational programming on both youth and …

Rehabilitation Of A Patient With A Jones Fracture, Calvin Crawford

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Ankle and foot injuries are common for all age groups, no matter the activity level. Ankle and foot injures can include strains, sprains, and/or fractures in any combination which can be debilitating for ambulation and functional activities. The most common foot fracture is an avulsion of the fifth metatarsal base, also called a Jones fracture, often associated with forced inversion of the foot. Almost all patients will return to their prior ambulatory state with proper care and rehabilitation within 12-16 weeks. The purpose of this scholarly project is to show the rehabilitation of a Jones fracture in …

Sleep, Depressive Symptoms And Cognition In Older Adults And Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Glenna Shemida Brewster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers of persons with dementia, who are often older adults, report sleep disturbance, high rates of depressive symptoms and may be at risk for impaired cognition. This dissertation examined sleep, depressive symptoms, and cognition in older adults and caregivers of persons with dementia. The aims of the review of literature were to understand, in community dwelling adults 60 years and older, the relationships among sleep parameters (sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and general sleep complaints), and the domains of cognition (Executive Function, Attention, Episodic Memory, Working Memory, Processing Speed), and global cognition. Based …

Does The Addition Of Piracetam Safely And Effectively Improve Behavioral And Or Cognitive Functions In Schizophrenia?, Dieu Linh Nguyen

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether or not the addition of piracetam safely and effectively improve behavioral and or cognitive functions in schizophrenia.

STUDY DESIGN: The selected review from all English language, primary literature sources that were published between 1979 and 1999.

DATA SOURCES: Three double blind randomized controlled trials (RCT) and one case controlled clinical study that compared piracetam to a visually matched placebo was selected and found using Medline, PubMed, Ebscohost, and Cochrane databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the trials assessed the effect of Piracetam on behavioral and …

African Americans' Culturally Specific Approaches To The Management Of Diabetes, Ida J. Spruill, Gayenell S. Magwood Phd, Rn, Faha, Faan, Lynne S. Nemeth, Tiffany H. Williams

Publications

Spirituality is an important multidimensional cultural resource and coping strategy used by many African Americans for managing chronic diseases such as diabetes. Yet, few studies examine meaning and interpretation of colloquial terms frequently used for coping within the context of a community culture. We designed an interpretive qualitative study to gain a deeper understanding of a colloquial phrase, "I ain't claiming it," used among Project SuGar research participants when discussing diabetes. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes, Acknowledgment and Denial, as coping mechanisms through an active or passive relationship with God. Sub-theme of acknowledgment was presented as front seat driver …

Choice Of Human–Computer Interaction Mode In Stroke Rehabilitation, Hossein Mousavi Hondori, Maryam Khademi, Lucy Dodakian, Alison Mackenzie, Cristina V. Lopes, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objective. Advances in technology are providing new forms of human–computer interaction. The current study examined one form of human–computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), whereby subjects train in the real-world workspace with virtual objects projected by the computer. Motor performances were compared with those obtained while subjects used a traditional human–computer interaction, that is, a personal computer (PC) with a mouse. Methods. Patients used goal-directed arm movements to play AR and PC versions of the Fruit Ninja video game. The 2 versions required the same arm movements to control the game but had different cognitive demands. With …

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Student Research Posters

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

Educators' Perspectives About How Older Hospital Patients Can Engage In A Falls Prevention Education Programme: A Qualitative Process Evaluation, Anne-Marie Hill, Steven M. Mcphail, Jacqueline Francis-Coad, Nicholas Waldron, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Leon Flicker, Katharine Ingram, Terry P. Haines

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: Falls are the most frequent adverse event reported in hospitals. Patient and staff education delivered by trained educators significantly reduced falls and injurious falls in an older rehabilitation population. The purpose of the study was to explore the educators’ perspectives of delivering the education and to conceptualise how the programme worked to prevent falls among older patients who received the education.

Design: A qualitative exploratory study.

Methods: Data were gathered from three sources: conducting a focus group and an interview (n=10 educators), written educator notes and reflective researcher field notes based on interactions with the educators during …

"We Are All One Together": Peer Educators' Views About Falls Prevention Education For Community-Dwelling Older Adults - A Qualitative Study, Linda Khong, Fiona Farringdon, Keith D. Hill, Anne-Marie Hill

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Falls are common in older people. Despite strong evidence for effective falls prevention strategies, there appears to be limited translation of these strategies from research to clinical practice. Use of peers in delivering falls prevention education messages has been proposed to improve uptake of falls prevention strategies and facilitate translation to practice. Volunteer peer educators often deliver educational presentations on falls prevention to community-dwelling older adults. However, research evaluating the effectiveness of peer-led education approaches in falls prevention has been limited and no known study has evaluated such a program from the perspective of peer educators involved in delivering …

Employment Patterns Of Notre Dame Graduate Physiotherapists 2006–12: Targeting Areas Of Workforce Need, Eleni Bacopanos, Susan Edgar

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The Australian physiotherapy workforce is changing both in demographics and service needs. Physiotherapy curriculum and clinical education focus is ideally based on up-to-date knowledge of this changing workforce.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the employment patterns of Physiotherapy graduates from The University of Notre Dame Australia (Notre Dame).

Method: An online survey was conducted of Notre Dame Physiotherapy graduates (2006-2012) with a 50% response rate (n=157).

Results: Survey results established the employment location, employment status, healthcare sector, area of practice, salary and employment history of Notre Dame graduates. The results highlighted links between curriculum, clinical …

Eye Movements Of Individuals With Aphasia During Reading And Scene Viewing, Kimberly G. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This project characterized eye movements of individuals with aphasia and age-matched participants during reading and scene viewing.

Methods: Individuals with aphasia (N=24) and age-matched controls participants (N=24) completed three eye tracking studies. Study 1 examined task-related changes in eye movements for scene search, scene memorization, text-reading, and pseudoreading. Ex-Gaussian, analysis of variance, and correlational analyses were used to compare differences in eye movements across tasks and participant groups. Study 2 examined how oculomotor and linguistic processing influence eye movements for textreading and pseudo-reading. In addition to the statistical analyses used in Study 1, four case studies were carried out …

Nursing Care At The End Of Life: What Every Clinician Should Know, Susan E. Lowey

Milne Open Textbooks

Nursing Care at the End of Life: What Every Clinician Should Know should be an essential component of basic educational preparation for the professional registered nurse student. Recent studies show that only one in four nurses feel confident in caring for dying patients and their families and less than 2% of overall content in nursing textbooks is related to end-of-life care, despite the tremendous growth in palliative and end-of-life care programs across the country. The purpose of this textbook is to provide an indepth look at death and dying in this country, including the vital role of the nurse in …

Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge And Experience With Pediatric Acute Watery Diarrhea And Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Krista Marie Cassel

DNP Projects

The purpose of this capstone is to investigate the potential for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) risk reduction in children through the evaluation of current evidence as well as pediatric primary care providers' knowledge and experience with children at risk for HUS. The goals of this capstone are to 1) evaluate the current literature to determine best practice for prevention of HUS, 2) assess primary care provider knowledge of HUS and experience with children with acute watery, and 3) develop a guideline for the initial management and referral of these children at risk for HUS.

Improving Depression Care For Older Home Health Patients, Sarah R. Schirmer

DNP Projects

Rates of depression in older home healthcare (HH) patients are highly prevalent. Although depression in this population is associated with increased rates of re-hospitalization, falls, and suicides, it is frequently under diagnosed and under treated. This Capstone Report examined this problem through three interrelated manuscripts. The first manuscript explored the problem through a review of the literature. This review determined that while there are many barriers to adequate depression care, programs that train clinicians to screen for depression and connect patients to depression care encourage adequate evaluation and treatment and can result in clinically significant changes in depression scores. This …