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Cyaf 382: Parenting—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Natalie A. Williams

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio summarizes the process and results of a reflective inquiry into the teaching of CYAF 382 Parenting. The primary goals of this portfolio were to: (1) refine the course to enhance participants’ experience by connecting course goals/objectives and course activities, (2) document the impact of the course of student learning outcomes, and (3) identify specific changes that can be made to enhance the learning of future students.

Perceptions Of Immunizations As Health Prevention Among Female Mexican Immigrants In Oklahoma, Jennifer Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on health prevention behaviors of Mexican immigrant mothers regarding immunizations has been limited. As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos comprised 9.6% of the population of the state of Oklahoma and were the largest minority group within Oklahoma. This minority population has continued to grow at a rapid rate in Oklahoma. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of immunizations held by Mexican immigrants who are mothers residing in Oklahoma. The aim of this study was to identify their perceived risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease if not immunized and knowledge of immunizations as a health prevention …

Impact Of Positive Youth Development Services On Resilience Among Adjudicated Girls, Shaunette Roberta Byers Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive youth development (PYD) frameworks that guide PYD services suggest at-risk youth need to develop resiliency attitudes and resiliency skills in order to prevent long-term failure in their adult lives. This concept is based on multiple developmental theories that suggest increased levels of resiliency make it easier to navigate challenging situations. Adjudicated youth have faced a major setback in their short lives, yet they still have an opportunity to become successful and avoid additional jail time, if they are able to display a strong sense of resilience. Many youth development programs geared toward serving adjudicated youth, lack the appropriate structure …

Food For Thought: The Role Of Food In Romantic Relationships, Breana Cook

Honors Theses

Food is a necessary component of our lives as we need it to live. However, food can be seen as a relatively important, unconscious or not, factor in interpersonal relationships. We investigated the role of food and cooking in modern, romantic relationships through surveying 68 individuals from a junior college in the southern region of the United States. We predicted that there was a connection between food and dating and relationships and concluded this by exploring the social stigmas surrounding food, the gendered perceptions of these stigmas, and perception of food in a certain context to assess the meaning of …

Development Of A Measure Of Positive And Negative Aspects Of Dog Owners' Attachment To Their Pets, Paola Nayeli Balcazar Soto

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis describes the development of the Assessment of Dog Owners' Behaviors and Experiences, Version I (ADOBE-I), a multi-scale measure of positive and negative aspects of dog ownership. In Study 1 a pool of 265 items was administered online to 352 participants on Mechanical Turk (M-Turk). Exploratory Factor Analysis of responses was used to construct the ADOBE-I, which includes 58 items and five scales, Dog-Owner Bond, Legal Problems, Hostile Dog, Obedient Dog, and Care for Dog's Health, and one supplemental scale, Dog as Child. In Study 2 the psychometric properties of the ADOBE-I scales were examined in a sample of …

Bind, Tether, And Transcend: Achieving Integration Through Extra-Therapeutic Dance, Megan M. Kain

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experience of achieving integration through the fine art form of dance, using a phenomenological method coupled with narrative and arts-based research. Research material illustrating the various manifestations of integration will be derived from interviews of ten professional dancers representing the non-dominant cultural discourse. Through the application of theoretical underpinnings of somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, psychoneuroimmunology, and relational psychotherapy, this qualitative research seeks to articulate the esoteric healing forces derived from creative movement that fortifies self and fosters resilience within individuals. While dance might constitute an effective processing and coping mechanism …

The Role Of Religiosity In The Development Of Obesity From Adolescence To Adulthood, Trini Gene Rangel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The development of obesity from adolescence to adulthood is not well understood, nor does the research support a multidimensional approach for this understanding. Studies have described primarily cross-sectional bivariate relationships between combinations of obesity, religiosity, depression, and social support, but it is still not known whether there is a relationship between adolescent religiosity, depression, and social support in the development of adult obesity or whether depression and social support mediate the religiosity-obesity relationship. The dynamic, multidimensional, functional model of wellness presented by Hawks was the basis for the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical interactions proposed in this study. The research …

Health Care Professionals' Perceptions Of Media Influence On Eating Disorder-Related Factors Among African American Women, Erica Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about health care professionals' perceptions of eating disorder etiology among African American (AA) women. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the associations among health care professionals' race, cultural awareness, and perceptions of media influence on eating disorder-related factors in AA women. Festigner's social comparison theory; Bandura's social learning theory; and Garcia, Cartwright, Winston, and Borzuchowska's transcultural integrative model served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. Specifically, this study examined whether race and cultural awareness of health care professionals relate to their perceptions of the extent to which media influences AA women's eating …

The Relationship Between Nutrient Intake And Social Emotional Functioning In Preschool Children, Tracy L. Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health disorders are rising in children and being referred to as an epidemic. Numerous studies have shown micronutrient deficiencies and poor diet quality are suspected of playing a contributory role in the escalation of certain disorders. However, there is no research in young children focusing specifically on social emotional disorders and possible links to nutrition. Conventional treatment for social emotional disorders in children typically involves medication. Parents are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medicine to treat their children with a method that is individualized and holistic. The biopsychosocial model provided the theoretical framework for this correlational study that …

The Relation Of Exposure To Community Violence To Self- Efficacy Based On Neighborhood, Family, And School Effects In A Community Sample Of Latino-American Youth, Arie Zakaryan

Dissertations

Community violence is considered a “public health epidemic” in the US. Latino youth and families are a burgeoning population in the United States, and many of whom live in neighborhoods exposed to community violence. Multiple contexts should be assessed identifying developmental assets youth use to adjust positively when exposed to violence. This study examines how different environmental contexts, i.e., home, school, neighborhood and acculturation, influence the relationship between exposure to community violence and self-efficacy for Latino youth. The current study uses an archival dataset of a larger longitudinal study (Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods). A confirmatory factor analysis …

The Impact Of Social Class Connectedness, School Belongingness, And Family Cohesion On Lower Class-Identified College Students, Kristen Eileen Adams

Dissertations

This study is one of the first to examine acculturative and enculturative factors as they relate to social class. Much of the extant literature surrounding acculturation and enculturation looks primarily at cultural factors such as race/ethnicity and/or immigration status. Due to the fact that social class is such a salient cultural identity in most individuals' lives and has a bearing on how one views and evaluates themselves in relation to others of differing social classes (Fouad & Brown, 2000), the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social class connectedness on subjective wellbeing (including positive and negative …

Group-Level Differences Of Moral Foundations, Jeremy Winget

Master's Theses

Previous research has started to map the moral domain for individual actors. In particular, Haidt and colleagues (Haidt, 2007, 2008; Haidt & Graham, 2007; Haidt & Joseph, 2004) have extended the moral domain beyond the traditional notions of justice and rights concerns. From this line of research, moral foundations theory emerged, which holds moral intuitions derive from innate psychological mechanisms that co-evolved with cultural institutions and practices. However, to date, there has not been a systematic demonstration of how these moral foundations operate within intergroup settings. Janoff-Bulman and Carnes (2013) have proposed a comprehensive model of the moral landscape that …

The Role Of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (Nac) As An Adjuvant To Opioid Treatment In Patients With Inadequately Controlled Chronic Neuropathic Pain, Thomas B. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. While opioid medications are commonly prescribed for management of neuropathic pain (NP), long-term use has been associated with increased risk for overdose, drug interactions and addiction. New strategies are necessary to better manage chronic pain, thereby reducing need for opioid medications and their associated adverse consequences. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter supplement, has shown promise in the treatment of psychiatric and addictive disorders. In addition, NAC has shown promise for reducing physiological signs of NP in laboratory rat models, prompting this study.

Purpose. The present study was an open-label clinical trial of NAC as an adjuvant to opioid treatment for …

Exploring The Outcomes Of Rehabilitative Care For Veterans And Service Members Treated For A Disorder Of Consciousness In The Vha Emerging Conciousness Program, Janette A. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past several years, there has been an influx in patients being treated for polytraumatic injuries within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), largely due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also due to advances in life sustaining medical interventions. The polytrauma population includes veterans who have sustained a severe traumatic or non-traumatic brain injury, and a significant loss in cognitive and physical functioning, referred to as a disorder of consciousness. The purpose of the current study was to explore factors related to successful emergence from a disorder of consciousness, using a sample of veterans who were treated …

Exploring The Role Of Intersectionality On Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Sexual Minorities, Leia Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Previous research has shown that sexual minority individuals (SM) are twice as likely to smoke, twice as likely to be overweight or obese, and less likely to be physically active than heterosexual persons; all of which place SMs at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While information on CVD risk by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status is well documented, there is scant literature examining race, gender, and the potential CVD risk in SMs. The purpose of this study was to examine CVD risk in sexual minorities.

Method: The current study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent …

The Relationship Between Problem-Solving Ability/Eating Motivation And Perceived Quality Of Life In Individuals Diagnosed With Celiac Disease, Vincenzo Zaccheo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Celiac disease (CD) is a digestive disorder resulting from gluten intolerance that leads to damage of the small intestine. The only current available treatment for CD involves adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. Due to the restrictive nature of this treatment diet, and the increasing prevalence of CD in recent years, much research has been conducted examining factors that impact the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with CD. However, there has been a dearth of literature identifying those factors which can be modified within a treatment setting. Thus, a need for further research in this area was identified. Through …

Folate And Inflammatory Markers Moderate The Association Between Helicobacter Pylori Exposure And Cognitive Function In Us Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Background: Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection is associated with cogni-tive deficits in humans, an association potentially mediated or moderated byfolate concentration or inflammation.Materials and

Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Exami-nation Survey (NHANES) datasets to examine whether folate concentrationor inflammation mediates or moderates the relationship betweenH. pyloriand cognitive function. Models were performed using linear, Poisson, andzero-inflated Poisson regression, and we performed separate analyses forgroups aged 20–59 and 60–90 years with sample sizes ranging from 700 to1700.Results:We did not find evidence of mediation in either age group. In the20- to 59-year group, interactions betweenH. pyloriand ferritin (pvaluesranging from .004 to …

No Association Between Latent Toxoplasmosis And Multiple Body Measures In U.S. Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an intracellular parasite that can cause ongoing latent infection persisting for the duration of a non-definitive host's life. Affecting approximately one-third of the world's population, latent toxoplasmosis has been associated with neuropsychological outcomes and a previous report suggested an association between latent toxoplasmosis and adult height. Given the large number of people with latent toxoplasmosis and its potential associations with human height, we sought to better understand the association between latent toxoplasmosis and human morphology by evaluating seropositivity for T. gondii and multiple body measures reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination …

Mother Making: How First Time Mothers Develop A Parenting Practice In Contemporary America, Stephanie A. Wright

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

History has shown, time and again, that parenting practices in America change in the face of important social, political, cultural and ideological transitions. Such influences are often concealed, but nonetheless greatly impact not only the way mothers parent their children but also how they think of themselves in their mothering role. Historical and feminist scholars have helped to elucidate how broad historical legacies and current ideologies, such as patriarchy, capitalism, neoliberalism, and feminism itself, continue to shape dominant discursive understandings about motherhood. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, eight first time mothers from mostly white, middle class, educated and full time working …

Distribution Of And Relationship Between Medically Classified Weight And Self-Perceived Body Size Across Sexual Orientation: An Add Health Analysis, Ashley J. Strauss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Rates of overweight and obesity have reached epidemic status in the United States and better understanding and treatment of obesity is vital to our success in ending this national trend. Current understanding of special populations informs us sexual minority women are at a higher risk of overweight and obesity. This study sets out to verify this using a nationally representative sample population in a fixed factor blocked ANOVA, controlling for common confounding variables shown to be strong influences of overweight and obesity. Next, the relationship between self-perceived body size and medically classified body size will be compared across sexual orientation …

Risk Factors Associated With First-Year College Dropout, Tiffany K. Ho, Divya Krishna

UROP Posters

Previous research has shown that a variety of factors can impact college student’s academic performance, including healthy nutrition, physical activity, substance use, smoking, early sexual activity, bullying, excessive television watching, internet use, and playing video games. The purpose of the current study was to explore possible predictors of dropout in students after their first year of college. Data came from the Spit for Science sample and were limited to individuals in the first three cohorts that answered the survey during the fall of their freshmen year (N=6105). Logistic regression was used to test a variety of risk factors, including mental/behavior …

No Association Between Current Depression And Latent Toxoplasmosis In Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Shawn D. Gale, Andrew N. Berrett, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Changes in behaviour and cognition have been associated with latent infection from the apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) in both animal and human studies. Further, neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia have also been associated with latent toxoplasmosis. Previously, we found no association between T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibody (IgG) seropositivity and depression in human adults between the ages of 20 and 39 years (n = 1 846) in a sample representative of the United States collected by the Centers for Disease Control as part of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from three datasets collected …

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness And School Performance In Middle School Girls, Jamie Anne Donnelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has indicated a significant relationship between physical fitness and standardized test scores; however, the relationship between physical fitness and other aspects of school performance has yet to be empirically examined in a population specifically composed of middle school girls. This study examined several factors that contribute to school success, such as classroom behavior, attendance, and grades, in relation to physical fitness among a group of adolescent girls. It was specifically designed to examine the statistical relationship between physical fitness, as measured by the Fitnessgram, and quantitative data on school performance including grades, standardized test scores, school behavior, and …

The Experience Of Being Unsheltered In Atlanta, Ikeranda Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, it is estimated that millions of adults are homeless. Some individuals choose not to use homeless shelters or are ineligible for their use. Researchers have indicated that many unsheltered homeless are men over the age of 45 years. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences with social services providers among unsheltered men. Understanding the social networks of unsheltered homeless and the use of spirituality or faith as a resource for coping was also examined, as a significant gap exists in the research on unsheltered homeless. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 …

Factors Influencing The Use Of Physical Restraints On Children Living In Residential Treatment Facilities, April M. Minjarez-Estenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of physical restraints in residential treatment centers for children has been shown to be detrimental to both staff and the children. Although there have been nationwide initiatives to reduce or eliminate the use of physical restraints on children, to date, researchers have not yet identified the organizational factors that predict the likelihood of using physical restraints on children. Based on the two-factor theory, in which two different types of predictors of motivation and behavior in the workplace were identified, the purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study was to examine whether satisfaction with pay, a hygiene factor, and satisfaction …

Exploring The Psychometric Properties Of The Acceptance Of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression (Ammsa) Scale, Lisa C. Watson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

College-aged women are within the highest risk group of women (18 to 25 years old) to experience sexual assault. Nineteen percent of college women report experiencing attempted or completed sexual assault during their four years of college (Krebs, Linquist, Warner, Fisher, & Martin, 2009). It is estimated that 20 to 25% of college women will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault during college (American College Health Association, 2008). The primary sexual assault prevention method on college campuses has been in the form of education (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004) with an …

Motivating Parents Of Kids With Asthma To Quit Smoking: The Effect Of The Teachable Moment And Increasing Intervention Intensity Using A Longitudinal Randomized Trial Design, Belinda Borrelli, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Aims—We tested two aims: 1) The Teachable Moment (TM): whether second hand smoke exposure (SHSe) feedback motivates cessation in parents of children with asthma vs. parents of healthy children (HC) and 2) whether greater intervention intensity (Enhanced-PAM) produces greater cessation than a previously tested intervention (Precaution Adoption Model; PAM).

Design and interventions—Aim 1: Two home visits (asthma education or child wellness), and cessation induction using Motivational Interviewing and SHSe feedback. Aim 2: Post home-visits, parents with asthmatic children were randomized to PAM (n=171; 6 asthma education calls) or Enhanced-PAM (n=170; 6 asthma education/smoking cessation calls + repeat SHSe …

Solutions For Wellness: Outcome Review And Analysis Of A Healthy Lifestyle Group, Gary Burlingame, Valerie King, Rebecca Janis

Faculty Publications

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience a notably decreased life span due, in part to a metabolic syndrome linked to psychotropic medications commonly prescribed to SMI patients. Eli Lilly’s Solutions for Wellness (SFW) program was designed to address some of the risk factors (e.g., weight, diet, lifestyle) that exacerbate the metabolic syndrome in SMI outpatients. However, there is limited data as to the effectiveness of the SFW program for hospitalized SMI patients. We replicate and compare SFW outcomes from an inpatient SMI population treated at the Utah State Hospital with previous research that tested an abbreviated SFW curriculum of …

An Evaluation Of A Smartphone–Assisted Behavioral Weight Control Intervention For Adolescents: Pilot Study, Chad D. Jensen, Kristina M. Duncombe, Mark A. Lott, Sanita L. Hunsaker, Kara Mcrae Duraccio, Susan J. Woolford

Faculty Publications

Background: The efficacy of adolescent weight control treatments is modest, and effective treatments are costly and are not widely available. Smartphones may be an effective method for delivering critical components of behavioral weight control treatment including behavioral self-monitoring.

Objective: To examine the efficacy and acceptability of a smartphone assisted adolescent behavioral weight control intervention.

Methods: A total of 16 overweight or obese adolescents (mean age=14.29 years, standard deviation=1.12) received 12 weeks of combined treatment that consisted of weekly in-person group behavioral weight control treatment sessions plus smartphone self-monitoring and daily text messaging. Subsequently they received 12 weeks of electronic-only intervention, …

Why Fish Do Not Feel Pain, Brian Key

Animal Sentience

Only humans can report feeling pain. In contrast, pain in animals is typically inferred on the basis of nonverbal behaviour. Unfortunately, these behavioural data can be problematic when the reliability and validity of the behavioural tests are questionable. The thesis proposed here is based on the bioengineering principle that structure determines function. Basic functional homologies can be mapped to structural homologies across a broad spectrum of vertebrate species. For example, olfaction depends on olfactory glomeruli in the olfactory bulbs of the forebrain, visual orientation responses depend on the laminated optic tectum in the midbrain, and locomotion depends on pattern generators …