Digital Commons Network^™

A Concept Mapping Needs Assessment Of Young Families With Parental Cancer, Richard P. Durant

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research is to investigate the support needs of young families living with and beyond a parental diagnosis of cancer. The sample includes 56 participants comprised of 31 professional stakeholders and 25 patient stakeholders affiliated with the Charles R. Wood Cancer Center. It was hypothesized there would be differences in how the groups of stakeholders rated needs in terms of importance, satisfaction, and utilization. Differences in ratings are thought to be barriers to effective program development. While not a formal research hypothesis, it was anticipated other program development barriers germane to naturalistic clinical settings would emerge from …

Familial Influences On The Coping Strategies Of African American Youth From Foster Care Families And Biological Families, Cynthya Campbell

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to examine the impact of three parental factors: caregiver socialization of coping, caregiver modeling of coping and caregiver/child relationship (i.e. parent support) on coping strategies of African American youth in foster care and those who reside with at least on biological parent. Approximately, 110 African American children and adolescents and their caregivers reported on coping strategies used to manage stressors and stress-evoking events. Controlling for SES, child age and child gender, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether youth residing in foster care reported less attachment and less caregiver socialization of coping as …

The Impact Of Hospice And Dementia Special Care Units On End-Of-Life Care For Individuals With Dementia, Catherine Elizabeth Mccarty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Hospice and Dementia Special Care Units (DSCUs) have been shown to be gold standards of care for individuals who are dying and for those with dementia in nursing homes. Using a retrospective administrator and family survey, this study investigated whether the processes of care used in hospice and DSCUs are associated with increased quality of end of life (EOL) care for individuals with dementia. A convenience sample of 17 facilities in four states (FL, PA, MD and MA) was included in the study. Nursing home administrators were surveyed between September 2008 and October 2009. The administrators identified 116 family …

Health-Promoting Behaviors And Subjective Well-Being Among Early Adolescents, Emily J. Shaffer-Hudkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the specific health-promoting behaviors employed by early adolescents (n = 246) and their subjective well-being (SWB) to provide an understanding of how mental and physical wellness relate in teens. Participants self-reported on their dietary habits, physical activity, sleep hygiene, safety habits, and attitudes toward substance use. A comprehensive assessment of SWB was also gathered (i.e., global life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). The researcher hypothesized that each of the five health-promoting behaviors assessed in the current study would have significant, positive correlations with the SWB of early adolescents, in that youth who reported higher levels of …

Integrating Morita Therapy And Art Therapy: An Analysis, Ayako Sato

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study presents therapeutic interventions combining Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques. The author presents literature reviews of art therapy as well as the original Morita Therapy formulated by Shoma Morita, M.D. A new art therapy technique based on the work of Kenji Kitanishi, M.D. (2008) for outpatient treatment is also presented. A case illustration of an eleven‐year‐old Vietnamese‐American boy who presented with high anxiety and school refusal is used as an example of the effective integration of Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques formulated by the author. Even though the boy was not familiar with Morita Therapy principles, the …

Eating Disorder Metaphors: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Of Women's Experiences, Rachael Brooke Goren-Watts

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in the United States and cause immense pain and suffering. Given the high fatality and relapse rates of eating disorders, as well as the numerous medical complications associated with them, it is useful to know more about how individuals view their eating disorder, and the meaning making during the recovery process in order to better understand the experience. Narrative theory, and specifically the metaphors women use to story their experience, enrich our understanding of eating disorders within a social constructionist lens. This qualitative meta-synthesis utilizes hermeneutics and identifies and describes the metaphors that women …

Relations Of Depression, Social Support, And Socio-Demographic Factors On Health Behaviors Of Mothers With Premature Infants Hospitalized In A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu), Surbhi Kanotra

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationships of depression, social support, and socio-demographic factors on health behaviors of mothers with preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In addition, the study also assessed the moderation effect of social support on the relationship between depression and health behaviors. Eighty-nine mothers with hospitalized infants in the central Richmond area participated in the study. Analyses found that mother’s education level and her marital status to be significantly associated with her health behaviors. Mothers with a higher level of education and those who were married, were less likely to smoke and more …

Maternal Depressive Symptoms And Health Outcomes In Youths With Type 1 Diabetes: A Mediational Model, Struemph Kari Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The rate and impact of depressive symptoms were examined with two models based on known effects of depression on variables related to diabetes management, parental involvement and diabetes conflict. The proposed models will measure potential effects high maternal depressive symptoms may have on parental monitoring and involvement and diabetes specific conflict and how these variables may in turn relate to poor regimen adherence. Methods: Participants included 225 mothers and young adolescents (aged 11-14) with T1D. Diabetes self-care behaviors were measured with the 24 Hour Recall Interview, parental involvement and monitoring were measured with the Parent Management of Diabetes Scale, …

Impact Of Stress Management On Learning In A Classroom Setting, Pankaj Mandale

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stress is an important feature of the lives of college students and can impact negatively on learning. The effectiveness of an in-class stress management intervention for improving course content retention was tested with a cross-over design in two introductory graduate biostatistics classes. Each class met one day per week for the duration of the semester, and was taught by the same instructor, following the same syllabus. A pretest duplicating items on the midterm and final exam was administered to all students at the first class meeting. Identical midterm and final exams were administered in both classes. During the first half …

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire: Trauma In The Lives Of Homeless Youth Prior To And During Homelessness, John Coates, Sue Mckenzie-Mohr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anecdotal evidence from those who work with homeless youth indicates that trauma permeates these young people's lives. This paper presents the findings from a study of 100 homeless youth regarding the presence of trauma in their lives, both before and during homelessness. Participants living in the Maritime Provinces volunteered to take part in a semi-structured interview lasting one to two hours. The interview questionnaire was conducted by a trained interviewer, and was composed of standardized and adapted survey instruments, as well as questions regarding demographics, experiences prior to becoming homeless, assistance received while dealing with stressors, and current needs. The …

The Interface Of Breastfeeding And Work: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of White Low-Income Women, Jessica A. Kerby

Dissertations

Vocational psychologists have been called to expand the traditional discourses related to work and career to address the actual work experiences of individuals, especially those of the working class. Breastfeeding rates are on the rise among employed women and mothers of low-income, but little is known about women of low income who seek to concurrently work and breastfeed. Work-family interface theories suggest employed mothers of low-income may experience conflict and/or enhancement through multiple roles. The purpose of this research was to answer the call to vocational psychologists, give voice to the narratives around breastfeeding and work among lowincome mothers, and …

Young's Schema Theory: Exploring The Direct And Indirect Links Between Negative Childhood Experiences And Temperament To Negative Affectivity In Adulthood, Mark S. Jesinoski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young's schema theory offers a theoretical approach that relates negative childhood experiences, temperament, and early maladaptive schema, to the experience of negative affect and/or depression in adulthood. However, despite the widespread use of schema therapy in clinical practice, little research has explored the pathways theorized by Young. This study explored the pathways posited by Young and colleagues looking at the direct and indirect relationships among negative childhood experience, temperament, early maladaptive schema, and the experience of negative affect in adulthood. Self-report data were collected from 365 undergraduate students. Results demonstrated consistent and robust direct relationships between temperament and negative affect, …

The Essential Structure Of Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Letty Workman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While many jokes and sales of specialty merchandise have been made that make light of consumers who frequently shop and buy (e.g., "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping," or "I am a shopaholic"), for 18 million Americans suffering from compulsive buying, the process of shopping and buying has caused their lives to literally go out of control. The outcomes of this disease for individuals, families, and business are all negative. In a marketing era of social responsibility, if marketers either knowingly or unknowingly encourage increased consumption among compulsive buyers, potential negative outcomes stand to impact others well …

Families' Perspectives On The Effect Of Constipation And Fecal Incontinence On Quality Of Life, Astrida S. Kaugars, Alan Silverman, Margo Kinservik, Susan Heinze, Lisa Reinemann, Megan Sanders, Brian W. Schneider, Manu Sood

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: Understanding families' quality of life can be important for interdisciplinary treatment planning. The present study examined child and parent perspectives about how constipation and fecal incontinence affect families' quality of life.

Patients and Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 children/adolescents and 8 caregivers. All of the children met Rome II criteria for functional constipation. Interviews were analyzed by an interdisciplinary team using a content analysis approach, which included developing a coding manual that described emergent themes from the interview transcripts.

Results: Qualitative and quantitative responses revealed the varied experiences of participating families. Child and parent views may be …

A Naturalistic Study Of Exercise Adherence Among A Community Based Sample At A Fitness Facility, Felicia M. Johnson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study aimed at investigating the factors predictive of exercise for short-term (i.e., at least six months) and long-term (i.e., at least one year) adherence at a fitness facility. Exercise adherence, defined through the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) as the maintenance stage of change, and frequency of participation in exercise were measured through member utilization of the fitness facility as it occurred in the participant’s natural setting without interference of the researcher. Each time a member entered the exercise facility they scanned their member card and their attendance was automatically recorded into the membership computer system. Fitness Planning & Positive Appraisal, …

A Review Of Psychosocial Support And The Challenges Faced In Disclosing Hiv Positive Status To Children In Kibera, Katherine Lesyna

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The AIDS pandemic has become an increasingly global problem as well as an everyday reality for most people living in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009, an estimation of the number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa totaled around 22.4 million.1 The people that have been affected most by the pandemic are women and children.
In Kenya, about 1.5 million people are infected with HIV, about 180,000 of them being children.2 While a lot has been done to reduce HIV infections and treat those who are infected, children have been left behind until recently. There is still much …

Impact Of Parenting Factors And Personal Ego Development On Risk For Eating Disorders Among College Women, Valerie J. Lucas

Dissertations (1934 -)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of parental factors and individual ego development in identifying an at-risk profile for eating disordered behavior among female emerging adults. Specifically, this study was designed to test the hypotheses that parent eating attitudes and behavior and parenting style are correlated phenomena associated with a self-reported proclivity for eating disordered behavior among female offspring with individual ego development level as either a protective or exacerbating factor. Previous research with parental factors and eating disorders does not address a comprehensive model that utilizes the multiple parental variables of parent eating attitudes and …

Spirituality, Religiosity, And Weight Management In Black Women, Shené L. Bowie

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background

Obesity is a major concern in the United States and Black Americans are among those with the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and related co- morbidities. While weight loss among Black women has been studied within the context of a faith-based setting, there is little information about the relationship between spirituality, or relationship with the transcendent, and self-efficacy in the achievement and maintenance of a healthy weight.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating, and body composition measures among Black women over the period of participation …

Prenatal Undernutrition And Cognitive Function In Late Adulthood, Susanne R. De Rooij, Hans Wouters, Julie E. Yonker, Rebecca C. Painter

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

At the end of World War II, a severe 5-mo famine struck the cities in the western part of The Netherlands. At its peak, the rations dropped to as low as 400 calories per day. In 1972, cognitive performance in 19-y-old male conscripts was reported not to have been affected by exposure to the famine before birth. In the present study, we show that cognitive function in later life does seem affected by prenatal undernutrition. We found that at age 56 to 59, men and women exposed to famine during the early stage of gestation performed worse on a selective …

Body Image Satisfaction In Infant And Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Recipients As Adolescents, Danusia Nedilskyj

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the long-term survival rate of infant and pediatric heart transplant recipients reaching as high as 85%, there is now a significant number of these youths entering adolescence. Although psychological factors thought to be associated with pediatric heart transplant have reached clearer delineation in the literature, few studies have been conducted. Given the emphasis on development typically seen in adolescence combined with the unique experience of receiving a heart transplant, factors such as body image, self-perception, stress and mood have emerged from the literature. As such, this study assessed psychosocial variables of body image satisfaction, self-concept, depression, and social stress …

Convergent Validity Of Self Reported Physical Activity With A Seven Day Recall, Benjamin J. Silber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Accurate assessment of physical activity is important to studies interested in the relationship between physical activity and other variables. Questionnaires are the only feasible means for large-scale sampling but such self-report measures require validation due to their inherent subjectivity. The Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) survey includes exercise items that were validated in the present investigation. A calibration study examined self-reports of exercise with two phone calls to 1,000 participants in which an interview-assisted 7-day physical activity recall was completed by a random sample of AHS-2 participants. Inter-index correlations both within the survey and between the survey and the 7-day physical …

Psychological Profiles In A Female Bariatric Surgery Sample, Aimee L. Donato

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Morbid obesity is an epidemic. Current literature suggests that people with morbid obesity tend to show increased levels of psychological dysfunction. This is especially pertinent to the clinicians who work with morbidly obese patients who seek bariatric surgery as the method for weight control. Surgery should be performed on patients who are psychologically ready to adjust to the stringent post-operative lifestyle.

The purpose of the present study was (1) to compare two groups of bariatric patients (a White group and a non-White group) on pre-surgery measures: specific scales on the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD), the Beck Depression Inventory II …

Walter Miles And His 1920 Grand Tour Of European Physiology And Psychology Laboratories: A Reproduction Of The Original Typescript, Walter R. Miles, C. James Goodwin, Lizette Royer Barton

University of Akron Press Publications

Walter R. Miles (1885-1978) was an American experimental psychologist very much interested in laboratory apparatus and procedures and their applications to human behavior. Early in his career, Miles received an appointment as a research scientist at the Carnegie Nutrition Laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts. When Miles arrived at the Carnegie Nutrition Laboratory in 1914, work was well underway on the physiological effects of various nutrients on the human body. Miles began studies on the effects of alcohol on physiological and psychological functioning.

The First World War severed many of the relationships that the Carnegie Laboratory had with research counterparts in Europe. …

Consistency Of Written Trauma Narratives Over A Course Of Trauma-Focused Therapy, Juliette Marissa Mott

Dissertations

Several of the procedures commonly used in trauma-focused therapies are similar to techniques that have been shown to influence the consistency and accuracy of memory in experimental settings. These techniques include verbalizing a non-verbal memory, repeatedly recalling an event, and recalling an event in the presence of another person. In an effort to examine the impact of such techniques on memory for a traumatic event, and in turn the impact of traumatic memory change on treatment outcome, the present study examined changes in written trauma narratives created over the course of trauma-focused therapy. Participants were PTSD-positive female survivors of interpersonal …

Examining The Relationship Between Body Work And Muscle Dysmorphia Symptoms, Katharine J. Reynolds

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether men with a large amount of Muscle Dysmorphia symptoms had a more favorable outlook and opinion of body work. Participants in the current study were a convenience sample of men recruited from undergraduate classes at Western Kentucky University and the community of Bowling Green Kentucky and Somerset Kentucky. A total of 215 men completed the study. Participants completed the Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory (MDI) and the Attitude-Behavior Questionnaire (ABQ). Results indicate scores on the MDI were significant predictors of scores on the ABQ. This suggests that men with a high number of …

Coping With Negative Feedback In The Health Domain: Are Race Differences In Coping Related To Weight Disparities Among Blacks And Whites?, Lindsay Renee Kraynak

Psychology - Theses

While overweight and obesity are problems for many adults, there are significant racial disparities, such that Blacks suffer higher rates than Whites. A number of health conditions that are linked to overweight and obesity, including diabetes and hypertension are also more prevalent among Blacks than among Whites (Glover, Greenlund, Ayla, & Croft, 2005; Pleis & Lethbridge-Çejku, 2007). With the knowledge that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested that there are psychological components to obesity, this research aims to investigate psychological components that may contribute to the weight/health disparity between Blacks and Whites. Other research has demonstrated that …

Initial Development Of A Healthy Living Curriculum Within Family Behavior Therapy For Substance Abuse, Holly B. Lapota

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A mother referred for child maltreatment and substance abuse treatment after her son tested positive for methamphetamines at birth participated in an in-home Family Behavior Therapy-Healthy Lifestyle intervention to eliminate substance use, improve parenting behaviors, lose weight, and develop better exercise habits. Twenty sessions were completed in 6 months that targeted familial communication, self-control, goal setting with contingency management, job getting skills, and stimulus control techniques. Upon termination from treatment, the participant’s self-report and urine testing was consistent with substance cessation, and she evidenced substantial improvements in her level of stress, family communication and relationships, and child maltreatment potential. She …

The Relationship Between The Level Of Support Group Participation And Psychosocial Factors In Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Proton Therapy, Carol A. L. Davis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. The role of support groups for cancer patients is known to be beneficial in helping people adjust to the disease, and cope with the myriad of effects that cancer has on quality of life. Although many people express interest in attending such support groups, few attend regularly. It is unclear what characteristics distinguish those who use such services from those who do not, especially among proton therapy patients.

Objective. To examine demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with the Brotherhood of the Balloon (BOB) prostate cancer support group membership, a unique treatment-focused group originating at Loma Linda University Medical Center …

The Effect Of Self-Efficacy Manipulation On The Efficiency, Rate Of Perceived Exertion, And Affective State Of Runners, Isabelle Stoate

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objectives: To determine the effect of self-efficacy manipulation on the movement efficiency, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and affective state of runners while running on the treadmill at a constant submaximal pace.

Methods: 20 trained male and female runners were randomly assigned to experimental (self-efficacy manipulation) and control groups. Participants first filled out a pre self-efficacy questionnaire and the positive affect negative affect schedule (PANAS), and then completed a 20 minute run on the treadmill running at 75% of their peak treadmill running speed. After 10 minutes, their oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), and RPE was recorded. Participants (n=10) …

Implications Of Napping Into And Beyond Kindergarten On Sleep, Diet, And The Awakening Cortisol Response, Alyssa Anne Cairns

Dissertations

This study is an examination of sleep distribution, dietary intake, and endocrine function of caregiver-reported Nap and Non-Nap Groups of children before and after they transition to an all-day kindergarten where napping is reduced or eliminated. Measures were assessed the summer prior to kindergarten, within two weeks, and after a month of the transition to kindergarten. The study revealed that the transition to kindergarten was associated with changes in sleep and dietary intake. Endocrine function remained stable as children transitioned to kindergarten. On average, Nap and Non-Nap Groups equally lost total sleep time as they transitioned to kindergarten. However, the …