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Learning And Working Together: Invoking Systems’ Change Through Inter-Organizational Collaborative Principles And A Learning Community Framework, Brandon Hey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Local communities face significant challenges such as increased inequality, immigration, and global climate change. In order to address these challenges whole cities have to innovate and learn together. In this thesis, I introduce the Learning Community (LC) model, a new way of collaborating and creating collective impact that emphasizes learning, alongside collective impact, as a central strategy to addressing complex social challenges. In a LC, members value the continuous pursuit of knowledge, feedback, and experimentation as well as the flow of information and resources between academic institutions and practice groups. The value of learning is built into key structures …

The Association Between Neighborhood Factors And Mexican Americans’ Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Kai Wei, Jaime Booth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This systematic review seeks to elucidate the association between neighborhood factors and Mexican American mental health outcomes. We searched PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier for studies related to neighborhood factors and mental health. Google Scholar was used to identify additional studies, followed by a manual inspection of the related work. Eleven studies were identified. Nine studies found that neighborhood factors had a significant impact on mental health among this group. Neighborhood compositional factors influenced mental health directly, among which minority concentration was found to be protective for Mexican American mental health. Neighborhood contextual factors influenced mental health directly and indirectly …

When ‘Places’ Include Pets: Broadening The Scope Of Relational Approaches To Promoting Aging-In-Place, Ann M. Toohey, Jennifer A. Hewson, Cindy L. Adams, Melanie J. Rock

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Aging-in-place is a well-established concept, but discussions rarely consider that many older adults live with pets. In a ‘pet-friendly’ city, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore perspectives of community-based social support agencies that promote aging-in-place, and those of animal welfare agencies. Applying a relational ecology theoretical framework, we found that pets may contribute to feeling socially- situated, yet may also exacerbate constraints on autonomy experienced by some older adults. Pet-related considerations at times led to discretionary acts of more-than-human solidarity, but also created paradoxical situations for service-providers, impacting their efforts to assist older adults. A shortage of pet-friendly affordable housing …

Spiritual Leadership: Achieving Positive Health Outcomes In African-American Christian Churches, Cynthia Bracey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, African-American residents are an underserved population with evidence of higher health disparities than those associated with any other race, contributing to escalating health care costs. Despite the absence of health promotion and wellness training, pastors in predominately Black churches accept the responsibility for addressing more than the spiritual needs of their church members. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory research study was to explore the perspectives of African-American Christian pastors on giving health guidance and their lived experiences as health promotion advocates. A total of 10 African-American Christian pastors were voluntarily recruited from 3 southern …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of A Rural Emergency Mental Health Trauma Service, William L. Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that emergency mental health trauma (EMHT) services can significantly reduce the long-term effects of trauma after a disaster. However, rural municipalities may find they do not have the capacity to create such a service, or may not realize that their disaster planning includes no provision for emergency mental health care. Such was the case in a rural island community in the state of Washington, where, in 2014, several residents initiated a discussion that helped to identify the community's lack of EMHT services. This project, framed by action research and based on collaboration theory, sought to advance the …

The Impact Of Maternity Healthcare Employees Professional Development On Pregnant Teen Health, Patricia.Kelley Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge gaps exist related to the care and education of pregnant teens. This project study addressed the problem of an inadequate amount of professional development (PD) and training for healthcare professionals (HCPs) caring for pregnant teens at a maternity clinic in the Southeastern United States. Unless HCPs are appropriately trained, the ability to meet the needs of pregnant teens is deficient and negative health outcomes for these patients are likely to be exacerbated. The humanistic learning theory was used in this phenomenological exploratory study to explore perception of 9 HCPs who had the responsibility for patient teaching, clinical care, and …

Needs Assessment For A Lifestyle Intervention Weight Loss Program For Hospital Employees, Karen Baumann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of obesity is increasing in the United States. In Florida, almost 60% of the population will be obese by 2030. This increase is expected to contribute to millions of cases of preventable chronic diseases costing the state an estimated $34 billion dollars. Employer-sponsored health programs can positively influence employees' lifestyle choices and support weight loss programs to reduce health-related costs to the employee and the employer. Guided by the transtheoretical model, the purpose of the project was to conduct an employee assessment to determine the need for, interest in, and readiness for a lifestyle intervention weight loss program. …

Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the parenting role of nonresidential fathers of children living in shelters. Special attention was paid to the perceived contributions of these fathers to the overall health and general well-being of their children residing in shelters. Often separations of nonresidential fathers from their children in shelters decreased their contributions to their children's health and well-being. Increased knowledge of these parental roles and contributions can enhance programs and policies to support these fathers in improving the health and well-being of their children. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 demographically diverse nonresidential fathers living in Philadelphia. The …

Non Medical Prescription Drug Use In Rural Communities And Social Work, Izetta Mounice Briggs-Bolling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the roles and responsibilities of social workers providing services to nonmedical prescription drug users (NMPDU). Researchers have indicated NMPDU disproportionately affects people living in rural communities. The overarching research question sought to explore the concerns of social workers when providing services to patients coping with NMPDU in the rural community of Ulster County, New York. The intention was to examine systemic challenges facing rural social workers when attempting to decrease morbidity risks and increase the health of Ulster County residents. A total of 7 social workers participated in 3 focus groups to explore their ideas for defining, …

"You're Doing Fine, Right?": Adolescent Siblings Of Substance Abusers, Cynthia E. Clarfield

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There has been a rising interest in addiction medicine and addiction treatment in both the medical and behavioral health science fields. Research suggests having a family member with a substance abuse problem has negative impacts on both physical and mental health (Orford, Copello, Velleman, & Templeton, 2010a). Despite advances toward understanding the experiences of family members affected by a loved one's addiction, the siblings of substance abusers have been largely excluded from scientific research and literature. As a result, little is known about how siblings experience the impacts of a brother or sister's addiction; even less is known about the …

Effects Of A Mindfulness Based Intervention On Diurnal Cortisol In Cancer Survivors, Susannah Small

Theses and Dissertations

Background. There are approximately 15.5 million individuals alive today in the U.S. with a personal history of cancer. For this large and growing population, ill effects associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment include both physical and psychosocial symptoms adversely affecting quality of life. One low-risk alternative to conventional pharmaceutical use in treating these symptoms is mindfulness practice. Research on self-reported measures provides strong evidence that this type of intervention improves quality of life for cancer survivors, but evidence of impact on objective measures is limited. Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, is one relatively easy to measure indicator that …

Relationship Of Religiosity And Spirituality To Hazardous Drinking, Drug Use, And Depression Among Sexual Minority Women, Laurie Drabble, Cindy Veldhuis, Barth Riley, Sharon Rostosky, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

Using data from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study (N = 699), we explored whether religiosity and spirituality were associated with risk of hazardous drinking, drug use, and depression among sexual minority women (SMW; i.e., lesbian, bisexual) and possible differences by race/ethnicity. Participants were more likely to endorse spirituality than religiosity, and endorsement of each was highest among African American SMW. We found no protective effect of religiosity or spirituality for hazardous drinking or drug use. An association initially found between identifying as very spiritual and past-year depression disappeared when controlling for help-seeking. …

Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Preventive Behaviour Towards Hypertension Among Myanmar Migrants In Samutsakhon Province, Thailand, Thet Su San

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

A cross sectional study was done in MaharChai Subdistrict, Samut Sakhon, Thailand in April and May 2018. The main purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of preventive behaviour regarding hypertension among Myanmar migrants living in the Samutsakhon province. The study was done on 422 participants(219 male and 203 female ).Face to face interview was carried out using structured interviewer administered questionnaire. The ethical approval was given on 17th April, 2018 with protocol no.070.1/61. Questionnaire consists of socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice of preventive behaviour regarding hypertension. Frequency distribution, chi-square and Fisher-exact tests were …

Factors Associated With Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (Wmsds) Among Coffee Harvesters In Doi Chaang Coffee Factory, Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai, Thailand, Wipawee Songsaeng

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) cause great impact on health of the working population especially the unskilled labor such as farmers and low-income workers. However, in Thailand, only a few epidemiological studies investigated the risk factors related to WMSDs in farmers. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with WMSDs among 272 coffee harvesters in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The questionnaire was adapted from Standard Nordic Questionnaire and face to face interview was done with the eligible participants. Descriptive statistic was used to find the prevalence and binary logistic regression was use to find the association between …

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …

Recovery From Design, Cassandra J. Ellison

Theses and Dissertations

Through research, inquiry, and an evaluation of Recovery By Design, a ‘design therapy’ program that serves people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities, it is my assertion that the practice of design has therapeutic potential and can aid in the process of recovery. To the novice, the practices of conception, shaping form, and praxis have empowering benefit especially when guided by Conditional and Transformation Design methods together with an emphasis on materiality and vernacular form.

Person-Centered Treatment To Optimize Psychiatric Medication Adherence, Natalie Bareis

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Adherence to psychotropic medication is poor among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). To understand treatment experiences and associated adherence among these individuals, we developed a novel construct of Clinical Net Benefit (CNB) using psychiatric symptoms, adverse effects and overall functioning assessments. We tested whether adherence differed across classes of CNB, whether individuals transitioned between classes over time, and whether these transitions were differentially associated with adherence.

Methods: Data come from individuals aged 18+ during five years of the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD). Latent class analysis identified groups of CNB. Latent transition analysis determined probabilities of …

Exploring Job Satisfaction And Preceptorship Capacity Among Applied Epidemiologists, Jessica C. Arrazola

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Job satisfaction is important to consider when developing strategies for recruitment and retention. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) conducted in 2014 was the first nationally representative assessment of the state public health workforce. Prior to this assessment, the job satisfaction of state agency public health workers and preceptor capacity had not been measured. This study fills the current research gaps by studying the job satisfaction among the applied epidemiology workforce, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, and the describing the preceptorship capacity among epidemiologists. This research is based on the 2014 PH WINS data. The analysis …

Community Engagement With Older Adults To Evaluate Interprofessional Education In Allied Healthcare Students, Scott Heinerichs, Mary Beth Gilboy, Stacie Metz, Melissa A. Reed, Barbara E. Harrison

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To examine students’ perceptions of interprofessional education (IPE) as a result of their participation in a community engagement experience with older adults. Methods: Thirty-six students enrolled in the undergraduate majors of athletic training, exercise science, and nutrition participated in an 8-week fall prevention program in two community dwelling senior centers. A one-group pretest-posttest evaluation design was used to assess the IPE experience of the students. Students completed the University of the West England Interprofessional Questionnaire pre and post intervention. Results: Both pretest and posttest student self-assessments of communication and teamwork skills ranged from slightly positive to neutral (means from …

Impact Of Family-Friendly Prison Policies On Health, Justice And Child Protection Outcomes For Incarcerated Mothers And Their Dependent Children: A Cohort Study Protocol, Helen Myers, Leonie Segal, Derek Lopez, Ian W. Li, David B. Preen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

Female imprisonment has numerous health and social sequelae for both women prisoners and their children. Examples of comprehensive family-friendly prison policies that seek to improve the health and social functioning of women prisoners and their children exist but have not been evaluated. This study will determine the impact of exposure to a family-friendly prison environment on health, child protection and justice outcomes for incarcerated mothers and their dependent children.

Methods and analysis

A longitudinal retrospective cohort design will be used to compare outcomes for mothers incarcerated at Boronia Pre-release Centre, a women’s prison with a dedicated family-friendly environment, and …

Segregation Or Integration: Exploring The Interprofessional Collaboration Of The Sexual Assault Response Team-A Pilot Study, Phyllis E. Adams

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) has been functioning since the early 1970’s with little research on the dynamics of the members’ interprofessional collaboration practice. A current gap in the literature is research specific to the assimilation of the disciplines within the SART and the collaborative practice of the SART. The purpose of this project study is to clarify the 12 subscales of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (motivation, role expectations, personality style, professional power, group leadership, communication, coping, social support, organizational culture, organizational aims, organizational domain, and organizational environment) and explore how each profession perceives these subscales. The sample participants were …

Tobacco Use, Cessation, And Locus Of Control Among College Students, Bernard Ambe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine the locus of control among American college students (b) determine if tobacco use or cessation correlate with any demographic variables to better understand the efficacy of tobacco interventions and help design an intervention most effective in the prominent LOC of college students.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) was modified for the purposes of this study and used to determine demographic factors and tobacco usage status. The modified GATS survey also included the LOC questionnaire which yielded the data. Seventy-four responses were recorded. The mean locus of control scores were …

Inside The Juvenile Justice System, Megan Phalon

Master's Projects and Capstones

The United States of America is known for freedom and integrity and being a nation that stands for justice and equality for all. Within the United States there are systems in place to better the people and communities in order to provide safety and order. However, just as any nation, there is a struggle with violent behavior and tendencies among adults and adolescents. Within the last three decades, the United States has created a correctional system that specifically targets adolescents, and that acknowledges the differences between adult and juvenile development and deviant behavior. Within this literature review, academic databases were …

Mental Health Workout: Lifting Stigma, Jeremy Bambery

Master's Projects and Capstones

Mental illness affects one out of every five Americans between the ages 13-18, and it is estimated that two-thirds of these individuals will not seek treatment due to the stigma associated with having a mental illness or mental health issue (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Access to information and the ability to talk openly without fear will aid in creating a stigma free future. The goal of this project is to supply high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area with information regarding the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness via videos that will be used as …

Behavioral Care For Children In Urban And Rural Integrated Primary Care, David I. Taylor

Theses & Dissertations

Mental, emotional, and behavioral issues in children are a significant concern for the children, their families, and society. Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments, the success of behavioral healthcare to meet the needs of these families will require high quality communication and relationships across a wide range of stakeholders. Integration of care represents a patient-centered strategy to unify these stakeholders into a single cohesive care team. The purpose of this dissertation is to define the behavioral healthcare team in integrated primary care for children in terms of the functional roles involved and to evaluate the quality of relationships and communications …

Qualitative Health Research Involving Indigenous Peoples: Culturally Appropriate Data Collection Methods, Amy L. Wright, Olive Wahoush, Marilyn Ballantyne, Chelsea Gabel, Susan M. Jack

The Qualitative Report

Historically, health research involving Indigenous peoples has been fraught with problems, including researchers not addressing Indigenous research priorities and then subsequently often failing to utilize culturally appropriate methods. Given this historical precedence, some Indigenous populations may be reluctant to participate in research projects. In response to these concerns, the Government of Canada has developed the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2): Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada, which stipulates the requirements for research collaborations with Indigenous communities. Utilizing this policy as an ethical standard for research practices, this paper describes, critiques and synthesizes the literature on culturally …

The Transition Experiences Of International Graduate Students In Clark University School Of Professional Studies, Xuesong Huang, Mingyang Lian, Dang Trung, Jay Sheth, Yuwei Yang, Irina Klimenko

School of Professional Studies

In the last decade, the School of Professional Studies at Clark University has witnessed a sharp increase in international students. More and more international students in the millennial generation have entered the School of Professional Studies pursuing one of the two-year graduate programs: Master of Science in Professional Studies, Master of Science in Public Administration, and Master of Science in Information Technology. In the past, working adult student dominant the program. These students already had a career outside the classrooms before them came to study. The millennial international students have generated new adjustment problems. Some of the transition issues of …

Geographically-Weighted Regression Of Knowledge And Behaviour Determinants To Anti-Malarial Recommending And Dispensing Practice Among Medicine Retailers In Western Kenya: Capacitating Targeted Interventions, Andria Rusk, Linda Highfield, J. Michael Wilkerson, Melissa Harrell, Andrew Obala, Benjamin Amick

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Background

Most patients with malaria seek treatment first in retail drug shops. Myriad studies have examined retailer behaviours and characteristics to understand the determinants to these behaviours. Geospatial methods are helpful in discovering if geographic location plays a role in the relationship between determinants and outcomes. This study aimed to discover if spatial autocorrelation exists in the relationship between determinants and retailer behaviours, and to provide specific geographic locations and target behaviours for tailoring future interventions.

Methods

Retailer behaviours and characteristics captured from a survey deployed to medicine retailers in the Webuye Demographic and Health Surveillance Site were analysed using …

Decreasing Cost Associated Medication Nonadherence, Shawn E. Raymond

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Shawn E. Raymond

Medication cost is a major contributor for patient medication nonadherence. Take in the fact that a large population lives in poverty, many cannot afford to pay the retail prices associated with purchasing their medications. By incorporating wholesale medications into a charitable health clinic, the reduced cost of medications for treatment of both acute and chronic illnesses could be passed on to those in need thereby decreasing cost associated medication nonadherence. Nurse Practitioners in the state of Kansas are not afforded the privilege to purchase, repackage and distribute or resell wholesale …

Envisioning Mechanisms For Success: Evaluation Of Ebcd At Cheo, Kristina Rohde, Mireille Brosseau, Diane Gagnon, Jennifer Schellinck, Christine Kouri

Patient Experience Journal

To advance patient engagement (PE) and more comprehensively involve patients, families, and staff in quality improvement (QI) at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the Experience Based Co-Design (EBCD) approach was piloted. Set against the backdrop of envisioning factors that would facilitate success, an evaluation was designed to assess five domains: strengthening of mutual understanding, collaboration, and partnerships between patients/families and staff; a greater involvement of patients, families, and staff in QI; satisfaction with the process; the ability of EBCD to generate clear and useful data to ascertain the patient/family and staff experience; and the ability of EBCD to …