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Associations Of Stress, Health Behaviors, And Obesity Among African American Immigrants, Wole David Akinsola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity has been identified as a predisposing factor that poses a serious threat for the development of chronic diseases and contributes to health disparities affecting both minority and vulnerable populations. Though previous studies reported the association of stress with health status and behavior, there is little or no research on the heterogeneity of obesity predictors in specific minority populations in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of obesity among adult African American immigrant populations in the United States. Studying obesity in this population may help policymakers tailor interventions that could reduce obesity prevalence. …

Anxiety, Depression, Immunity, Quality Of Life, And Cannabis In Appalachia, Matthew Ian Frazier Ostrander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As decriminalization of cannabis in the United States increases, understanding how cannabis use may alter physical and mental health is important. The Appalachian Mountain region is an area with poor support systems, stigma against mental health, and historic drug use problems, resulting in residents being more vulnerable to societal change. The theoretical framework for this research is psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which is the study of the interconnections between psychology, neurology, and immunology as a holistic approach to health. Via SurveyMonkey, 160 participants completed the study, and data were based on self-reporting of cannabis use patterns in relation to anxiety, depression, immunity, …

Built Environment And Well-Being Of Stem Women Employed In The Petroleum Sector, Natalie Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male-dominated occupations have received increased attention concerning the environmental health and retention of its specialized workforce. Research studies on the impact of the environment suggest that ecological and infrastructure conditions of the workplace affect the psychological health and physical well-being of employees across both public and private industries. Presently, in the context of the oil and gas and engineering field, there is a literature gap in exploring whether workplace conditions or adverse circumstances in male-dominated built environments negatively affect the psychological well-being and retention of women employed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations. For the current qualitative study, …

Perceptions Of Juvenile Justice Personnel On Effects Of Detention Assessments On Low-Risk Offenders, Desire' Angela Hulse-Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nationally, arrest rates have declined; however, Georgia faces disproportionately high crime rates, mainly among African American juveniles in Fulton County. Juvenile recidivism has been a long-standing issue. Researchers have demonstrated that risk factors impact recidivism amongst youth offenders at 17 and 18 years of age. Researchers have not yet been able to establish how risk factors impact recidivism risks of low-risk youth offenders. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of Fulton County juvenile justice personnel on the detention assessment’s effects on low-risk youth offenders and impact on recidivism risks of African American youth. Heidegger’s …

Using Agile Strategies To Improve Project Success Rates, Tim Kirkland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project failures can be costly to businesses, but on average, program managers’ (PMs’) success rates for managing information technology (IT) projects is less than 35%. Organizational cultures struggle to adapt to agile project management (APM) that provides stakeholder flexibility for dynamic environments. Grounded by project management theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies project managers use to reduce IT project failures. The participants consisted of nine project managers in the northeastern United States with APM experience managing successful IT projects. Data were collected from virtual semi-structured interviews and journal notes. Ten open-ended interview questions …

Experiences Of Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder In Medication Assisted Treatment Programs, Lynda M. Maxfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpioid use accounts for many deaths each day in the United States. Although research has shown that retention in medication assisted treatment (MAT) programs increases quality of life for those individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) and decreases premature death, there has been limited research on the perspectives of individuals with OUD in MAT programs and why they remained in or left the programs. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study, guided by Merleau-Ponty’s theory of perception, was to explore the lived experiences of those with OUD treated in a MAT program. An algorithm type interview was conducted to ask …

Factors Influencing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Hispanic Youth In Bexar County, Texas, Timothy Edward Wallum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high number of Hispanic youth in Bexar County, Texas, face morbidity and mortality related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection due to inadequate vaccination coverage youth. A better understanding of the factors that influence vaccination might help public health authorities to increase coverage. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study, which was based on the socioecological model and involved analysis of weighted survey data from the 2016 to 2018 National Immunization Survey-Teen, was to better understand the multilevel factors influencing HPV vaccine use among Hispanic youth. The weighted sample was representative of the study population in terms of survey characteristics …

Relationship Between Police Officers’ Sleep Quality, Burnout From Shift Work, And Intention To Leave Law Enforcement, Misty Ladd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Occupational stressors in police work are abundant, and high rates of attrition make the recruiting and maintaining of a qualified force challenging. The increased risks that overnight officers face with regard to their mental and/or physical health warrant further research to ensure that burnout does not interfere with officers’ well-being or performance. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine whether sleep quality for police officers involved in shift work leads to burnout or the intention to leave law enforcement. Shift work theory and Kundi’s destabilization theory provided the framework for the study. Archival data from 212 police …

The Westminster Model And The Destabilizing Of Democracy In The Caribbean, Peter L. René

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem with the Westminster model is the model’s lack of governance, oversight and colonial mindset which has led to a crisis that includes severe government corruption, deepening poverty, upticks in crime, debt and decreasing trade opportunities. This makes life harder for the citizens and threatens to destabilize the democracies with no one nation situated to cope with these existential challenges. National independence for the region was designed to maintain the status quo of colonial times while providing the illusion of autonomy and individual sovereignty. The purpose of the study was to analyze the Westminster model enacted in the Caribbean …

Latino Pastors’ Perceptions Of Referring Intimate Partner Violence Victims To Secular, Esther M. Rios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information about intimate partner violence (IPV) perceptions within the Latino clergy population is scarce. This research study investigated perceptions, experiences, and biases, precluding Latino clergy in referring church members to outside resources. The research question focused on Latino pastors’ perceptions about referring church members victims of IPV to secular organizations. Understanding clergy’s IPV perceptions provided an opportunity for scholars to explore ways for clergy to discover other organizations contributions to IPV. Historical oppression was used as the framework for the study because Latino women victims of IPV experience severe victimization and are afraid to report the abuse. Previous research does …

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Mentorship, And Burnout In Nursing Faculty, Jasmine Louis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing faculty early in their careers face challenges involving transitioning into new roles, high workloads, and lack of support, making them vulnerable to burnout. Burnout is a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. The purposes of this study, guided by Maslach’s burnout theory, were to determine if there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and mentorship in terms of burnout among nursing faculty who are in their early careers, if there are differences in terms of burnout among these nursing faculty who have received mentorship compared to those who did not receive, and if there is …

Teacher Perceptions Of Junior High Student Reading Motivation When Using Authentic Audiences, Cynthia Wise Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reading achievement at the junior high level continues to be a concern in the United States and research has indicated that decreased reading motivation is one possible reason. Researchers have established that the use of authentic audiences leads to increased motivation and achievement at the elementary, high school, and college levels but have yet to demonstrate the same findings at the junior high level. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teacher perceptions of how the use of authentic audiences influences the reading motivation, autonomy, and feelings of relatedness of junior high students. The conceptual framework for …

Relationship Between Criminal Behavior And High School Equivalency Program Completion, Lashawnda Cabey - Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High School Equivalency (HSE) Programs operate in response to the national increase in high school dropout rates. These alternative learning methods are attractive to nontraditional high school students because they are designed to accommodate students who are unable to complete their high school diploma via the traditional classroom setting. However, even though these programs continue to thrive in many communities, many students are still unsuccessful at completing these programs. Therefore, there is a need to research the possible factors that prevent students from earning the equivalent of a high school diploma or general education diploma (GED) via these programs. Grounded …

Reimbursement Of Mental Health Service For Individuals Seeking Services At Primary Care Facilities, Keith Avant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between primary care services, mental health services, patient visits, and insurance reimbursement for individuals with a mental health diagnosis who visit primary care facilities. The theoretical integrated theory of health behavior changes has been vital in identifying the contributing factors to the relationship between primary care, mental health services, and insurance reimbursement. The research questions explored whether any relationship existed between mental health diagnosis and office visits, outpatient versus inpatient, the amount paid for treatment, and reimbursement of services. This study used a quantitative approach along with a Pearson …

Factors Leading To Organizational Success Despite Low Trust In Leadership, Myriam Elizabeth Seay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Generally, research results have suggested that employees’ lack of trust in leadership typically results in poor performance. The purpose of this research was to explore the factors that contributed to the federal government’s organizational success despite organization employees’ low interpersonal trust/distrust in the agency’s leadership. This change in the theory of trust was identified as a gap in literature; the change in the traditional knowledge of trust merits this specific problem to be explored and analyzed for further understanding. The conceptual framework was composed of trust, distrust, and employee-leader interpersonal trust/distrust theory. A qualitative exploratory case study was used along …

Medication Beliefs And Behaviors Of Hypertensive Caribbean Immigrants Living In New York City, Nadia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension remains a worldwide health phenomenon with serious health consequences including heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, and heart failure. Beliefs about medicines have been shown to influence hypertension outcomes. Medication adherence has emerged as a vital component of hypertension control and management. However, there has been limited research which addresses beliefs about medicines and medication adherence in Blacks of Caribbean origin. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to identify the beliefs about medications held among hypertensive Caribbean immigrants living in New York City using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire to identify what factors/barriers were related to these specific medication …

Sentencing Length Disparity Across Gender And Race For Drug Offenses, Alexis Griggs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on sentencing outcomes have concentrated on disparities between gender and race with a range of influences in legal decision making. This study was an examination of whether the same form of sentencing inconsistency is found with offenders who were convicted of drug offenses. A quantitative method (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the difference in sentencing outcomes. Data from the United States Sentencing Commission from 2016 fiscal year were used to investigate the role of gender and race in sentencing disparity and examine whether an offender’s prior sentencing history and drug amount influences sentencing outcomes. The results of this study …

Demographics And 30-Day Readmissions For End-Stage Renal Disease Patients, Shelia Concepcion Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasingly a problem in the United States, and factors such as race/ethnicity and gender may not only worsen the risk of the disease but also correspond to worse treatment access. This is significant because ESRD is a heavy economic burden not only on patients, but on caregivers and the health care system, especially as disparities remain between different demographic groups. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental, historical, correlational design was to determine the extent to which gender and race/ethnicity predict 30-day readmission rates after hospitalization for ESRD patients. The theoretical framework for the current study …

Correlations To Financial Performance In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Fred Mcclellan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There exist conflicting priorities for leaders when considering ethical leadership behaviors and organizational financial performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine correlations between top manager ethical leadership levels and organizational financial performance, within the pharmaceutical industry. The Ethical leadership theory was used to frame the study. Relationships between top managers’ perceived ethics levels and organizational financial performance were studied, as well as, whether top managers’ practices, purposes, and virtues acted as mediators. A goal of 184 participants were recruited from 338 pharmaceutical companies. Five top managers and 17 of their direct report team members took part in …

Factors Affecting Adherence To Diabetes Management Recommendations Among Afro-Caribbean Farm Workers, Aretha Meritian Townsend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global epidemic, impacting the economy and quality of life of affected individuals. The treatment and management of the disease often rely heavily on self-efficacy and provider guidance. Adherence to provider treatment regimens can help to prevent T2DM-related complications. However, non-adherence to T2DM regimens is a growing concern among minority populations, where T2DM is highly prevalent. Limited research is available for the Afro-Caribbean migrant farmworker (ACMF) with high rates of diabetes and an alarmingly high rate of non-adherence to treatment recommendations which is further complicated by low literacy, common cultural practices, and poor diets. …

Firearm Restriction And Its Impact In Reducing Violent Crimes In California, Sampson C. Onwuka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There have been recurring incidents of gun violence, murder, and mass shootings that have raised public concern on the dangers of guns, and people have demanded government regulation on firearms usage. Studies have attributed these incidents to non-strict laws on guns; however, it was unclear whether firearm restrictions affected California's violent crime reduction. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study was focused on finding out the impact of gun violence restraining orders (GVROs) on violent crime reduction in California. Four research questions addressed the changes in the variables after the establishment of the GVRO. Secondary data from the California Department of Justice were …

Experience Of Academic Motivation Among Disadvantaged High School Graduates, Jamaal Anthony Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Impoverished students face obstacles that influence academic achievement and motivation. These young people are disadvantaged by their circumstances and are at risk for missing opportunities that could prepare them for meaningful careers and improved quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of academic motivation in academic scholarship students who attended disadvantaged schools. Social identity theory provided the theoretical framework for a narrative analysis of the experience of academic motivation, academic achievement, and social identity. Five female and 4 male college students were interviewed. The thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: motivated by overcoming …

The Impact Of Faculty Bullying On Associate Degree Nursing Students, Angela M. Vitale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying is prevalent in the profession of nursing, impacting the quality of health care and health care costs. The foundation of bullying, in the profession of nursing, may be attributed to bullying behaviors in nursing academia among nursing faculty and nursing students. Using Bandura’s social learning theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between bullying behaviors of nursing faculty and bullying behaviors of nursing students in associate degree nursing programs. Seventy-one randomly selected registered nurses who graduated from associate degree nursing programs in the past 5 years completed an online Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised survey. Spearman’s …

Succession Of Power And Transferring Knowledge In A Small Family Business, Todd Alan Hanzes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thirty percent of small family businesses continue to the second generation, and 13% continue to the third generation. Small family business owners’ ability to find a replacement, for the succession of power, continues to challenge small family business owners. Small family business owners who do not incorporate successful succession strategies run a high risk of failure and closure. Grounded in the dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 3 small family business owners in Hawaii used for the succession of power. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and supplemented …

Changes In Operating Performance In Rural Hospitals From 2012 To 2019, Oluwaseyi Tami Young-Harry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural hospitals treat patients while dealing with the challenges of an inadequate workforce, limited financial resources, and an isolated geographic location, leading to difficulties in achieving financial viability. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the operating performance of rural, general, medical and surgical hospitals in the United States and to determine if performance had changed from 2012 to 2019. Guided by x-efficiency theory, this study addressed whether hospital ownership explained variation in performance and if performance had changed from 2012 to 2019. A random sample of 394 rural hospitals was used, with data drawn from the American …

A Staff Training Plan On Screening African Americans For Prediabetes, Valerie Kershaw-Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American adults have higher risks of undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes, and complications from Type 2 diabetes than members of other racial groups. Health care providers in rural Tennessee lack staff training plans for prediabetes screening of older African American adults. In addition, few rural Tennessee health care providers have programs in place to train staff in prediabetes screening, screening instrument use, and interventions for Type 2 diabetes prevention. The focus of this DNP project was on developing an evidence-based staff training program designed to improve knowledge regarding prediabetes screening in older African American adults. Concepts …

Multicase Historic Studies Of Innovative Work Behavior Among Intellectually Gifted Adults, Karen Denise Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research study was conducted to examine whether investing in innovation and gifted intelligence would improve America's economic well-being. The investment issue became a problem because educational researchers researched innovation as creativity rather than as productive behavior. Moreover, in the literature, adult giftedness was perceived as negative development rather than as alternate normative behavior. The purpose of this research study was to generate new knowledge about innovation and adult giftedness. WICS (wisdom, intelligence, creativity, synthesized) theory of intelligence provided the theoretical framework because intelligence is a measure of human productivity potential. The neuropsychological conceptual framework facilitated a cognitive …

Stress Preparedness For Law Enforcement Officers Via Academic Training, Matthew Ridgeway Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most law enforcement officers experience a traumatic event within the first 3 years of duty but may not receive proper mental health training in the police academy to prepare them for a career in law enforcement, and little is understood about police academy training regarding mental health. Using secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perspective of law officers on the usefulness of academy training to prevent or manage mental health issues that may arise from law enforcement duty. Data were collected from 35 law enforcement officers in a …

School-Based Social Work And Socioemotional Learning Interventions In Alternative Education Programs, Heather Oosterhoff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active school social workers are tasked with teaching social-emotional learning to students, including high need youth placed in alternative education settings. Multitiered systems of support provide a framework utilized by school systems to identify and address all student needs. However, a gap in research exists for evidenced-based social-emotional learning practices for students falling within Tier 3 of the multitiered systems of support framework, particularly those separated from the mainstream population and educated in alternative programs. This study explored how school social workers address the social-emotional learning needs of students in alternative education settings within the state of Illinois. The qualitative …

Strerss On Educators At A Discipline Alternative Education Program, Anthony G. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interaction with their students during classroom instruction is often a source of stress among many teachers. The academic setting of Disciplinary Alternative Educational Programs (DAEP) poses a risk factor for teachers to experience stress, given that student disruptive behavior has been associated with higher stress levels among teachers. The problem underlying this study was that most studies on DAEP have focused on the experiences of students, with limited information available about the experiences of teachers in this type of academic setting. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the role of job-related stress and coping on the …