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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 …

Contaminated Raw Produce As A Major Source Of Foodborne Salmonellosis, Barisua C. Ikpe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foodborne pathogens continue to threaten the food supply chain. Salmonellosis is a persistent foodborne pathogen responsible for gastroenteritis, leading to severe illness in children below 5 years of age, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Maryland has rising cases of salmonellosis linked to outbreaks due to consumption of raw or fresh fruits and produce. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the association between the development of salmonellosis and the consumption of raw (fresh) produce, demographic and geographic characteristics, type of produce, and seasonal variation in Maryland. The study is based on the theory …

Associations Between The Use Of Bed Nets And Malaria Infection On The School Performance Of Juveniles In Ghana, Ans Bumbokuri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of malaria cases are reported yearly in sub-Saharan Africa, events which adversely influence children’s school performance. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the effectiveness of major malaria control policies in reducing malaria cases as a means of improving academic performance among school children in the greater Accra region of Ghana. A secondary data set was obtained from the 2014-2016 data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS). Findings indicated that bed net use and malarial episodes in children of participant recorded a p-value of 0.43 which is a significant association between the variables. The likelihood …

Urban School District Principals’ Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction, Darcy Lynn Woodcock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals in urban school districts directly and indirectly affect school communitiesthrough student achievement, teacher retention, and school climate. When a high-quality school principal leaves a school, it can negatively affect these areas due to the interruption of progress toward school improvement goals to increase student achievement. Seeking to address this issue, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of job satisfaction among urban school district principals. The conceptual framework was Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory. The key research question concerned investigating the perceptions of job satisfaction among urban school district principals. Qualitative data were collected via virtual, …

Pulmonary Rehabilitation And Hospital Readmissions Among Individuals With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Nicholas Prush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to policies that penalize hospitals for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) readmissions and the health problems faced by individuals who are readmitted due to COPD, it is critical to identify treatments and strategies that can help reduce the likelihood of readmission. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of pulmonary rehabilitation and demographic variables (age, gender, and BMI) on 30-day hospital readmissions for patients with COPD. Shearer’s health empowerment theory was the theoretical framework for this quantitative study. Secondary data were obtained from a hospital and the sample was comprised of 253 COPD patients admitted between …

Decreasing Pressure Injuries With Early Mitigation Strategies For The Elderly In The Intensive Care Unit, Janet L. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a serious and debilitating condition in the elderly, and it is therefore critical to reduce the incidence of HAPIs. Mitigation strategies are often implemented for patients who score in the highest risk categories on the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk©. Yet, the evidence suggests vulnerable older adults who score in the midrange of the Braden Scale, and specifically, the mobility subscale, develop HAPI more frequently. The review question centered on the evaluation of the current evidence for early mitigation strategies in response to Braden Scale midrange mobility subscale scores. The gap addressed …

Internet Use, Perceived Social Support, And Obesity Among African American Young Adults, Cynthia Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are disproportionately affected by obesity. Public health practitioners have an incomplete understanding of the social-environmental risk factors and how they affect obesity. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore whether internet use and perceived social support predicted obesity among African American young adults. The social cognitive theory guided this study. Secondary data were analyzed from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The sample consisted of 6,765 African American young adults age 18 to 34 and represented the U.S. population using weighted estimates. A Bonferroni correction was performed to reduce Type I error due to …

Perspectives Of Physicians Mandated To Complete Cultural Competence Education, Wayne Mccarthy Boatwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perspectives of Physicians Mandated to Complete Cultural Competence Educationby Wayne M. Boatwright

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services

Walden University May 2021 Abstract Studies show that ethnic and racial disparities continue to exist in health care delivery. The economics of today’s multicultural world along with changing demographics and persistence of inequality in healthcare have challenged healthcare professionals to consider cultural competency (CC) training to assist in eliminating health disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of physicians who were mandated to complete CC education. …

Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus Risk Factors Among African Immigrants 20 – 45 Years Old Residing In The United States, Abu Bakar Sidique Fofanah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is highly prevalent among African Americans. Africans born abroad are a subset of the African American population in the U.S., but few studies have been conducted on this population, a gap this study aims to close. The incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes continue to rise among this population. This study explored type 2 diabetes risk factors among Africans born abroad who were 20-45 years old in the U.S. This was a retrospective and quantitative cross-sectional study involving National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 type 2 diabetes data. The total sample size was …

Association Between Bisphenols, Acrylamide, Glycidamide, Fast Food, And Obesity: An Obesogenic Perspective, Morgan Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous man-made substances that have the ability to interfere with hormone action and are believed to be a contributing factor to chronic illnesses, including but not limited to obesity. Recent studies have suggested that environmental agents (environmental obesogens), such as food additives, plasticizers, and personal care products are contributors that aid in the altering of hormone receptors and hormone mimicry. Such environmental obesogens have the potential to promote adipogenesis and fat accumulation. In this study, the social-ecological model was used to determine the factors that can influence the increased exposure to obesogenic chemicals at the …

Prevention And Self-Care Education For Osteoporosis In A Rural Orthopedic Clinic, Jean Sanford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Osteoporosis affects 25 million people in the United States causing over 1.5 million fractures every year. The gap in practice at a rural southeast orthopedic clinic was a lack of patient education on prevention and self-care management of osteoporosis and osteopenia. The purpose of the project was to develop a program to educate clinic providers on prevention and self-care management for osteoporosis and osteopenia. The Knowles theory of adult learning framed the project components. A 10-question pretest/posttest assessing knowledge was administered to 10 registered nurse participants. For the presurvey, five participants demonstrated a lack of knowledge of medication administration …

Substance Use, Mental Health Problems And Missed Appointments By Race, Gender, And Sexual Orientation Among Hiv-Infected Individuals, Abraham Adonis Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disproportionately affects African American men who have sex with men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 African American adult and adolescent African American men accounted for 42% (16,002) of all HIV diagnoses (37,968). Furthermore, while substance use is common among this population, in previous studies very few individuals with HIV have reported receiving substance abuse treatment or discussing substance use with HIV medical providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in substance use/mental health problems by race, gender, and sexual orientation among HIV-infected individuals. This study also …

Healthcare Access For Elderly African American Type 2 Diabetics On Medicare, William Alexander Floyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPrior research has shown that African Americans have less access to healthcare than do White Americans. The study’s purpose was to determine the association between race/ethnicity and quality care measures in a population of Medicare recipients with Type 2 diabetes, aged 65 75 years and over. Covariates predicted satisfaction with doctor care, compassionate doctor care, and indifferent doctor care using Andersen’s health behavior theory. The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) sample consisted of 1,716 people with Type 2 diabetes, with most (76.6%) being non-Hispanic Whites, and the remainder non-Hispanic Blacks (10.8%) and Hispanics (12.6%). Race/ethnicity were associated with quality-of-care measures …

Analyzing Regional Impact Of Caregiving On Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Adults, Myra Callis Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Historically, sparse research efforts have focused on informal caregiving as a possible risk factor for developing chronic illnesses across the United States. Identifying additional subgroups at higher risk of becoming obese could provide insights into where public health practitioners, the health care community, and policy makers can direct limited resources through a more targeted approach. The theoretical foundation for the current project was the social cognitive theory. In this secondary correlational analysis using the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data set, the relationship between …

The Impact Of Staff Education On Nurses And Medical Assistants' Knowledge Of Hiv Prevention And Screening, Eurekia Denise Samuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn some U.S. ambulatory clinics, limited time is available for patient education during primary care, which is a barrier to increasing the recommended annual screening for HIV of persons with risk factors between the ages of 13 and 64. One solution to removing this barrier is the expansion of the role of frontline staff so that patient education, particularly in the areas of secondary prevention and routine testing, can occur at the beginning of the visit during initial checking in and assessments. At the project site, a rural ambulatory clinic in the southern United States, however, the frontline staff lacked …

Obesity-Related Health Behaviors And Stress Among Sexual Minority Women, Kristen Andrea Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult obesity rates have continued to rise with 40% of the adult population in the United States currently being categorized as obese. Sexual minority women are more prone to obesity than heterosexual women. Obesity has been linked to several causes of premature and preventable death and has often been attributed to changeable health behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and sleep. Additionally, stress has been shown to impact health behaviors as well as rates of obesity. Sexual minority women are known to experience more stress due to their minority status, a concept described in minority stress theory which states that …

Nutrition Practices And Obesity Standards Among Obese, African American Women, Martina Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity in the United States has been labeled a national pandemic. Obesity occurs across all populations, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, or geographical region; however, it has disproportionately affected African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of African American women’s behaviors that are preventing them from conforming to nutrition and obesity standards of the body mass index (BMI) guidelines. The targeted population for this study was 10 obese or morbidly obese African American women, ages 30 to 45. The data were collected using telephone interviews due to the …

Type 2 Diabetes And Pesticide Exposure Among U.S. Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers, Judith Faustin-Gabriel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHispanic migrant farmworkers provide indispensable services to the United States, yet they are low-paid, uninsured employees working in extremely hazardous conditions. Public health and other healthcare professionals have worked to address the impact of pesticide exposure in the Hispanic migrant population. Although pesticides have been associated with various chronic diseases, limited evidence and studies have established an association between pesticide exposure and Diabetes Type 2 (DT2) among Hispanic migrant farmworkers. Guided by fundamental causes theory, this study addressed whether there is a relationship between agricultural pesticide exposure and DT2 among Hispanic migrant farmworkers in the United States who participated in …

Paradigm In Social Security Measures: Impetus For Policy Reform In Zimbabwe, Locary Kuponandishe Hlabanu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was intended to address lack of knowledge regarding how the social security system in Zimbabwe is perceived by recipients and government employees and what policy reforms could be sought. The study explored perceptions of participants regarding the existing social security system in Zimbabwe. The welfare state theory guided the detailed inquiry. A qualitative case study research design was used to extract feelings, thoughts, and intentions of recipients of social security and government employees and to explore how the results could be applied to improve social security policy in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a nonrandom purposefully selected sample …

Social Work Practice And Childhood Obesity In Cumberland County In North Carolina, Patience Dione Ngalle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2018, approximately 20% of children aged 5 to 22 years in the United States suffered from childhood obesity, which results in long-term mental health needs. The purpose of this project was to better understand the effective strategies used by clinical social workers in addressing the mental health needs of obese children. Systems theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. The study also included a basic qualitative design. Six clinical social workers from six different practices based in Cumberland County, North Carolina, participated in this study. The results from computer-aided qualitative data analysis of the interview data that followed …

Determinants Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption For Adults In The Panhandle Of Nebraska, Erin Marie Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption has been documented and is associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Previous studies have revealed that consuming the recommended servings of F/V per day can be influenced by many determinants including healthy eating self-efficacy, cooking confidence, perceived family support, perceived access, perceived quality, and perceived cost of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to examine these determinants of F/V consumption at the individual level of the socioecological model for adults ages 18 years and older residing in the panhandle of Nebraska. The socioecological model (SEM) provided the theoretical framework for …

Paraprofessionals’ Perceptions Of The Need For Professional Development In An Afterschool Program Setting, Terry Chapman Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfterschool workers often lack the training and formal education that would help them perform their jobs effectively. There is little research on professional development available to such paraprofessional workers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore afterschool workers’ perceptions of needed training. The central question focused on the perceptions of paraprofessional workers in afterschool programs regarding how professional development supported their work. Subquestions included what paraprofessional workers in afterschool programs identified as their primary learning needs and what approaches to professional development supported their work. The conceptual framework centered on Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and Knowles’s model …

The Successful Road Of Reentry After Conviction, Coretta Paula Butts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA problem exists for ex-convicts who are undergoing re-assimilation: their career options are limited once the label of ex-convict is applied to them. Labeling, which has created a gap between unsuccessful prisoner reentry and successful prisoner reentry, is a prevalent issue in the United States. Although research is available on the effects of labeling, limited information is available regarding the social effects labeling has on ex-convicts during their reentry process. The purpose of the study was to examine the current policies and procedures of Hillsborough County reentry programs in the state of Florida to investigate why they are failing to …

Effects Of Differing Education Levels On Respiratory Therapy Hiring Decisions In Pennsylvania, Ronald Curtis Aumiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many healthcare professions struggle with knowing what the entry-level educational requirement should be for their profession. This study looked at the educational level of hiring managers for respiratory therapy and whether that affected their decisions on hiring associate or baccalaureate degree graduates in the state of Pennsylvania. The quantitative internet-based questionnaire surveyed respiratory therapy hiring managers in hospitals in Pennsylvania. The power theory, with the use of expert power, organizational culture and change, and ethnographic principle, was used to examine how hiring managers choose their employees. An invitation was sent to 70 respiratory hiring managers in Pennsylvania to participate on …

Evaluating Compliance With The Produce Safety Rule And Managing Mycotoxins, Yvette May Molajo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foodborne diseases are the cause of many illnesses that occur from foods that contain mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are produced from fungi and are environmental and carcinogenic agents that contaminate agricultural foods during preharvest and postharvest conditions. While researchers have conducted many studies on mycotoxin occurrence and production, there is a significant gap in the current literature regarding which environmental factors could put farmers’ ability to remain in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule at risk. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate which environmental factors could put farmers’ ability to remain in compliance with …

Examination Of The Efficacy Of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act To Reduce High School Childhood Obesity Rates System, Catrina Lashawn Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid rise in U.S. high school student obesity rates to 20.8% in 2018 presented significant risks to the health and well-being of American children and foreshadowed increased future healthcare costs. To address high school obesity, Congress passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010 that mandated the U.S. Department of Agriculture develop regulations to nutrition to improve the nutrition of school cafeteria breakfasts and lunches. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test for changes between 2009 and 2016 in high school obesity rates attributable to the HHFKA using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data, adjusted for …

Health Literacy Staff Education For Heart Failure Management, Ifeoma Onyeiwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease with progressive deterioration that occurs over years or decades. There is a need for individuals affected by HF to be educated regarding this complex disease. Health literacy, an integral part of health and wellness, is one's ability to understand and use health information. Ninety million adults in America have difficulty understanding and using health information, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients. Limited health literacy may lead to billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. This DNP project addressed health literacy as it relates to medication adherence …

Misuse Of Prescription Pain Relievers Among Pregnant Women In The United States, Winnie Chebet Rono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The non-medical use of prescription pain relievers has increased remarkably, posing social and public health concerns particularly in developed countries such as the United States. The management of pain experienced by pregnant women poses a challenge to clinicians considering the effects of the regimen on unborn babies. Guided by the health belief model, which aims to predict health-related behavior in terms of certain health beliefs and explain change and behavior maintenance as well as to guide health behavior interventions, this cross-sectional study aimed to understand the associations between misusing pain relievers and social determinants of health such as education level …

Predictors Of Obesity Among Young Adults In The State Of Maryland, Kala Shahi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity has become a global wellness concern for young adults. In the past, there were very few studies conducted on predictors of obesity among young adults, even though there have been several studies on the potential predictors of obesity on the general population. The social ecological model was used to guide this quantitative cross-sectional study to identify the possible predictors of obesity among young adults. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to analyze the potential predictors of obesity among young adults between the ages 18 – 34 years old in Montgomery County, Frederick County, and Princess Georges County, …

Nursing Home Nurse Turnover And The Association To Workload, Absenteeism, And Number Of Beds, Justin Ryan Gracieux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aging population in the United States has resulted in an increased need for quality nursing home care, which includes a stable nursing staff and reduced workforce instability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between direct care nursing staff turnover rates for RNs, licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) concerning workload, absenteeism, and number of beds in Texas nursing homes. The relational coordination theory provided the theoretical framework for understanding the underlying issues and communication needs that may relate to staff turnover. Secondary data from 11,336 direct resident care nursing staff …