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Tier 2 Interventions For Students In Grades 1-3 Identified As At-Risk In Reading, Jennifer S. Ray Jan 2017

Tier 2 Interventions For Students In Grades 1-3 Identified As At-Risk In Reading, Jennifer S. Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of Grade 4 students in the United States do not read at the proficient level. In response to this problem, which has persisted for decades, the United States Congress in 2004 mandated response to intervention as a multitiered classroom support system designed to improve reading skills for students in K-12 public schools. However, little research has been conducted about how classroom teachers use diagnostic assessments, provide small group instruction, and monitor progress in reading interventions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how teachers used assessments and instruction in reading interventions for students in Grades 1-3 …

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Relationships Between Women's Glass Ceiling Beliefs, Career Advancement Satisfaction, And Quit Intention, Michelle Roman Jan 2017

Relationships Between Women's Glass Ceiling Beliefs, Career Advancement Satisfaction, And Quit Intention, Michelle Roman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on the glass ceiling shows that women may encounter obstacles in their pursuit of high-level management positions. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test the explanatory style theoretical framework by examining relationships between women's glass ceiling beliefs, career advancement satisfaction, and quit intention and to determine whether satisfaction with career advancement opportunities mediated the relationship between glass ceilings beliefs and quit intention. Data were collected from 179 working women in the public or private sector and women who exited the public or private sector job market within the past 5 years via Web-based surveys. Glass ceiling beliefs …

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Stress Management Training, Gender, Level Of Stress, And Coping In Police Officers, Samantha Leigh Fields Salain Jan 2017

Stress Management Training, Gender, Level Of Stress, And Coping In Police Officers, Samantha Leigh Fields Salain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress has lasting and sometimes fatal effects on the law enforcement community, which can compromise the well-being of police officers. To date, there is little research on factors that influence the level of stress in police officers. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the relationship of gender, used coping mechanisms, and levels of organizational and operational stress among police officers who have and have not received stress management training. Bandura's social learning theory and Lazarus and Folkman's theory of cognitive appraisal provided the theoretical foundation. Cross-sectional survey data from a convenience sample of 134 male and …

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Exploring The Merging Of Two Divergent Behavioral Support Systems In Juvenile Justice, Linda Susan Spaulding Jan 2017

Exploring The Merging Of Two Divergent Behavioral Support Systems In Juvenile Justice, Linda Susan Spaulding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2016, over 47,000 youths in the state of Florida were served by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) probation services. While on probation, these youths were exposed to 2 different, and potentially conflicting disciplinary management systems. Youth are under the authority of juvenile probation officers (JPOs), who are bound to a consequence-based management approach. This approach is guided by negative reinforcement. The youths are simultaneously engaged with staff from diversion programs, many of which are strengths-based and guided by positive reinforcement. According to the ecosystemic complexity theory of conflict, exposure to incongruent systems can have negative effects such as …

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Infant Mortality Among African American Women Compared To European American Women In New York City, Marian Taylor Jan 2017

Infant Mortality Among African American Women Compared To European American Women In New York City, Marian Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The birth of low weight babies in the United States has not had a meaningful decline for the last 10 years.It continues to be a major predictor of fetal-infant mortality. In addition, the rate of low birth weight infants among African American women continues to be twice that of European American women. Low birth weight babies may experience breathing problems, vision problems, diabetes, hypertension, and cerebral palsy. The purpose of this study was to examine why the high infant mortality rate persist among the African American communities of Southeast Queens, New York City as compared to European American communities in …

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Improving Bespoke Software Quality: Strategies For Application And Enterprise Architects, Daniel Scott Wagner Jan 2017

Improving Bespoke Software Quality: Strategies For Application And Enterprise Architects, Daniel Scott Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite over 50 years of software engineering as a formal practice, contemporary developers of bespoke software follow development practices that result in low-quality products with high development and maintenance costs. This qualitative case study sought to identify strategies used by software and enterprise architects for applying architectural best practices to improve bespoke software quality and lower the total cost of ownership. The study population was application and enterprise architects associated with delivering bespoke software for the enterprise architecture team at a large enterprise in the Nashville, Tennessee metropolitan area. Interview data were collected from 7 enterprise or solution architects; in …

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African American Pastors' Perspectives On Health Promotion Ministries, Brenda Ivy Watson Jan 2017

African American Pastors' Perspectives On Health Promotion Ministries, Brenda Ivy Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The centrality of the church in African American communities makes it a culturally compelling sponsor for health promotion activities targeting health disparities among the medically underserved. Pastoral support is critical in determining whether a church initiates or supports a health promotion agenda, but there is little understanding of the variables that influence this decision. The aim of the qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of African American pastors regarding the decision to incorporate health promotion programs in their churches. This study was guided by the health belief model using a phenomenological approach. Data were collected using both semi-structured and …

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Relationship Between Student Characteristics And Attrition Among Associate Degree Nursing Students, Wendy Elizabeth Watson Jan 2017

Relationship Between Student Characteristics And Attrition Among Associate Degree Nursing Students, Wendy Elizabeth Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High nursing student attrition has been a pervasive problem in the nursing program at the research site of this study. The purpose of this project study was to investigate the relationship between attrition and nursing student characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, English as Second Language (ESL) background, licensed practical nurse (LPN) licensure, grade point average (GPA), the number of preadmission college credits, and the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) scores. This correlational study of archival data was guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model and included a convenience sample of 240 students admitted to the program between …

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Relationships Between Early Academic Indicators And Accelerated-Baccalaureate Student Nurse Success, Bonnie J. White Jan 2017

Relationships Between Early Academic Indicators And Accelerated-Baccalaureate Student Nurse Success, Bonnie J. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2013, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses' (NCLEX-RN) passing standard was increased, leading to a decrease in NCLEX-RN pass rates. The passing standard increase was prompted by an advisory panel's determination that a gap in safe, competent practice existed among new graduate nurses. New graduates' success on NCLEX-RN is critical to meet workplace demand for new nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine whether cumulative grade point average at completion of 200-level nursing courses and scores on the standardized final exam in the 200-level fundamentals course were related to on-time nursing program completion and a …

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Understanding How The Army's Informal Leader Bonds Formal Leadership And The Complex Environment, Keith Laurence White Jan 2017

Understanding How The Army's Informal Leader Bonds Formal Leadership And The Complex Environment, Keith Laurence White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying and toxic leadership in the U. S. Army disrupt bonding processes between leaders and subordinates, which may jeopardize military operations, threaten resiliency initiatives, inhibit leader development, and stifle innovation. Little research, however, has looked at the role of informal leaders who operate outside the formal power structure in military environments. Using social exchange theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the activities of informal leaders who mediated the normal and disrupted leadership bonding processes in an Illinois Army National Guard Infantry Brigade. The research questions explored the informal leaders' influence and behaviors to …

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Lived Experiences Of Pre-Menopausal African American Women With Advanced Breast Cancer, Carmelita Whitfield Jan 2017

Lived Experiences Of Pre-Menopausal African American Women With Advanced Breast Cancer, Carmelita Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study examined the phenomenology of advanced breast cancer (ABC) among 7 female participants between the ages of 20 and 45. Oral data were collected to extract participants' interpretations of their spiritual and psychosocial experiences of living with ABC. Findings suggest that these women experienced a dichotomous relationship with regard to their bodies and their relationships with others; this served as a means of making sense of their experiences and as a coping mechanism. Positive psychology and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior provided the theoretical framework for examining the role of social reinforcements, beliefs, and attitudes …

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The Role Of Inflammatory Biological Markers In Novel Pharmacotherapies For Populations With Depression, Stacey Boyer Jan 2017

The Role Of Inflammatory Biological Markers In Novel Pharmacotherapies For Populations With Depression, Stacey Boyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current interventional pharmaceutical therapies targeted for depression are not adequate to achieve sufficient remission following treatment. Researchers explored inflammatory biomarkers as a way of understanding why treatment for depression is effective for some and not others. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to determine if there was a relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and treatment efficacy in persons diagnosed with depression who have demonstrated a previous lack of remission. Using the immune-cytokine paradigm of depression (POD) allowed depression to be viewed as multifaceted and a potential signal of chronic immune system activation. This secondary data analysis included findings …

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The Lived Experiences Of Men Attracted To Minors And Their Therapy-Seeking Behaviors, Heather Cacciatori Jan 2017

The Lived Experiences Of Men Attracted To Minors And Their Therapy-Seeking Behaviors, Heather Cacciatori

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the lived experiences of men attracted to minors who believed they would benefit from therapy but did not seek out or attend therapeutic services; and sought to gain an understanding of how the decision to seek help or not impacted their well-being. Participants included 7 men who were recruited through the B4U-ACT online forum, which provides peer support for the minor attracted community. Participants were interviewed over Skype. Data from these interviews was analyzed and coded according to the interpretative phenomenological method as outlined by Smith et al. (2012). Five main themes emerged, providing insight as to …

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The Effects Of Education Narratives On High School Persistence Among Navajo Girls, Nancy Catherine Carre Jan 2017

The Effects Of Education Narratives On High School Persistence Among Navajo Girls, Nancy Catherine Carre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dropout rates among American Indian students have not shown significant improvement since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. While extensive research exists on the dropout phenomenon, no studies were found that addressed why some Navajo girls leave school and the role education narratives play in their decision. Accordingly, this study examined the narratives shaping federal and Navajo education policies in order to understand how these influence school programs. The research questions dealt with three elements that could induce Navajo girls to leave school, the institutions and programs offered by federal and tribal government entities, …

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Elementary Teacher Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Kinesthetic Learning Strategies, Heidi Erickson Erickson Jan 2017

Elementary Teacher Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Kinesthetic Learning Strategies, Heidi Erickson Erickson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown that movement increases brain function, improves mental health, supports cognitive development for students, and reduces sedentary time, all which can influence overall health. Research concerning learning with intentional movement is limited. In the United States, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are being mandated, and teachers are challenged to teach the standards creatively and to maximize time used for instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of elementary general education (GE) teachers who taught CCSS using a kinesthetic learning plan (KLP). Bandura's self-reinforcement and social learning theories provided the conceptual …

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Human Capital Strategies Of Leaders In The Food Service Industry, Olivia Patrice Chanté Miller Jan 2017

Human Capital Strategies Of Leaders In The Food Service Industry, Olivia Patrice Chanté Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High voluntary employee turnover in the food service industry often exceeds 60%. Some food service leaders lack strategies to motivate employees to stay with the organization. High voluntary employee turnover negatively affects organizational profitability due to increased employee replacement costs and reduced organizational productivity. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the human capital strategies successful food service leaders use to reduce voluntary employee turnover intentions. The target population consisted of 4 managers of 4 different casual dining restaurants in Winston-Salem, NC who successfully used human capital strategies to reduce voluntary employee turnover intentions. The conceptual frameworks …

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Improving New Nurses' Transition To Practice, Merri Morgan Jan 2017

Improving New Nurses' Transition To Practice, Merri Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Almost 30% of new nurse graduates leave the position within the first year of practice, and almost 60% leave within 2 years. When new nurse graduates do not effectively transition into practice, nursing satisfaction is affected, and additional costs are incurred by their organizations through continual hiring of nurses. The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based nurse residency program (NRP) for new nurse graduates working in a 16-bed intensive care unit (ICU) of a 160-bed community hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Using a team approach, Rosswurm and Larrabee's model of evidence-based practice …

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The Lived Experience Of In-Center Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Treatment In Dekalb County, Georgia, Stacey Deniese Cooper Jan 2017

The Lived Experience Of In-Center Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Treatment In Dekalb County, Georgia, Stacey Deniese Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is preventable and reversible in the early stages with upstream strategies; however, the number of individuals diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing annually. Although researchers have documented the physiological and psychological stressors associated with hemodialysis (HD), little is known about the effects of in-center HD on the recipients in DeKalb County, Georgia. This study described the experiences of 10 African American HD patients who dialyze in DeKalb County. Using a phenomenological approach, the interviews were transcribed and then analyzed for significant quotes and recurrent themes relevant to receiving HD in DeKalb County. The health …

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Ptsd With Substance Use Disorders Female Versus Male Veterans: An Archival Study, Geri Cribbs Jan 2017

Ptsd With Substance Use Disorders Female Versus Male Veterans: An Archival Study, Geri Cribbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The present study examined men and women veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Women in the general public have been found to be at greater risk for a diagnosis of PTSD with life-long symptoms. Current literature involving military men and women veterans is at odds over which gender is more likely to have both PTSD and SUD. This study assessed the variables of gender and diagnosis. It also studied whether the age of female veterans affects their likelihood of having both PTSD and SUD. Archival data were gathered from the Veterans Administration (VA) for …

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Defense And Prosecuting Attorney Perceptions Of Facility Dogs In The Courtroom, Kristy Melissa Donaldson Jan 2017

Defense And Prosecuting Attorney Perceptions Of Facility Dogs In The Courtroom, Kristy Melissa Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attorneys must obtain evidence for purporting their position on a court case. Many factors are considered when working with witness testimony such as age, development, narrative recall, and retraumatization. Research has detailed the hardship of obtaining evidence during witness testimony and the importance of support systems to help with the process. Existing research illustrates the stressors caused by the court processes, witness fear, and difficulty for attorneys to ascertain testimony. Therapeutic animals have been well researched and shown to have an important support role in many professions and situations. Additionally, much has been written regarding the use of varying types …

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Breastfeeding Perceptions Of First-Time African American Mothers, Deborah Annmarie Jarrett Jan 2017

Breastfeeding Perceptions Of First-Time African American Mothers, Deborah Annmarie Jarrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breastfeeding is associated with numerous health and social benefits. Although support for breastfeeding is promoted globally, disparities in breastfeeding rates and support continue. African American mothers have lower breastfeeding rates than do Hispanic and Caucasian mothers. Several researchers have focused on the benefits of breastfeeding support, but no available research has explained any specific ethnic group perceptions of breastfeeding. This study explored 10 first-time African American mothers' perceptions of the breastfeeding support they received from physicians, nurses, midwives, and lactation consultants. The purposeful criterion sampling strategy was used to recruit participants, and data were collected through semistructured telephone interviews. The …

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Static-99, Mnsost-R, And Pcl-R In Predicting Recidivism Among Texas' Sexual Violent Predators, Diana Jefferson Jefferson Jan 2017

Static-99, Mnsost-R, And Pcl-R In Predicting Recidivism Among Texas' Sexual Violent Predators, Diana Jefferson Jefferson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism within the sexually violent predator (SVP) population has gained worldwide attention because of the lack of protection offered to the victims that may lead to loss of life. Behavioral theory suggests that accuracy of predictive behaviors based on empirical judgement is more reliable than that based on clinical judgement. The purpose of this research was to see whether three actuarial assessment tools, Static-99, PCL-R, and MnSOST-R, could predict recidivism and whether the combination of the three-increased predictive value in the Texas SVP population. As yet, the literature provides no evidence. The Texas Open Record System provided assessment scores and …

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Predictors Of Mastectomy In Male Breast Cancer, Esther Opara Jan 2017

Predictors Of Mastectomy In Male Breast Cancer, Esther Opara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, and research on the predictors of MBC has been limited because of inadequate funding in and outside of the United States. One goal of this study was to eradicate the stereotyping of breast cancer as a female disease. The emergence of medical technology and education to benefit the public will help to ensure greater health awareness at the individual, community, and global levels. The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of the predictors of age; race (Black, White, and Other); and grade of cancer (I, II, or III) on the outcome …

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Strategies To Sustain Positive Leader-Employee Relationships To Increase Productivity, Bont'e Twyman-Abrams Jan 2017

Strategies To Sustain Positive Leader-Employee Relationships To Increase Productivity, Bont'e Twyman-Abrams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior executive leaders face ongoing challenges assessing whether their leadership teams have the competencies to respond to rapidly changing business conditions resulting from negative leader-employee interactions. The purpose of this qualitative single-unit case study was to explore strategies that team leaders at an online, for-profit high school education system located in Delaware, used to sustain positive leader-employee relationships to increase employee productivity. The population consisted of 5 current team leaders (faculty members and executives) at the study site who had experienced team member losses, yet had implemented effective strategies to sustain positive leader-employee relationships and increased employee productivity. The conceptual …

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Exploring Frontline Management Strategies Used To Improve Employee Engagement, Michael P. Wise Jan 2017

Exploring Frontline Management Strategies Used To Improve Employee Engagement, Michael P. Wise

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers who foster at least 65% employee engagement, based on employee engagement surveys conducted by Hewitt Associates, Inc., provide a 19% higher return to shareholders than managers who do not foster a 65% or higher employee engagement level. The purpose of this single site case study was to identify strategies that frontline managers used to build employee engagement, leading to higher organizational performance. The transformational leadership theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from a purposeful sample of 3 frontline managers at a beverage manufacturing facility in the Midwest of the …

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Professionals' Perspective On Mental Health Courts, Martha M. Amos Jan 2017

Professionals' Perspective On Mental Health Courts, Martha M. Amos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, the percentage of incarcerated individuals with mental illness has dramatically increased. It is very hard to provide treatment and care for these defendants in jails or prisons. Currently, there are more mentally ill individuals incarcerated than in psychiatric hospitals. Furthermore, as budget cuts are being decided, urban and rural communities in America are looking at ways to help the mentally ill by initiating a mental health court (MHC) or continuing to fund an already existing MHC. Guided by the therapeutic jurisprudence theory, the purpose of this study was to elicit the opinions from MHC professionals regarding the …

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Impact Of Training On Kin Caregivers' Use Of Discipline Practices, Bertha Ansley Jan 2017

Impact Of Training On Kin Caregivers' Use Of Discipline Practices, Bertha Ansley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that child abuse is a serious public health issue that may warrant child welfare agency intervention and removal of children from their homes. Placement with kin caregivers is considered the least restrictive placement option by social workers. It has been recognized that kin caregivers require some type of formal parental training to prepare them to care for relative children. A large city implemented the Caring for Our Own training program as prelicensing training to prepare relatives for roles as kin caregivers. Prior to this study, no research had assessed whether this training program adequately addressed caregivers' ability …

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Influence Of Personal Experience On Workplace Bullying Behavior, Sandra Trott Jan 2017

Influence Of Personal Experience On Workplace Bullying Behavior, Sandra Trott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace bullying has detrimental effects on victims and organizations. Research from the bully's perspective is lacking resulting in unknown causes for the aggressive behavior. Research indicates some child bullies have histories of maltreatment and that bullying may persist throughout adulthood. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine associations between workplace bullying and childhood abuse/neglect, actual or perceived current victimization, attachment style, and the desire to gain social dominance. An examination of the possible influence of social dominance on the relationship between abuse and workplace bullying was also included. Social dominance theory and attachment theory provided the framework …

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Beyond Breastfeeding: Exploring The Influence Of Maternal Control Over Child Health Behavior Among African American Women Infants And Children Nutritional Supplementation Program Participants, Maria Wilson Jan 2017

Beyond Breastfeeding: Exploring The Influence Of Maternal Control Over Child Health Behavior Among African American Women Infants And Children Nutritional Supplementation Program Participants, Maria Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health benefits of breastfeeding exceed well beyond the first few years of an infant's life. Breast milk is often referred to as liquid gold because of its extensive protective properties that promote child growth and development. Unfortunately, African American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates compared to any other racial group. Given that African American children are disproportionately affected by the current obesity epidemic in the United States, there may be a link between a mother's preference to breastfeed her infant and her influence over her child's eating behaviors and physical activity levels. Guided by social cognitive theory, the …

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An Integrated Approach To Malaria Prevention And Control In Rural Cameroon, Naomi Chuiwo Azunie Jan 2017

An Integrated Approach To Malaria Prevention And Control In Rural Cameroon, Naomi Chuiwo Azunie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease spread to humans through bites of an infected mosquito. In rural Cameroon, malaria is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Several studies have examined the use of various malaria preventive tools; however, there is insufficient literature available on use of an integrated approach to prevent and control malaria in rural Cameroon. The aim of this study was to provide information necessary for bridging the gap in understanding the proper use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and antimalarial drugs and the roles of education and socioeconomic status in malaria prevention and control …

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