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- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences (18)
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- Master of Science (MS) School of Education (2)
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Articles 31 - 60 of 104
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Vagal Mediated Heart Rate Variability And Cognitive Impairments In Hiv-Seropositive Women, William C. Nicholson
Vagal Mediated Heart Rate Variability And Cognitive Impairments In Hiv-Seropositive Women, William C. Nicholson
All ETDs from UAB
Regardless of sufficient viral suppression, HIV exerts an ongoing inflammatory process that promotes chronic autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, accelerates physiological aging, and increases the risk of developing a spectrum of cognitive disorders (known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders [HAND]). Given this, identifying pathological mediators of this inflammatory response could provide insight into the mechanisms driving HAND. The vagus nerve (indexed by vagal-mediated heart rate variability [vmHRV]) could provide such a mediator as it regulates ANS activity via reciprocal cardio-neural pathways, which regulate inflammation and homeostasis. Vagal dysfunction is associated with persistent inflammatory signaling (e.g., stress or inflammatory-based disorders [such as …
Relationship Of Body Composition With Muscle Performance In Older Adults, Bethany Ann Moore
Relationship Of Body Composition With Muscle Performance In Older Adults, Bethany Ann Moore
All ETDs from UAB
Background and Purpose: There is a well-established association between loss of muscle mass and decline in muscle strength and neuromuscular performance in older adults. However, fat mass may diminish the effect of muscle mass on functional performance in older adults. The relationships between percent total body fat, muscle strength, and neuromuscular performance in older adults is unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the independent relationships between percent total body fat, muscle strength, and neuromuscular performance in older adults. Methods: Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure fat mass and leg lean mass in 60 older adults …
Racial Disparities In Oncology Clinical Trial Participation: A Qualitative Exploration, Soumya J. Niranjan
Racial Disparities In Oncology Clinical Trial Participation: A Qualitative Exploration, Soumya J. Niranjan
All ETDs from UAB
Introduction: Current rates of participation for racial and ethnic minorities in cancer clinical trials are significantly lower when compared to non-Hispanic whites. The patients’ perspective on reasons for low participation is abundant. Yet, very little is known from the perspective of clinical and research professionals who are actively involved in patient recruitment. This study seeks to understand their perspective on how the external environment associated with the health care system contributes to limited participation of racial and ethnic minority groups in cancer clinical trials. To that effect, the health services utilization framework was utilized. Data/Methods: EMPaCT data with 91 qualitative …
Effects Of Medicare Reimbursement Policies On The Quality Of Hospital Care, Monica Aswani
Effects Of Medicare Reimbursement Policies On The Quality Of Hospital Care, Monica Aswani
All ETDs from UAB
This dissertation is composed of two papers related to the role of social risk factors in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). As value-based initiatives like the HRRP become more commonplace, there is growing need to understand the relationship between performance in these programs and social risk factors, such as race and poverty, which are not incorporated in the program’s risk adjustment methodology. To address this gap in the literature, this dissertation specifically focuses on three areas: 1) how hospital and community factors are related to average HRRP penalties, taking the context of geography into account, 2) how hospital and …
The Benefits Of A Vegetable Gardening Intervention For Cancer Survivors, Mallory Gamel Cases
The Benefits Of A Vegetable Gardening Intervention For Cancer Survivors, Mallory Gamel Cases
All ETDs from UAB
Due to improvements in screening and treatment, the number of cancer survivors continues to increase. Cancer survivors are at increased risk for second malignancies, comorbidities, and functional decline. All three papers draw data from Harvest for Health, a 12-month home-based vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors. This dissertation aimed to (1) explore changes in physical functioning and physical health-related quality of life in 44 cancer survivors aged >65 years old pooled from two iterations of Harvest for Health; (2) examine predictors of continued gardening and garden expansion 12-months post-intervention; and (3) assess the capacity of sustainability of Harvest for Health …
Improving Cognitive Predictors And Everyday Outcomes In Adults With Hiv, Shameka L. Cody
Improving Cognitive Predictors And Everyday Outcomes In Adults With Hiv, Shameka L. Cody
All ETDs from UAB
As adults age with HIV, they may encounter challenges with cognitive impairments. Perhaps, the neurobiological effects of HIV, subtle lifestyle changes, and the aging process may negatively influence cognitive functioning. Some cognitive impairments may interfere with everyday functioning and even compromise quality of life. In this dissertation, three articles were presented which focused on the overall theme of HIV and cognition. Article 1, a review of literature published in the Neurobiology of Disease, focused on how HIV affects the brain independently and the synergistic effects of HIV and aging on cognitive health. Also, the article closed with a section on …
Cognitive Correlates Of Driving Behavior In Older Adults With Hiv, Caitlin Northcutt Pope
Cognitive Correlates Of Driving Behavior In Older Adults With Hiv, Caitlin Northcutt Pope
All ETDs from UAB
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) currently affects over 1 million individuals in the United States. It is estimated that by the year 2020, up to 70% of individuals with HIV in the United States will be ages 50 and older, as these individuals live longer due to more advanced medicine and later diagnosis. Aging research suggests individuals with HIV may be at risk for accelerated or accentuated aging making age-related deficits, particularly with cognition and everyday functioning, of public concern. The current study investigated the complex associations between age, HIV disease state, cognition, health, and driving in 139 older adults (Mage …
An Examination Of The Neuropsychological Construct Executive Function And How It May Be Impacted By Cognitive And Exercise Interventions, Erica Schmidt
All ETDs from UAB
Background: There is a growing body of literature supporting the beneficial effects of cognitive training and exercise training on executive function (EF) in older adults. More recently, evidence is amassing that interventions which combine cognitive and physical activity, for example, exergames, may confer even greater cognitive benefits. Comparison of EF interventions for older adults requires more investigation and would benefit from improved operationalization of the EF construct and better understanding of factors which predict baseline EF in older adults. Methods and Results: Fifty-seven sedentary, non-gamer, community dwelling older adults were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups (computerized cognitive …
Home Healthcare And Performance: Development And Application Of A Typology For Home Health Agencies, Ronique Nechelle Evans
Home Healthcare And Performance: Development And Application Of A Typology For Home Health Agencies, Ronique Nechelle Evans
All ETDs from UAB
This three-paper dissertation sought to examine the existence of strategic groups in the home health industry, the application of Porter’s generic strategies (cost leader, differentiator, “stuck-in-the-middle” and both cost leader/differentiator) in identifying these groups, and the association of group membership with agency performance. The findings of this study will provide researchers and managers with a highlight of the current strategic makeup of the home health industry and its relationship with quality and financial performance. The results of this dissertation provide some evidence that strategic groups do exist in the home health industry and can be described along the basis of …
Increasing The Accessibility Of A Falls Prevention Intervention For Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Low Vision, Sarah Blaylock
Increasing The Accessibility Of A Falls Prevention Intervention For Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Low Vision, Sarah Blaylock
All ETDs from UAB
Falls remain a costly problem as a leading cause of injuries and fatalities for individuals over the age of 65. Older adults with low vision, or non-correctable visual impairment, are estimated to be two times more likely to fall than those without vision loss. There appear to be limited falls prevention interventions available for older adults that have been tested on or designed specifically for individuals with visual impairment. The goals of this dissertation were to learn more about the availability of visually accessible falls prevention interventions and to develop an intervention that can be used with veterans receiving services …
Familial Support And Mental Health Service Use: Differences Among First- And Second-Generation Asian American And Latino Older Adults, Jessica Lynn Valles
Familial Support And Mental Health Service Use: Differences Among First- And Second-Generation Asian American And Latino Older Adults, Jessica Lynn Valles
All ETDs from UAB
While several studies have shown that US-born Asian Americans and Latinos are more likely to use mental health services than their foreign-born counterparts, the effects of generation status and familial support is unclear. Furthermore, little is known about these associations and how they affect older adults. According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST), as adults begin transition into advanced age, they begin to withdraw from broader social networks to focus on more intimate relations, such as those with children. In applying modernization theory to the family and aging, this theory would suggest that the status of older adults in families …
Meta-Analysis Of Cognitive Performance In Fibromyalgia, Tyler Reed Bell
Meta-Analysis Of Cognitive Performance In Fibromyalgia, Tyler Reed Bell
All ETDs from UAB
Fibromyalgia is a disease that encompasses difficulties with pain, physical function, and emotion, but is also characterized by complaints of poor cognition. Over the last two decades, a vast amount of literature has tested for cognitive differences between individuals with and without fibromyalgia. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a quantitative synthesis on these differences across multiple cognitive domains. After a systematic search of eligible studies, random-effect meta-analyses were conducted on effect sizes (Hedges’ g) derived from 37 cross-sectional studies covering domains of processing speed, memory and executive function. Participants included persons with fibromyalgia (total n = …
Evaluation Of The Productive Efficiency Of Nurse Practitioners In A Nurse Managed Center In A Highly Restrictive Scope-Of-Practice State, Faraz Ahmed
All ETDs from UAB
The purpose of this study is to determine the productive efficiency of Nurse Practitioners (NP) in a Nurse Managed Center (NMC) in a highly restrictive Scope-of-Practice (SOP) state. NPs are skilled, cost effective and quality health care providers and are considered a highly competitive option for increasing access while reducing health care costs. However, it is not clearly known if NPs are the most productively efficient at delivering this reduced cost of health care. The theories of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and Resource Based View (RBV) were used as a framework to develop the hypotheses that examined the productive efficiency …
Exploring Body Image And The Association Between Body Image Dissatisfaction And Waist Circumference Among Overweight And Obese Rural African American Women Participating In A Weight Loss Program, Erica Rayshelle Johnson
Exploring Body Image And The Association Between Body Image Dissatisfaction And Waist Circumference Among Overweight And Obese Rural African American Women Participating In A Weight Loss Program, Erica Rayshelle Johnson
All ETDs from UAB
African American (AA) women are disproportionately burdened by obesity, an epidemic with implications that reach beyond physiological consequences. Given that perceptions of body image may impact health-promoting behaviors and weight management efforts, we sought to evaluate the presence and magnitude of body image dissatisfaction (BID) and explore its relationship with waist circumference (WC), independent of weight among overweight and obese treatment-seeking rural AA women. Participants referred to images from the Pulvers Figure Rating Scale that included nine body silhouettes to answer: “How I think I look now” (i.e., current body image) and “How I would like to look” (i.e., desired …
The Effects Of Subjective And Objective Caregiver Burden On The Depressive Symptomology Of A Disabled Older Adult Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem
The Effects Of Subjective And Objective Caregiver Burden On The Depressive Symptomology Of A Disabled Older Adult Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem
All ETDs from UAB
Depression is a leading mental health issue effecting the aging population. The current body of research contends that stress, social disconnectedness, and disability are possible causes of depression. Research, however, widely neglects the study of caregiver burden as other probable causes of depression in this group. This study investigates subjective and objective caregiver burden as possible causes of adverse mental health for a non-institutionalized older adult care recipient. Additionally, the conditional effects of race/ethnic background of the care recipient are evaluated using the most recent wave of the National Long Term Care Study (NLTCS) and using both the life stress …
Using Computers And The Internet: The Experiences Of Older, Vicki P. Winstead
Using Computers And The Internet: The Experiences Of Older, Vicki P. Winstead
All ETDs from UAB
reproduction such as egg survival, hatchling survival, and sex ratios. The initial two
Examining Predictors Of The Longitudinal Trajectories Of Diabetes Distress And Depressive Symptoms In A Sample Of Older Adults With Diabetes, Larita Jones
All ETDs from UAB
Objectives: The authors investigated the relationships between race, cognitive function, life-space mobility, comorbidity, and depressive symptoms over time; as well as the relationships between race, cognitive function, life-space mobility, comorbidity, and diabetes distress over time. Methods: The sample included 224 community-dwelling older adults (age 65<) previously diagnosed with diabetes. The current study utilized data from telephone interviews at three different time points (baseline, 1 year follow up, and 2 year follow up). Results: A number of significant correlations were found. Potentially most importantly, results from the final model indicated that those participants who were lowest in self-efficacy were the most at-risk for experiencing diabetes distress and/or depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing diabetes distress and/or depressive symptoms within this population should focus on social support and disease specific self-management education as two cost-effective and easily manipulated avenues to achieving this goal.
Internet Use And Mental Health/Well-Being In Old Age: Exploring The Roles Of Social Integration And Social Support, Ronald William Berkowsky
Internet Use And Mental Health/Well-Being In Old Age: Exploring The Roles Of Social Integration And Social Support, Ronald William Berkowsky
All ETDs from UAB
The escalating pressures put on the US healthcare system, due in part to the growing needs of the expanding older adult population, has motivated research dedicated to more fully understanding the mental health and mental well-being needs of this population and ways to address these needs and alleviate the pressure on the healthcare system. An increasing area of interest is in examining the role information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as Internet-connected computers and smartphones, in the health of older adults. Research has shown that ICTs can successfully be used to help treat, manage, and cope with mental health/well-being issues, …
Frequency Of Exercise Training's Effect On Psychological Outcomes In Older Women, William Neumeier
Frequency Of Exercise Training's Effect On Psychological Outcomes In Older Women, William Neumeier
All ETDs from UAB
Objectives: Exercise training by older adults has demonstrated many health benefits, including improved cognition and psychological well-being. The optimal frequency of combined aerobic exercise training (AET) and resistance exercise training (RET) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise improves body image, esteem, depression, and mood, among older women, and whether improvements differ by frequency of exercise. Methods: Post-menopausal women (N = 64) over the age of 60 (64.79 ± 3.74) were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 completed two exercise sessions (1 AET, 1 RET) per week, Group 2 completed four sessions …
Age Cohorts And Emotional Attachment To Mobile Phones, Amanda Warr
Age Cohorts And Emotional Attachment To Mobile Phones, Amanda Warr
All ETDs from UAB
ABSTRACT Mobile phones have become integral to the way people communicate. Although mobile phone ownership is nearing saturation in the United States, use patterns differ among age cohorts. Another difference is the degree to which members of different age cohorts depend on their mobile phones. I explore emotional attachment to mobile phones and how it differs by age cohorts. Using data from a national survey of U.S. adults, I examine whether cohorts differ in attachment to their mobile phones, even when controlling for diversity of technology use. The results illustrate that there are important differences in attachment to mobile phones …
Cognitive Training Refines Connectivity Of The Aging Human Brain To Improve Performance, Christine R. Denning
Cognitive Training Refines Connectivity Of The Aging Human Brain To Improve Performance, Christine R. Denning
All ETDs from UAB
Cognitive deficits that occur as a function of age are highly variable within a sample of older adults of similar age. Training paradigms are available that can reverse cognitive declines that occur with age and improve behavioral performance. However, the benefits of training are also highly variable. The goal of this study was to use func-tional connectivity analyses on functional MRI data to help identify the source of this variability and to determine if cognitive training could alter network structure in the ag-ing human brain. Resting-state functional connectivity data was acquired to investigate several neural networks in forty-one older adults. …
The Effects Of Caregiver Emotional Stress On The Depressive Symptomalogy Of The Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem
The Effects Of Caregiver Emotional Stress On The Depressive Symptomalogy Of The Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem
All ETDs from UAB
Depression is one of the leading mental health issues affecting America's aging population . The current body of research contends that stress, social disconnectedness, and the presence of disability are possible causes of depression. This research, on one hand, widely neglects to study caregiver emotional stress as another probable cause of depression in the elderly. This study plans to investigate caregiver emotional stress as a chronic life stressor of an elderly care recipient using the life stress paradigm as the theoretical foundation. The relationship between caregiver emotional stress and care receiver depression will be investigated using the 2004 wave of …
The Effects Of Stressors On Depressive Symptoms In A Sample Of Older Adults With Diabetes, Larita Clarice Jones
The Effects Of Stressors On Depressive Symptoms In A Sample Of Older Adults With Diabetes, Larita Clarice Jones
All ETDs from UAB
Objectives: The authors investigated the relationship between various factors related to stress--demographic variables, comorbid health problems, cognitive function, and disease-related distress--and depressive symptoms. Method: The sample included 234 older adults (65 years or older) who had been diagnosed with diabetes. These individuals completed a telephone interview related to living with diabetes. Results: Results in the final model indicated that high levels of diabetes-related distress (B = .49, p < .0001), suffering a stroke (B = .20, p < .0001), and reporting neuropathy (B = .13, p =.0102) were each individually associated with a greater number of depressive symptoms. Results also suggest that diabetes-related distress acts as a mediator of the association between cognitive function and depressive symptoms. Discussion: Findings suggest that interventions targeted to help older adults properly manage their diabetes and reduce the likelihood of experiencing additional complications may lead to a cost-effective option for reducing depressive symptoms within this population.
Internet Use, Social Integration, And Psychological Well-Being In Older Adults, Ronald William Berkowsky
Internet Use, Social Integration, And Psychological Well-Being In Older Adults, Ronald William Berkowsky
All ETDs from UAB
Previous studies examining the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and mental health provide conflicting evidence regarding the possible benefits and detriments of ICT use on mental well-being. While ICTs may enhance social cohesion and motivate individuals to engage in new communication methods to strengthen social bonds and develop new social relationships, ICTs may also motivate individuals to retreat from the real world into a virtual one, thus severing established social ties. These positive and negative changes in social integration can have significant effects on mental health, as research has shown that social relationships and social engagement can drastically …
Memory Profiles In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment And Their Associations With Other Cognitive Domains And Functional Abilities, Timothy J. O'Brien
Memory Profiles In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment And Their Associations With Other Cognitive Domains And Functional Abilities, Timothy J. O'Brien
All ETDs from UAB
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is thought to represent the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. Current criteria for amnestic-MCI do not specify the nature of memory impairments, which could be in learning or retrieval of information in verbal or visual domains. While 1.5 standard deviations (SD) below normative samples has been accepted to define cognitive impairment, this standard may be relatively stringent, or may lack specificity to identify mild functional impairment. Baseline data for 71 individuals with consensus-diagnosed MCI enrolled in the Measuring Independent Living in the Elderly Study (MILES) was utilized to investigate patterns of verbal and visual learning and …
Neighborhood Context As A Predictor Of Nursing Home Placement Among Older Adults, David Russell Buys
Neighborhood Context As A Predictor Of Nursing Home Placement Among Older Adults, David Russell Buys
All ETDs from UAB
Persons who are aging face an increased risk of adverse health events and decreased levels of personal competencies, potentially inhibiting their ability to age in place. Sometimes, nursing home placement (NHP) may be imperative, especially if persons experience environmental docility-- an incongruence of their physical capacity with their environment. This study links the neighborhood disadvantage literature with Lawton's environmental press and environmental docility theories to examine how the environment interacts with individual level variables to impact likelihood of NHP. Findings suggest that there is not a direct link between living in a disadvantaged context and likelihood of NHP, but that …
Explaining Racial Differences In Mci Classification In The Active Sample, Bridgett Hill Kennedy
Explaining Racial Differences In Mci Classification In The Active Sample, Bridgett Hill Kennedy
All ETDs from UAB
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is 2 to 5 times more common than dementia and can be a predisposing marker for the development of dementia. African Americans are reported to be at an increased risk for developing MCI when compared to Caucasians. The purpose of the present study was to examine reasons for racial disparity in rates of MCI classification and, in particular, whether preservation of functional abilities over time occurs among African Americans so classified, suggesting possible misclassification. Level and quality of education and prevalence of vascular disease were examined as mediators of the racial disparity in MCI classification. Previously …
Survival Analysis With Censored Outcomes, Henry T. Robertson
Survival Analysis With Censored Outcomes, Henry T. Robertson
All ETDs from UAB
This dissertation is arranged in the three-paper format. The unifying theme of the dissertation is estimating longevity in terms of years of life lost (YLL). The papers are presented in order of increasing methodological focus. The first paper, No compelling evidence that sibutramine prolongs life in rodents despite providing a dose-dependent reduction in body weight, was published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2010. Although sibutramine reduced food intake and body weight, it had no association with longevity. The conclusions were based on data from a 2-year toxicology trial required by the FDA. Although this paper was largely applied …
Pain In Palliative And Supportive Care Outpatients: A Longitudinal Exploration, Jessica Erin Pullins
Pain In Palliative And Supportive Care Outpatients: A Longitudinal Exploration, Jessica Erin Pullins
All ETDs from UAB
This longitudinal observational study examined the pain experience of palliative care outpatients during their first four appointments. To illustrate the longitudinal methods used, the author first provides a general overview of the multilevel model for change and then applies it to the outpatients' pain data. Younger age and an existing or new opioid prescription at the first appointment were linked to higher pain intensity and interference scores. Pain intensity and interference trajectories were widely varied across appointments, with the overall effect of a gradual reduction in pain over time. The clinical and research implications of these results are discussed.
Computerized Cognitive Testing Among Older Adults: Exploring The Effect Of Computer Experience, Anxiety, And Attitudes On Performance, Pariya L. Fazeli
Computerized Cognitive Testing Among Older Adults: Exploring The Effect Of Computer Experience, Anxiety, And Attitudes On Performance, Pariya L. Fazeli
All ETDs from UAB
While computerized cognitive testing among older adults has become more common, such tests have not replaced traditional paper and pencil measures due to potential barriers to implementation. One potential barrier of concern is that prior computer attitudes, anxiety, and experience may affect performance. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship of prior computer attitudes, anxiety, and experience on the performance of three computerized cognitive tests: the Useful Field of View (UFOV®) test, the Road Sign Test (RST), and the Stroop Task. Specifically, one objective was to compare the differential effects of these computer variables on the …