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The Relationship Among School Playground Design And Conditions And Physical Activity Levels In Children, Ipuna Estavillo Black

Dissertations

Almost 20% of children aged 6 to 11 years are obese in the United States, tripling over the last ten years. The rise in childhood obesity challenges nurses in their efforts to improve community health and sustainability. A decrease in physical activity (PA) levels has been associated with an increase in obesity. Schools have been identified as a primary setting to provide children adequate amounts of daily PA, and nurses working in the area of child health promotion can work with schools to provide opportunities for children to increase PA levels. The playground is one environment where children can increase …

Current Perspectives On The Gestalt Of Nursing Curricula, Brandi L. Venvertloh

Dissertations

This research study aimed to investigate the current gestalt of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curricula in the United States. Presently there is an emphasis in nursing education on the practice-education gap in order to ensure new graduate Registered Nurses are adequately prepared for entry into practice in a dynamic and complex healthcare environment. There has also been movement in nursing education to remove nursing theory from BSN curriculum guiding frameworks and replace them with essential educational standards. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of faculty curriculum leaders …

The Perfect Storm: Unexpected Birthing Experiences And Perinatal Mood Disorders, Joanne G. Goldbort

Dissertations

Intrapartum nurses play a significant role in shaping the lived experience of a woman's birth. Examining the lived experience of women's birth can serve as a critical component in nursing practice as a means to improve patient care outcomes with regards to the development of a perinatal mood disorder. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine women's unexpected birth experience in order to ascertain what contributions from these women's stories might be made to enhance nursing care. Husserl's descriptive phenomenology was the qualitative research design used to examine women's unexpected birth experience, defined as any or all of …

A Comparison Of Mother-Child Interaction Between Adolescent And Adult Mothers Of Preschoolers, Ratchneewan Ross

Dissertations

Two main purposes of this study were: (a) to compare the mother-child interactions between adolescent and adult mothers; and (b) to examine the changes of adolescent mothers' mother-child interactions over time.

Low Income African American Adolescent Girl's Eating Choices, Sandra Kay Jenkins

Dissertations

The aim of this exploratory qualitative study is to identify the problems African American adolescent girls face in making eating choices and to learn how they make decisions about eating. Differences related to culture and socioeconomic status influences, and decision-making strategies were explored. Three sites in African American communities were selected for focus groups and individual adolescent girl-parent dyad interviews for data collection. Data were gathered in 5 focus groups and 4 individual adolescent girl-parent dyad interviews with African American adolescents (n=30). Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (EST) provided the conceptual framework for informing the analysis and interpretation of the data. …

Families' Perceptions On Immunodeficiency Virus Hiv/Aids Phenomenon And Its Impact On Family Functioning Of Puerto Rican Families With Children: A Grounded Approach, Marta Rivero-Mendez

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to generate a detailed description of Puerto Rican families' perceptions of their experiences and processes of functioning when the HIV/AIDS phenomenon is present in the family unit. The sample consisted of six family units composed of 29 members who were followed for seven months. A grounded theory approach framed within the symbolic interactionism perspective was followed to answer the research questions and to generate a substantive theory of family functioning. Data were collected, coded, and analyzed concurrently using the method of comparative analysis.

Assessing Facilitating Factors And Barriers To Body Mass Index Screening Among School Nurses, Ann M. Stalter

Dissertations

Child obesity among school age children is epidemic in the United States (U.S.). A critical review of literature was completed that concluded that Body Mass Index (BMI) screening for early identification and growth surveillance is needed for successful school-based obesity prevention intervention programs. This study used total survey design methods to identify the BMI screening practices of school nurses (SNs) and to identify the facilitating factors and barriers to BMI screening in public elementary schools among school age populations.

The Lived Experience Of Pregnancy While Carrying A Child With A Known, Non-Lethal Congenital Abnormality, Jane L. Hedrick

Dissertations

In the United States, 164 babies per 100,000 live births are born with congenital abnormalities. Although it is not known how many of the abnormalities are diagnosed prenatally, it is estimated that approximately 50% of all pregnant women now undergo some form of prenatal screening. It is important to gain an understanding of how prenatal diagnosis can impact the process of prenatal attachment for women facing the possibility of carrying, delivering, and raising a child with a congenital abnormality. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of prenatal attachment in mothers who are carrying a …

Testing A Model Of Communication, Uncertainty, And Emotional Well-Being In Older Breast Cancer Survivors, Margaret F. Clayton

Dissertations

The uncertainty and disruption caused by ongoing physical symptoms contributes to emotional distress and thoughts of recurrence for older breast cancer survivors. Uncertainty may be due to a lack of information about whether symptoms indicate recurrence, are related to comorbid conditions, or are part of the normal aging process. The purpose of this research was to assess the influence of physical symptoms, age, ethnicity, and patient-provider communication, on the uncertainty and emotional well-being of older breast cancer survivors. Guided by Uncertainty in Illness Theory, a conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling techniques.

The Experience Of Violence And Help-Seeking Among Mothers Of Adult Chronically Mentally Ill Individuals, Darcy A. Copeland

Dissertations

Mothers of mentally ill adults are frequently primary caretakers. If mentally ill individuals become violent, mothers are most often victims. In their role as primary caretakers, mothers are knowledgeable regarding their children's illnesses. They are also familiar with the mental health system, including criteria for involuntary hospitalization. Mothers can identify signs of decompensation in their mentally ill children and recognize their need for hospitalization. They cannot, however, always access mental health treatment due to their children's refusal and/or not meeting legal criteria for involuntary hospitalization. This is problematic, particularly for mothers whose mentally ill, adult children have a history of …

Problem Behaviors In The Male Partners Of Adolescent Mothers: A Comparison Of Age-Discrepant And Age-Consistent Relationships, Julie K. Baylor

Dissertations

Adolescent girls in relationships with adult males are more likely to become parents than those involved with adolescent males. Studies are few and limited by confounding socioeconomic characteristics and considerable missing data. This study of low-income pregnant adolescents compares the problem behaviors of the babies' fathers who are at least 5 years older than the mother (age-discrepant) with those who are less than 5 years older (age-consistent).

Evolving Self-Care Among Individuals With Schizophrenia And Diabetes Mellitus, Peggy Louise El-Mallakh

Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus is more common among individuals with schizophrenia compared to the general population, yet little is known about their diabetic self-care. This grounded theory study was conducted to identify the process by which individuals with schizophrenia and diabetes develop an understanding of the diagnosis of diabetes, identify the factors that influence the development of their diabetic self-care skills, and generate a theory that describes the antecedents and outcomes of their diabetic self-care.

Parenting Behaviors, Perceived Competence, And Exercise Of Girls In Middle Childhood, Jane Cerruti Dellert

Dissertations

Parental socialization patterns (permissiveness, authoritarianism, authoritativeness), parental exercise, and perceived competence influence children's vigorous physical activity according to sport socialization theory. In this study of 155 healthy public school fifth-bade (51%) and sixth-grade (49%) girls and their parents, the parents were primarily Caucasian (60.4%), high school or college educated (88.9%), employed in professional, managerial, or technical support occupations (63%), and in good health (90.6%). Correlation, regression, and analysis of variance statistics revealed that girls' perceived athletic competence was significantly and positively related to girls' exercise (r = .27, p = .001); that girls' exercise and (a) perceived cognitive competence ( …

Partners Together In Health: Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes In Coronary Artery Bypass Patients And Partners, Lynda C. Macken

Dissertations

Coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery patients experience profound declines in physical, psychological, and relational health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine HRQOL outcomes in CAB surgery patients and partners enrolled in either the innovative Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention or usual care cardiac rehabilitation (CR). An experimental, two-group, repeated measures design was used to examine patients and partners randomly assigned to the groups. Instruments used to measure HRQOL were: the SF-36 Physical Functioning subscale, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale for marital quality.

Relationship Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Sickle Cell Disease Severity In Children, Valerie E. Rogers

Dissertations

Statement of the Problem. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) initiates hypoxemia and elevated inflammatory markers, events which contribute to vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease (SCD) independent of OSA. Children with SCD are at increased risk of developing OSA due to SCD-related adenotonsillar hypertrophy, and OSA may increase vaso-occlusion and SCD severity through hypoxemia and inflammation. Identification of OSA-related factors influencing SCD severity is important to reduce SCD-related complications. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that SCD severity is associated with OSA, is associated with OSA-related changes in polysomnography parameters and treatment of OSA with adenotonsillectomy decreases …

Symptoms And Self-Care Strategies In Hiv/Aids: Application Of Web-Based Survey, Fang-Yu Chou

Dissertations

Efforts to understand the patterns of self-care strategies that are used by people living with HIV/AIDS are imperative in planning effective symptom management. Because the World Wide Web has been increasingly used as a tool for surveying patients' self-reported responses, discussing its use in health care research would help to integrate technology in research.

The purposes of this study are to categorize self-care strategies and self-care information resources, determine predictors of self-care strategies reported by people living with HIV/AIDS, and compare how web-based surveys and interview surveys may generate different results.

A descriptive, correlational design was used and secondary analysis …

Functional Status Of Older Adults After Hip Fracture, Christina L. Garcia

Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three manuscripts addressing functional status of adults age 65 years and older after hip fracture. The first manuscript is a review of the literature on the impact of gender, age, comorbidities, pain, depression, self-efficacy, cognitive status, and social support on functional status of older adults after hip fracture. Further research on the relationships among these factors will assist healthcare providers in early identification of adults age 65 years and older after hip fracture at risk of decline in functional status. Results of this literature review led to a concept analysis aimed to provide clarity of …

Parents' Impressions Of Their Child's Minor Surgical Procedure With Nitrous Oxide, Tina J. Shapiro

Dissertations

Invasive procedures are often painful and distressing for children and disturbing for their parents. The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory of parental perceptions of their school-aged child's responses to an outpatient minor surgical procedure with nitrous oxide.

Factors That Influence Contraceptive Decision-Making In African American Women, An Intergenerational Perspective, Allyssa L. Harris

Dissertations

African American women represent a unique group of women in the United States and have a long history of lack of reproductive freedom. Slavery and forced procreation, sterilization abuses, the Eugenics movement, and federally mandated contraception have all impacted on African American women's independence in contraceptive decision-making. Given this population's history, it is important for healthcare providers to understand African American women's contraceptive decision-making, as women often seek their guidance. The purpose of this dissertation research was to discover the intergenerational influences on African American women's contraceptive decision-making. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) develop an understanding …

A Study Of The Health-Promoting Behavioral Effects Of An Exercise Educational Intervention In Adult Diabetics, Charlotte A. Wisnewski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if using a health promotion approach when teaching adult diabetics the importance of exercise would have a positive effect on the healthy behaviors in which they engage and increase exercise participation, The framework of the study was guided by the Pender (1987) Health Promotion Model. The design was a quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test design.

The Relationship Between The Abnormal Electrophysiological Features And The Degeneration In Cognition, Behavior, Daily Functioning, And Global Presentation Manifested By Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease, Ezra C. Charles Holston

Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly prevalent neurologic disorder characterized by progressive degeneration in cognition, behavior, and daily functioning. Identification of methods designed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of early diagnosis would allow for proactive care including timely implementation of treatment modalities. Toward this goal, this secondary analysis was designed to examine the relationship between clinical symptoms (cognitive, behavioral, and daily functioning) and abnormal electrophysiological features in individuals with AD.

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes - Part I: Patient-Centered Care Scale (Ksai-Pccs): A Pilot Study, Patricia E. Esslin

Dissertations

Recognition that adverse events are a significant cause for morbidity and mortality has led to a rise in global efforts to improve patient safety. Adaptations are needed in healthcare institutions and at the educational preparatory level for all healthcare providers. One change surrounds the significance of patient-centered care, an important concept new to healthcare over the last decade. The problem concerns the ability of healthcare educators to effectively measure knowledge, skills, and attitudes of student nurses in relation to the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) patient-centered care competencies. The primary purpose of this study was to test the …

Electrical Characterization And Detection Of Blood Cells And Stones In Urine, Nida Nasir

Dissertations

Urine contains an immense amount of information related to its physical, chemical, and biological components; hence, it is a promising tool in detecting various diseases. Available methods for detecting hematuria (blood in the urine) are not accurate. Results are influenced by many factors, such as, health and vitals of the patients, settings of the equipment and laboratories, which leads to false positive or false negative outputs. This necessitates the development of new, accurate, and easy-access methods that save time and effort. This study demonstrates a label-free and accurate method for detecting the presence of red and white blood cells (RBCs …

The Impact Of Social Media On Improving English Learning Skills: A Case Study Of Uae, Sameer O. A Baniyassen

Dissertations

Social media are one of the current forms of media that have diverse qualities and characteristics. Today, the use of social media is growing day by day at a significant rate. It is in this domain that students can virtually meet with their classmates and their teachers. They can communicate issues that are of significance and are related to their learning process. This study aimed to explore how social media platforms could affect English learning skills and to find whether social media could improve English language skills. The current study used mixed methods involving quantitative and qualitative approaches, such as …

Treatments For Cancer Given Orally: Patients' Perceptions Of Distress Due To Financial Toxicity, Ellen Carr

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims: For adult participants who have received or are receiving treatment for hematologic and solid tumor malignancies given orally, this study describes the relationship between participants’ experience of financial toxicity (FT), the participants’ perception of distress associated with FT, and participants’ self-identified adherence to prescribed treatments in the context of FT.

Background: FT has emerged as an additional source of distress for cancer patients. The costs of treatments given orally can be prohibitively expensive for patients. Therefore, these patients may experience considerable distress and may not adhere to treatments as prescribed.

Method: Descriptive cross-sectional correlational design study of a sample …

A Delphi Study Of Effective Strategies And Supporting Activities For Reducing Chronic Absenteeism With Tk-5th Grade Students, Phillip Shelley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify strategies expert Student Services Administrators/Attendance Supervisors recommend as most effective for reducing chronic absenteeism with TK-5th Grade public school students. In addition, it was the purpose to rate the effectiveness of the identified strategies, and to identify activities that would support the implementation of the most effective strategies.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of three rounds, to collect data from expert Student Service Administrators/Attendance Supervisors. In Round 1, expert panel members were asked to identify strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism with TK-5th grade students. In Round 2, …

Dysmenorrhea And Related Factors In Taiwanese Adolescent Girls, I-Chen Lu

Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to validate the factors that are related to dysmenorrhea in Taiwanese adolescents. The specific aims were to describe the perceived dysmenorrhea pain symptom experience (SE), related self-care strategies (SCS), and perceived effectiveness of self-care strategies (PESS); to explore the relationships between SE, SCS, and PESS; and to explore the influence of contextual factors on SE, SCS, and PESS. A conceptual framework based on the revised Symptom Management Model was developed and guided this study.

The Development Of The Simulation Thinking Rubric, Jessica Louise Doolen

Dissertations

High fidelity simulation has become a widespread and costly learning strategy in nursing education because it can fill the gap left by a shortage of clinical sites. In addition, high fidelity simulation is an active learning strategy that is thought to increase higher order thinking such as clinical reasoning and judgment skills in nursing students. Nursing educators who utilize curriculum planned high fidelity simulation activities measure simulation learning outcomes with various instruments. However, few can quantify learning in nursing students due to high fidelity simulation and most are not supported by a theory of learning. This methodological study sought to …

Self Efficacy, Self Reliance, Adherence To Self Care, And Glycemic Control Among Cherokee With Type 2 Diabetes, Diana D. Mashburn

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes is responsible for disability and shortened life span among Native Americans. Adherence to recommendations for diet, exercise and medication is essential to optimizing outcomes. Few studies of self care have included Native American participants.

Among Cherokee adults, aims are to (a) describe self efficacy, Cherokee self reliance, adherence to self care recommendations and glycemic control; (b) explore the relationship between self efficacy and Cherokee self reliance; and (c) predict glycemic control from self efficacy, Cherokee self reliance, adherence to self care recommendations, and personal characteristics.

The Relationships Between Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Change To Health Promotion Behaviors In Urban Black Women, Millie A. Hepburn

Dissertations

Black women have been shown to experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality as a result of stroke, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and overweight or obesity than women of other races/ethnicities. The ability to avert certain health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke and overweight or obesity is known to be directly related to active engagement in health promotion behaviors, yet Black women are consistently less likely to engage in these behaviors than are white women. Improved understanding of the various factors that impact individual health promotion behaviors to reduce risk, such as health literacy, self-efficacy and readiness …