Digital Commons Network^™

The Grandparent-Raising-Grandchildren Phenomenon In Michigan, Linda Gail Kimball

Dissertations

Role theory, specifically the incongruous and time-disordered role fit confronted by grandparent caregivers, provides the theoretical basis for this inductive qualitative research study.

A cohort of thirty-five grandparent caregivers, predominantly White, middle-income, older and married, participated in this study. Also included were seven leaders of support groups for grandparents responsible for raising their grandchildren.

Instrumentation included 23 questions to elicit demographic information from the grandparent caregiver. Additionally, the grandparents and the support group leaders responded to a set of focused questions designed to identify (a) the issues facing grandparents who are primary caregivers for their grandchildren, (b) the implications for …

A Comparison Of The Health Beliefs Of Florence Nightingale And Ellen G. White And The Incorporation Of Them Into Their Respective Schools Of Nursing, Ruth Duncan Abbott

Dissertations

This study explored the similarities and differences of the health beliefs of Ellen G. White and Florence Nightingale and how these beliefs were incorporated into each of their respective schools of nursing, the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St. Thomas' Hospital and the Medical Missionary Training School for Nurses at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. The research also examined the contextual factors that shaped each woman's philosophy and influenced the manner in which they carried out their work. Additionally, the research provides information about the historical context surrounding the beginnings of modern nursing, education, health, society, …

A Historical Perspective Of The Freedom Schools: Implications For Social Change, O. Yvonette Murrell Powell Edd

Dissertations

Since the first African slave ship arrived on the American shores, the nature of life for these new inhabitants has differed greatly from that of any other immigrant group. The usual patterns of assimilation were not present. While most other immigrant groups were able to assimilate within three generations by making name changes, taking on characteristics of the majority population, finding employment and acculturating via education, the same avenues were not available to Blacks. After approximately 400 years of differential treatment, negative stereotyping, social stigmatization, and inordinate poverty, many Blacks are still struggling to assimilate. One of the greatest points …

The Impact Of The College Experience On The Lives Of Female Single-Parent Students, Elizabeth Darby Watson

Dissertations

Problem. Poverty affects all people groups, but women are systematically poorer than men are. The feminization of poverty aptly defines the plight and consequence of women's poverty. In the United States the current federal mandate requires all able-bodied adults to be gainfully employed. Minimum-wage jobs, for unskilled and untrained workers, do not move poor women and their families out of poverty.

Method. This study used quantitative and qualitative data to explore the impact of the college experience on 56 single parents who had attended a tuition-driven, faith-based college during the 10-year period of 1987-1997. Responses from a mailed questionnaire and …

Can Principals’ Personality Traits Predict Their Risk-Taking: Uncertainty And Success Orientation As They Relate To Risk Propensity, Bruce A. Evans

Dissertations

This exploratory investigation compared the personality traits uncertainty orientation and success orientation of Michigan principals with their risk-taking propensities. The personality traits were correlated individually with the risk-taking of principals and both traits were combined to examine their additive effect. The principals' personality traits and their risk-taking were also compared by gender.

One-third o f the public school principals in Michigan were chosen and targeted as subjects for study. The study concluded a significant positive correlation between uncertainty orientation and success orientation existed. The Pearson coefficient was r = 0.39. However the alpha level was a = 0.003. The findings …

Developmental, Psychosocial, And Economic Predictors Of Healthy Newborns In Michigan’S Teenage Pregnancies, Cheryl Lauber

Dissertations

Teenage pregnancy is a critical health indicator. Using a risk reduction model, this study examined the relationship between the characteristics o f the teenage mother i and her newborn. The research questions were: ( I) what risk factors are associated with poor birth outcomes, (2) is addressing each factor the best way to reduce the risk, and (3) has the overall risk changed as the birth rate has declined? Developmental, psychosocial and economic risks were identified as independent variables, while age and race were mediators.

Combining the birth certificate records of women under age 20 from 1990 through 1997 resulted …

Comparison Of Health Promotion Behaviors And Performance On The Navy Physical Readiness Test Among Active Duty Shipboard Personnel With And Without Anterior Knee Pain, Robin Theresa Mckenzie Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Health promotion is the number one health priority of the nation, yet, health promoting behaviors (HPB) are rarely part of the management plan for persons with anterior knee pain (AKP). In an active duty military population, AKP can interfere with performance on the required, semi-annual physical readiness test (PRT). The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to compare the relationships among HPB, AKP and performance on the PRT between two groups of active duty Navy shipboard personnel (those with AKP and those without AKP). Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model (HPM) served as the theoretical framework. Subjects completed demographic and …

Missionary Nurse Dorothy Davis Cook, 1940–1972: "Mother Of Swazi Nurses", Susan Elaine Elliott Phd

Dissertations

Dramatically absent from nursing's historical knowledge and professional recognition are the lives, roles, contributions, and legacies of Christian faith-based nurses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ministry and service of Sister Tutor Dorothy Davis Cook, Church of the Nazarene missionary nurse in the African country of Swaziland 1940 to 1972. The multi-dimensional, multi-task expanded roles manifested in her integration of Christian missionary and nurse were explored and her legacy identified. The most significant primary source for this study was Mrs. Cook herself. She was interviewed on three occasions and has provided personal documents, journals, and photographs. Data …

Practitioners’ Perspectives On Alternatives To The Paper-Based System For Preventing Welfare Fraud, Timothy Jerome Cole

Dissertations

Federal agencies have begun to devote greater attention to detecting welfare fraud. This dissertation reviews three proposed alternatives to the current Paper- Based system for preventing welfare fraud, namely, the Paper-Based system with Fingerprint Imaging, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), and EBT with Fingerprint Imaging. It also examines the policy implications likely to result from implementation of these various systems.

Practitioners were randomly selected from agency directories and mailed a survey. Information was sought on their socioeconomic background, professional affiliations, and opinions on several welfare fraud detection systems.

Statistically significant differences in their responses resulted from differences in their socioeconomic backgrounds, …

Social Factors Related To Recovery After Hip Fracture, Debra Lindstrom Hazel

Dissertations

Objectives. The relationship between social variables and performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) was examined in participants three to nine months after they experienced a hip fracture. All participants were over the age of 60 and living in their own homes before and after their hip fractures.

Method. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. There were 19 participants in the quantitative portion of the study that compared three subjectively rated questionnaires with an objectively rated IADL scale. The independent variable, subjective scales were: (1) Antonovsky’s “Orientation to Life” Scale, which measures the sense of coherence, (2) …

An Historical Case Study: The Pregnant Minor Program At Garfield High School, 1975–1999, William E. Law Edd

Dissertations

The researcher conducted an historical case study of the Garfield High School Pregnant Minor Program (1975–1999) which is one of three pregnant minor programs in the San Diego Unified School District. The primary purpose of this study was to provide data about the history and background of this program which may be significant to the decision makers who develop policies regarding pregnant minor programs in the district. The second purpose of the study was to provide data which may be helpful to community members, educators, policy makers, and student-parents about the issues and problems faced by students-parents which would, hopefully, …

Educational Brain Research As Compared With E.G. White's Counsels To Educators, Linda Bryant Caviness

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was threefold: to review current, education-relevant brain research; to review the educational writings of Ellen G. White for major emerging themes/principles; and to compare these findings for similarities and differences.

Method and Results. Using an inductive process, the synthesis and comparison revealed 15 themes from brain research and 12 principles from White's writings from the middle 1800s and early 1900s.

Comparison of the two lists revealed alignment on eight themes/principles, nonalignment on three themes/principles, and partial-alignment on seven themes/principles.

Aligned themes/principles included: body and mind function as one; exercise and movement are vital …

Coping Strategy And Social Support Differences Among Copd Patients: Effects On Psychological Well Being, Functional Status, And Health Care Utilization, Terri Belville-Robertson

Dissertations

This descriptive study examined coping strategies and social support among thirty-three patients with moderate to severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to assess relationships to psychological and functional status, and health care utilization. More specifically, the qualitative and quantitative differences in coping strategies and social support were examined in relation to anxiety, depression, activity level, and use of emergency and inpatient medical services. Subjects participated in a one-session screening that included a brief clinical interview, battery of questionnaires and exercise tolerance test. Health care utilization data were obtained from subjects’ medical records. Subjects' primary support persons also provided collateral data …

An Analysis Of Grade-Level Expenditures Of At-Risk Funding Among Districts Of Different Economic Status In The State Of Michigan, Benard A. Meyer

Dissertations

Many of the recent financial reforms failed to address the needs of at-risk children. Effective solutions to the problems of the educationally disadvantaged must include changes within the schools, how the schools are funded, and how the schools spend their funding. Michigan’s 1994 finance reform included a funded plan for “unequal treatment of unequals” directed for the support of at-risk students. This fund was called Section 31a Program for At-Risk Pupils and involved a 230 million dollar compensatory education funding allowance for students at risk of school failure. This study presented here will determine if there is a relationship between …

The Relationship Between Principals' Leadership Characteristics And Characteristics Of Public Middle Schools, Linda S. Schneider-Rediske

Dissertations

Principals’ perceptions of the relationship between middle school leadership characteristics and the relevance and use of middle school characteristics were examined in this study. A systematic random sampling procedure was used to select principals from public middle schools in the State of Michigan. A survey instrument was developed to measure the variables. These variables were determined based on a review of the literature. The reliability of the instrument was obtained using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Spearman rank-ordered correlations were used to determine the strength and direction of the relationships of each hypothesis.

The findings from this study suggest that there …

Screening For Eating Disorders Utilizing The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Roseann M. Woodka

Dissertations

Problem

Eating disorders, in the form of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, have been recognized as significant mental-health issues for the last three decades, and the incidence is rising as we approach the new millennium. Currently, many women who come into a mental-health setting due to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship issues, sexual issues, etc., are also struggling with eating-disordered behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. These behaviors, thoughts, and feelings may remain well hidden from the counselor throughout the course of therapy or until they become severe and more difficult to treat. Because eating disorders are very complex involving psychological, physical, …

Object Relations And Identity Disturbances In Bulimic Women, Kathy Appledorn

Dissertations

Problem. Although diagnostic criteria of bulimia center on weight- and food-related issues, eating disorders may be viewed as a response to deficits in self-regulatory functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of bulimia, object relations, and identity. This study tested the hypotheses that women with a more severe eating pathology have high scores on object-relations disturbance as well as identity disturbance. It was postulated that women who have been assessed as having a more cohesive ego might respond to cognitive behavioral therapy while those who are assessed as having less intact ego …

Giving Up And Giving In: Young Adolescents' Dilemmas When Caring For A Grandparent With Alzheimer's Disease, Diane Lee Beach Edd

Dissertations

Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease have been studied extensively; the vast majority of caregiver research has focused on spouses and adult children, negating the impact caregiving has on younger family members. Importantly, 75% of caregivers are female; 31% of these women have children at home under the age of 12 and 23% live with a child aged 12–17. As such, adolescents will be increasingly involved in the care of Alzheimer's victims. This study sought to examine the experiences of these individuals. Specifically, what is it like for an adolescent to provide care for a grandparent afflicted with Alzheimer's disease? …

Being Alone: The Experience Of Elderly Homebound Females, Sharon Davis Burt Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Elderly women comprise one of the fastest growing segments of the population in the United States. This growth is due in large part to increasing longevity, and a woman's life expectancy has now reached 79 years. However, along with those added years comes an increase in morbidity and a greater likelihood of living alone. This study describes the life experience of a specific group of elderly women, those who are homebound and living alone. When elderly women are included in research, the same combination of descriptors used for the participants in this study has not been incorporated. Consequently, while much …

Rupture In The Ordinary, Geraldine Abbatiello

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adaptation Of The Freshwater Benthic Diatom Achanthidium Rostratum To Resource Limitation, Patrick Daniel Donovan

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of Moral Judgment Development Of Pregnant Teens, Dalia Ovdat May

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Caregiver's Experience Of Deliberative Mutual Patterning With Pain-Ridden Substance Users, Gaile Hausaman Nellett

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Ex Post Facto Descriptive, Comparative, And Correlational Study Of Two Groups Of High School Special Education Students, Roberta L. Colbert

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Theoretical Perspective Of Factors That Relate To The Functional Independence Of Mature Adults, Richard N. Ashden Edd,Dc

Dissertations

Limitations of policy makers and health care providers understanding about living conditions in later adulthood continually constrains mature adults from doing more for themselves, and society. These circumstances move society to devalue mature adults. Less valued mature adults tend to become even more dependent, that is, increasingly less willing to care for themselves, and less able to contribute to the social good. As a result, a vicious cycle was created, and it caused mature adults to live lower quality lives, and become increasingly dependent on others. To empower mature adults in later life, this study does the preliminary work to …

An Analysis Of Dialogue For Understanding Educators' Stress: Implications For Voice, Listening And Leadership, Joanna R. Doonan Edd

Dissertations

Research indicates that educator stress is a widespread phenomenon that not only impacts the educational community, but society at large. This being the case, there is an urgent need to consider this phenomenon within responsible school leadership. In particular, understanding what creates stress for educators, and learning more about leadership responses that would support educators under stress, are critical to more holistic school leadership, and for enabling teachers to envision a viable future for themselves. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how school principals and colleagues might respond to educators coping with professional stress, so that they …

Identification Of Core Multidisciplinary Competencies In An Integrated Public Health And Human Service System, Brian Winslow Thomas Moffitt Edd

Dissertations

In response to economic, legislative and social forces, public health and human service systems are becoming more integrative, requiring direct service practitioners to acquire new competencies to successfully perform in these new settings. In a review of the literature, competencies pertaining to team effectiveness, interprofessional collaboration and cross-functional knowledge and skills all appear to be relevant considerations. Moreover, an examination of competencies must consider individual, team and organizational dimensions in a context of health and welfare reform. However, the current literature is fragmented, limited in scope and empirically inconclusive. A descriptive, qualitative study was therefore warranted. The following research question …

Leadership Responses To Change In 21st Century California State University Physical Education/Kinesiology Departments, Paulette Wong Hopkins Edd

Dissertations

A number of driving and restraining forces seem to foretell of a paradigm shift in today's post-secondary physical education departments. While the majority might agree that some change is inevitable, of utmost importance and concern is the manner in which change occurs. Left to the vagaries of chance, change can be chaotic and destructive; conversely, when effectively managed by leadership, controlled change can result in immense benefits. This study details leadership perspectives and views on driving and restraining forces that may impact California State University (CSU) physical education departments into the 21st century. It is believed that an analysis of …

Differences In Perceptual And Subjective Body Image Between Weight Cycling And Noncycling Graduate Students, Karen Casebeer

Dissertations

This research began as an exploratory investigation into body image differences between individuals who were weight cyclers and those who were noncyclers. Participants were fem ale and m ale graduate students (n= 444) who completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (Cash, 1990a), the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (M.A. Thompson & Gray, 1995), and the Weight History Questionnaire (W H Q ), a researcher developed self-report survey of weight, dieting, and demographic information. Data gathered from the WHQ were used to identify pairs of individuals who were matched on cycling status, gender, age, and body mass index. Fifteen such pairs were …

Theoretical And Conceptual Lacunae In Sociological Theories Of Development: The Puerto Rican Anomaly, Dennis Malaret

Dissertations

Puerto Rico is presently facing serious economic and social problems which are characteristic of a neocolony. Many of these problems are associated with Puerto Rico's historical path of industrial development adopted in 1940s. This study, therefore, focuses on economic and development policies implemented in Puerto Rico since the early 1900s and the political and economic role the U.S. has played in such policies.

To understand Puerto Rico's structural problems, a theoretical framework has been developed. This framework combines developmentalist theories such as modernization, dependency, capitalist world economy and indigenous Puerto Rican theorizing. These theories have been critically assessed for their …