Digital Commons Network^™

Family Media Use Plan Implementation For School-Age Children, Mandy Kelly

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: This paper poses to discuss and examine the concern of unmonitored and excessive internet use by school-age children, ages eight years to 11 years old, along with the importance of employing a Family Media Use Plan, which is recommended by the American Family of Pediatrics (AAP). This issue, although not often studied, is a common occurrence today and is associated with physical and mental health concerns for this vulnerable population.

Method: This quality improvement project was accomplished through educating and surveying the parent population of the Intermediate building of a rural, Southeast Missouri Public School District. The involved …

Exploration Of Two Methodologies For Measuring Clinical Judgment In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Marlene W. Call

Dissertations

Senior nursing students need a requisite level of preparedness to safely care for an acutely ill, complex patient once they graduate and become independent clinicians. This level of preparedness may be evaluated by measuring clinical judgment (CJ) with the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). The LCJR contains 11 indicators that represent the actions and behaviors necessary for demonstrating CJ. Two methods of simulation, high fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), replicate the healthcare environment so students may safely demonstrate clinical skills without harming an actual patient. The purposes of this study were to 1) explore the …

The Lived Experience Of Veteran Medics Entering A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, June L. Llerena

Dissertations

In 2017, 755,479 veterans received Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to attend higher education (VA, 2018). For many returning veterans a rapid transition from military life to student life not only creates academic barriers but also increases stress (Bagby et al., 2015). Studies focusing on transition found 51% of Post 9/11 veterans experienced difficulty transitioning into civilian life (Anderson & Goodman, 2014). Additionally, combat veterans have reported experiencing greater social isolation and emotional struggles compared to non-combat veterans (Bagby et al., 2015). Schonfeld et al. (2015) studied general student veterans and found that: 34.5 % had severe anxiety, 23.7% had …

The Relationship Among Maternal Characteristics, Maternal Dietary Self-Regulation, And The Dietary Intake And Body Weight Status Of Two To Five-Year-Old Children, Andrea Bushaw

Dissertations

Eating preferences and practices are established early in life, yet we have little knowledge about how mothers make food decisions on behalf of their children. These decisions, however, lay the foundation for their child's lifelong food preferences and eating behaviors. Almost one-third of all children in the U.S. are overweight or obese putting them at high risk for becoming an overweight or obese adult. To make a difference in the ongoing obesity epidemic, we must better understand the relationship among characteristics of the mother who controls the young child's access to food, food choices, and feeding practices. This knowledge will …

Acrylamide Mitigation By Novel Lactic Acid Bacteria And Bifidobacteria Isolated From Various Food Products: Optimization Of Mitigation, Effect Of Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions, And Potential Mechanism, Amal Salem Albedwawi

Dissertations

Acrylamide is a toxic compound that is formed in heated carbohydrate-rich food. Scientists have analyzed acrylamide levels before, during, and after processing in order to study the mitigation strategies and, due to the lack of knowledge, this study aimed to: 1) screen 120 newly isolated LAB for their acrylamide removal; 2) optimize the conditions for 6 selected strains of pH, temperature, time and salt, using the Box-Behnken design (BBD), and analyze their acrylamide removal levels; 3) investigate acrylamide removal abilities of the selected LAB isolates under in-vitro digestion conditions, using the INFO-GEST 2.0 model; and 4) examine the mechanism of …

The Impact Of Internal And External Factors On Female Enrollment In Vocational Training Institutes In The United Arab Emirates: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Saada Mubarak Amro

Dissertations

Educational institutes around the world and vocational training institutes, in particular, are concerned with students’ participation and enrollment rates. Great emphasis is placed on the vocational sector and its role in establishing a knowledge-based economy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as articulated in the UAE Vision 2021, its economic foresight 2030, and in the recent 50th-anniversary statement released in 2019 by HH Mohammed Rashed Al Maktoum. The importance of this sector is its significance in diversifying the economy, providing employment, and equipping both employed and unemployed nationals with the vocational skills required by local and international markets and industries. …

Impacts Of Intermediate And Long-Term Vitamin D Deficiency On The Murine Gastric Epithelial Cells And Acid Secretion, Shaima Raji Sirajudeen

Dissertations

The biological functions of vitamin D (VD) are diverse. It influences immunological response, cell proliferation and differentiation, and calcium homeostasis. However, over one billion people globally are VD deficient. The VD receptors, VDR and PDIA3, mediate the biological activities of VD. Studies on the biological roles of VD are numerous but very little on the stomach. The stomach is divided into three main parts – forestomach, corpus and antrum. Gastric glands, which make up the functional units of the stomach, are made up of numerous cell lineages and are located in the corpus and antrum, which are the glandular parts …

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Screening, Diagnosis And Knowledge In The United Arab Emirates, Maryam Mohammed Bashir

Dissertations

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant public health problem with short- and long-term consequences. If undiagnosed and untreated, it is associated with multiple adverse perinatal outcomes and future risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and other cardiovascular diseases in affected mothers and children. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), up to 1 in 4 pregnancies are affected by GDM. This PhD dissertation explores GDM screening, diagnosis, guideline use, and knowledge to provide a basis for primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention in GDM care in the UAE. Three studies were conducted to achieve the PhD …

A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Occupational Health And Safety Practices On Employee Productivity At Sibca Llc, Maryam Ibrahim Mohamed Hussain Lari

Dissertations

Occupational health and safety (OHS) refer to practices that businesses use to proactively ensure the health and safety of employees. OHS scholars believe companies can use such practices to improve the health and safety of their organization and employee productivity. This study assesses how OHS practices can impact employee productivity at SIBCA LLC, a UAE-based company. It employed a longitudinal research design with pre- and post-intervention data collection to determine the effect of OHS practices on employee productivity. The study sample comprised 293 SIBCA LLC employees. Participants completed the same questionnaire twice, and productivity data were collected twice, 13 months …

Prenatal Yoga Practice In Late Pregnancy And Patterning Of Change In Optimism, Power, And Well-Being, Pamela J. Reis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore changes in human-environmental field patterning of optimism, power, and well-being over time, in women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy upon completion of a 6-week prenatal yoga program. A descriptive design was used to answer research questions developed according to the Science of Unitary Human Beings theoretical framework: (1) what are the changes in patterning, as observed through the manifestation of optimism, power, and well-being over time, in women before beginning and upon completing a 6-week prenatal yoga program during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and (2) does …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Species Rarity In Oaks (Quercus Spp.), Yingtong Wu

Dissertations

Rare species are susceptible to extinction due to ecological and genetic factors. Understanding the distribution, ecology, and evolution of rare species can provide useful information for effective conservation. To investigate species rarity, this dissertation focuses on a species-rich and ecologically diverse genus, Quercus (oaks). In Chapter 1, I aimed to understand how interactions between hosts and soil microbes contribute to habitat restriction in oak species. I performed a soil inoculum experiment on two pairs of sister oak species that show habitat divergence. I found that host-specific soil microbes contribute to habitat divergence and exclusion among sister species of oaks, but …

Middle Eastern And North African Immigrant Parents Caring For Obese Children: A Phenomenlogical Inquiry, Sadeg Aldolaim

Dissertations

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century in the United States and worldwide. Several studies show that children with migrant backgrounds are more likely to be at risk of becoming obese. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of physical diseases and cognitive academic deficits in children and adolescents. The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) population is one of the fastest-growing immigrant population groups in the United States. However, there are no studies exploring parental involvement in childhood obesity prevention programs among the MENA immigrant population.

The purpose of this qualitative …

Obesity And The University Environment: Assessment Of The Campus And Intervention In The Student Health Services, Tina L. Ortiz

Dissertations

One of the most substantial challenges facing colleges and universities today remains the creation of a healthy campus environment. With more than one-third of college students classified as overweight or obese by body-mass index (BMI) and the known negative health consequences associated with obesity, campuses have a deliberate responsibility to help mitigate this sobering statistic. A significant movement from The American College Health Association (ACHA) to address campus health, Healthy Campus 2020 (HC2020), provides a framework to support campuses in improving the health of their students, staff, and faculty. This project first sought to assess, explore and understand one campus …

Organizational Factors As Barriers To Racially And Ethnically Diverse Nursing Students, Janine Lynn Johnson

Dissertations

Increasing the nursing profession's diverse make up is thought to improve health disparities. To improve this diversity, it is essential for nursing students from diverse backgrounds to be successful in nursing school. The purpose of this phenomenological study using critical race theory for the framework was to discover racially and ethnically diverse students' perceptions related to organizational factors impacting their success in an undergraduate nursing program. Organizational factors included the policies and practices at the course, department, and institutional levels. The aim of this study was to determine how nurse educators and schools of nursing can increase the diversity among …

The Relationship Between Equity Funding Levels And Success Of African American Students At California Community Colleges, Yulian Ligioso

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine what relationship exists between equity fund spending and the student success measures of graduation rates, associate degrees and certificates awarded, and transfers completed by African American students in single college community college districts in California.

Methodology. This study employed a quantitative research design using archival data. Correlation and regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between funding and student success outcomes. The study population was the California community college (CCC) system, and the sample was 49 single college districts.

Findings: As expected, funding was positively correlated with total number …

Impact Of Immigration Parent-Child Separation Policies On Children’S Attachment Experiences, Daisy Casasnovas

Dissertations

This critical literature review (CRP) project explores the consequences of child-parent separation by deportation laws. Considering the number of Latinx immigrant families immigrating to the United States, this review focused on how the unexpected separation by deportation impacted immigrant families and how these separations affect their children’s development, attachment style, and overall well-being. The review explored the short- and long-term consequences for immigrant children and their families, including children who are U.S.-born and remain in the country without their parents. Results from the review indicate an extensive and significant impact on attachment style and overall developmental impairments. The unexpected separation …

Brainless But Smart: Investigating Cognitive-Like Behaviors In The Acellular Slime Mold Physarum Polycephalum, Subash Kusum Ray

Dissertations

Evolutionary pressures to improve fitness, have enabled living systems to make adaptive decisions when faced with heterogeneous and changing environmental and physiological conditions. This dissertation investigated the mechanisms of how environmental and physiological factors affect the behaviors of non-neuronal organisms. The acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum was used as the model organism, which is a macroscopic, unicellular organism, that self-organizes into a network of intersecting tubules. Without using neurons, P. polycephalum can solve labyrinth mazes, build efficient tubule networks, and make adaptive decisions when faced with complicated trade-offs, such as between food quality and risk, speed and accuracy, and exploration …

The Relationship Among Menopausal Knowledge, Stress, And Symptom Management In Southern Rural African American Women: A Developmental Perspective, Susan L. Prather

Dissertations

More than 12.9 million African American women are between the ages of 45 and 54, which is the perimenopausal period. Regardless of the millions of African American women transitioning to menopause yearly, very little information is available about their experiences, and even less is known about how they manage their symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between menopausal knowledge, stress, and symptom management among rural southern African American women. Researchers have examined menopausal experiences over the last two decades; the majority of health information about menopause is based on studies of middle-toupper-class Caucasian women. Hence, …

Effects Of Excessive Student Technology Usage On Student Cognitive Engagement, Kristina Leah Loveland

Dissertations

Technology in the classroom has educators asking the question of whether technology engages students on a deep cognitive level or whether technology is holding students back. Educational technology has the potential to increase student engagement (Norris & Coutas, 2014). Wexler (2019) found technology is holding students back because they prefer the virtual setting to a real-world setting. The purpose of this mixed-methods research study was to determine if there is a connection between student cognitive engagement and excessive technology use. Developed by Antonetti and Stice (2018), the four components of Powerful Task Design were identified as the conceptual framework that …

Mild-Condition Fractionation Of Woody Biomass And Tandem Preservation Of Lignin And Carbohydrates, Danni Xie

Dissertations

Various fractionation processes like kraft, sulfite, and organosolv, usually need to be carried out in expensive reactors due to high temperatures (e.g., 160-260 °C) and high pressures (e.g., 5-50 atm). During fractionation, conventional chemicals such as mineral acids (e.g., sulfonic acid and hydrochloric acid), aliphatic organic acids (e.g., formic acid and oxalic acid) and alkalis (e.g., sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide) are typically used as catalysts, which could cause structural alterations or even losses to the fractionated components. Recently, aromatic sulfonic acids are expected to in situ solubilize the fractionated lignin through the pronounced hydrotropic effect during fractionation, besides acting …

Human Resource Development In The Intercollegiate Workplace: The Intersection Of Organizational Politics, Political Skill, Job Design, And Employee Engagement, Logan John Schuetz

Dissertations

This project is expected to help explain how workplace competencies affect employee development, performance, and decision-making in the sport industry. This study utilized an indepth qualitative examination of the lived experiences of employees in intercollegiate athletics departments. To do so, the researcher embedded himself into an ordinarily restrictive environment (i.e., intercollegiate sport organizations) which offered unique data regarding the intersection of organizational politics, job design/crafting, and employee engagement in the sport workplace. This study utilized the framework of Human Resource Development (HRD) to explore how job crafting and design can enable sport employees’ understandings of engagement and performance. Sport employees …

Flourishing For Sport Consumers: The Case Of Fantasy Baseball And Social Media Engagement, Bomin Paek

Dissertations

Digital technology transformation within the sports industry has led to increasing attention being given to how digital services can influence fans’ positive psychological perspectives. In particular, through this study I aimed to understand the effects of fantasy sports and social media engagement on positive psychological benefits, such as perceived value and flourishing. In the current study, regulatory engagement theory was applied to understand whether the digital engagement of sports consumers is positively associated with perceived value and flourishing as a form of well-being. In the implementation of the pre-, mid-, or post-consumption model, three groups were created based on the …

Exploring Sex Differences In The Effect Of Cannabidiol On Physical Activity, Cognition, Psychological Wellbeing, And Inflammatory And Neural Health Biomarkers, Victoria Flores

Dissertations

Cannabidiol (CBD) is believed to improve physical and mental health in recreationally active men and women. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological sex-related differences in physical activity, health-related fitness, mental and cognitive health, and biomarkers of inflammation and neural health before and after an 8-week CBD intervention. Participants (N =49; CBD Treatment Group (CG): n =24; Placebo Treatment Group (PG): n = 25; Females: n = 25; Males: n = 24; Males in CBD Group (CF-M): n = 12; Females in CBD Group (CG-F), n = 12; Males in Placebo Group (PG-M): n =12; Females in …

Comparing Collegiate Coaches’ And Players’ Perceptions Of The Coaches’ Multicultural Competence, Lee Arakawa

Dissertations

The coaching effectiveness model developed by Horn (2008) describes cultural context as a backdrop that forms beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors displayed by sport coaches. Sue et al.’s (1992) multicultural competencies model stresses the value of awareness, knowledge, and skills used in all service fields to strengthen cross-cultural relationships. Therefore, multicultural competence has been identified from these models as a critical component of effective sport coaching. Despite the growing importance of multicultural competencies expressed by, and for, sport coaches (Mesquita et al., 2011; Santos et al., 2010), there remains limited understanding of how coaches obtain and apply multiculturally competent behaviors and …

Lifetime Racism And John Henryism On Cognition And Cardiovascular Health In Black Men, Roy Mitchell

Dissertations

Lifetime racism is a type of chronic stress that is often accompanied by depression. Racism is the experience of many Black men because of several psychosocial stressors such as reduced resources and institutional barriers, to name a few. Active coping is typically utilized by Black men as a consistent means to reduce the negative outcomes linked to racism, however, this up-tempo coping style can contribute to poor cardiovascular health and cognitive impairment over time. The present study aimed to provide data to support the effects of lifetime racism and active coping on cardiovascular health and cognition. There were three hypotheses …

Influences Of 12-Hour Shifts On Unhealthy Eating Habits Of Acute Care Nurses, Ruth Sawdy

Dissertations

Shift work is a necessary part of a nurses' work schedule to patients who need 24 hours of continuous care. Eating habits of nurses are influenced by working long hours, not having adequate time to take a meal break, and not having access to healthy food choices which can cause stress and exhaustion and results in weight gain and obesity. The purpose of this quantitative logistic regression analysis, guided by the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior, was to determine if there was a relationship between shift work and the unhealthy eating habits/obesity rates of acute care …

Maintaining Yoga Practice For Diabetes Control And Prevention, Gina K. Alexander

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus affects millions of individuals, representing a vast burden of disease for the national health care system. Yoga practice has demonstrated potential for diabetes control and prevention, yet few yoga-based studies explore factors affecting maintenance of yoga practice over time.

The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing the maintenance of yoga practice over time, to clarify the relationship between the social environment and yoga practice, and to examine the influence of a yoga intervention over time on the physical activity of adults with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.

An Evaluation Of A Multidisciplinary Implementation Of Evidence Based Practice In Prediabetes, Emily Sisco

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem Over 70% of prediabetic patients progress to full diabetes. There are over 80 million American adults who are diabetic. Diabetes is the costliest chronic disease that often leads to many other health issues.

Methods This QI project utilized a descriptive observational design. Quantitative data was collected via retrospective chart review. Primary data collected was documentation of a patient visit to the registered dietician and the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of patients who followed up in the office after the referral.

Results Eight patients followed up to the office for a second visit (n=8). Four patients did see the registered …

Bee Brains: Dissecting Pollinator Behavior And The Importance Of Plasticity In The Face Of Changing Environments, Rachel Brant

Dissertations

All organisms face environmental variability, and much of contemporary biological research aims to understand the mechanisms allowing organisms to adapt and survive in the face of change. Animals residing in urban habitats face particularly high levels of unpredictability and environmental fluctuation due to changes based upon human desire. Though urban areas are considered relatively novel habitats, numerous species have adapted to city life, mediated through behavioral and physiological plasticity. Native bee species show particularly high species richness and abundance in urban settings, but the mechanisms driving this pattern are poorly understood. In this dissertation, I explore how bees employ plasticity …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Education Implementation For Graduate Nursing Students, Courtney Kovachevich

Dissertations

Chronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (U.S.). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are risk factors for chronic conditions and death; however, screening and assessment of ACEs do not occur in primary care settings. A barrier to screening is a lack of knowledge and education during providers’ didactic courses. To address this barrier, a standardized education tool was implemented into a midwestern public graduate nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum. The design was a Quality Improvement (QI) project with a descriptive cohort design and purposive sample. The inclusion criteria were students in the …