Digital Commons Network^™

The Online Dating Preferences Of Chinese American Older Adults, Lin Jiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recently years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of online dating websites among adults over age 50. Nevertheless, samples collected in existing literature are mainly centered on White/Caucasian Americans. Furthermore, the only theoretical guide has been sexual strategies theory. This study fills the gap by using sexual strategies theory and acculturation theory to test Chinese American older adults dating preferences.

The sexual strategies theory discusses how males and females use different mating strategies in short-term and long-term contexts. Acculturation theory describes changes in which individuals or groups adopt another culture when it makes contact with their …

Social Dimensions Of Alzheimer’S Disease Among Caregivers In Oaxaca, Mexico, Jonathan Yahalom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides an analysis of the social construction of Alzheimer’s disease within Teotitlán del Valle, a rural Zapotec-speaking community in Oaxaca, Mexico. It explores how Alzheimer’s disease is locally understood, how this understanding reconfigures traditional meanings of old age, and how broader social issues are negotiated through this reconfiguration. Through 10 months of fieldwork this dissertation draws on ethnographic observations and interviews with 22 family caregivers across 9 households. This study is noteworthy for being the first known investigation in Teotitlán whose primary data was collected in the Zapotec language. Further, this dissertation integrates methods across psychology, gerontology, and …

How Can A Focus On The Ethical Notions Of Dignity And Respect For Autonomy Help To Improve Healthcare For Elderly People In Islamic Countries?, Abeer Alamri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify how can a focus on the ethical notion of dignity and respect for autonomy help to improve health care for elderly people in Islamic countries. An ethic for aging relies on the principle that the losses of age do not detract from a person's essential autonomy. Thus, care should be provided without assuming that older people are different from those of other ages. It is possible to determine that ethical values are similar in Islamic cultures as well as, Western countries. But these values are often neglected when people face the need …

A Phenomenological Study Of Anticipated Intimacy And Sexual Expression Needs Of Aging Male And Female Baby Boomers., Charles Shawn Oak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how heterosexual Baby Boomers define and understand intimacy, sexual expression, along expectations and desires relating to their respective expressions across the lifespan through their individual experiences and reflections. A set of guiding questions were used in a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research design. Data was gathered from thirteen subjects (n=13) using the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) that was used to develop individualized semi-structured interviews and follow-up interviews that were professionally transcribed. These were coded to identify emergent themes. Results of the study provided insight into the phenomenon of how heterosexual …

Aging In Place: Perceptions Of Older Adults On Low Income Housing Waitlists, Angela L. Lavery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many American older adults with low incomes wait years for affordable housing or housing assistance. Insight is needed on the concerns of older adults who need to move but cannot. In addition, within the study of aging in place, there is a paucity of research regarding older adults with low incomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of aging in place from the perspective of older adults with low incomes, and to understand the process in making the decision to move to agesegregated housing. The purpose incorporated an examination of potential oppressive factors that …

Organizational Strategies For Addressing Disparities Among Marginalized Older Adults, Jennifer L. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the United States older adult population expands, it is also becoming more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). This increased diversity necessitates that social workers research issues of cultural competency at the organizational level to ensure that community based organizations are able to meet the unique needs of a heterogeneous population of American elders. This qualitative study utilized a modified grounded theory approach to conduct individual interviews and focus groups with over 25 community based organizations serving diverse elders. This study also included analysis of over 100 agency documents, such as mission …

Health Utility Assessment Among Caregivers Of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Namita Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVES The study objectives were to evaluate psychometric properties of the EuroQoL–five–dimensional questionnaire (EQ–5D–3L) among caregivers of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), assess caregiver utilities and determine predictors of utilities, and compare caregiver utilities obtained from the EQ–5D–3L and the SF–6D. METHODS A web–based survey was administered to MS caregivers via Qualtrics survey software using assistance from a MS patient registry– North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS). Measurement properties including convergent, discriminant, and known–groups validity, reliability, and ceiling and floors effects of the EQ–5D–3L were tested. Caregiver health utilities were estimated using the EQ–5D–3L and compared with population norms; …

Diabetes Phenotypes In Transgenic Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Models, Toya Albury-Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein Kinase B/AKT, a serine/threonine kinase with three isoforms (AKT1-3), is downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and signals through the phosphorylation and subsequent activation or inhibition of downstream substrates, such as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) or glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3?), respectively. The AKT1 isoform is predominantly recognized for regulation of cell survival, growth, and proliferation, due to its constitutive activation in pancreatic cancers (e.g., islet cell carcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma). The progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most lethal common cancer, is initiated by activation mutations of the KRas oncogene. This leads to additional …

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing, Sean Hollis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged …

Predicting Mental Well-Being In Assisted Living Communities : The Roles Of Social Capital And The Built Environment., Sarah Elizabeth Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Along the continuum of poor to good health, mental well-being refers to the positive state of being. Mental well-being connotes the ability to manage stress, maintain independence, and is indicative of happiness and improved quality of life. Mental well-being is critical to overall health throughout the lifespan, but it is of particular importance in the context of healthy aging since older adults are more likely to experience compromised mental health. Existing research has identified factors that reduce the risk of poor mental health outcomes: the built environment and individual and community social capital are associated with overall health status and …

Mobility And Aging In Denver, Colorado: Travel Behavior, Mobility Barriers, And Perceptions Of Transit, Sylvia Arriaga Brady

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of seniors in the U.S. today is growing rapidly because of longer life expectancies and the aging Baby Boomer generation. This age groups' travel behavior will have substantial impacts on transportation, economics, safety, and the environment. This research used a mixed-methods approach to address issues of mobility and aging in Denver, Colorado. A quantitative approach was used to answer broad questions about travel behavior and the effects of age, gender, work status, disability, residential location and socio-economic status on mobility. Qualitative interviews with seniors in the Denver metro area were conducted to identify barriers to mobility, decision-making processes …

Early And Intermediate Hospital-To-Home Transition Outcomes Of Older Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes, Jacqueline Lamanna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 5 million older adults with diabetes are hospitalized each year. Though typically not the index condition that leads to hospitalization, diabetes control often decompensates during the course of an admission and necessitates changes in home self-management plans. The specific transitional care needs of older adults with diabetes have been largely unstudied. Transition theory provided the guiding framework for this research and proposes that each transition is a complex process created by the continuous interaction of personal, community, and societal-level conditions that facilitate or inhibit the health of a transition. Hospitalization has been described as a series of three successive, …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Future Care Planning Among Older Adults: Exploring The Role Of Hope As A Moderator, Jodi L. Southerland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults have an increased risk for illness and disease, factors that can lead to functional impairment and intensify the need for reliance on supportive services. Planning for long-term care needs is a vital component of healthy aging and continued autonomy. Yet, many older adults fail to make plans in advance, perhaps due to differences in personal characteristics.

The moderating effects of trait hope on the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and preparation for future care needs (PFCN) was studied in a sample of 65 older adult primary care patients (<65 years) in western New York. Participants completed a questionnaire on 5 dimensions of PFCN (awareness of risk, information gathering, decisions about care preferences, concrete planning, and active avoidance). In addition, data were collected on five HRQoL domains (physical function, physical role function, emotional role function, social function, and bodily pain) and trait hope. Moderated multiple regression was used to test the moderator hypothesis controlling for personal characteristics. Post-hoc probing was used to further examine significant interactions.

At the bivariate level, social functioning, physical …

Analysis Of Microrna Microarray (Mm Chip) Data For Aging Mice Models., Vikranth Shetty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present experimental designs have unique challenges in the analysis of microRNA expression intensity levels. In this project, various Normalization techniques were discussed with different statistical techniques and their application in an analysis performed at the Genes Centre of aging on mice models. The project involved repeated measures over time, and the intra-subject correlation caused by the repeated measurements should be incorporated into the analysis, resulting in additional significant miRNAs. Collection of multiple samples from the same individuals over time from an experiment may have issues with the commonly used methodologies-these issues are discussed here. Mixed model approach is used …

Emotional Distress In Older Adults With Cancer : A Multilevel Longitudinal Study., Tara J. Schapmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used to examine factors that influence emotional distress in older adults with cancer, arid to learn whether these distress trajectories are different from older adults without cancer. The model investigated the influence of life course factors, internal, external and health-related resources on distress over eight years among a nationally representative sample of older adults ages 50-91. Methods: This longitudinal panel study tested a multilevel random intercept multinomial ordered categorical model with a two-nested-Ievel structure using empirical Bayes Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation. The model examined individual differences in distress over …

The Lived Experiences Of The Aging Of Hong Kong Chinese Baby Boomers Residing In The United States, Helena Ng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rapid aging of the majority and minority populations is occurring in the United States. Diverse aspects of aging, concerns of the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the heterogeneities among aging persons from diverse races and ethnicities have been examined in detail; however, there is a void in the literature that offers information about the aging of Chinese baby boomers. This qualitative study used a hermeneutic-phenomenological method to investigate the aging experiences of Hong Kong Chinese baby boomers who are residing in the United States. The findings of this study will possibly enhance the literature about the cultural parameters …

Career Decision-Making Patterns Of Undecided African-American Male Transfer Students: A Qualitative Approach, Lavious Felix Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The career development and career decision-making needs of African-American males have generated much inquiry. Two year colleges currently serve as the predominant point of entry for many African-American male students seeking baccalaureate degrees. However, the transition to and eventual success at the four-year institution is often met with challenges. The inability to choose a major that may lead to a desired career has the potential to serve as a barrier for some students. From the lens of social cognitive career theory, this qualitative study was conducted to examine the experiences of undecided, African-American male transfer students at a large, four-year …

Health Disparities And Depression In Rural And Urban Older Adults., Jennifer Ann Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions experienced by older adults and represents a major public health concern. Rural/urban residence may affect the prevalence of depression as rural older adults differ from their urban counterparts in many respects. One important difference found in the literature is that rural OAs are often faced with more health disparities (HDs) compared to their urban counterparts. The current study investigated the association between HDs and depression in a sample of rural and urban OAs, and examined whether HDs contribute to our understanding of how rurality impacts the prevalence and severity of depression. …

Age-Associated Periodontal Bone Loss In Normal And Tlr2- Or Myd88-Deficient Mice., Paul A. Ciero 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Age-related alterations in innate immunity are poorly understood. The identification of those mechanisms, which are dysfunctional in old age, will shed light on potential therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases prevalent in the elderly, such as periodontitis. Mice naturally develop chronic periodontitis as a function of age, which is characterized by periodontal bone loss. TLR2, a pattern-recognition receptor of leukocytes which mediates inflammatory responses in the periodontium, was expressed at higher levels in the gingivae of old mice (>18 months) compared with young mice (8 to 10 weeks). MyD88 is a signaling adaptor protein for TLR2 and other TLRs. …

Theory Of Mind, Social Functioning, And Awareness Of Ability In Older Adults., Sarah Vedrody Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Declines in social resources and in the quality of interpersonal interactions have been observed in some older adults. Unawareness of ability is a clinical problem that has been found in some older adults with dementia, but has also been found in non-demented older adults, and the clinical correlates have not been reliably established. Theory of mind (ToM) is a social-cognitive construct that refers to the ability to infer the mental states of others and the self. ToM has been linked with social functioning and self-awareness, but few studies have examined these variables in older adults. The current study tested the …

Family Involvement Within Assisted Living: Care-Receivers' And Caregivers' Roles And Relationships, Rachel Vineet Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family systems providing informal care and support to their aging relatives, who were residing in assisted living systems and receiving formal care were central to this study. A broader understanding of family involvement, with respect to exploring both care-receiver and caregiver roles and relationships, within the regulatory and environmental context of assisted living was sought through a qualitative research process. This study employed a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interview sessions with eight pairs of participants, comprising elderly residents in five assisted living facilities and their respective caregiving family members, typically a daughter or son and, in one case, a …

Modeling Social Participation As Predictive Of Life Satisfaction And Social Support: Scale Or Index?, Anne T. Zelenka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social participation in late adulthood through activities such as volunteering with charities, playing sports, and joining clubs can increase life satisfaction, directly by providing enjoyable engagement and indirectly by increasing a person's sense of social connectedness. When reported levels of different types of activities are used to measure social participation, conventional measure development procedures based on classical test theory lead to a proliferation of small participation subscales that don't show good reliability, don't have theoretical power, and don't match researchers' conceptions of the dimensions of participation. Based on the poor performance of conventional approaches, some researchers have suggested that social …

Healthy Aging And Self-Objectification The Impact Of Empowerment And Feminist Attitudes On Body Image, Eating Behavior, And Aging Satisfaction, Karen P. Grippo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to women’s healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women …

The Lived Experience Of Young-Onset Dementia, Debra A. Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lived experiences of dementia in older persons have been well studied, but the unique experiences of persons between ages 35 and 65 years who are living with young-onset dementia have not been closely examined. The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of middle-aged individuals living with young-onset dementia. Van Manen‘s (1990) approach to interpretive phenomenological inquiry was used to answer the research question. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 9 people between 42 to 61 years of age who had received a formal diagnosis of mild or early-stage dementia. Participants were prescreened for the ability to …

Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Academic Achievement Among Ghanaian Youth, Ziblim Abukari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young people in Ghana who grow up in poverty and to families with little or no education endure limited early learning opportunities, underfunded educational systems, and more health and mental health problems compared to their peers from more privileged backgrounds. A significant body of literature addressing the relationship among risk, protection, resilience and academic achievement is based on youth populations in North America and Western Europe. Relatively little is known about the applicability of ecological and risk and resilience frameworks in non-Western countries. Consequently, educational outcomes of young people in Ghana are often characterized by similarities in low achievement, lack …

An Examination Of Caregiving Dyads: Community Dwelling Chronically Ill Older Adults And Their Caregivers, Jessica E. Haxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increases in life expectancy among older adults raise important concerns about the availability of resources for an aging population living with chronic and debilitating illnesses. Living longer is complicated by the fact that many elders prefer to reside in their homes until medical or other conditions require an alternative living arrangement. The strong desire to remain at home expressed by older persons in the United States has in turn created an increased demand on informal caregiving. Consequently, adult children often bear the burden of providing care to their aging parents. In view of this demand it is critical that research …

Anticipatory Grief In The Context Of Dementia Caregiving., Caitlin Holley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the nature of anticipatory grief in a sample of dementia caregivers, and examined the relationship between anticipatory grief and caregiver burden. Anticipatory grief can be described as one's reaction to the impending death of a loved one, in addition to responses to other previously endured, ongoing, and anticipated losses. Interest in anticipatory grief has been inconsistent, and has typically focused on terminal diseases such as cancer. However, the issues involved in anticipatory grief are unique in the context of dementia due to the progressive deterioration of both cognitive and physical abilities. A total of 80 informal …

Maintaining Adult Student-Parent Distal Relationships: An Explorartion Of Mediated Communication Among Thai Students In The U.S., Thammaphong Isarabhakdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although a growing amount of research in relational maintenance has began to focus intensively on long-distance relationships (LDRs), especially marital, dating, and friendship relationships, little attention has focus on the process of maintaining LDRs in non-Western families. The objective of this study was, first, to explore the experience of Thai adult students who maintain LDRs with their parents. Second, this study identified Thai students’ specific relational maintenance behaviors and examined the channels of mediated communication used among Thai adult students and their family members.

This study utilized a qualitative method framed by a grounded theory approach to uncover the experience …

Disruptive Technologies In Systems Of Care: An Exploratory Study Of Social Work With Older Adults In Long-Term Care Facilities, Rebecca Lynn Paskind

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory research was to explore the application of knowledge about disruptive technologies to the long term care setting using the Eden Alternative^TM as an example. The research questions were: What themes of structuration emerge when a long-term care facility implements a disruptive social technology? What is the nature of the disruption between and among workers, long-term care facility culture, and professionals when a new social technology is introduced? How does social work practice with older adults change when a social technology such as Eden is introduced in a long-term care setting? Is Barley's (1984, 1986) …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Grief In The Lives Of Lesbians Age 60 And Older: Implications For Practice And Societal Change, Ginger Charlyne Meyette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experiences of self-identified lesbians age 60 and older concerning grief related to various life experiences and to develop a grounded theory related to the findings. The purpose goes beyond describing the phenomenon of grief focusing on grief related exclusively to death loss. The purpose includes eliciting comments about grief related to overt or covert discrimination due to ageism, sexism, and/or homophobia as well as the connection between the personal and the political in terms of what needs to change to bring about social justice.

The issue of grief in the …