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The Effects Of Obesity On Health Care Expenditures And Health Insurance Premium Rates, Temenoujka Velkova

Masters Theses

This study investigates the influence of obesity on rising health care expenditures in the United States, which helps us understand the rising health insurance premium rates. Health care expenditures are measured as a share of state gross domestic product. This measure is chosen because it allows me to take a look at not only the out-of-pocket costs but at all other sources of payment, which includes private health insurance. The estimated results suggest that obesity contributes to rising health care expenditures as a share of state gross domestic product. Overweight, heavy drinking, and age also have been found to have …

American Books Of The Dead: Mourning And Denial In The Fiction Of Don Delillo And Cormac Mccarthy, Allan E. Crandell

Masters Theses

The novels of Don DeLillo and Cormac McCarthy are heavily pervaded by themes of mortality and its denial. DeLillo's White Noise (1985), with its emblematic centerpiece of an "Airborne Toxic Event," was succeeded by the slim depiction of mourning deferred, The Body Artist (2001). Likewise, Cormac McCarthy's epic Appalachian novel, Suttree (1979), is ridden with images of death and strangled mourning, a work followed by Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West (1985), a historiographic depiction of unrelenting, culturally repressed bloodshed. This thesis maintains that DeLillo and McCarthy warn us in these novels about the American way of …

Role Modeling Attitudes And Physical Activity Behavior Of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Professionals, Emily Dufrene

Masters Theses

Role models are individuals whose behavior, example or success can be observed and learned from. Health professionals are responsible for the motivation and production of goal directed behavior (Wilson & Petruska, 1984). Modeling behaviors that encourage physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life should be the foundation for all individuals certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM Credentialed Professionals, 2005) as exercise specialists, fitness instructors, or program directors. Physicians, exercise physiologists and nurses working in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs are expected to model healthy behaviors for their own health benefit and to encourage their patients.

An Issue Of Extraordinary Circumstances: The House Of Representatives And The Riddle Of Drug Policy, Richard D. Caldwell

Masters Theses

In 1988, Congress introduced H.R. 4462 which proclaimed it a goal to make the U.S. drug-free by 1995 (Nadelmann, 1998:111). This goal of Congress to make the U.S. drug- free has proven to fail miserably in application, as evidenced by the fact that many in America continue to use and abuse drugs on a regular basis. Furthermore, the issue of medical marijuana has grown in popularity throughout the country within the last ten years, which has led many states through referendum, or the legislative process to proactively change drug policy, sometimes with retaliation by the Federal Government. This paper seeks …

Interest Groups Power And Politics In Decatur, Illinois, Melissa Trueblood

Masters Theses

The thesis investigates perceptions of local interest groups concerning policy-making in Decatur, Illinois. Local interest group studies focus on economic groups such as the Chamber of Commerce. Literature indicates that these groups are influential in policymaking because of their important political resources. The literature lacks studies of noneconomic group involvement in policy-making. Furthermore, the literature lacks studies of local interest group processes in medium-sized cities. The thesis looks at noneconomic interest group perceptions of policy-making in a medium-sized city. To investigate perceptions, three hypotheses are explored using nineteen semi-structured interviews with group officials and document analysis. The thesis hypothesizes that …

The Changing Landscape Of Teaching And Teachers' Stress: A Revisit And Update, Mike Devillez

Masters Theses

During the late 70s and into the 80s, there was a considerable amount of research devoted to the study of stress and teaching. During that time, it was well established that teaching can be a stressful profession. Since then, studies that examine stress and burnout in the profession of teaching have become more infrequent, although teaching has undergone rapid change. For example, new educational legislation, No Child Left Behind that has recently been passed directly impacts teachers and their approaches toward teaching. This study seeks to understand the current educational environment and the possible contribution to teacher stress. Results of …

Oral Reading Fluency, Fluency Training, And Reading Comprehension In Sixth Graders, Lindsay B. Eck

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationships among a measure of oral reading fluency and two measures of reading comprehension in sixth grade students at two urban schools in the Midwest. In one of the schools, fluency training was added to the usual curriculum. Participants, all sixth grade students in the two schools, were administered the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) indicator and two district-assigned reading comprehension measures during the third and fourth quarters of the school year. Results indicated that ORF scores were significantly correlated with comprehension scores, although to a lesser degree than typical for earlier grades. Fluency training had …

Explicit Timing As An Intervention For Children With Adhd, Monica Fischer Girten

Masters Theses

Explicit timing is a procedure that alerts students of their time limits when completing academic tasks. Research on this procedure first emerged in the mid 1970's, and has focused on the effectiveness of this technique for increasing academic response rate. Empirical studies have demonstrated that the explicit timing procedure can increase response rate for a variety of academic skills including mathematics performance, writing composition and reading. However, few studies have focused on the effectiveness of this procedure on special populations, such as students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of the current study was to determine whether explicit …

The Correlation Between Date Violence And Disordered Eating In College Aged Women, Kenzia N. Hartman

Masters Theses

Objective: Research has shown a correlation between date violence and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent females. Those who have experienced verbal, physical, or sexual date violence report an increased incidence in the use of unhealthy weight control practices such as fasting,g diet pills, laxatives, vomiting, and binge eating. In addition to unhealthy eating practices, lowered body image has also been associated with date violence. This study was designed to determine if there is a correlation between date violence, disordered eating behaviors, and lowered body image in college age women. Method: Questionnaire data were gathered from 150 college-aged female students at …

Analysis Of Suicidal Ideations And Attempts Among University Freshmen, Emily A. Johnston

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore freshmen Midwestern university students' (a) suicidal ideations and attempts, (b) help-seeking resources, and (c) relationships between suicide ideations/attempts and academic focus. Surveys were collected from 126 male and female university freshmen (n = 43 male; n = 83 female). A 15-question survey was designed to explore suicide attempts, ideations, academic majors, and help-seeking resources utilized by freshmen university students. The participants were a convenience sample from 8 freshmen introductory orientation classes. Results indicate: (a) a relationship between suicide ideations/attempts and academic college; (b) freshmen females rely on friends as a help-seeking resource; …

Diabetes Awareness Among Children: A Comparison Study Of Diabetes Knowledge In School-Age Children Between U.S. And Kuwait, Nayef Y. Bu-Maryoum

Masters Theses

The literature shows that people of all ages, in all socio-economic groups and in many countries, are not well educated about nutrition. Teachers in public elementary schools both the United States and Kuwait administered an eight-item questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was delivered orally to insure comprehension by non-readers. Results indicated that young children in both the United States and Kuwait have an awareness of and a desire to learn more about diabetes. Generally speaking, Kuwaiti children are more knowledgeable about diabetes than their American counterparts as seen in questions four, five, six, and eleven. On the other …

Dietetic Students' Attitudes Toward Overweight/Obese People, Suzanne R. Stluka

Masters Theses

Health professionals are often the main line of obesity defense and targeted as possessing antifat bias; therefore, in an effort to address this issue, the depth of antifat bias among undergraduate dietetic students was analyzed. Student participation in this study was requested from across the United States, with 1099 students participating in the study and completing a web-based, self-administered questionnaire. The data indicated that a lower antifat attitude endorsement is present among current undergraduate dietetic students; however, five statements related specifically to the dietetics profession came close to showing strong antifat attitude endorsement. The majority of students classified their perceived …

Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs In Illinois Schools, Mary Ann Seaton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to complete an in depth exploration of programs designed to teach children the skills necessary to keep them safe from sexual abuse. Educational programs have been utilized to aid in the prevention and acknowledgement of childhood sexual abuse for many years. While sexual abuse programs for children are used across the United States, little contemporary research exists related to the use of these programs.

Child sexual abuse prevention programs in central Illinois schools are provided through the public schools by various non-profit community organizations. The sample of this study consisted of five organizations, each …

Psi Hitting And Missing: The Effects Of Belief, Order Of Run, And Previous Experience, Jaymes Parker

Masters Theses

The current study examined several variables to determine their effects on telepathy performance. Part I used groups of participants who attempted to telepathically send the location oftargets to a receiver selected randomly from the group. Fifteen sessions were conducted during which 9 receivers each completed 16 trials. It was hypothesized that an order effect would be present with increased missing during the first and last run of each session. It was also hypothesized that belief in mental telepathy would influence telepathy scores. Results indicated significant differences when comparing positions 1 and 9 with positions 2-8. Scores, while not significant, tended …

Comparison Of Combustion Sources And Measurement Techniques For Particulates Emitted From Engines And A Power Plant, Matthew F. Chandler

Masters Theses

"Sub-micron particulates emitted from various combustion sources have serious negative impacts on human health and the environment. It is essential to accurately characterize the physical properties of these particulates including size, shape, structure, and chemical composition in order to monitor, regulate, and model the various transport, toxic, optical, chemical, and deposition properties which dictate their harmful effects. This study consists of two related investigations involving the application of diagnostics methods to characterization and comparison of combustion generated particulate emissions from various sources. The first investigation includes the measurement of particulates emitted from a compression-ignition (diesel) engine using two independent measurement …

Low Back Pain In Police Officers, Jennifer Gwyn Arts

Masters Theses

Low back pain (LBP) is something that police officers deal with on a daily basis. The purpose of this research was to explore whether police officers have a higher incidence of LBP than the general population and to explore what factors officers believe contribute to the LBP they experience. Surveys were made available to all police departments in Kent County and all sworn officers were asked to participate. The difference between LBP experienced by police officers (60.2%) and that experienced by the general population (60-90%) was not found to be significant. The top two answers given by officers as to …

Empowering Adolescents In A Morally Ambiguous World: An Exploration Of Middle School Character Education Programs, Jill R. Bowers

Masters Theses

While instilling values in adolescents is often seen as the parent/guardian's primary respoponsibility, varying circumstances arise in the lives of individuals and families which cave members of society to rise to the challenges and social responsibilities of educating he young. Teaching adolescents to cope with the rising challenges associated with socialization and be individuals of good character who become productive citizens as adults is a social responsibility.

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the impact of character education programs on early adolescents in middle schools and school personnel. Through exploration of 2 middle schools who implemented 2 …

Differences Among Third Graders' Body Mass Index (Bmi) Levels, Gender, Race, And Number Of Minutes Spent Weekly In Physical Education, Kelly Devine

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among minutes spent in physical education (PE) class weekly, gender, and race with third graders body mass index (BMI). A survey was given to third graders in approved school districts in one unty in Illinois. Two hundred sixty surveys were used in this study. The researcher found that the BMI of third grade children who had PE class 40-50 minutes per week was statistically significantly higher as compared to the third grade children who had PE 60- 215 minutes per week. It was also concluded that there was no difference …

Defining Edge Gradients Using Plant Species Composition In Oak-Hickory Forest Patches, Elise M. Tulloss

Masters Theses

Forest conservation is greatly enhanced with an increased understanding of the transitional nature of edges. Edge characteristics control ecological flows into the forest that may influence its structure and composition. Most forests in east-central Illinois exist as small patches, making the region an ideal location for studying edge effects. The objectives of this study were to identify the mechanisms and processes that determine gradients of plant composition and to develop a predictive model of edge effects using plant species composition as an indicator of edge influence. A data set was gathered to relate understory forest species composition to several environmental …

Relation Between Government Expenditure And Economic Growth, Bibhu Prasad Aryal

Masters Theses

Government expenditure depends upon the available resources and the scope of saving potential of the country. But the same requires a proper expenditure policy, so that the desired objectives of planned economic development could be achieved within a short span of time. In order to formulate the proper economic policy it is very necessary to know the importance of the causal relation of the expenditure and economic variables.

This paper investigates the causal relation between government expenditure and GDP growth. To find out the relationship between the two variables, a sample of eight developing countries from Asia and Africa is …

Tracing Virag: Jewish Migration And The Construction Of James Joyce's Ulysses, Barry A. Hudek

Masters Theses

My thesis explores the role of Rudolph Virag, the father of Leopold Bloom, in James Joyce's Ulysses. I compare the migration of Rudolph Virag throughout Europe within that novel to the historical Jewish experience in the same locations Joyce places Virag. Although I detect parallels between Virag's movements and actual patterns of nineteenth-century Jewish migration, I argue that Joyce makes subtle changes in timing to create a literary connection between the exodus of Rudolph Virag and Leopold Bloom, and Ireland's political and cultural struggle as an English colony.

Virag's history is then used to further explore Joyce's literary techniques in …

Differences In Older Adults' Motivation To Exercise Between Healthy And Cardiac Rehabilitation Populations, Andrew French

Masters Theses

Many positive things come along with aging. The decrease in motivation to exercise is not one of them. It has been shown that as people age their desire to exercise goes down. A major concern with this is that inactivity can lead to serious health problems. The most important of these are cardiac related due to the high possibility of death that accompanies them. Therefore, it is critical to find out what motivates older adults to engage in physical activity in order to decrease the likeliness of cardiac events, and also increase the possibility of secondary prevention by increasing the …

Assessing Personality Traits Of Athletic Trainers At Accredited Universities Associated With The Ohio Valley Conference, Dana Patrick Jergens

Masters Theses

The discipline of athletic training is one which deals with the prevention and care of athletic injuries. Athletic training is a competitive field that is oriented towards athletes and sports medicine caregivers. Certain types of personalities mold athletic trainers and the types of lifestyles necessary to do this line of work. To better determine what types of prospective athletic trainers enter this field, it is interesting to find out if they fit certain personality characteristics. The purpose of this study was to examine the personality traits of athletic trainers from accredited universities affiliated with the Ohio Valley Conference. A total …

The Relationship Between Coronary Calcium And Traditional Cardiac Risk Factors In Men And Women With No Known Cardiac Disease, Tasha Thursby

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the coronary calcium score and traditional cardiac risk factors in men and women with no known cardiac disease. A second purpose was to determine if there were gender differences in the risk factors that best predict high coronary calcium scores. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between the coronary calcium score and traditional cardiac risk factors in men and women with no known cardiac disease. It was also hypothesized that there would be gender differences in the risk factors that best predict high coronary calcium …

The Effects Of Repeated Reading And Goal Setting On Student Reading Fluency, Joann T. Ford

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effect of repeated reading and goal setting on students' oral reading fluency (ORF). Third grade students (n=24) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: repeated reading and goal setting, repeated reading, and no-treatment control group. Treatment groups met for six weeks, four times per week for 20 minutes. A paired repeated reading procedure was used and weekly progress monitoring occurred using third grade DIBELS ORF progress monitoring probes. Repeated reading and goal setting group set weekly goals, graphed fluency data, and received feedback. All groups made gains in reading fluency. Although no significant effects were …

Barriers And Facilitators To Health Seeking Behavior Of Individuals With Social Phobia, Kendra M. Holder Kennedy

Masters Theses

This study explored both the facilitators and barriers to treatment of individuals who have difficulties with anxiety in social situations. These barriers and facilitators to treatment were examined with respect to the participants' level of anxiety and their stage of change. Eleven participants, ten females and one male, completed the study. A screening procedure established that each participant was likely experiencing social phobia. These participants were then interviewed using a semi-structured interview. One of the main goals of the study was to develop an interview and coding procedures that provided reliable data. This goal was accomplished; the procedures used in …

Predicting State Standardized Achievement Test Scores Using Curriculum Based Measurement In Third Grade, Lindsey Mitts

Masters Theses

With No Child Left Behind placing strong penalties on schools not making adequate yearly progress, many schools are searching for ways to predict student performance on state standardized achievement tests. The current study provides evidence as to the predictive nature of oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension data taken from a basal reading series, as well as student reading levels from an informal reading inventory, on Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) performance. Multiple regression analyses showed these measures to account for slightly more than one-half of the overall predicted variance in ISAT Reading performance. Furthermore, t-tests showed that a significant …

An Investigation Of The Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills (Dibels) And The Illinois Snapshot Of Early Literacy (Isel), Cara Williams

Masters Theses

This longitudinal study was conducted to compare and investigate the predictive power of DIBELS and ISEL measures. Data were collected to determine if ISEL and DIBELS measures similarly identify students as being at-risk. The predictive value of DIBELS and ISEL scores were evaluated in relation to third grade Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scores and Illinois Standards of Achievement Test (ISAT) scores. Participants included 63 students from one grade level at a Chicago suburban school. Test scores from kindergarten through third grade were obtained for these students. Results indicate that the risk identification of students was significantly different between ISEL …

The Relationship Between Number Of Sports Played And Risky Sexual Behavior In High School Girls, Jennifer Martin

Masters Theses

Little is known about how the extent of athletic participation relates to sexual conduct for adolescent girls. The present study investigated how the number of sports played by female athletes in high school predicted their reports of risky sexual behavior. Participants included 2,304 female high school students from 9th grade through 12th grade from a Midwestern state. The students attended 27 high schools in seven counties and were recruited from a health prevention program called I Sing the Body Electric. As part of this program, students completed a confidential questionnaire that evaluated a number of health related issues. Two questions …

Factors That Hinder And Facilitate Help-Seeking Behaviors In Individuals With Social Anxiety, Hyland L. Smith

Masters Theses

This project focused on the development of a semi-structured interview for use in the exploration of factors that hinder or facilitate help-seeking behaviors of individuals with social anxiety. By participating in a qualitative semi-structured interview 10 participants identified factors that facilitated seeking professional help and barriers that prevented seeking professional help. Participants were grouped into two groups based on five stages of behavioral change proposed by Prochaska et al. (1983; 1991; 1992; 1999). The two groups were compared on the number of self-reported facilitator and barrier statements they made as well as their self-reported number of severity statements made. Participants …