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Obesity And Colorectal Cancer And The Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Behaviors Related To Colorectal Cancer Prevention Among Non-Hispanic Black Women In Rhode Island, Kathleen Mary Cullinen

Open Access Dissertations

Obesity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Numerous studies have linked diets low in fruits and vegetables and decreased physical activity, risk factors for obesity, with increased cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of obesity on CRC mortality; the behavioral, socioeconomic and demographic predictors of obesity; and the knowledge attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of a Rhode Island population identified at high risk for both obesity and CRC. The first study tested a model hypothesis that a diet low in fruits and vegetables, decreased physical activity, and obesity as defined by a …

Youth Self-Report: Profile Patterns Of Adjudicated Adolescents And Diagnostic Efficiency Of Clinical Scales, Anabela Da Silva Smith

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the profile patterns of court-adjudicated males on the Youth Self Report (YSR) Syndrome scales and assess the predictive utility of the DSM-oriented scales in making diagnostic decisions. Participants were 162 adjudicated males, aged 12 to 18 years, that attended or who were attending an alternative school at the time of data collection. YSR data, along with individual and family characteristics, were collected from student files. Participants were separated into one of two groups based on whether the crimes committed were aggressive or nonaggressive in nature (overt versus covert offenders). Results showed …

"What I Think Of As A Positive Experience, Is The Lack Of A Negative Experience": Exploring Female-To-Male Transgender And Transsexual Individuals' Interactions With Health Care Providers, Melynda Leigh Craig

Open Access Dissertations

Using qualitative interviews, previous studies have examined gender identity among transgender and transsexual people (i.e., transpeople). However, these studies did not consider the perspectives of female-to-male (FTM) transpeople or situate transpeople's experiences in the larger sociocultural context. Specifically, these studies did not address the mundane challenges faced by transpeople, including the urgent problem of health care barriers. In contrast, other studies used focus groups and questionnaires to examine transpeople's experiences with health care, but did not interpret these experiences from a psychological perspective. In response to the methodological and conceptual deficiencies of previous research, the current study had two objectives. …

Applicability Of The Transtheoretical Model In Weight Management In An Adolescent Population In Taiwan, Yating Yeh

Open Access Dissertations

Westernized dietary preferences and life-styles are thought to have a significant impact on the increasing prevalence of obesity in Asian populations. The increased numbers of overweight and obese adolescents is becoming an emerging health issue in Asia. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that adolescents ' self-perceived weight is poorly related to the medical definition of overweight, and considerable numbers of clinically normal-weight persons are trying to or wish to control weight. Due to the considerable prevalence of desire for weight control among adolescents who are not overweight /obese, it is important for researchers to look at the issue of weight …

A Self-Report Approach To Screening Police Candidates’ Aggressive Tendencies, Frank Joseph Gallo

Open Access Dissertations

This paper introduces the concepts of labeling (detection of aggressive severity) and provocation (response to directed aggression) as meaningful dimensions for evaluating police candidates’ patterns of aggressive tendencies. The evaluation uses candidates’ judgements on instances of suspect behaviors during hypothetical arrest situations. Findings showed that candidates agreed on an ordered continua of behavior severity, alpha = 0.99. One was able to predict very well candidates’ provocation tendencies from knowing their labeling tendencies were related and vice versa, r² = 0.76. Labeling and provocation tendencies were related to other established measures of aggression (e.g., Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, 1992). I discuss …

A Pilot Study Of Tailored Teaching On Non-Drug Enhancements For Managing Postoperative Pain, Susanne Mary Koszalka Tracy

Open Access Dissertations

The Agency for Healthcare Quality Research (AHRQ cites the under-use of non-drug methods for pain management as among the top twenty-five issues in patient safety (AHRQ, 2001) in acute care hospitals. Little is known about patients' knowledge and attitudes towards non-drug interventions, especially in adult populations 50 years and older. Education is one strategy for improving patients' knowledge, attitudes and use of non-drug enhancements to complement pharmacological pain management. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to describe the usefulness of a tailored teaching intervention on three best practice protocols for music, massage, and self-guided imagery for pain management …

Factors Influencing Hiring Decisions For Welfare Recipients, Jean M. Jacob

Open Access Dissertations

Changes in welfare legislation including the enactment of the Work First policy make it essential to examine the discrimination that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients face in obtaining employment. Eighty-one employees of temporary employment agencies (58 women, 22 men, and 1 gender unidentified) participated in a study of hiring decisions for TANF recipient and African American job applicants. The study involved participants evaluating hypothetical applicants' resumes for a fast food restaurant cashier or an administrative assistant position. Hypothetical applicants were identified as a TANF or non-TANF recipient and as African American or White. The study examined the relationship …

The Relationship Between School And Independent Educational Evaluations: Issues In Identification And Eligibility For Students With Learning Disabilities, Marie A. Lynch

Open Access Dissertations

There has been a significant rise in the number of students identified with learning disabilities, and consequently determined eligible to receive special education services since 1980. Some have argued that there has been an under- and over-identification of children with learning disabilities, and that the criteria in which to judge whether a learning disability exists is particularly faulty. This investigation examined the relationship between 50 school-based and independent educational evaluations (IEEs) regarding the identification of children with learning disabilities. The reason for referral, assessment processes used, and the overall criteria employed in these evaluations were reviewed using mixed methodological approaches. …

Challenges And Resolution Strategies Of Ordained Protestant Clergywomen, Jessica A. Suckle

Open Access Dissertations

Although women have been entering ordained ministry since the early 1970s, there is still opposition to their ordination. This study examined the difficult experiences as well as the resolution strategies of 39 ordained clergywomen in mainstream Christian denominations. Transcribed interviews were qualitatively analyzed using the grounded theory method by Glaser & Strauss (1967). Some conflicts occurred because of the call itself. Sometimes moving forward in the call resulted in additional conflict--the concerns were a result of the call but not the call itself. Once ordained, however, questioning the call rarely occurred. Three other sources of difficulty also emerged. These sources …

Do High School Advisory Programs Promote Personalization? Correlates Of School Belonging, Phyllis C. Meloro

Open Access Dissertations

Personalization of our nation's high schools has been identified as an important yet often overlooked component of successful educational reform. It is a result of having lasting positive relationships with teachers leading to a feeling of connectedness to their school. Research supports the role of personalization and school belongingness through their correlation with a number of positive educational and behavioral outcomes. High sense of school belonging is associated with an increase in educational variables such as high grades and academic motivation, and a decrease in school drop out and behavior problems. This study examined the relationship between an advisory program …

Psychopathy And Compliance Correlates For Male Delinquents In A Community Program, Marshall Jackson Robinson

Open Access Dissertations

Psychopathy, the constellation of behaviors and attitudes characterized by aggressive predation, manipulation, callousness, exploitation, and which is often connected with criminality, can exact a substantial interpersonal and social toll. While the prevalence of psychopathy is extremely low among the general public, it is a significant population within the realms of criminal justice and mental health. Researchers have linked psychopathy to chronic antisocial behavior across the life span, and have established strong links between adult psychopathy and certain subpopulations of behaviorally dysfunctional youth. Within the last ten years much work has gone into conceptualizing and applying the construct of psychopathy to …

Dietary Restraint, Self-Efficacy, And Gender Differences In Weight Loss Program Participants, Amy Elizabeth Sheeley

Open Access Dissertations

Rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise each year with serious associated health risks. This study was conducted to explore gender differences between behavior change variables for both dietary fat reduction and exercise behaviors in a weight loss population. This research also investigated relationships between these psychosocial behavior change variables. Over 300 overweight and obese men and women enrolled in weight loss programs in the greater Boston area completed self-administered surveys. The behavior change variables surveyed included validated Transtheoretical Model (TTM) measures of stage of change for dietary fat reduction, situational confidence and temptation for dietary fat reduction, as …

Enforcement And Compliance In The Northeast Groundfish Fishery: Perceptions Of Procedural Justice In Fishery Management, The Effects Of Regulatory Methods, And Prospects For Compliance, Reena L. Shaw

Open Access Dissertations

High levels of regulatory compliance are essential to the success of environmental and natural resource management. The physical presence of enforcement agents and threat of penalties for noncompliance were once thought to be the only factors capable of achieving acceptable compliance levels. Enforcement of environmental regulations often constitute the greatest cost of the management program for which monitoring and enforcement of rules governing how the natural resource is used is primal to insuring the resource is not over used and depleted in quantity, quality, or both. Additional factors concerning regulatory legitimacy and the legitimacy of the governing authority implementing the …

Validation Of A Tool To Measure Drug Knowledge: Evaluating Bioterrorism Preparedness Activities, Gregory A. Low

Open Access Dissertations

Background. Pharmaceutical supplies sufficient to protect millions of people are positioned to respond to a bioterrorist attack in the United States of America, but the educational resources, programs, material, and health professional staffing, to utilize those supplies optimally may be underdeveloped. Professionals and municipalities require objective tools to measure their ability to communicate necessary drug information to adhere to emergency prophylactic regimens. Objective. This research project created a survey tool and laid the foundation to establish the tool's validity to measure patient drug knowledge in bioterrorism preparedness activities that involve the dispensing of prophylactic medications. Methods. Test construction was based …

Group Identity Effects On Social Influence, Adviye Tolunay

Open Access Dissertations

This experiment investigated the effects of different group identities on social influence in a sample of 294 predominantly first-year college students. The primary aim of this study was to test whether forming social identities on different criteria along the trivial-important dimension of group definition has significantly different effect on individuals' conformity to their group's majority opinion in response to social dilemmas. The second aim of this study was to investigate whether conformity to group norms occurs in computer mediated contexts, in which a person does not know the identities of his or her group members and is not in face-to-face …

The Ecology Of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes And Their Antagonists On Golf Course Greens Turf In Southern New England, Katerina Serlemitsos Jordan

Open Access Dissertations

A two-year survey was conducted to determine the ecology of plant-parasitic nematodes and their antagonists on golf course greens turf in southern New England. Soil samples were collected from three greens each at 38 golf courses, for a total of 114 samples. Samples were collected in May, July, and September of each year. Nematodes were extracted from soil samples, identified to genus and counted. Genus diversity and seasonal fluctuation of nematode populations, both within each season and between the two sampling years, were analyzed. Additionally, data on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as management practices on each golf …

Meanings In The Lives Of Older Adults: In Their Own Voices, Isabel A. Trombetti

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to advance our understanding of how we as human beings perceive, judge, and evaluate our lives, particularly in the last stage of the life cycle. The primary goal was to counterbalance the predominantly quantitative approach to meaning in life with a qualitative approach by interviewing 21 older adults as they reflected on and attempted to find purpose and value in the totality of their experiences. This goal was explicit on the point of wanting older adults, those ideally positioned in the lifespan to inform us about meaning in life, to speak without the restriction associated with response …

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Survey Of Assessment Practices By School Psychologists, Teresa L. Miller

Open Access Dissertations

This research was conducted to survey the assessment and diagnostic practices of school psychologists who assess individuals referred for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Results showed that a substantial number of school psychologists routinely provide ADHD assessments despite concerns about the quality of the psychological instruments available to them or a lack of an agreed-upon gold standard for ADHD assessment. Participants reported that ADHD-related referrals were accurate approximately 65% of the time, and teachers were rated as both the most common and accurate of all referral sources. Most of the school psychologists used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Behavior Assessment …

A Four-Year Retrospective Study Of Domestic Violence And Police Response In Asians Using The Rhode Island Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Police Reporting Forms, Tu Anh Ngo

Open Access Dissertations

Problem. Domestic violence (DV) results in the death of four women daily in the US and affects all racial/ethnic groups. Due to immigration, cultural values, and attitude toward authority, there may be unique factors influencing the DV experience for Asian victims that are not well understood due to a paucity of research. Objective. This study examined DV homicide and arrests, victims' reporting, violence severity, and police response to DV calls for Asian victims compared to African American, Hispanic, and White victims. Method. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study (2001-2004) of DV incidents in Rhode Island based on secondary data analysis …

An Analogue Study Of Stigma, Help-Seeking Attitudes, And Symptom Severity In Postpartum Depression, Christine Dias-Vieira

Open Access Dissertations

The primary goal of the present study was to test the effect of presenting young adults with educational information that was designed to decrease stigma and increase the favorability of attitudes toward seeking treatment for postpartum depression. The effect of information and symptom severity on ratings of stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking were investigated through the use of a 2 X 2 factorial design. Approximately 500 undergraduate students recruited from various classes at the University of Rhode Island were randomly assigned to receive information about pregnancy or postpartum depression. They were also assigned to read a vignette about a target …

Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help In A Multi-Ethnic Sample: The Roles Of Beliefs About Mental Illness Etiology, Religious Orientation, And Acculturation, Pascal Jean-Pierre

Open Access Dissertations

The present research examined the roles of various cultural and demographic characteristics (i.e., beliefs about mental illness etiology, religious orientation and acculturation) in individuals' attitudes toward seeking professional help. Data collected from a multiethnic sample of 255 English fluent adult participants [Haitians (n = 55), Cape Verdeans (n = 30), Dominicans (n = 41), Puerto Ricans (n = 39), Irish (n = 44), and Italians (n = 46)] were included in this secondary analysis. Participants voluntarily completed questionnaire packets for a previous study by the present author. Previously analyzed variables (e.g., beliefs about mental illness etiology and acculturation) and new …

Women-Writing-Women: Three American Responses To The Woman Question, Theresa Defrancis

Open Access Dissertations

The Woman Question served as a catalyst in Kate Chopin's, Nella Larsen's, and Willa Cather's portrayal of the eroticized female body. The question evolved, in part, from Herbert Spencer's 1873 article "Psychology of the Sexes" and centered around Spencer's "theories" on woman's nature, her function, and her differences--biological, sexological, and sociological--from man. Chapter one historicizes the Woman Question by examining its influence in these three areas. The sciences, however, did not hold a monopoly on the debate. Rather, the question elicited reactions from many arenas--popular newspapers and magazines, literature, political cartoons, public policy--and in different forms--articles, music, caricatures, legislature. Throughout …

Bilingual School Psychologists' Practices With Students With Limited English Proficiency, Christopher John Lopes

Open Access Dissertations

The present study investigated bilingual school psychologists' practices with students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Two hundred and forty-five psychologists from the 2000 National Association of School Psychologists (HASP) directory of bilingual school psychologists were asked to complete a survey reporting demographic information, levels and kinds of professional experiences, current assessment and other professional practices, levels of perceived accuracy, and levels and types of training. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic information and assessment instruments used. Point-biserial correlations were used to evaluate the degree of relationship between selected pairs of variables. A series of principle component analysis was …

Problematic Interactions Between Parents And Their Children With Adhd: Role Of Attributions, Emotions, Discipline Practices, And Comorbid Odd, Danielle Alexandra Ruskin

Open Access Dissertations

Two empirical studies are presented that specifically examine three parenting factors known to contribute to the problematic relationships observed between mothers and their children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Mothers causal attributions for, their emotional reactions to, and their discipline towards their children's misbehaviors. Parenting factors in both studies were elicited using a written scenario methodology. In the first study, mothers' attributions, emotional reactions, and discipline towards their children's inattentive-overactive (IO) and oppositional-defiant (OD) behaviors were compared in 41 mothers of children with ADHD, 44 mothers of children with ADHD and comorbid Conduct Problems (ADHD+CP), and 59 mothers of children without …

The Pros And Cons Of The Learned Helplessness Construct And The Battered Woman Syndrome: A Critical Analysis And Possible Reformulation, Lucille Andreozzi Stern

Open Access Dissertations

Two prevailing, contrasting theories, learned helplessness and health psychogenesis, have been proposed to describe and explain the battered woman's experience and response to domestic violence. This research examined the status (scientific adequacy) of each theory's database to determine where the preponderance of evidence lies.

The investigator articulated nine factors that differentiate the two theories. Trained independent raters then rated study outcomes as falling into one of three categories: pro-learned helplessness, pro-health psychogenesis, or supportive of both theories. Studies of two research samples (shelter and community) were identified and assessed (rated) along four methodological dimensions (sample, instrumentation, statistical analysis, and hypothesis …

Resilience In Ex-Refugees From Cambodia And Vietnam, Lynne Ee Lin Yong

Open Access Dissertations

The negative impacts of various forms of trauma on the physical and mental health of victims are well documented, including the experiences of the French Indo-Chinese, who suffered a range of traumatic experiences ranging from displacement to torture. However, a sizable percentage of French Indo-Chinese refugees living in the U.S. do not exhibit psychopathology. Very little is known about the Indo-Chinese refugees who are not seeking services and are doing well in their host country. This study focused on resilient Cambodian and Vietnamese ex-refugees, with the goal of identifying resiliency factors and their underlying processes, in order to inform the …

Testing A Model Of Unwanted Pursuit And Stalking, Leila B. Dutton-Greene

Open Access Dissertations

Unwanted pursuit and stalking are common, especially among young adults attending college. Cupach and Spitzberg (2004) developed their relational goal pursuit theory to explain unwanted pursuit and stalking. They theorize that unwanted pursuit and stalking develop out of a disjunctive relationship in which one person wants a type of relationship that the other does not. They propose that the interrelated and co-occurring processes of rumination, emotional flooding, and rationalization serve to disinhibit a pursuer' s idea of what is appropriate behavior. Thus, the object perceives the pursuer's behavior as excessive, inappropriate, and perhaps threatening.

I tested a model of unwanted …

Older Lesbian Perspectives On Advance Care Planning For The End Of Life, Jean W. Powell

Open Access Dissertations

This study used grounded theory methodology and in-depth interviews with 12 older lesbians to investigate three research questions: (1) How do participants define and engage in the process of end-of-life planning? (2) Are there special issues associated with end-of-life planning that participants believe are different from those faced by heterosexual women? and (3) How do participants describe a good death and what steps might make a good death more likely? The participants consisted of an ethnically diverse sample of 12 self-identified lesbian women between 60 and 80 years of age. Each participant responded to semi-structured interview questions. Each interview was …

Examining The Role Of Social Context In Nurses' Pain Assessment Practice With Postoperative Clients, Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo

Open Access Dissertations

Pain is a significant symptom in the postoperative period. Inadequately managed pain has been associated with additional postoperative complications and prolonged hospitalization, yet empirical data demonstrate that nurses frequently use inaccurate assessment criteria, and clients report inadequate pain management. Interventions designed to change nurses' assessment of pain have not addressed the impact of the setting in which practice occurs. This study was designed to describe the impact of the sociocultural context of the practice setting on nurses' assessment of postoperative patients' pain. The study was guided by Bourdieu's theory of practice which proposes that each instance of human practice is …

Organizational Climate For Diversity, Cultural Comfort, And Professional Relationships: Predicting Perceptions Of The Workplace Among Employees Of Color, Ivory Roberts-Clarke

Open Access Dissertations

Very little empirical research has been conducted to understand the unique experiences of employees of color. This study analyzed the perceptions that employees of color have about their places of employment. The total sample included 204 participants, 83 African Americans, 51 Caribbean/West Indians, 32 Latinos/Latinas, 15 Asians, 12 Africans, 8 Multi-ethnic individuals, 1 Native/Indigenous Subgroup, and 1 Middle Eastern. There were 133 women, 70 men, and 1 participant who did not identify his or her gender. Participants were recruited at professional conferences and via the internet where they anonymously completed a questionnaire at a website that was created for this …