Digital Commons Network^™

More Than Money: Understanding Marital Influences On Retirement Savings Rates, Scott H. Payne

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from 584 individuals identifying themselves as married, the purpose of this study was to examine how personal and relational characteristics were linked to financial attitudes, knowledge, and capabilities and financial well-being using the family financial socialization framework (Gudmunson & Danes, 2011). Supporting the first two hypotheses, marital quality, materialism, age, and household income were found to directly predict financial prudence as a measure of financial attitudes, knowledge, and capabilities and to indirectly predict retirement savings rate as a measure of financial well-being. Financial prudence supported the first hypotheses as well by directly predicting retirement savings rate. Education also …

An Analysis Of The Cause, Effect & Control Of Hyperlipidemia From A Nursing Perspective, Melissa Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

Two of the top four causes of death worldwide, heart disease and stroke, are related to hyperlipidemia, elevated cholesterol levels; these two illnesses account for approximately seventeen million deaths each year (World Health Organization, 2014). In order to combat the prevalence of these illnesses, the National Cholesterol Educational Panel has issued guidelines regarding cholesterol management. Extensive research has been published concerning cholesterol management. However, a gap remains between evidenced-based practice and community awareness of this phenomenon. This manuscript compiles research from peer reviewed nursing journals and acclaimed government and national organizations to express the cause, effect, and control of hyperlipidemia …

Impact Of An Appreciative Inquiry Intervention On Compassion Fatigue Among Social Services Workers, Marta María Maegli

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the impact of participation in an appreciative inquiry (AI) intervention on social service workers' level of compassion fatigue. Five workers plus two of their managers took part in the study. A 6-hour AI intervention was held and participants completed pre- and post-tests of the Professional Quality of Life Scale to measure their compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. A focus group also was held to gather qualitative data about the impact of the intervention. Results indicated that the intervention was highly valuable for strengthening working relationships, underscoring the positives in otherwise emotionally difficult work, and …

Transitioning From A Traditional Nursing Home Environment To Green House Homes: What Are Stakeholders' Attitudes Toward And Satisfaction With The Small House Care Environment, Christine Harrop-Stein

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research was designed as two independent research studies. The first study, qualitative, and non-experimental, aimed to examine residents’, family members’, and staff members’ (stakeholders’) satisfaction with, and attitudes toward Green House living one month prior to moving and again at one and three months after moving. Focus groups were the primary method of data collection. Thirty residents and 40 staff members transitioned to one of three Green House homes beginning January, 2013. Data collected began in December, 2012. Following each focus group, tape recordings were transcribed, and coded. Using grounded theory and the constant comparative method of analysis, …

Relationship Between The Experience Of Perceived And Physician Diagnosed Arthritis And The Presence Of Dsm-Iv Criteria-Based Major Depression (Mdd) Among Older, Ryan Neil Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore both positive screened MDD and the perception of being depressed (P) and the likelihood of either increasing if the patient suffered from arthritis (P/E), either perceived or evaluated by a physician. The study explored the univariate, bivariate, and multivariate relationships between MDD and depression (P) to better describe influencing characteristics and their prevalence, as related to MDD and depression (P).

METHODS: The study examined a cross section of patients 65 years and older (n=8,205) within the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NESARC) [2001-02] sponsored by the National Institute …

Exploring Factors That Influence The Choice To Retire From Driving In Older Adults, Debra J. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

No

Sirt6 And Premature Aging Of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome Fibroblasts., Helal Endisha

Theses and Dissertations

The genetic disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) arises from a de novo single nucleotide mutation (1824CàT) in the LMNA gene. As a result, the mutated lamin A protein (progerin) remains farnesylated and permanently attached to the nuclear membrane. Progerin accumulates and deforms the nuclear membrane leading to an array of cellular abnormalities driving the cells to enter a state of permanent cell-cycle arrest early on in replicative age i.e. premature cellular senescence. Cellular senescence has been extensively studied as one of the contributing factors to aging in HGPS patients and other age-related diseases. There has also been evidence to show …

A Boot Camp Approach To Remediating Interdental /S/ In A School-Aged Child, Melanie Ellen Peris

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between speech articulation therapy dose (frequency, intensity, duration) and treatment outcomes are poorly understood. Identifying optimal therapy doses for specific articulation disorders is essential to providing efficient clinical care. Recent research indicates that intensive speech therapy doses-known as boot camps-may promote rapid improvement and generalization for certain speech disorders. Therefore the present investigation examined the effects of a boot camp speech therapy approach to remediate interdental /s/ production in an 8-year-old male. The boot camp included two days of speech therapy involving visual, tactile, and auditory feedback approaches. Therapy was administered 5.5 hours per day across morning and …

Older Msm And Hiv/Aids: A Grounded Theory Study To Inform Prevention, Johnnie O'Neal

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to increase knowledge as it relates to HIV-prevention for older adults, especially for MSM who are HIV-negative. In participating in this study, participants shared their experiences, stories and feelings related to their exposure to HIV and HIV-prevention initiatives. Using a Traditional Grounded Theory method, 22 interviews with older MSM were conducted with the aim of producing a theory that explained how these men lived prior to HIV, the different ways they responded to the onset of the virus, how they have lived their lives over the last three decades, and the extent to which the virus continues …

The Association Between Dairy Consumption And Insulin Resistance, Andrea Rose Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: A cross-sectional design was employed to ascertain the relationship between dairy consumption and insulin resistance (IR) in 272 middle-aged, nondiabetic women. Methods: Participants kept a seven-day weighed food record to report their diets, including consumption of dairy foods. IR was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA), using the following formula: fasting plasma insulin (µU/ml) x fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL)/405. The Bod Pod was used to examine body fat percentage, and accelerometry over a seven-day period was used to assess physical activity. HOMA values were log-transformed and regression analysis and the General Linear Model procedure were used to determine …

The Development Of A Discipline: Examination Of The Profession Of Gerontology And Gerontological Professionals, Tracey Gendron

Theses and Dissertations

The growth of the aging population has warranted increased training and education to prepare professionals with the specific knowledge needed to best serve older adults. Gerontology, as an academic discipline, provides professionals with the conceptual knowledge and the skills necessary to address the complexities of working with a diverse aging population. Little research has been done of the characteristics of professionals both with and without formal education in gerontology that are working with the aging population. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of career motivation, job satisfaction, attitudes about aging, career commitment, and professional identity among …

The Influence Of Familial Responsibility, Extra-Curricular Activity Participation, And Employment Status On The Undergraduate Academic Performance Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Aged Students, Constance Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The present research investigated the influence of family responsibility, financial responsibility, and co-curricular activities on academic performance among traditional aged and non-traditional aged undergraduate students. It explored the association between non-academic variables and age on academic performance to determine whether there is a significant impact on academic success with students. A review of the existing literature presents factors previously implicated in affecting student performance and overall satisfaction. Data was collected from current and/or previous undergraduate students' (n=86) completion of a 16-item questionnaire, a survey developed by the principal researcher, assessing experiences and perceptions regarding collegiate satisfaction and role demands during …

Predictors Of Cooperative And Externalizing Behaviors In Siblings Of Children With Disabilities, Christine Rae Platt

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine whether caregiver burden, parenting style, and sibling relationships in families raising a child with a disability (CWD) predict cooperative and externalizing behaviors in typically-developing sibling (TDS). Methods: This correlational study included 189 families raising both a CWD and a TDS. Mothers and fathers completed self-report questionnaires on caregiver burden, sibling relationships, parenting style, and TDS cooperative and externalizing behaviors. Results: Authoritative parenting was positively associated with cooperative behaviors, whereas authoritarian parenting was positively associated with externalizing behaviors. Hierarchical regression revealed caregiver burden was a significant predictor of cooperative and externalizing behaviors; however, when parenting style was added …

The Effect Of Age On Speech Motor Performance During Divided Attention, Dallin J. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the divided attention effects of three non-speech tasks on concurrent speech motor performance. These tasks targeted linguistic, cognitive, and manual motor activity. Participants included 60 healthy adults separated into three different age groups of twenty participants each: college-age (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older adults (60s). Each participant completed a speech task once in isolation and once concurrently with each of the three non-speech tasks: a semantic decision task, a quantitative comparison task, and a manual motor task. The non-speech tasks were also performed in isolation. The speech task involved repeating a target phrase each time a …

Emotional Involvement With Grandparents As A Key Component Of Prosocial Development: Testing Empathic Concern As A Mediator, Kathryn Leigh Bunnell Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Current research shows that grandparents have made significant contributions to at-risk families. However, few studies have examined the benefits of grandparenting in non-at-risk populations. This study considered whether emotional involvement with a grandparent is associated with prosocial behavior in adolescent grandchildren and examines the mediating role of empathy and perspective taking. A longitudinal sample of 500 participants were taken from waves two thru five of the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) and used to construct a latent growth curve model. Results indicate that emotional involvement with a grandparent was positively linked with initial levels of prosocial behavior in grandchildren. Furthermore, results …

Passive Vs. Active Technologies In The Classroom, John Borchert

Theses and Dissertations

Modern technology is being implemented in the classroom more and more. Little has been done to identify which types of technologies are the best to use for educational purposes. Research has shown that students perform better when they are interested in the subject. This study seeks to determine if passive technologies (TV, power points, etc.) or active technologies (video games, electronic quizzes, etc.) were more effective in inspiring interest and better performance. This will help educators chose better options for technology use in their classrooms. This study required subjects answer a survey questions regarding different types of technologies they had …

Pet Therapy And The Associated Benefits On The Elderly, Lindsey Senger

Theses and Dissertations

Pet therapy (also known as Animal Assisted Therapy {AAT}) today involves both human and animal interactions. Pet therapy is utilized most commonly with the elderly living in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities or assisted living facilities to promote health and healing for the patients. It is especially beneficial for those who are chronically ill, may suffer from disabilities or may have depression. The feeling of isolation and loneliness that accompanies depression is not healthy, especially for the elderly population. Research has shown that the health and well-being of the elderly who suffer from depression, decline rapidly when compared to those …

Streamlining Patient's Wishes: Analyzing Improvements For The Implementation Of Advance Directives, William A. Wallington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to complete a review of literature and determine methods providers can use to increase the implementation rates of advance directives (ADs). A growing elderly population coupled with an increase in chronic disease is making the implementation of advance directives more important than ever, yet the percentage of completed advance directives continues to be poor. Utilizing a review of evidence-based research, barriers to implementation were identified. This includes communication, timing and setting, appropriate end-of-life care and utilization of Provider Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) to provide a detailed format therefore lessening miscommunication. A pamphlet …

Factors For Selecting A Consumer Directed Health Care Plan, David Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Account (HSA) eligible High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) emerged as a new health care insurance models referred to as Consumer Directed Health Plans (CDHPs) in the early 2000s. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between enrollees’ prior financial experiences as they relate to health care access and use with plan choice when a Managed Care Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), HRA, and HSA eligible HDHP are offered concurrently in an ESI program. It is important to examine new health insurance structures, such as CDHPs, to better understand their impact on …

Connect With Me! Research Service-Learning In A Gerontological Setting, Cindy A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to evaluate the training components of the Connect with Me! program which was created specifically for this research service-learning project. Ten graduate students in a Biology and Psychology of Aging class were trained and paired with older adults from a long-term care facility and the community. A quasi-experimental research design measured the effectiveness of the program. Results showed significant improvement in life-review interviewing skills. This thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter one is a literature review of service-learning and offers a suggestion for expansion of Furco's model. Chapter two describes the Connect with …

Effects Of Syntactic Complexity On Speech Motor Performance, Kelsey Lewis Boyce

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the possible influence of linguistic demands on speech motor control by measuring articulatory movement stability during conditions of increasing grammatical complexity. There were 60 participants in three age groups: 20-30 years, 40-50 years, and 60-70 years, with equal numbers of men and women in each group. These speakers produced 10 repetitions of five different sentence or phrase conditions. These five conditions included two baseline measurements and three sentences of varying complexity. Each complexity condition had an MLU count of 23, word length of 17, syllable length of 25, and contained the phrase open boxes of pompoms. …

Mtor Pathway Activation Following Resistance Exercise With Vibration In Human Subjects, Michael G. Leavitt

Theses and Dissertations

Functional adaptations in human skeletal muscle following a period of resistance exercise are the result of regular activation of cellular signaling pathways that elevate muscle protein synthesis. It has been reported that the addition of whole body vibration (WBV) to a resistance exercise program enhances performance. Such improvements in muscle function may be the result of increased activation of cellular signaling pathways associated with muscle growth. Purpose: We have investigated whether an acute bout of resistance exercise in combination with WBV results in a greater activation of the mTOR signaling pathway compared to resistance exercise alone. Methods: Eight untrained college-age …

Caregiver Burden And Sibling Relationships In Families Raising Children With Disabilities, Diane W. Allred

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine sibling relationships and caregiver burden in families raising children with disabilities (CWD). In order to determine (a) are there differences in caregiver burden according to parent gender and types of disability (b) are there differences in sibling relationships according to parent gender and type of disability and (c) is there a relationship between caregiver burden and sibling relationships after controlling for CWD and sibling gender and age, and type of disability? After IRB approval, 166 families living in the west and raising typically developing children (TDC) or a CWD participated. Disabilities included …

Depression And Dementia, Tom Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Depression and dementia are otlen co-morbid conditions. The assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions is difficult, as each condition has symptoms associated with the other condition. Antidepressants are often used to treat the conditions when occurring comorbidly, but this has been questioned in recent years. This paper will utilize a literature review for evidence-based tools to provide the most beneficial clinical outcomes. Areas for further research or attention on this topic include determining whether depression can be diagnosed distinctly in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and what treatments are safe and effective for depression in AD. The results of this study …

Polypharmacy And The Elderly: A Case Study And Literature Review, Kristin M. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

Polypharmacy is a common issue among the elderly population due to multiple comorbidities that develop as a person ages. With this increase, there is also the increased risk for negative health outcomes such as higher healthcare costs, adverse drug events, drug interactions, and increased mortality rate (Maher, Hanlon, & Hajjar, 2014). The elderly population is increasing worldwide, and it is estimated that 20% of the population will be older than 65 by 2025 (Milos et al., 2013). Patients 65 years old and older are the largest consumer of prescription and nonprescription medications in the United States, which has more than …

How Welfare Reform Act Affects Elderly Immigrants' Health And Healthcare Service Utilization: Comparisons Before And After Welfare Reform, Younsook Yeo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The intended result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193: PRWORA) was to conserve public funds while addressing welfare deficits. To achieve this end, the PRWORA (1) requires immigrants who came to the United States after the law took effect to show proof of U.S. citizenship to be eligible for federally funded public benefits, including Medicaid, unless the states where they lived provide state-funded benefits; (2) reinforced the `public charge law,' indicating that once the Immigration and Nationalization Service deems a post-welfare reform immigrant a public charge, this could result in the …

Engaging Undergraduate Students In An Online Science Course: The Relationship Between Instructor Prompt And Student Engagement In Synchronous Class Sessions, Todd C. Shoepe

Theses and Dissertations

The number of online courses in higher education is on the rise; however, empirical evidence elucidating best practices for synchronous online instruction is needed to implement these courses. The purpose of this dissertation was to perform a mixed-method investigation into the relationships between instructor prompt and student engagement in 5 areas based on the 7 Principles of Good Practices in Undergraduate Education using recorded chat, video, and audio transcripts of two recent fully online nutrition courses. A total of 25 previously recorded synchronous sessions including oral and textual chat interactions were transcribed. Every line of student interaction was determined to …

Medication-Related Problems Experienced By Patients During Transitions To Assisted Living, Deanna Flora

Theses and Dissertations

Medication reconciliation is a systematic and comprehensive review of medication regimens during care transitions aiming to prevent adverse drug events. Poorly executed transitions negatively impact patient welfare and cause financial burden. Medication-related problems (MRPs) experienced during transitions to an assisted living facility (ALF) were evaluated. Data was collected from pharmacy records for transitions to an ALF over three months, including demographics, medications, potentially inappropriate medications, and MRPs. MRPs were categorized and summarized using descriptive statistics. Forty-five patients (71% female) experienced 59 transitions. Average age was 85.6 years. Median length of stay away from the ALF was three days. There were …

Gerontology Simulation To Enhance Undergraduate Nursing Student Learning, Karen J. Clementich

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Obesity In The Geriatric Population, Kimberly A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has been a focus of medical and public health attention for decades; however, a relative paucity of information exists regarding the management of obesity in the geriatric population. It is known that standard, young adult recommendations to manage weight cannot be applied directly to the older population due to the potential of adverse health outcomes, but the most effective strategies are controversial (Heintze et al., 20 l 0). The goal of weight management is unique for this population and poses a challenge for health care providers when managing, treating, and counseling patients. With the current trends of obesity and …