Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Among Resting Metabolic Rate And Step Counts In College Students, Brandon Hobson

Theses and Dissertations

Low resting metabolic rate (RMR) and low physical activity (PA) levels are two factors with significant impact on total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) which is one half of the energy balance equation. These two variables can lead to a positive energy balance, which over time can lead to obesity. Assessing the relationships between these variables and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and substrate utilization is important in understanding how a balanced energy equation can be maintained long-term. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship among RMR, and step counts. METHODS: Volunteer participants ranging from 19-24 years of age (n = 26; 17 men, …

The Association Among Parental Perceptions And The Childhood Obesity Epidemic, Ian C. Washington

Theses and Dissertations

AbstractPurpose: The current study seeks to evaluate factors that are related to parental perception from parents who have children between the ages of 2-12 years old. Data was collected on parental perception of their child’s weight status, activity level, and sedentary level based on screen time to assess if these factors are associated with increased child BMI. Methods: Parents with children were invited to participate in a Qualtrics survey that was distributed via email, parental Facebook groups, and social media platforms. Inclusion criteria included being a parent of a child between the ages of 2 and 12 years old. One-way …

Plasticity In Female Incubation Behaviour Mitigates Effects Of Experimentally Increased Nestbox Temperature On House Wren Nestling Growth And Survival, Paige Anne Farchmin

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, temperatures have increased globally, and by different amounts locally. As local climates change and temperatures increase, nestlings from a variety of bird species are exposed to the threat of increased oxidative stress, producing adverse effects on growth and survival of offspring. One defence against oxidative stress is to increase the dietary intake of antioxidants. I tested the hypothesis that experimental heating of house wren nests during the incubation period leads to increased oxidative stress in offspring. I predicted that experimental heating of nests would lead to decreased growth and survival of young, but that these negative effects …

The Relationship Between Eating Behaviors And Weight Cycling Among College Students, Kayla Valluzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that contribute to diet and weight control behaviors and the presence of weight cycling among college students.

Study Design Students at Illinois State University were invited to participate in a Qualtrics survey distributed via email. Inclusion criteria included being a current student at the university between the ages of 18 and 24. The study population (N= 351) included participants with an average age of 20.5 years old (SD= 1.7). Preferred gender included 267 (76.1%) females, 75 (21.4%) males and 9 (2.6%) non-binary identities.

Results The majority of participants were …

Improving Capture Methods For Neonate Ungulates, Matthew T. Turnley

Theses and Dissertations

The capture of neonate ungulates has played an integral role in studies of habitat selection, phenology, survival, and other topics of ecological interest. However, neonates can be difficult for researchers to locate and capture. Neonate ungulates are born in habitats with reduced visibility, frequently spend time in a concealed, prone position, and may display cryptic coloration. In an attempt to improve researchers' likelihood of locating and capturing neonate ungulates, multiple capture methods have been developed. Much remains unknown about biases associated with capture methods and how to further improve capture methods once biases are understood. Our objectives were to determine …

Impacts Of Community Gardens On Overall Health Promotion In Regard To Dietary Behaviors And Physical Activities: Emphasis On Moderated Mediation, Cheng Yi Ho

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate how community gardening participation impacts and benefits the health of various populations on their fresh produce consumption and physical activities. This study was designed to identify innovations to reduce the barriers of participation in community gardening. Methods: This study was approached via moderated mediation, which identifies the moderating effect on direct and indirect paths among variables. The predictor variable (X) was level of participation in community gardens, and the overall health outcome was regarded as the outcome variable (Y). Between X and Y, the variety of grown produce was considered as …

Shared Book Reading Experiences For Young Children Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication ( Aac ) Systems, Braelyn Nicole Wence

Theses and Dissertations

Shared book reading is an evidence-based interactive literacy activity that promotes development of oral language and emergent literacy skills in young children; however, literature regarding best practices for parents of children with developmental disabilities under the age of five years, specifically those with complex communication needs, is severely limited. In this descriptive study, the parent and child behaviors of five families with children between 35-48 months who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems were coded and analyzed during parent-child shared book reading interactions. Three families had previous training on AAC use during shared book reading; two families did not …

The Effect Of Pain Tolerance On Healthcare Utilization Among Patients With Chronic Pain, Callie Rose Teufert

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain patients are more likely to use healthcare services and have greater expenditures related to health needs, which has led to studies on different aspects of pain that may lead to greater use, disability, functional impairment, and other outcomes. Factors that have been researched for their potential relationships with healthcare utilization (HCU) in various populations include function loss, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, fear, pain severity, and pain duration. Pain tolerance has not been extensively studied for its impact on healthcare utilization among patients with chronic pain. This study examined the relationship between perceived pain tolerance in chronic pain patients and …

Trauma Survivors And Perceptions Of Tobacco-Related Health Risks, Alyssa Ann Barsky

Theses and Dissertations

Given the established relationship between trauma and tobacco use, the increased use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), and the research identifying numerous health risks to users of ENDS, examining the relationship between trauma and the use of these products is critical. This study examined trauma survivors’ health risk perceptions of ENDS use on their smoking and vaping behaviors. A total of 126 trauma survivors were included in the study and ranged in age from 18-64 years and were primarily male. In this study’s sample, the majority of participants were “current dual users” of both cigarettes and ENDS products (n …

Young People Transitioning Out Of Alternative Care In Egypt: Aftercare Challenges Faced By Non-Profit Organizations And The Way Forward, Mai Amr Abdel Hafez

Theses and Dissertations

Young people raised in Care homes face many challenges after they reach 18 years old and have to leave these care homes to be independent and integrate with society. Minimal research is conducted in Egypt on this topic; thus, this study is presented to fill this research gap by answering these research questions: What were the biggest challenges faced by the care leavers? And how can the government and the non-profit sector support in decreasing these challenges? The purpose of the study is focused on the effectiveness of care homes in preparing young people for aftercare and how to provide …

A Predictive Model For Geographical Location Using Microbiome Composition And Covid-19 Based Analysis, Ahmed Adel Aboushanab

Theses and Dissertations

The human microbiome is a main contributor for the health and welfare of the human body. It is affected by many factors like diet and hygiene. These factors differ between different populations. Testing the population-microbiome differences using healthy samples from different countries is the first objective of this study. This data was then used in training and testing machine learning models (Random Forest and L2-logistic Regression Classifiers) for the prediction of the geographical location based on the microbiome data. Random Forest Classifier had the highest accuracy. Feature importance analysis showed that the data for Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes improved the …

The Measurement Of College Athletes' Knowledge And Behavior On Pre-And Post-Workout Nutrition Utilizing A Text-Message Intervention, Hannah Christine Young

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure athlete’s knowledge on pre- and post-workout nutrition, specifically assessing their macronutrient intake. Nutrition education for collegiate athletes has been a popular topic of discussion for years. Illinois State University athletes participated in the study by completing a pre- and post- sports nutrition survey which consisted of 29 questions. This survey regarding nutrition knowledge specifically included questions based off their pre-workout intake, recovery, as well as behavior-related questions based off a 1-7 Likert Scale (one being disagree and seven being agree).

A total of 40 participants completed both the pre- and post-assessment surveys. …

Policy Effects On New York City Early Education Centers: Ecological Case Studies, Maria S. Mavrides Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

NYC’s universal Pre-K (PKFA) was implemented through New York Early Education Centers (NYCEECs) and public schools, without considering compensation parity across settings. This study investigates the impact of unequal compensation policies on the experiences of directors, teachers, and parents affiliated with NYCEECs, and how they compare or contrast with the policymakers’ discourse around those policies. While other studies have investigated the PKFA implementation (Akaba et al., 2019; Falk & Souto-Manning, 2020; Fuller & Leibovitz, 2021a; Reid et al., 2019), none have privileged the ecology of those working at and attending NYCEECs. Through critical policy analysis, this study utilized Bronfenbrenner's (1979) …

The Impact Of Physical Education On Students’ Performance Outcomes In Mathematics, Ryan Thomas Cox

Theses and Dissertations

Research studies have suggested that students who participate in daily physical activity and who are more physically fit may have improved academic achievement scores. However, pressures on school districts to improve students’ academic achievement in core course areas such as math, science, and English have put less emphasis on courses such as physical education. School districts around the country have eliminated and/or have lessened the amount of physical activity students receive during the school day. This study examined the impact of time of physical education and difference in 9th-grade students’ math achievement scores in their Algebra course and outcomes on …

Invisible Doesn't Mean Inactive: Perspectives And Recommendations Of An Arabic Speaking Community On Parental Involvement And Cultural Responsiveness, Aziz Elabida

Theses and Dissertations

An extensive body of research has established the positive impact that parental involvement has on student academic, social, and emotional performance and well-being. These benefits are, however, not enjoyed by all students due to a string of logistical, communicative, perceptual, and cultural obstacles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of parental involvement as perceived and practiced by Arabic speaking parents in American public schools. This research is guided by the six typologies of Epstein’s parental involvement model (1995, 2007, and 2012) and Khalifa’s four strands of culturally responsive school leadership (2016). Through a descriptive single case …

Predictive Relationship Between School Budgeting And Community Type And Students’ Academic Performance, Jack R. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the school budgeting process factors into the financial stability of a district, that ultimately impacts academic achievement. Best practices as defined by methods that allow for greater transparency, cost effectiveness, and overall success in the passing of school budgets. School funding is an important facet regarding how resources are ultimately provided within the classroom and indirectly may have a major impact on student learning. Review of the literature has provided a background on the successful implementation of school-based budgeting and factors that lead into budget development. The data techniques implemented were …

Tuition-Free College And Retention: A Quantitative Analysis Of The New York State Excelsior Scholarship Program, Maria P. Conzatti

Theses and Dissertations

Although the community college’s original intent was to fulfill a mission dedicated to offering a low-cost, high-quality education to its community, fulfilling its mission is has become more difficult based on ever-increasing financial stresses being placed upon it by various constituent groups. As such, a growing piece of the community college funding model is student tuition. In an attempt to offset the ever-increasing student financial burden, many states have initiated their own form of scholarship aid, such as the new Excelsior Scholarship Program now offered in New York State. The continued decrease in community college funding has motivated additional research …

The Impact Of Participation In Co-Curricular Activities On Academic Performance And Retention Utilizing Data Collected For The Co-Curricular Transcript, Harry Mars

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that participation in co-curricular activities has on the academic performance and retention of students at an urban community college. This study utilized archived data to make quantitative analyses of the impact of participation in co-curricular activities on GPA scores and one-semester retention. The study included all of the students at Metro Community College who participated in one of the following activities during the 2018-2019 academic year: club member, club leader, leadership training, and mentee by a peer. Multiple regression was run to test the impact of participation in these activities …

Food Insecurity Among College Students Who Are Parents Attending A Community College: A Qualitative Case Study, Deborah C. Harte

Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity has been a prevailing issue among college students for a number of years. Over the past decade, studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence rate of food insecurity on college campuses ((El Zein et al., 2019; Gaines et al., 2014; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018; Patton-Lopez et al., 2014; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Riddle et al., 2020), and the impact of food insecurity on academic achievement (Gaines et al., 2014; Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015; Stack & Meredith, 2017; Philips et al., 2018). Although these studies have involved college students, gaps in the research have led to an incomplete …

Quality Analysis Of Early Childhood Education Programs In New York City, Earlene Warren-Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the quality of pre-K educational programs in New York City. I identified how program quality relates to student and teacher variables. The study used NYC Department of Education public ECERS-R data to measure program quality. I examined and analyzed to determine their influence on program quality. The independent variables are the percentage value of student’s racial composition, classroom interaction quality, program leadership quality, program type, teacher collaboration, and program community ties. The study addressed several research questions. Is program quality associated with the racial composition of students in the programs? Is there a difference in program quality …

Trends And Outcomes Of A School-Based Campaign To Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse Students In Middle School, Roya Amirniroumand

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been identified as a chronic disease prevention strategy in children and adolescents (Muth et al., 2019; USDA & HSS, 2015) and promoting healthier alternative beverage options has become an important focus for public health policy and educational efforts. Community-driven school-based health initiatives targeting SSB consumption have shown promising outcomes however, few studies have explored these strategies for middle school students and less is known about the potential benefits of these efforts with racial/ethnic minority youth.

The present study examined whether racial/ethnic differences in SSB consumption existed in a sample of 419 students at one …

The Relationship Of Schemas Of Rejection And Ethnic Identity With Food Consumption, Shelagh Mahbubani

Theses and Dissertations

Unhealthy eating behaviors, such as increased consumption of unhealthy food and decreased consumption of healthy food, have been linked to poor health outcomes (Ambrosini, 2014). Stress, including social rejection, has been associated with an increase in unhealthy eating behaviors (Groesz et al., 2012; Laugero et al., 2018). Conversely, an increased sense of ethnic identity has been linked to healthy eating behaviors (Brown et al., 2016; Lewis et al., 2018). In this study, we examined the association of relational schemas concerning social rejection as well as ethnic identity to food consumption. While prior studies have examined the relationship of social stressors …

The Internal And External Expectancies Scale: Development And Validation., Joanne Raptis

Theses and Dissertations

Healthy lifestyle habits are widely known to improve physical and psychological wellbeing, but many struggle to regularly practice these behaviors. As an overarching solution has yet to emerge, it may prove more fruitful to instead personalize behavior change recommendations and interventions. The present study examined whether individual responsiveness to internal and external expectations can be measured, as it could be a useful behavioral factor to target with tailored treatment recommendations. This construct was first postulated by popular author Gretchen Rubin (2015) but has yet to be studied empirically. For the current project, the Internal and External Expectancies Scale (IEES) was …

Hip-Hop Is Literacy: Enhancing English Skills Using Hip-Hop As A Culturally Responsive Multiliteracy, Kai C. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the effectiveness of multiliteracies and replacing canonical texts with hip-hop lyrics, teachers can actively engage students in English classrooms at the same time allowing for cultural diversity and appreciation in the classroom. Although, several studies have been conducted to show the effectiveness of the use of non-traditional text in the classroom and the effectiveness of utilizing a culturally diverse curriculum to help with reading engagement and comprehension; this study examined how recognizing the cultural differences between student’s home and school life, acknowledging the importance of students’ culture, and utilizing a wide range of instructional materials, can promote the development …

Strengthening Phonological Processing And Working Memory To Support Early Reading Acquisition, Antoinette Halliday

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between participating in an online software application focused on phonological processing and working memory and outcomes on foundational reading assessment measures. The online software application utilized was the Sound Reading Program. Students began the intervention working in Sound Reading’s Hop, Skip, and Jump program, with a few progressing to the Boost program over the course of the nine-week intervention. A control group at each grade level read or listened to online leveled texts. There were 175 kindergarten and first-grade students included in the study. These students were enrolled in a …

Maternal Literacy Practices And Beliefs Impact Infant Development, Deirdre Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

Infancy is a pivotal time in the development of a human’s cognitive ability. There is a lack of research in this area, specifically on mothers and their beliefs about literacy practices and the home learning environment. By utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this study explores the beliefs of mothers and how they impact the infants’ preliteracy skills and knowledge, which are paramount to success in kindergarten and beyond. Using a phenomenological study, the researcher interviewed mothers on their views of literacy, their infant’s home learning environment, and how they perceive their culture and mothering style impact their infants.

Splanchnic Oxygenation And Feeding Intolerance In The Very Low Birthweight Infant, Melissa C. Dollings

Theses and Dissertations

SPLANCHNIC OXYGENATION AND FEEDING INTOLERANCE IN THE VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANT

By Melissa C. Dollings, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2022

Major Director: Lisa F. Brown, Ph.D., RN, School of Nursing

Background. Feeding intolerance is common in preterm infants but can be an ominous precursor of necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease. The definition and management of feeding intolerance vary widely. This research examined the relationship

between feeding intolerance, intrauterine factors, extrauterine factors, and intestinal immaturity and circulatory immaturity in the …

The Effect Of Er:Yag, Nd:Yag And Co2 Laser Combined With Hydrogen Peroxide, Sodium Hypochlorite, Chlorohexidine Or Fluoride On Reducing Oral Bacterial Count Implicated In Root Caries, Nitya Reddy

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Lasers have been used for treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity and for various bacterial reduction indications in periodontology. Their effectiveness in killing oral bacteria is not well known. The compounding effect of the combination of a laser treatment and adjunct antimicrobial agent use on bacterial viability is still evolving. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of three lasers commonly used in dentistry in conjunction with chlorhexidine (CHX), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), or sodium fluoride (NaF) on viability of oral bacteria associated with root caries.

Methods: Three …

Leading Through Crisis: The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Impact On The School Principalship, A Delphi Study, Matthew J. Togna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the K-12 School Principalship and attempted to forecast the future of the principalship post-Pandemic. Using a forecasting method known as the Delphi Technique, I solicited public K-12 principals working in the Commonwealth of Virginia with at least 3 years of administrative experience to serve as participants. In total, 26 practicing principals completed three questionnaires offering their expert opinions on pre-Pandemic roles and responsibilities of the school principal and how those roles were impacted throughout the Pandemic. Additionally, the participants made predictions about the future of the school principalship. Findings …

Caregiver's Nicu Experiences And Its Impact On Services, Crystal L. Hence

Theses and Dissertations

Having a child spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is documented as a stressful experience for caregivers. Previous literature documents caregivers’ difficulties navigating the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, showing that this problem has persisted for close to 20 years. Early Intervention can provide benefits to infants born prematurely, who may be more at risk for developmental delays and since the goal of Early Intervention is to provide services that help families in their daily lives, it has benefits for caregivers as well. Yet, Early Intervention enrollment remains low across the state of Virginia. This study using a qualitative …