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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Variables Associated With Police Use Of Excessive Force In The United States, Leander Shane Zanders Jan 2023

Variables Associated With Police Use Of Excessive Force In The United States, Leander Shane Zanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA negative relationship persists among minority communities and law enforcement officers, including officers’ use of excessive force. Use of force researchers hold that a high percentage of African American men and boys can expect to die at the hands of police in the United States. Further, African American men are more likely than their White peers to die during an encounter with police. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between predictor variables and the use of excessive force against racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, controlling for race, gender, and household income. The …


Risk Factors Influencing Poliomyelitis Seroprevalence In Polio High Risk Areas Of Afghanistan, Wasan Abdulaziz Al-Tamimi Jan 2023

Risk Factors Influencing Poliomyelitis Seroprevalence In Polio High Risk Areas Of Afghanistan, Wasan Abdulaziz Al-Tamimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Afghanistan is one of the remaining polio endemic countries in the world. Nearly one million children under 5 years of age have missed polio vaccination in Afghanistan from May 2018 until January 2021. This quantitative study used the socioecological model as the theoretical framework and secondary data analysis of the 2020 polio serosurvey (N = 1384) to investigate various risk factors such as gender, parental education, family origin (language/location), wealth, distance to nearest health facility, and number of polio vaccine doses on the level of antibodies (i.e., seroprevalence) against all three types of polioviruses in children of two age groups, …


The Effects Of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula In The Lives Of Women In Southeastern Nigeria, Chioma Esther Amutaigwe Jan 2023

The Effects Of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula In The Lives Of Women In Southeastern Nigeria, Chioma Esther Amutaigwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is a maternal health problem faced by women in developing countries. VVF is one of the most devastating consequences of prolonged obstructed labor and is still prevalent in resource-poor countries like Nigeria where fertility is high, the status of women is low, and obstetric services are often inadequate. The objective of this study was to enrich our understanding of the effects of VVF as it relates to women’s experiences in southeastern Nigeria. I adopted the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping in this study; this theory posits that people, when contending with any kind of stressors, are …


Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun Jan 2023

Special Educators’ Experiences With Professional Development And Implementation Support In Using Digital Social Stories For Students With Autism, Simbi Mignon Animashaun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with autism need social skills to succeed academically, which can be fostered with the use of digital social stories (DSSs). While many special educators are expected to use DSSs to teach social skills because of increased elementary autism diagnoses, a significant number of DSS users are unprepared. The problem addressed in this qualitative project study was that special educators were not receiving adequate professional development and implementation support to use DSSs to teach autism-related social skills. The purpose of this research was to explore the special educators’ experiences with professional development and implementation support. The concerns-based adoption model and …


Colonial Legacy, Education, And Employment Opportunities: The Case Of Cameroon, Frantz Batoh Jan 2023

Colonial Legacy, Education, And Employment Opportunities: The Case Of Cameroon, Frantz Batoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe history of colonialism is one of the most powerful factors affecting the development of newly independent African states and limiting their chances for successful evolution. This research involved Cameroon and employment and educational issues associated with colonialism. The division between France and Britain contributed to the establishment of bilingualism within its territories, which is a source of multiple problems today. The study involved investigating the current situation in Cameroon through the lens of colonialism and its influence on countries. Theoretical foundations for this study were the colonial and postcolonial theory, neocolonialism, and concept of postcolony. They are used to …


An Examination Of Counselor Turnover And Its Impact On Quality Behavioral Health Services, Leslie M. Beale Jan 2023

An Examination Of Counselor Turnover And Its Impact On Quality Behavioral Health Services, Leslie M. Beale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health organizations often face the challenge of high employee turnover rates, which can critically affect their ability to treat mental illnesses successfully. High counselor turnover at one such organization, BHOX, threatens the provision of timely access to quality mental care. This qualitative case study examined counselor turnover and its impact on the quality of behavioral health services. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a nonprofit behavioral health organization on the East Coast of the United States, which serves men and women struggling with mental health disorders and substance abuse addictions. The data …


Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan Jan 2023

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.


Workplace Bullying On Human Resources Management Performance In Correctional Facilities, Oliver Onyeka Ehiahuruike Jan 2023

Workplace Bullying On Human Resources Management Performance In Correctional Facilities, Oliver Onyeka Ehiahuruike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWorkplace bullying, as part of a hostile work environment, impacts human resources management (HRM) work outcome metrics, employees' attitudes toward their job, organization, and behavioral intentions that collectively affect organizational goals. Addressed in this study are the problems of workplace bullying of corrections employees, which negatively affect HRM outcome measures of turnover intention, organizational commitment, and employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction among corrections employees in Texas. Homans's social exchange and Bourdieu's social capital theories were used in this …


The American Founding Documents And Democratic Social Change: A Constructivist Grounded Theory, A I. Forde Jan 2023

The American Founding Documents And Democratic Social Change: A Constructivist Grounded Theory, A I. Forde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing social disparities in the United States are inconsistent with the promise of democracy; therefore, there was a need for critical conceptualization of the first principles that undergird American democracy and the genesis of democratic social change in America. This constructivist grounded theory study aimed to construct a grounded theory that provides an understanding of the process of American democratic social change as it emerged from the nation’s founding documents. A post hoc polytheoretical framework including Foucault’s, Bourdieu’s, and Marx and Engels’s theories of power was used to understand power dynamics. The research question focused on understanding the process of …


Exploring School Leadership To Improve Graduation Rates For High School Ell Students In A Northeastern State, Scott Matthew Jaquith Jan 2023

Exploring School Leadership To Improve Graduation Rates For High School Ell Students In A Northeastern State, Scott Matthew Jaquith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English languages learners (ELLs) are the fastest-growing student population in the United States. Federal mandates, including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, provide guidance and resources to states and local school districts to remove barriers for ELL students. Despite guidelines from one northeastern state to increase professional development, improve metrics to assess proficiency growth, and provide family outreach to support ELLs, school leaders have not achieved this goal of raising graduation rates for ELLs so they are comparable with their non-ELL peers. This project study uses a transformational leadership framework to explore perceptions of principals, assistant principals, and …


Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings Jan 2023

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …


Examining Mental Health Literacy As A Predictor Of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Florida Foster Parents, Adam Johnson Jan 2023

Examining Mental Health Literacy As A Predictor Of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Florida Foster Parents, Adam Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was to examine mental health literacy as a predictor of the mental health service utilization of foster parents after controlling for age. There is an absence of research addressing variables that contribute to the use of mental health services by foster parents. In this nonexperimental study, survey data were collected in an electronic format. Statistical analysis was performed through use of a logistic regression. A mental health literacy conceptual framework was the theoretical foundation of the study. The sample consisted of 42 foster parents from the northwest panhandle of Florida. The study yielded findings indication …


Professional Development Needs Of Early Childhood Educators Teaching Children With Challenging Behaviors, Latashia L. Kelly Jan 2023

Professional Development Needs Of Early Childhood Educators Teaching Children With Challenging Behaviors, Latashia L. Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEarly childhood educators have struggled to teach children with challenging behaviors, which can lead to suspension and expulsion. Although early childhood educators have limited professional development training in challenging behaviors, they are often not equipped to teach children with challenging behaviors. There is little research on how early childhood educators perceive their current training regarding teaching children with challenging behaviors. Exploring early childhood educators’ perceptions can determine what they need to teach children with challenging behaviors for a thriving classroom environment. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to better understand educators’ perceptions regarding the type of professional development …


Relationship Between Homelessness, Substance Use, Employment, Living On A Reservation And Tuberculosis Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Darla Mccloskey Jan 2023

Relationship Between Homelessness, Substance Use, Employment, Living On A Reservation And Tuberculosis Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Darla Mccloskey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans in the Northern Plains have a long history of tuberculosis (TB) infections. There is limited research on the causes of latent TB infections (LTBI) and TB in this population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between latent TB and factors of homelessness, substance use, employment, living on a reservation, and active or latent TB among this population using the eco-social theory as the theoretical framework. Data from 146 TB cases of Native Americans living in the Northern Plains and diagnosed with TB from 1999 to 2019 were analyzed using chi-square tests that showed …


Assessing Fire Station Response And Coverage Ability In A Pennsylvania Town, Timothy Moore Jan 2023

Assessing Fire Station Response And Coverage Ability In A Pennsylvania Town, Timothy Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There was a gap in fire station response times in a Pennsylvania township. Although there were two fire stations located in the township, one area was contractually serviced by a nearby borough. Stations are staffed by volunteers, which creates problems with coverage and timely responses. The “nine-minute-90%-of-the-time” National Fire Protection Association standard was not always achieved. The purpose of the study was to determine what gaps in fire station response times or coverage existed. A risk-based methodology was used to develop a baseline in standards of coverage. Using a risk methodology with historical data helped in informing issue identification. This …


Predictors Of Retention Among Individuals With Hiv Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Ghana, Ivy Ama Okae Jan 2023

Predictors Of Retention Among Individuals With Hiv Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Ghana, Ivy Ama Okae

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Managing HIV requires lifelong therapy. Retaining clients on lifelong therapeutic antiretroviral therapy (ART) ensures the suppression of viral replication and better health outcomes. The time of the start of ART management is also a factor in determining better health outcomes for persons living with HIV. This study examined the association between initiation criteria (treat all, Option B+, and CDC T-cell count < 500) and retention on ART at 12 months for 17,974 randomly selected clients in the Ghana Health Service's HIV patient electronic database. Analyses controlled for age, gender, educational status, alcohol use, treatment/adherence monitoring, and tuberculosis disease treatment. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory guided the interpretation of the findings. Results shows that retention was positively associated with all treatment initiation criteria. Clients initiated with CD4 count ≤ 500 criteria seemed to be retained at 12 months on ART at a higher rate than initiation criteria based on Option B+ and treat all. The study results may contribute to positive social change by supporting CD4 testing for clients before initiation of ART to improve retention and ensure the availability and use of adherence counseling, no tuberculosis disease and its prevention, and low use of alcohol among people living with HIV. The results of this study may also provide opportunities for public health policy intervention efforts requiring a personalized, group-based approach to service delivery at the intrapersonal level, interconnected with interpersonal, meso, and meta factors at the community level.


Nursing Staff Education Program On Using The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions Tool Kit, Camarita Titang Jan 2023

Nursing Staff Education Program On Using The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions Tool Kit, Camarita Titang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The absence of adequate knowledge, skills, and competencies in screening for suicide risk in adolescent and young adult patients is a significant problem facing nurses in outpatient settings. An evaluation of the project site facility’s main performance metrics revealed shortcomings in locating patients who pose a serious risk of self-harm and suicide. Staff dealing with the patients may, as a result, overlook preemptive measures that could stop a suicide event. The project aimed to create a training program to introduce the ask suicide-screening questions (ASQ) tool kit, an evidence-based suicide screening tool, to ambulatory nurses. The goal of the project …


Effects Of Social Determinants On Access To Care Among Patients With Diabetes In Florida, Nekeisha Latoya Walker Jan 2023

Effects Of Social Determinants On Access To Care Among Patients With Diabetes In Florida, Nekeisha Latoya Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes imposes a major burden on society, especially in the state of Florida, in the form of increased medical costs, lost productivity, early mortality, and intangible costs in the form of diminished quality of life. Access to diabetic care affects health administration in Florida by impacting the overall cost of treating the condition. Limited access to care can lead to an increased risk of complications resulting in a higher cost of treatment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether access to care dependent variables (access to doctors and length of time since last routine checkup) were associated …


Exploring The Benefits Of A Collaboration Between Behavioral Health Coaches And Clinicians, Devan White Jan 2023

Exploring The Benefits Of A Collaboration Between Behavioral Health Coaches And Clinicians, Devan White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study addressed how to best use health coaches in the field of behavioral health to improve the accessibility and outreach of a new program launched by the target organization that emphasizes coaching as an intervention for improving well-being and mental fitness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the potential influence of coaching within the behavioral health field and explore how health coaches could partner with clinicians or behavioral health leaders to allow for more collaboration and accessibility to services. The RQs centered on how health coaches might support the treatment of those who have …


The Experiences And Perspectives Of Documented Hispanic Immigrants Dealing With Survivor’S Guilt, Fallon Victoria Wall Jan 2023

The Experiences And Perspectives Of Documented Hispanic Immigrants Dealing With Survivor’S Guilt, Fallon Victoria Wall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic immigrants are understudied and underserved; this is a population that continues to battle injustices and discriminatory actions due to immigration policy. The Hispanic population struggles with immigration stress and deportation, which contributes to difficulties such as psychological distress, physical health problems, acculturative stress, employment difficulties, and decreased access to support and services. In this study, a generic qualitative design was utilized to explore immigration stress and the experiences of documented Hispanic immigrants dealing with survivor’s guilt as it relates to the deportation of their loved ones. Relational cultural theory as used in the study to explore the Hispanic population, …


Strategies To Improve Nonprofit Governance To Increase Donations, Charmaine Nicola Williams Tate Jan 2023

Strategies To Improve Nonprofit Governance To Increase Donations, Charmaine Nicola Williams Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe leaders of nonprofit organizations rely on donors to achieve the organization’s mission, and governance practices are a key contributor to donor confidence and positive donor behavior. Some nonprofit leaders lack effective strategies to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase donations. Grounded in resource dependence theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit leaders use to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase levels of donations. The participants comprised four senior executive members of a donor-amalgamation nonprofit organization in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected from semistructured …


Preschool Teachers’ And Parents’ Perspectives Regarding Factors That Affect Kindergarten Readiness, Ebony Catrice Williams Jan 2023

Preschool Teachers’ And Parents’ Perspectives Regarding Factors That Affect Kindergarten Readiness, Ebony Catrice Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When children enter kindergarten, they are expected to demonstrate an interrelated set of skills and competencies including pre-academic skills, cognitive abilities, socioemotional well-being, and physical health. The problem that was the focus of this study was that many students who complete prekindergarten are not ready for kindergarten. Guided by Garcia’s kindergarten readiness framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to increase understanding of the perspectives of parents and prekindergarten teachers regarding their role in developing kindergarten readiness, and the factors they believe support or hinder their efforts. Eight prekindergarten teachers and 8 parents of prekindergarten students from one …


Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley Jan 2023

Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the past three decades, harm reduction has gradually become more prevalent among social workers and is now viewed as an instrumental approach in treating people with drug and alcohol problems. Although there have been several studies that described how harm reduction approaches were applied in Housing First (HF) settings, there are few studies that have described social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes regarding harm reduction in HF settings. The purpose of this study was to understand social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes toward harm reduction services and how those attitudes were apparent in their interactions with substance-using …


Food Safety And Free Trade Area In East Africa, Diana Ogwal Akullo Jan 2023

Food Safety And Free Trade Area In East Africa, Diana Ogwal Akullo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Africans experience high incidences of foodborne diseases annually leading to poor public health, yet there is limited information on implementation of food laws in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya from the perspectives of public officials with knowledge of and experience with implementing food laws, policies, and regulations to inform policy on food security and safety and help mitigate foodborne diseases and associated trade concerns between countries. The study’s research question involved identifying the perceptions of public officials on the impact of food laws on the food safety delivery systems in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The study applied complex adaptive system theory …


The Role Of Mistrust In African American Organ Donation, Gina M. Williams Jan 2023

The Role Of Mistrust In African American Organ Donation, Gina M. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican Americans (AAs) who suffer from life-threatening organ failure often need an organ transplant to sustain or to improve their quality of life. The shortage of donor organs, and AAs willing to become organ donors, limits the number of organs available for transplant. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of AAs regarding the role of mistrust and to understand its influence on their organ donation decision-making. Social cognitive theory guided this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study designed to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of the AAs related to the role of mistrust in their …


Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer Jan 2023

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …


An Examination Of Counselor Turnover And Its Impact On Quality Behavioral Health Services, Leslie M. Beale Jan 2023

An Examination Of Counselor Turnover And Its Impact On Quality Behavioral Health Services, Leslie M. Beale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health organizations often face the challenge of high employee turnover rates, which can critically affect their ability to treat mental illnesses successfully. High counselor turnover at one such organization, BHOX, threatens the provision of timely access to quality mental care. This qualitative case study examined counselor turnover and its impact on the quality of behavioral health services. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a nonprofit behavioral health organization on the East Coast of the United States, which serves men and women struggling with mental health disorders and substance abuse addictions. The data …


Strategies To Improve Employee Motivation In Addiction Treatment, Dawn Marie Belamarich Jan 2023

Strategies To Improve Employee Motivation In Addiction Treatment, Dawn Marie Belamarich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Addiction treatment leaders are experiencing challenges in motivating qualified and committed professionals within their businesses. Without strategies to motivate and retain employees, addiction treatment businesses will fail, and patient outcomes can suffer. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies addiction treatment leaders used to improve employee motivation. The participants were 10 addiction treatment leaders with demonstrated experience in utilizing leadership strategies to improve employee motivation. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, a review of the literature on employee motivation in addiction treatment organizations, and a review of organizational archival …


How Police Investigators View Credibility Of Victims Of Sexual Assault Crimes, Lakesha Richele Boone Jan 2023

How Police Investigators View Credibility Of Victims Of Sexual Assault Crimes, Lakesha Richele Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault is a sensitive topic, and research has become increasingly popular. Most literature focuses on stigma, attitudes, and perceptions that victims and law enforcement have about each other. Law enforcement officers are responsible for making charging decisions based on their investigations and ways by which they determine credibility and reliability of victims. It was unclear what criteria law enforcement officers use to ascertain relevant flaws in victim character and credibility. The purpose of this study was to explore how law enforcement officers evaluate credibility of sexual assault victims during investigations. The feminist legal, just world, and rape myth acceptance …


The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Pursuing Managerial Positions In Corporate America, Edo Linette Branch Jan 2023

The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Pursuing Managerial Positions In Corporate America, Edo Linette Branch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cultural and historical background of Black women represents unique complexities in the journey to management. The specific problem was that Black women often faced more gender and racial biases while advancing into management positions in corporate America than their White male and female counterparts. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women advancing into management positions who face more gender and racial biases than their White male and female counterparts in corporate America. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was the intersectionality of gender and race. The research question …