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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Police Officers' Perceptions Of Body-Worn Camera Technology, Jonah E. Obasi Jan 2018

Police Officers' Perceptions Of Body-Worn Camera Technology, Jonah E. Obasi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past several years, police-community relations have received enormous scrutiny based on several high-profile incidents involving the use of deadly force. Politicians, civil societies, and victims' families have called for law enforcement agencies to equip local officers with body-worn cameras to increase transparency and accountability. The purpose of the study was to investigate how law enforcement officers in a Sheriff's office in the Southern United States perceived ease of use and usefulness of body-worn camera technology and to identify if gender and years of service related to police officers' acceptance of body-worn cameras as a component of their regular …


Hand Expression With Lactation Support: Effect On Self-Efficacy And Breastfeeding Duration, Florence Omekara Jan 2018

Hand Expression With Lactation Support: Effect On Self-Efficacy And Breastfeeding Duration, Florence Omekara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breastfeeding is the best infant feeding method, and breastmilk has many immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect babies against illnesses and diseases. It protects the health of the mother and saves society substantial economic costs, as demonstrated in many studies. Studies show that if 90% of U.S mothers breastfed for 6 months, up to $13 billion in healthcare costs could be saved. Despite the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding, most women stop breastfeeding before 6 months postpartum, which falls short of the recommendations of the World Health Organization, U.S. Surgeon General, and American Academy of Pediatrics. This study explored …


Patterns Within Nine Preattack Phases That Emerged In Israel Suicide Bombing Cases, Aaron Richman Jan 2018

Patterns Within Nine Preattack Phases That Emerged In Israel Suicide Bombing Cases, Aaron Richman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2000 to 2013, Israel had the second highest number of deaths from suicide attacks and was on the list of countries that may experience increases in terrorism due to ongoing conflicts. Suicide bombings present highly complex situations for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency professionals. Using Freeman, Tucker, and Merton's framework of 9 preattack phases as the primary theoretical constuct, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore specific patterns that consistently emerged in the adversary planning process for 6 successful or failed suicide bombing cases in Israel. Secondary, archival data were acquired through a data use agreement with a …


Social Isolation Risk Among Older Adults Who Live Alone, Nadine Lukes-Dyer Jan 2018

Social Isolation Risk Among Older Adults Who Live Alone, Nadine Lukes-Dyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As individuals age, their likelihood of experiencing mental and physical problems increases, as does their risk of developing social isolation. Behavioral, physiological, and/or psychological changes are common manifestations of social isolation. Increased morbidity and mortality are the outcome. Ecological systems theory and social baseline theory provided the framework to explore 10 older individuals' perceptions of risk for social isolation and their perceived barriers to social integration. Data for this interpretive phenomenological study were collected from participant diaries, interviews, the 6-item de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS-6), the Lubben Social Network Scale 6 (LSNS-6), a demographic survey, and a social support …


Discharge Calls And Avoiding Hospital Readmissions, Wanda Lee Cassavettes Jan 2018

Discharge Calls And Avoiding Hospital Readmissions, Wanda Lee Cassavettes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions are disruptive and costly for patients and hospitals. As hospital discharge instructions are a key nursing responsibility, this project implemented a nurse follow-up phone call intervention within 12-48 hours of patient discharge from an indigent care facility in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The project was designed to understand whether follow-up phone calls from nurses that clarified discharge instructions, symptom management, and medications would be associated with decreased readmission rates within 30 days post-discharge among chronic care patients. The theoretical framework was the health belief model, which proposes that the patient's knowledge of illness severity, …


Impact Of Acculturation On Body Mass Index In Haitians, Nirva Berthold Jan 2018

Impact Of Acculturation On Body Mass Index In Haitians, Nirva Berthold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Longer-term immigrants residing in the United States exhibit physical health decline related to higher body mass index (BMI). Theories on immigrant acculturation have been used to examine health patterns by length of stay in the United States. The purpose of this cross-sectional study, guided by the Schwartz model of acculturation, was to examine the effect of acculturation and length of stay in the United States on BMI in a sample of Haitian immigrants living in the Northeast Metropolitan area. The research question was used to examine the effects of acculturation and length of stay on BMI in the convenience sample …


Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Time On Skin Cancer Protective Behaviors, Abbie Goldbas Jan 2018

Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Time On Skin Cancer Protective Behaviors, Abbie Goldbas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Skin cancer incidence is increasing while the rates of other cancers is declining. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether health self-efficacy predicted skin cancer protective behaviors. The theory of health self-efficacy provided the framework for the study. Secondary data were collected from the 2008 and 2014 Health Information National Trends Surveys. The study sample included women 18-34 years of age because this population is especially vulnerable to skin cancer. Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that higher levels of health self-efficacy predicted greater sunscreen use, but higher health self-efficacy levels did not predict avoidance of tanning …


Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Styles That Influence Workplace Performance, Carla Wren Jan 2018

Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Styles That Influence Workplace Performance, Carla Wren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The leadership style found in government is usually diverse in nature, with the chain of command being top-down and focused on bureaucracy. There are some leadership styles that can adversely impact or vastly improve workplace performance. This descriptive phenomenological study was used to understand employee perceptions of leadership styles that affect their workplace performance. Bass's transformational leadership theory guided this study to explore how a supervisor's leadership style impacts an employee's workplace performance. The primary research question focused on positive and negative perceptions employees held related to supervisors' leadership behaviors and characteristics. The data collection was derived from in-depth interviews …


How Naturalized African-Americans Experience Racial Microaggressions In U.S. Federal Agencies, Casimir Yem Bilong Jan 2018

How Naturalized African-Americans Experience Racial Microaggressions In U.S. Federal Agencies, Casimir Yem Bilong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Civil Rights Act was enacted more than 5 decades ago, and its provisions forbade discrimination on the basis of race in hiring, promoting, and firing. Yet some researchers argue that racial discrimination issues are still prevalent in the United States. They contend that modern racial discrimination is more covert and takes the form of racial microaggressions, which are subtle conscious or unconscious insults and derogatory attitudes directed towards minorities. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in U.S. workplaces, however. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of naturalized African-Americans …


U.S. Individuals' Perceptions Of Government Electronic Surveillance After Passage Of The Usa Patriot Act, Floyd Edwards Jan 2018

U.S. Individuals' Perceptions Of Government Electronic Surveillance After Passage Of The Usa Patriot Act, Floyd Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the implementation of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, public trust in the U.S. federal government to protect individuals' right to privacy has been affected negatively. Many studies have addressed this topic, but few have delved deeply into the reasons behind the distrust. The purposes of this qualitative study were, to explore the perceptions and attitudes of U.S. citizens regarding the effect of the USA Patriot Act on their right to privacy, to determine whether a loss of trust in the government occurred, and to identify the factors contributing to the lack of trust. The theoretical foundation for …


Alternative To Proctoring In Introductory Statistics Community College Courses, Lena Feinman Jan 2018

Alternative To Proctoring In Introductory Statistics Community College Courses, Lena Feinman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The credibility of unsupervised exams, one of the biggest challenges of e-learning, is currently maintained by proctoring. However, little has been done to determine whether expensive and inconvenient proctoring is necessary. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether the use of security mechanisms, based on the taxonomy of cheating reduction techniques rooted in the fraud triangle theory, can be an effective alternative to proctoring. A quasi-experimental 1 group sequential design was used to answer the research questions whether the format, proctored versus unproctored, order in which the exams are administered, course delivery mode, and instructor make a …


Healthy Lifestyle Changes And Academic Improvement, Yvette Gail Williams Jan 2018

Healthy Lifestyle Changes And Academic Improvement, Yvette Gail Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many children in U.S. K-12 schools struggle with childhood obesity. A healthy lifestyle taught in a child's early years is essential for student learning, and it can set the pace for healthy choices to be made in adulthood. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore the experiences of parents in Montgomery County, Ohio, who successfully improved their children's health and academic grades. The transtheoretical model of behavior change grounded this study to evaluate the willingness of children and adults to take action on new health and wellness behaviors that can lead them through the stages of change …


Experiences Of Current Or Former Homeschool Students Who Report Adhd Symptoms, Melissa Felkins Jan 2018

Experiences Of Current Or Former Homeschool Students Who Report Adhd Symptoms, Melissa Felkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeschooling is currently the fastest-growing educational population in the United States with an estimated 2 million students. Because 11% of school children have been diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there are likely to be many children with ADHD symptoms in the homeschooling population. The purpose of this study was to extend knowledge of the experiences of homeschooling in this population to assist students with ADHD as well as their parents and educators to make informed educational decisions. The multiple intelligences theory provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. The key research question was focused on how current or …


Opportunity And Sex Offending By International Peacekeepers In The Central African Republic, Musa Yerro Gassama Jan 2018

Opportunity And Sex Offending By International Peacekeepers In The Central African Republic, Musa Yerro Gassama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite their peacekeeping role in the management of internal armed conflicts, some military peacekeepers have sexually exploited local populations in host countries, resulting in dire social and health consequences and threats to the success of international peace operations. Although researchers have examined sexual violence committed by peacekeepers, few researchers, if any, have used routine activities theory to examine sex offending by peacekeepers. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which situational opportunities influenced international military peacekeepers' engagement in the sexual exploitation of civilians in the Central African Republic, a peacekeeping host country. Data were collected from …


The Role Of Social Media In Millennial Voting And Voter Registration, Elesia Glover Jan 2018

The Role Of Social Media In Millennial Voting And Voter Registration, Elesia Glover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The millennial generation has become the largest generation in the United States. Yet as more members of this generation reach voting age, their propensity to vote remains stagnant. For instance, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, less than 50% of eligible millennials voted, in comparison to the 69% of baby boomers and 63% of Generation X. Voting is a civic duty essential to a successful democracy; therefore, it is imperative to find solutions to increase millennial political engagement. As millennials represent the largest proportion of users of social media, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships …


Teacher's Perceptions Of Bullying In A Rural School District, Rutha Mae Jackson Jan 2018

Teacher's Perceptions Of Bullying In A Rural School District, Rutha Mae Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying is a serious problem that can interfere with children's developmental and learning processes but can be difficult to manage and diffuse. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions and experiences with managing student bullying in a middle school in central Georgia. Olweus's effective classroom management model served as the conceptual framework to guide this study. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of their current practices of diffusing bullying situations and their experiences with bullying occurrences. A case study design was used to capture the insights of 10 middle school teachers through interviews, and …


Strategies For New Small Businesses To Be Successful Beyond 5 Years, Jamaal Johnston Jan 2018

Strategies For New Small Businesses To Be Successful Beyond 5 Years, Jamaal Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, small businesses have a high failure rate, with approximately 50% going out of business during the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States used to stay in business for more than 5 years. Entrepreneurship theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. A sample of 5 small business owners participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews, and additional data were collected from field notes, observations, and review of artifacts related to small business success and longevity. Data were analyzed using …


Online Doctoral Students And The Importance Of Social Network Connections, Monica Herndon-Stallings Jan 2018

Online Doctoral Students And The Importance Of Social Network Connections, Monica Herndon-Stallings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

University personnel offering online doctoral degrees struggle to address high attrition of students in the dissertation phase; these students can feel isolated, disconnected, and unmotivated. The purpose of this study was to explore ways online doctoral students in the dissertation phase used social networking sites (SNS) to overcome isolation and to increase persistence. The conceptual framework was situated in communities of practice (CoP) and the theory on self-determination. Research questions explored participants' experiences with using SNS to remain connected and persistent. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 7 online doctoral students, who met the criteria of being in the …


Adult Public Library Patrons' Perceptions Of An Academic Library E-Learning Resource, Lavonia.Lonzo Lonzo Jan 2018

Adult Public Library Patrons' Perceptions Of An Academic Library E-Learning Resource, Lavonia.Lonzo Lonzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Americans lack the skills required to use public access computers and the Internet at public libraries (PLs). Staff members of a PL in the Midwestern United States provide basic computer training to support patrons' Internet and public access computer use. However, adult patrons who are beyond the basic skills level and those with sensory-disabilities are underserved. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to understand how an academic library's information literacy e-resource affected the PL's adult patrons' learning based on the perceptions of adult patrons at a PL. Kling's social informatics served as the study's conceptual framework and …


Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel Jan 2018

Changes In Beliefs About Aggression In Baton Rouge Youth Peace Olympics Participants, Shonta Manuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth violence in the Baton Rouge inner-city area continues to create heightened concerns for the communities as well as the financial and healthcare systems. Even though violence prevention programs are in place in the area, no decline has been recorded in those who are being affected by violence. Due to lack of research in this field, a need for a sound research study exists to understand how Youth Peace Olympics (YPO) community-based program may be related to changes in attitudes about aggression and violence. A correlational cross-sectional research design was used to evaluate participants' beliefs about aggression, measured using the …


Health Insurance Literacy Impacts On Enrollment And Satisfaction With Health Insurance, Angela J. Norbeck Jan 2018

Health Insurance Literacy Impacts On Enrollment And Satisfaction With Health Insurance, Angela J. Norbeck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health insurance literacy (HIL) contributes to the lack of understanding basic health insurance (HI) terms, subsidies eligibility, health plan selection, and HI usage. The study is one of few to address the existing gap in the literature regarding the exploration of the relationship between HIL, individuals' HI enrollment, and individuals' satisfaction with their HI. The theoretical framework selected for this study was the prospect theory, which describes the behavior of individuals who make decisions. In this cross-sectional correlational study, secondary data set from the third Quarter 2015 Health Reform Monitoring Survey was used. Binary logistic regression models were used to …


Perceptions Of People's Experiences Regarding Gun Violence, Charles M. Ndikum Jan 2018

Perceptions Of People's Experiences Regarding Gun Violence, Charles M. Ndikum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gun violence is a problem in many communities across the United States that are characterized by poverty, and lack of quality education, yet little is known about the experiences of victims of gun violence in these places. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand how people who have been victims of gun violence perceive problems and solutions associated with the production, distribution, and ownership of guns. Based on the theoretical framework of Rousseau's social contract theory, this study explored gun violence from the perspectives of 10 victims whose lives were directly or indirectly affected by gun violence …


Influence Of Leader Communication On Employee Motivation, Oke Obi Jan 2018

Influence Of Leader Communication On Employee Motivation, Oke Obi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective communication is a chief contributor to business leaders' ineffective leadership. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the communication strategies that 4 business leaders in the retail industry used to improve employee motivation. The business leaders, including owners and senior leadership from 3 organizations in the retail industry in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, were purposefully selected for study participation. Transformational leadership theory shaped the conceptual framework of this study. Transformational leaders use effective communication to influence employee motivation positively. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with the business leaders, public reports, organization documents, and text message …


Successful Strategies For Implementing Emr Systems In Hospitals, Marcia M. Nicholas Jan 2018

Successful Strategies For Implementing Emr Systems In Hospitals, Marcia M. Nicholas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some hospital leaders are ineffective in implementing the electronic medical record (EMR) systems in the hospitals. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies hospital leaders use to successfully implement EMR systems. The target population consisted of hospital leaders and healthcare professionals from two hospitals who have successfully implemented EMR systems. The conceptual framework of this research study was Kotter's 8-stage process for leading change, building on the model of an effective change management method. Data were collected from 5 interviewed participants and company documents related to strategies regarding the EMR system implementation. The results of reviewing …


Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Improve Provider Documentation In Patient Medical Records, Evangeline C. Ozurigbo Jan 2018

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Improve Provider Documentation In Patient Medical Records, Evangeline C. Ozurigbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical documentation is at the center of a patient's medical record; this record contains all the information applicable to the care a patient receives in the hospital. The practice problem addressed in this project was the lack of clear, consistent, accurate, and complete patient medical records in a pediatric hospital. Although the occurrence of incomplete medical records has been a known issue for the project hospital, the issue was further intensified following the implementation of the 10th revision of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) standard for documentation, which resulted in gaps in provider documentation that needed to be filled. Based …


Women's Perceptions Toward Mobile Advertising, Shona Dolson Jan 2018

Women's Perceptions Toward Mobile Advertising, Shona Dolson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of technology is changing at a very rapid pace, and companies must strategically design advertising messages for the ever-changing devices and platforms. The general business problem was that business owners have not been able to maximize the profitability of mobile advertising messages directed at women. The specific business problem was that business leaders need strategies to enhance mobile advertising returns by targeting messages that incorporate women's perceptions of mobile advertising. The purpose of this case study was to explore how business leaders can enhance mobile advertising returns by incorporating women's perceptions of mobile advertising into the design of …


Urban And Suburban Differences In Cultural Identification, Life-Guiding Principles, And Person-Organization Fit, Joseph Edigin Jan 2018

Urban And Suburban Differences In Cultural Identification, Life-Guiding Principles, And Person-Organization Fit, Joseph Edigin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diversity practitioners in the United States have taken steps to implement programs for integration of people in organizations from across the socioeconomic and demographic spectrum. Despite changes in U.S. discrimination laws and work by diversity practitioners, maintaining equitable workplace diversity continues to be a problem in U.S. corporations. This correlational study was conducted to examine differences in life-guiding principles, urban identification, and person-organization fit between urban and suburban residents. A purposive sample of 180 adults was drawn in a voluntary online survey from industries in two U.S. representative counties with a mix of urban and suburban sprawl. This study was …


Minority Stress And Mental Health Among Transgender Persons, Elizabeth Alice Sapareto Jan 2018

Minority Stress And Mental Health Among Transgender Persons, Elizabeth Alice Sapareto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transgender people, a minority population, are at increased risk for negative health and mental health consequences. Profound societal discrimination and stigmatization lead to systemic institutional barriers and lack of access to health care services. Research with lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations shows a strong association between minority stress and mental health; however, there is a gap in research for the transgender population. This study, based on theories of minority stress, positive psychology, the biopsychosocial model, and the transgender model, was conducted to clarify this relationship for the transgender population. Four research questions were proposed. A final sample of N = …


Physician-Patient Relationships And Their Effect On T2dm Patient Treatment Adherence, Cindy Schmidt Jan 2018

Physician-Patient Relationships And Their Effect On T2dm Patient Treatment Adherence, Cindy Schmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a health epidemic that continues to worsen. A major concern is that treatment adherence rates hover around 50%, despite the introduction of new medications, treatments, and technology. Lack of adherence by patients can lead to complications like blindness, kidney disease, and amputations. While there have been many studies conducted to evaluate patient factors related to adherence, fewer studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of the physician-patient relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the physician-patient relationship and patient treatment adherence, and examine the moderators of age, education, ethnicity, …


U.S. Corporate Energy Productivity, Greenhouse Gas Productivity, And Return On Equity, Terry Geonnie Tate Jan 2018

U.S. Corporate Energy Productivity, Greenhouse Gas Productivity, And Return On Equity, Terry Geonnie Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate leaders are expected to engage in corporate social responsibility by some stakeholders, but there is no consistent evidence that corporate social performance relates to financial performance. Grounded in instrumental stakeholder theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship among energy productivity, greenhouse gas productivity, and return on equity. The 2016 Newsweek Green Ranking U.S. 500 was the population for this study, which consisted of the largest companies in the United States with the highest corporate social performance scores. The secondary data were collected from Newsweek.com and Morningstar.com for this study. The multiple linear regression was …