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Rape Myth Acceptance And Potential Impacts On Campus Policies And Programs, Jilleian K. Sessions-Stackhouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault has been a growing concern for many years, and researchers have used rape myth acceptance to understand how blame is assessed as well as to develop effective prevention programs to deter the crime. Rape myths are obstacles to successful program and prevention efforts. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore potential connections between rape myth acceptance of collegiate level staff and the impact this knowledge can have on developing effective campus sexual assault prevention policies and programs. The theoretical framework of this study drew from evolution theory. The previously validated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Short Form …

Impact Of The Internet On Young Adult’S Perceptions Of Childhood Vaccinations, Hollie Leigh Xu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The internet and social media have transformed the way people receive information and connect, but the impact on society is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of indirect exposure to vaccine messages via the internet on young adults’ perceptions of childhood vaccinations. The health belief model and the social marketing theory were used as the theoretical framework. Research questions explored the relationship between exposure to anti and pro-vaccination messages and perceptions of participants as well as the relationship between perceptions of vaccination and intent to vaccinate. A quantitative correlational study design was used, with …

Burnout Among Child Protective Services Social Workers In Georgia, Lakeita Arrington-Judkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

CPS (child protective services) social workers are critical to the social service community. Due to the responsibilities of this role, CPS social workers encounter multiple stressors and high demands in the workplace. Burnout is prominent in the social service profession, specifically among CPS social workers. This qualitative action research study was conducted to explore CPS social workers’ experiences of burnout and organizational issues related to those burnout experiences. Maslach’s multidimensional theory on burnout was the theoretical framework. Data collection involved individual interviews facilitated online. The sample consisted of 8 experienced CPS social workers from the Georgia Department of Human Services. …

A Photovoice Study On Growing Up Female In Foster Care, Kim Parker-Maneja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractApproximately 440,000 children lived in state-supervised foster care across the United States in 2019; of those children, 48% were female. Many studies have examined how foster care impacts youth who age out of care, as many are ill-prepared to navigate the challenges of independence and make responsible adult decisions after transitioning. However, only a handful of studies prioritized the female youth's voice to understand their experiences growing up in the foster care system. This study introduced photovoice, a participatory methodology, to collect data from 11 former female youth 19-25 years old. Manchanda's upstream concept and Rappaport's empowerment theory were used …

Territoriality As A Factor In Nursing Incivility, Carolyn Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncivility and hazing in health care results in unsafe environments, not only for the nurse but also for the client, facility, and other health professionals. The project site, a privately owned medical clinic, has a high employee turnover rate with exit interviews indicating bullying and incivility from long-term nursing staff toward new employees as critical reasons for employee resignation. The literature offers minimal information regarding territoriality, a concept associated with aggressive (i.e., alpha) behaviors in animals and humans and incivility in nursing. The purpose of the project was to identify whether territoriality was a behavioral factor that may have contributed …

Supporting The Teaching Of Executive Functioning Skills Using Social Cognitive Theory In Arts Classrooms, Kathleen H. Adolt-Silva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many arts educators in Pennsylvania public charter schools do not teach executive functioning (EF) skills to students with learning disabilities (LDs) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate how these art teachers describe their own EF instructional practices and what support they need to improve those practices. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which asserts that learning occurs in a social context with a reciprocal relationship between students, their teachers, and the environment. Research questions were used to explore art teachers’ perceptions of teaching EF skills and …

Consumers Perspectives On Using Biometric Technology With Mobile Banking, Rodney Alston Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for applying biometric technology in mobile banking is increasing due to emerging security issues, and many banks’ chief executive officers have integrated biometric solutions into their mobile application protocols to address these evolving security risks. This quantitative study was performed to evaluate how the opinions and beliefs of banking customers in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States might influence their adoption of mobile banking applications that included biometric technology. The research question was designed to explore how performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), perceived credibility (PC), and task-technology fit (TTF) affected …

A Quantitative Approach To Police And Mental Health Training, Cassandra Kay Dibeler (Bowland)

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effectiveness of mental health training for police officers and the officers’ subsequent interactions with individuals with mental illness has been well researched. There is a lack in documentation on any differences in the hours of mental health training officers receive and their perceptions of individuals with mental illness. There is also a lack in research looking at any differences between officers who volunteered for mental health training and those who did not. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore any differences between police officers who volunteered and those who did not for informal, formal, and crisis intervention …

African Immigrants' U.S. Experience Of Mental Health, Mental Illness, And Help-Seeking, Bartholomew Edem-Enang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine and explore African immigrants’ U.S. experience of mental health, mental illness, and help-seeking. Mental health, mental illness, and help-seeking are misunderstood public health issues. Indigenous cultural stigma concerning mental illness and help-seeking and mistrust of Western medicine inhibit African immigrants from reporting mental illness and seeking treatment. The segmented assimilation theory (SAT) and cultural risk theory (CRT) and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) were used to guide data collection and analysis. Data were collected from a sample of 9 African immigrants who migrated from countries within the Five Main Regions of Africa …

Factors Predicting Obstetric Fistula Among Women 15-49 Years Old In Uganda, Fatmata Fofanah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obstetric fistula is among the public health issues that are preventable and treatable, as evidenced by its elimination in industrialized nations. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to use Andersen’s behavioral model of health services utilization to examine the factors that predict the likelihood of experiencing obstetric fistula among women ages of 15 and 49 living in Uganda. Demographic risk factors (marital status, age at first pregnancy, level of education and income, and religious affiliation), medical risk factors (access to health care, distance from hospital, parity, and number of antenatal visits), the mode of delivery (C-section), and location …

Integration Of Morphine And Virtual Reality: Pain Management For Adult Hospice Cancer Patients, Arlisa Hurd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is currently a problem in that cancer patients engaging in hospice may experience an excessive amount of perceived pain and a decreased quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore an intervention that could lessen the perceived pain experienced by, and increase the quality of life of, cancer patients engaging in hospice. Immersion music virtual reality (IMVR) allows a user to interact with a realistic, computer-generated environment. 3D music (IMVR) is likely suited for pain management with patients in hospice and was used for this study. The theory for the study is the gate control theory. …

Perception Of Clinic Staff On Weight Reduction Program For Young Adult Females, Ifeyinwa Cordelia Ibeanu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity, a common disease among young people in the United States, is defined as aBMI of 30 or more. Among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases, obesity is reported as a significant public health issue for the general population. The management of younger adults’ obesity requires advanced skills and knowledge to promote healthier lifestyles while directly addressing the factors that contribute to the condition. As a result, this project was designed to evaluate the staff perception of an evidence-based educational program on weight reduction among young adult females (ages 18-25) diagnosed with obesity at outpatient clinic in a Northeastern mid-Atlantic States. …

Experience Of Parents Receiving In-Home Behavioral Treatment For Their Child With Autism, Gerald Lavarias

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment has well-documented results and is widely recommended for children with autism. Since 1987, parents have sought and implemented ABA treatment in their homes for their children with autism. However, research on parents’ lived experiences with in-home ABA treatment is limited. As such, there is a need to study the impact and influence of ABA treatment on parents’ quality of life (e.g., challenges, scheduling, parenting). This qualitative study explored parents’ lived experiences while their children with autism received in-home ABA treatment. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of 5 parent participants who …

Alternative Treatment Method For Dementia In The Southwest Region Of Arizona, Angela May Lynch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative professional administrative study was to explore anddevelop a new innovative method of treatment for dementia clients using reminiscence therapy (RT) in a proposed 24-hour care village in Tucson, Arizona. In this proposed 24- hour care village, patients would remain in an environment conducive to a safe and normal lifestyle. This administrative study is a qualitative study using grounded theory and sources of evidence included current research, personal interviews, and articles. Data were collected from interviews with 10 administrators of memory care facilities in Tucson, Arizona, to determine if existing administrative staff were aware of RT …

The Combined Impact Of Race And Education On Obesity Among U.S. Adults By Fidelis Okoye, Fidelis Chidi Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Health Professions

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Fidelis Okoye

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Vasileios Margaritis, Committee Chairperson, Public Health Faculty Dr. Srikanta Banerjee, Committee Member, Public Health Faculty Dr. James Rohrer, University Reviewer, Public Health Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and ProvostSue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2021

AbstractThe Combined Impact of Race and Education on Obesity Among U.S. Adults by Fidelis Okoye

MA, Walden University, 2009BS, Marygrove College, 2001

Dissertation …

Family Texting In The Perioperative Care Setting, Crystal Chantel Vestal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family members experience anxiety not knowing how their loved one is progressing during the surgical process. Communication between perioperative staff and the family can be challenging due to the operating room being in a restricted location. Communication between perioperative staff and the patient family, as reflected in scores on the Press Ganey evaluation report, was below the benchmark for a hospital located in the Western United States. This report measures how satisfied patients were with the information provided to their family during surgery. To address this gap in practice, the hospital implemented a text messaging quality improvement project from August …

The Lived Experiences Of Grandparents As Primary Caregivers For Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Idonia Kaleena Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the last decade, the number of grandparents in the United States acting as caregivers for children who have incarcerated parents has increased significantly. Incarceration separates individuals from their families and limits contact with the outside world. The imprisoned parent is dependent on the caregiver, who becomes the "gatekeeper" to maintain contact with their child. It can be challenging for the grandparent to maintain parent-child contact because of the hardships they endure as primary caregivers, which may cause them to experience strain. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study was to determine the lived experiences of grandparents who serve …

The Systemic Experiences Of Social Workers In An Inpatient, State Psychiatric Hospital, Kesia Gwaltney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The National Alliance on Mental Illness surmised that 1 in 25 (9.8 million) adults in the United States are diagnosed with a serious mental illness annually. Of the 9.8 million people diagnosed, approximately 63% of them are psychiatrically hospitalized with repeat hospitalizations within 1 year of discharge. Social workers play a vital role in the treatment modalities of the patients they serve in the psychiatric hospital; however, there is no research that examined the professional systemic experiences of social workers in state, inpatient psychiatric hospitals and how these experiences may affect treatment outcomes of patients as it relates to frequent …

Domestic Abuse Against Men In Kenya, Catherine W. Kigaya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), is prevalent globally and causes severe physical, psychological, and social harm to victims. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to highlight the predictors of physical and sexual IPV among men in Kenya and examine the influence of media in seeking help. These factors were explored through the lens of the socio-ecological model and the social learning theory. The 2014 Demographic Health Survey archival data obtained through in-depth interviews were used to answer the research questions. Dependent variables were physical abuse, sexual abuse, and seeking help while independent variables were …

Key Strategies For Small Business Information Technology Consulting With Sustainability Beyond 5 Years, Christopher Lassiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall business information technology consulting owners lack strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years financially. Small business owners are concerned with sustaining their businesses, as their livelihood and employees are at stake. Grounded in Porter’s five forces theory, the resource-based view model, and Hax and Wilde’s delta model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business information technology (IT) consulting owners used to achieve financial sustainability beyond 5 years. Data were collected by semistructured interviews from 5 small business information technology consulting owners. Performance and financial success documents augmented the data collection of …

An Examination Of Counselors' And Therapists' Attitudes Toward Marriage, Alicia Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies have shown many aspects of the serious social concerns of attitudes regarding marriage and how an attitude toward marriage may directly be linked to declining birth rates, delayed marriages, and increasing divorce rates. However, previous studies have not shown emerging counselors’ and therapists’ attitudes toward marriage in the Western culture. Based on the social learning theory, the purpose of this study investigates the relationship between emerging counselors’ and therapists’ attitudes toward marriage and their (a) gender, (b) parental conflict, and (c) family structure. A quantitative research design was employed with a non-probability convenience sample of 81 emerging counselors …

Nonprofit Organizations’ Program Evaluation Of Education Toward Prevention Of Teens Using Electronic Cigarettes And Vaping, Paulette Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe pervasiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping among teenagers has led to a need for effective interventions to address this problem. One type of intervention that nonprofit organizations (NPOs) such as the American Lung Association (ALA) have adopted is the use of educational programs. For instance, ALA introduced an educational program referred to as Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco, and Health (INDEPTH), which acts as an alternative to suspension and citation of teens engaged in e-cigarette smoking or vaping. Despite such interventions, the use of e-cigarettes persists, suggesting the need to determine the perceived effectiveness of such programs. This …

Operation Enduring Freedom And Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans In The Veterans Health Administration, Exekiel Montoya Aranez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) has faced critical issues regarding the deaths of war veterans, the result of which stakeholders raised questions about the quality of health care given within the VHA. Through patient-centered care standards of health care, the VHA worked diligently to end such horrific events that more than 300,000 veterans may have died while waiting for health care service. This study examined five core concepts of the health care system and whether VHA has utilized its five core concepts of patient-centered care to deliver proper health care to war veterans. This study used qualitative research in the …

Sociodemographic Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, And Teenage Pregnancy Outcomes In Guyana, Karen Roslyn Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy, a global phenomenon is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, owing to the mother’s individual factors, location, education attainment, and service accessibility. Globally, 16 million babies are born to teenage mothers annually. In Guyana, there is a paucity of information on factors associated with teenage pregnancy rate which stands at 74 per 1,000, and its outcomes. Archived data from the 2014 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 5 (MICS5) was used to identify and examine relationships between the sociodemographic, socio-economic factors, and teenage pregnancy outcomes in Guyana. This quantitative cross-sectional review approach guided by the Bronfenbrenner theoretical framework analyzed data …

Impact Of Counselor Gender On Burnout After Controlling For Counselor Years Of Experience, Lara De Bono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout is an individual reaction to high levels of emotional demands in different social fields, such as counseling. Counselors who experience constant stress are more vulnerable to professional impairment, such as burnout. Understanding factors that impact burnout can aid in developing interventions to support and educate counselors. Grounded in the gender role theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the impact of counselor gender on three measures of burnout (depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and personal accomplishment) after controlling for counselor’s years of experience. Secondary data records (N = 123) were collected from a national survey of Thai …

Subclinical Stress On Obesity Among Obese African American Women, Dr. Nosakhare Osasu Idehen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity is a complex disease linked to genetics, health behaviors, upstream social determinants of health, and psychosocial stress. Obesity-related chronic diseases and opportunity cost significantly impact individuals and communities. Current prevention policies focus on diet and exercise without demonstrating the benefits of stress coping strategies in obesity management. Subclinical racial minority and gender stress heighten hypervigilance, psychological overload, poor stress coping strategies, inflammation, and obesity. Subclinical stress varies with race and gender, and it is higher in African American (AA) women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of subclinical racial minority and gender stress …

Hpv Vaccination Rates Among Males In Minority Populations, Andrew Lemke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethnic minorities are less likely to be vaccinated in comparison to White individuals. As a result, Blacks have one of the highest rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related complications. The purpose of the quantitative study was to identify significant factors predicting initiation of HPV vaccination in Black male adolescents. The study was based on the constructs of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and used a cross-sectional design that involved weighted data from the 2018 National Immunization Survey (n=395,067) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research questions were based on how factors such as fear, family involvement, sexual …

Strategies Nonprofit Organization Leaders Use To Increase Human And Financial Resources, Karen Linyard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some nonprofit organization leaders have limited access to the resources needed to manage the organization's day-to-day needs. Nonprofit leaders without effective strategies to increase human and financial resources may lack the resources to address the mission, sustain, and effectively grow as a successful organization. Grounded in the stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies leaders of a nonprofit organization used to increase human and financial resources needed to sustain and effectively grow as a successful organization to address their mission. The participants comprised three leaders from one nonprofit organization in the southern …

Impact Of Single Motherhood On Child Nutrition And Health In Kgatleng District, Botswana, Mulume Seya Franklin Mwamba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMalnutrition affects sub-Saharan African countries with increased stunting among under-5 children. The short-and long-term effects of this stunting include the potential for slow growth in early life, impaired health, and educational and economic disadvantages in adolescent and adult years. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationship between single-mother families and the occurrence of malnutrition (stunting) among under-5 children in the Kgatleng district of Botswana. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model was applied to investigate factors that lead to stunting among these children. Primary data were collected from 196 mothers and their children who visited selected clinics in Kgatleng. …

Perceived Influence Of A Mentoring Program On African American Male Student Retention, Linda Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem addressed by this study is low retention rates of U.S. African American males at historically Black colleges. At an Eastern historically Black college, a mentoring program is being used to address this problem. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate African American male students’ perspectives on their experience in a mentoring program that was intended to improve retention. The conceptual framework for the study was based on Tinto’s retention models which stress cross-departmental approaches to retention that integrate academic, personal, and social support services to promote success. Research questions for this case study focused on …