Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Strategies For Adapting Traditional Vehicle Design Frameworks To Autonomous Vehicle Design, Alex Munoz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fully autonomous vehicles are expected to revolutionize transportation, reduce the cost of ownership, contribute to a cleaner environment, and prevent the majority of traffic accidents and related fatalities. Even though promising approaches for achieving full autonomy exist, developers and manufacturers have to overcome a multitude of challenged before these systems could find widespread adoption. This multiple case study explored the strategies some IT hardware and software developers of self-driving cars use to adapt traditional vehicle design frameworks to address consumer and regulatory requirements in autonomous vehicle designs. The population consisted of autonomous driving technology software and hardware developers who are …

The Impact Of Instagram Usage And Other Social Factors On Self-Esteem Scores, Yael Treitel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instagram has more than 400 million monthly active users and 80 million shared photos with 3.5 billion likes daily. On Instagram, many people post their entire lives for others to see and comment on. This leads to people judging, commenting, and even trying to emulate others they see on social media. This constant comparing to others can lead to a host of psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. As social media becomes more of a staple in people's lives, it is important to study and understand the possible pitfalls to the culture it perpetuates. The purpose of …

Predicting And Mitigating Civil Conflict: Vertical Grievances And Conflict In Central Africa, Jd Walter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent conflict research has relied on proxy variables of horizontal inequality to make causal assumptions, but these do not reveal the root of deprivation in aggrieved populations. However, it is important to continue to explore the greed-grievance dichotomy to explain the persistence of violent civil conflict. The purpose of this quantitative study was to expand this line of inquiry by investigating the relationship between indicators of vertical deprivation and reported civil conflict incidents to determine whether a significant correlation exists. Relative deprivation theory provided the framework for this study, which consisted of 10,779 survey responses regarding lived experience across 7 …

Evidence-Based Diagnosis Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Quantitative Electroencephalography, Roger Yoder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging and is currently, diagnosis through self-administered checklists. Because a diagnosis of PTSD can open up significant benefits to compensation, education, and medical care, people can tailor their responses to the checklist to help ensure a diagnosis of PTSD. The purpose of the study was to examine the utility of the quantitative electroencephalograph for diagnosing PTSD. Frequency and presence of biomarkers and alpha brain wave symmetry in the frontal and parietal lobes were examined. Research questions involved examining the presence of alpha wave imbalance across the frontal lobe and between the right and left …

Secondary Traumatic Stress In The Mortuary Industry: Prevalence And Mitigation, Robert Borselli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For those working in the mortuary industry, exposure to traumatically deceased remains may predispose them to developing subjective Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship among the independent variables of hardiness and perceived social support, and the dependent variable of subjective STS in mortuary workers. The theoretical foundations on which this research was based are the theories of stress and illness, secondary traumatic stress, hardiness, and social support. The primary research question governing this research was whether social support and hardiness had any correlation to the levels of subjective STS in this …

Tetanus Immunity Among Adults In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Sue K. Gerber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although tetanus is not a contagious disease, it can be deadly for people who are exposed and do

not have protective immunity against tetanus, which can be acquired only through vaccination.

Most studies on adult tetanus protective immunity are from high-income countries; limited

studies occur in Africa, and none has been reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

(DRC). This study sought to determine protective immunity against tetanus among adults in

DRC in relation to their age, sex, place of residence, and for women, antenatal care. The primary

purpose of this observational cross-sectional study using a nested serosurvey within …

Unsheltered Homelessness On Oahu, Hawaii, Erik Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to a recent national estimate of homelessness in the United States, between 2016 and 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 0.7 %. This study was focused on the issue of unsheltered homelessness in the context of Oahu, Hawaii. There is a gap within the available scholarly literature that directly addresses the unsheltered homeless populations and why it is that they are unsheltered rather than living in a shelter or utilizing other transitional services. Using the generic qualitative approach and a purposive sampling method, 12 service provider professionals who work directly with the unsheltered homeless on the …

Meat Intake And Prostate Cancer In African American Men, Uchenna Njoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men have more prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die of the disease as Caucasian men, and the reasons for this racial disparity have not been clarified. Identifying lifestyle and dietary risk factors of prostate cancer is an important public health issue. Studies on the association between meat intake and prostate cancer risk have produced inconsistent results. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine whether there is an association between total meat intake and total prostate cancer risk among African American men when controlling for age, income, educational level, physical activity, …

Behavioral, Demographic, And Clinical Determinants Of Hiv Serostatus In Zambian Women, Debebe Masresha Gebreyohannes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection shows a diminishing trend at the global level while it shows increasing in intensity of mortality, morbidity, and burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. The intertwined behavioral, demographic, and clinical determinants fueled the incidence of infections in Zambian women. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between demographic, behavioral, and clinical determinants with HIV serostatus in Zambian women. With the conceptual framework of the World Health Organization’s Commission for Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) and quantitative method of MANOVA, this study examined Zambian Demographic Health Survey data for Zambian women of …

Impact Of Education On Hiv Testing Among African American Women In The United States, Florence Matimbah Mbangowah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improved and increased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among African American women in the United States could facilitate early detection of the virus. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant association between HIV testing participation and education level (i.e., high school, college, post-college level) based on access to healthcare after accounting for insurance, income, employment, marital status, English language proficiency, and vision quality. The integrated theory of health behavior change, the theoretical framework used for this research, proposes that changes in health behavior can be improved by various factors such as fostering …

Care Management And Readmission Among Elderly African American Patients With Chronic Illnesses, Vivien Lyn Salmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 70 million Americans aged 50 years and older suffer from at least 1 or more chronic condition and use the emergency department frequently. By 2025, chronic illness will affect an estimated 164 million Americans or nearly 49% of the population. The rapid rise in chronic illness is due to a combination of an aging population, longer life expectancies, and poor lifestyle choices. This quantitative study provided a statistical analysis on the impact of care management on readmissions among African Americans between the ages of 65 and 80, with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, or multiple chronic conditions. Logistic regression was …

Sociopolitical Determinants Of Parental Acceptance Of Childhood Vaccination In Abuja, Nigeria, Lawrence Madu Ohammah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the efficacy of vaccines, some parents still reject vaccination of their children, resulting in low vaccination coverage, a greater burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and high infant mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sociopolitical determinants of vaccination status among children, aged 0-24 months, and identify the factors that drive vaccine hesitancy. The social ecological model served as the theoretical framework. The study research design was a quantitative cross-sectional survey. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data from parents and caregivers in 384 randomly selected households from 48 settlements in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. …

Exploring Health Literacy In The Acute Care Setting In A Rural Border Region, Shiloh Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is important to ensuring patients have the necessary knowledge and skills needed to actively participate as a member of their own healthcare team. Patients with low health literacy are at increased risk for poor outcomes and limited participation in decisions affecting their health or treatment plan. Using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) as a framework, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between medical-surgical registered nurses, medical-surgical patients and the registered nurse’s (RN) assessment of their patient’s health literacy of those who live in a rural-border region. The study’s sample consisted of 84 pairs of …

Transgender Protection And Best Practices In The Prison Setting, Jessica Renee Byrd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the importance of equal protection for all offenders has been established, prison officials often do not provide adequate protection for or effectively address the unique needs of transgender inmates. In this qualitative action research study, prison officials' perceptions regarding their responsibility to provide protection and equal treatment to transgender offenders were evaluated as well as to what extent they are congruent with those stated in policies and procedures. The expectation was that linkages could be drawn between prison officials' level of knowledge regarding their responsibilities and the various types of maltreatment that transgender offenders experience as well as the …

Measuring Knowledge Of Chronic Kidney Disease (Ckd) Among Community College Students, Jacquelyn Caldwell Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) once detected is easily treated; however, it has become a major health problem associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates, creating an economic burden worldwide. While approximately 24 million Americans over the age of 20 suffer from CKD, there is a lack of awareness among the general population. Using a pre/post assessment, this quantitative study measured the impact of a 75-minute workshop on 126 community college students' knowledge of kidney disease, perception of its severity, and perceived susceptibility. The theoretical framework for the study was the health belief model, which suggests that individuals will make positive …

The Impact Of Peer Victimization On Psychosocial Functioning And Adjustment Of African-Born Adolescents, Oluyemi Abimbola Adejinmi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPeer victimization is aggressive behavior, a school stressor, and a social problem that could have significant adverse outcomes on adolescents’ psychological, social, and physical well-being. Some of the adverse outcomes of peer victimization in the adolescent population include externalizing and internalizing problems. More insight is needed on the impact of peer victimization on the well-being of adolescents, especially those who belong to minority groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of peer victimization on the psychosocial functioning and adjustment of African-born adolescents in the United States by using Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and …

The Lived Experience Of Work Stress And Coping In Eldercare Hospice Nurses, Yvette Abraham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of elderly people living with terminal diagnoses has increased, along with the need for hospice nurses with specialized training to provide high-quality personal care that addresses their unique, critical needs. Research on nurses and other professionals who function in a demanding environment has demonstrated the experience of work stress, and negative physical and psychological consequences. However, little is known about the unique work stress and challenges of hospice nurses who care for the dying elderly. This study explored the meaning of hospice nurses’ experience of work stress and coping. Giorgi’s empirical phenomenological approach guided the development of the …

Adult Attachment Functioning Of Former Foster Youth Initially Placed In Early Adolescence, Adrienne Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child attachment has been an area of study among scholars for several decades; however, early adolescent attachment is a specific age period that few scholars have examined, especially pertaining to child welfare where placement is a necessary but forced attachment disruption. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the likelihood of early adolescent attachment during initial placement and to explore the frequencies of this population securely attaching postplacement based on the added variables of placement setting (foster home/kinship home/group home/institution) and sibling accessibility. Attachment theory was the lens through which to analyze the 83 results received via anonymous …

Black Students' Online Networking And Social Capital Development Behaviors In Varied University Settings, Tarita Bateman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sustained high unemployment among educated Black jobseekers as well as disparate salaries between educated Blacks and non-Blacks continues to persist. Social capital as a major source for job attainment and career progression is recognized as a potential factor contributing to this situation. This quantitative study examined the social networking site usage intensity and external social capital development behavior among 130 graduate Black university students at predominantly White, historically Black, and diverse online universities. The theoretical foundation of social capital development was analyzed from perspectives of bridging and bonding social capital. Educational setting, sex, and socioeconomic status were used to predict …

Evaluating The Hospitals General Service Readiness Index In Guinea For Enhancing Their Performances, Mohamed Elmahady Camara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The healthcare system of Guinea has reported low scores on service availability and readiness assessment (SARA); the scores indicated the low availability of quality drugs, vaccines, medical equipment, and other technologies and involves a continuous history of poor quality-performance metrics. Thus the operational health problems in Guinea could be summarized as health problems (high rate of maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality, high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases) and health system problems (lack of appropriate governance). Therefore, amelioration of the quality of health care and patient safety is needed. The objective of this study was to consider Guinea hospital performance …

Nurses’ Social Distancing Behaviors Toward Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder, Nicole York

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses often fear interacting with patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and use self-preservation distancing strategies that can exacerbate the BPD patient’s fear of abandonment, paranoia, self-harm, and relational conflict. Prior research identified individual predictors of nurses’ social distancing. This study used multivariable and multivariate correlational profiles of fear of violence and BPD bias that influence distance, reassessing, and constructive coping. Guided by social cognitive and appraisal transaction theories, data were collected from 113 nurses in a northwestern U.S. state on measures of interpersonal stress coping, attitudinal dispositions, perceived prevention of violence, perceived likelihood of future violence, and perceived …

Understanding Community Members’ Perception Of Opioid Treatment Programs For Women In Westchester County, Erika Jean Pichardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows a significant rise in opioid abuse that has led to an opioid epidemic. Although research has shown the importance and effectiveness of treatment programs for opioid users, there is a lack of research on understanding community members’ perception and role of such programs and their perception of women who are opioid abusers and enter programs. The purpose of this study was to understand community members’ perception of opioid treatment programs for women in New York State’s Westchester County, using the theoretical framework of Becker’s social labeling theory. The study employed a phenomenological design using interviews. Results of the …

Strategies To Reduce Small Business Data Security Breaches, Sikini Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations affected by data security breaches may experience reputational damage and remediation costs. Understanding the data security strategies needed to protect small businesses is vital to safeguard company data and protect consumers’ personal information. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to reduce data security breaches. The participants were 4 small business owners located in the southern region of the United States: 2 franchise small business owners and 2 nonfranchise small business owners. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Yin’s 5-step data analysis …

The Origins Of Skin Tone Perceptions Within The African American Community, Clarissa Tibbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The distinction, categorizing, and hierarchical ranking of African Americans can be traced back to the enslavement of Africa Americans in the United States. There has been limited exploration on the origins of color consciousness among African Americans. Further, there is limited exploration on the in-group interactions of African Americans, perceptions of self-esteem, and experiences with psychological distress with skin tone as a mediating factor. Inquiry concerning the origins of color consciousness can lead to more effective cultural competence among mental health professionals and also treatment modalities equipped to address the unique experiences that African Americans face. The Black Racial Identity …

Using Formative Assessment Of Map Data To Shape Instructional Practices, Jeremy Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A school district in the Southwestern United States identified gaps in student performance on 3rd grade math standards and implemented the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association so that K-2 teachers might better inform their instruction of math standards. The problem was that the district needed to determine the ways in which MAP has changed formative assessment practices. A qualitative case study was conducted using the 5 components of formative assessments identified by Laud and Patel as a conceptual framework. The research questions asked about how formative assessment of students reflects the 5 components in …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Teachers' Burnout, Lakeva Lajune Winchester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers who experience burnout leave the teaching profession. School principals in a public school district located in the southern United States are inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers who experience burnout. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to understand the instructional leadership practices of school principals regarding teachers’ burnout. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky’s theory of zone of proximal development, which posits that people are more motivated to learn when they are supported and encouraged and is based on Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, known as the adult leaning theory. The research question considered how …

Perceptions Of Stress And Coping In The First Year Of Police Work, Scott David Eaton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pressures associated with a career in law enforcement are considerable and often result in significant detriment to an officer's personality, behavior, and overall mental health, ultimately impacting job performance and work engagement. Although there is extensive research on the influence of stress encountered in police work, an understanding of those stressors and ways of coping in the first year of police work has yet to be fully explored. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of 5 police officers who have been subject to stress in their first year and to identify the coping skills, …

Sustainable Building Certification In Healthcare And Patient Satisfaction, Brian Jay Goehner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eco-friendly healthcare delivery concepts are becoming more accepted as hospital leaders seek to control energy costs, mitigate contributions to climate change, and preserve scarce resources. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offers healthcare leaders a framework for designing and constructing sustainable facilities that meet efficiency goals. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to build an understanding of whether LEED certification influences Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings. Using complex systems theory as the framework, the research questions were focused on exploring if higher levels of LEED certification led to greater HCAHPS overall hospital …

Examining Experiences Of Sex Offender Program Professionals Working In Civil Commitment Programs, William Donald King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Criminal justice systems have attempted to include psychiatric history as a component for consideration when it comes to punishment and rehabilitation. Criminal justice systems have created various programs to address the psychological components of some behaviors to address specific actions. These programs are intended to consider an individual’s psychological history and address the underlying causes to eliminate future criminal behavior. This study focused on professionals working in civil commitment programs for sexually violent predators. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of professionals working in these programs and gain an understanding of their attitudes, perspectives, …

Student Satisfaction And Educational Experience With Collaborative Learning Teams, Jacquelyn Lee Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe use of collaborative learning teams is successful at many traditional higher education institutions. However, the use of collaborative learning teams at 3 University X campuses was noted as a source of frustration for students and may affect student satisfaction. Lower satisfaction rates equate to lower rates of success, graduation, referrals, and retention. The purpose of this study was to explore student satisfaction with the use of collaborative learning teams and how learning teams affect students' educational experiences at University X. Vygotsky's social learning theory and Astin's theory of student involvement framed the study. The mixed-method design included a quantitative …