Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Of Fast-Food Zoning Policy And Cardiovascular Disease In African American Communities, Starrlett Pena-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major public health concern, causing one in every four deaths in the United States. Despite availability of effective disease management, African Americans bear the burden of incidence and mortality as CVD prevails as the primary cause of disparities in life expectancy, stroke, and heart failure. This cross-sectional study investigated fast-food restaurant (FFR) availability and socioeconomic status (SES; income, occupation, and education) to predict CVD risk scores in African Americans residing in Jackson, Mississippi. The social construction of target populations theory was used to inform this study. Using hierarchical multiple linear regression, a secondary data analysis …

Beliefs, Skill Sets, And Behaviors Of Police Officers Regarding Mental Health Treatment, Kareem C. Puranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current law enforcement training assumes that police officers can manage their mental health with minimal support. This cultural attitude creates a fear of being unfit if police officers seek assistance for their mental health. Law enforcement suicide rates have outnumbered duty-related deaths in recent years. Statistics show that police officers are twice as likely to die by suicide for reasons related to stress. Mental health treatment is the ideal solution, but research has shown that police officers often reject treatment due to stigma. This qualitative study aimed to examine factors that hindered law enforcement officers from obtaining mental health treatment. …

Completion Predictors For Students Who Transfer-In To A Community College, Erin Kristina Reeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that the credential completion rate for transfer-in students (TIS) is lower than for first-time, full-time students (FTFT) at Peninsula Community College (PCC, a pseudonym). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the completion input (gender, race/ethnicity, age) and environment (number of transfer credits accepted) variables predict credential completion for credential-seeking TIS at PCC. Astin’s input-environment-outcome model served as the framework, in which a student’s success is a function of the student’s background before enrolling and the experiences while attending college. Deidentified archival data for TIS enrolled in fall …

Association Of The Use Of Combination Therapy Self-Management Of Prediabetes And Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus In Adults, Celestina Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is a long-lasting chronic health condition that encompasses three types: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. The disease affects how the body breaks down food into energy. It is an insulin-deficient disease and causes heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. Investigators of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Diabetes Association evaluated patient treatment preferences to determine the upsurge in patient health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and optimum health. The literature revealed that patients' preferences consisted of therapies and achievable goal setting using the health belief model (HBM) framework. This quantitative research aimed to …

The Implementation Of Advanced Digitalization In The Oil And Gas Industry, Ensieh Rezafar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe immature advanced digitalization in the oil and gas industry can limit access to the potential value of mature progressive digitalization. Oil and gas leaders must expedite the implementation of advanced digitalization to increase organizational proficiencies and reduce costs and losses. Grounded in Pettigrew and Whipp’s dimensions of strategic change theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some leaders in the oil and gas industry used to implement advanced digitalization. The participants were seven leaders in two oil service companies in North America involved in the successful implementation of progressive digitalization. Data were collected …

Cost-Saving Strategies For Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Managers, Rosalie Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) managers deal with increased costs while facing declining budgets to meet treated water standards. Biological disinfection processes comprise 65% of a typical WWTP's energy use and are of significant concern to WWTP managers. Grounded in the resource-based view theory and Six Sigma DMAIC approach as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative embedded single case study was to explore strategies WWTP managers use to lower water disinfection costs. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with four plant managers of the same organization in the central region municipalities of Florida who successfully implemented strategies to lower …

Mothers’ Lived Experiences Of Parenting Classes And Maintaining Sobriety During Recovery, Christina Wolfe Rumford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA mother in recovery must have a solid grasp on coping skills, mental health, and the relationship with her children to maintain her sobriety. But it is not known how parenting classes for mothers in addiction treatment feature in these mothers’ recovery. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of mothers in parenting classes during addiction treatment to prevent relapse. The theory for this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory of substance abuse. The study examined the lived experiences of mothers with young children who have attended parenting classes as part of their recovery …

Staff Education On Perinatal Depression, Kirenia Santiuste

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perinatal depression (PND) is a global mood disorder affecting women transitioning into parenthood and is closely related to extensive psychosocial and financial consequences for the family. Ten to twenty percent of new mothers in the US are affected by PND in the year after giving birth. The problem identified for this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was the need for staff education on knowledge of and screening for PND in the obstetrical clinic for which the project was developed in a southeastern state of the US. Using the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model, the purpose of this Doctor …

Health Educator Experience: Recommendations For Physical Activity For Mental Health In Women, Patricia Schneider

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health issues, specifically anxiety and depression, continue to be a public health crisis in the United States. Despite the established therapies of pharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy, not all patients seek or find relief using these methods. Therefore, other treatment strategies need to be studied. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the experiences of health educators who use physical activity as a strategy for anxiety and depression management among middle-aged women as well as their own attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral controls. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was leveraged as the theoretical foundation for …

Risk Management In Wastewater Treatment Policy Creation And Revision, Emily Silver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this professional administrative study was risk management in the field of wastewater treatment. The emphasis was on the creation and revision of policies to help reduce overall agency risk factors. The guiding question for the study focused on what revisions to the client organization’s safety policy and personnel policies and procedures would decrease the agency risk. A combination of both safety and policy change theories provided the basis for the study’s conceptual framework. This blended approach allowed for a more thorough and comprehensive interpretation of the collected data. In this qualitative case study, data pertinent to risk …

Effective Leadership Strategies To Engage Employees, Wanda Trujillo Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Businesses in the United States lose millions of dollars annually due to low employee performance. However, leaders who develop effective strategies to engage employees may increase employee performance and productivity. Grounded in Khan's theory of employee engagement, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore strategies health managers use to engage employees. Participants were eight health care managers from two locations in the northeast region of the United States who demonstrated successful strategies to engage employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews. The themes that emerged from the thematic analysis were (a) transparency, (b) training, and (c) effective …

Increasing Nurse Leader Knowledge And Awareness Of Information And Communication Technologies, Cory Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, rapid technological innovation and nursing practice transformation exposed a deepening divide in the knowledge and awareness of information and communication technologies (ICT) among nurses. This technological skills gap undermines the benefits of ICT to nursing practice such as increased nurse satisfaction, improved care quality, and reduced costs. Nurse leaders are positioned to promote the use of ICT among nurses but may suffer from the same knowledge deficit of ICT as their followers. Guided by Locsin’s technological competencies as caring in nursing theory, Staggers and Parks’ nurse-computer interaction framework, and Covell’s nursing intellectual …

Strategies For Salon Business Owners In The 21st Century, Brenda Streat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses constitute 44% of the U.S. economy, generating roughly two-thirds of new jobs, goods, and services. However, the survival rate of small business owners declines after the first 5 years of operation. Small business failure rates impact every part of business industries. Small salon owners who fail to incorporate financial strategies in their businesses may fail to succeed beyond the first 5 years of operation. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory, this qualitative multiple case study was conducted to explore financial strategies salon business owners use to increase longevity and effectiveness in their business operations. The study’s participants were eight salon …

Relationship In Alaska Native Corporations' Return On Equity From Sector, Gregory Stuckey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1999, Stephen Colt studied the 12 regional corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA). Colt reviewed the financial data from 1973 to 1993 and found the regional corporations lost approximately $380 million in business operations. However, the regional corporations increased their revenue from $714 million in 1993 to $8.575 billion in 2014. No further study of those subsequent 20 years has been conducted, so a data set to see if Colt’s conclusions hold was created. This multivariate correlational study tested two theories on the regional corporations: the theory of the economic efficiency of lump-sum …

Strategies For Achieving Sustainability Of Small Business Restaurants, Tanisha Thomas-Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business restaurant owners perform unprofitably and fail within 5 years of opening. Small business restaurant owners are concerned about sustainability as approximately 50% of small businesses that start up do not last beyond the fifth year. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business restaurant owners use to grow and maintain profitability to sustain business beyond 5 years. The participants were five small business restaurant owners in the Southeastern region of the United States who sustained their business beyond 5 years. The data were analyzed using …

The Perception And The Perceived Readiness Of Individuals While Working Remotely During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Argyro Tsampis-Tripodis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAt the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, some individuals were sent home to work remotely to honor social distancing measures. Individuals were challenged to create a workspace, obtain the technology needed, and create a balance between work and private life. Emotional distress may have been caused by overlapping work into personal life or psychological problems due to social distancing for some individuals. The current research aimed to understand the lived experiences of the individuals sent home to work remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. A transcendental phenomenon methodology captured the insights, adaptations, and perspectives of individuals working remotely during the Covid-19 …

Strategies For Cybercrime Prevention In Information Technology Businesses, Sophfronia G. Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercrime continues to be a devastating phenomenon, impacting individuals and businesses across the globe. Information technology (IT) businesses need solutions to defend and secure their data and networks from cyberattacks. Grounded in general systems theory and transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies IT business leaders use to protect their systems from a cyberattack. The participants included six IT business leaders with experience in cybersecurity or system security in the Midlands region of South Carolina. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviews of government standards documents; data were analyzed using thematic …

Employee Training Strategies For New Technology Implementation In Small Business, Eddy Varela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to implement new technology creates a barrier to success for small businesses. Small business owners must create competitive advantages by implementing new technology as there is a need to maintain an advantage when competing in the local market economy. Grounded in the human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the employee training strategies small business owners use to implement new technology. The participants were five small business owners in Central Florida who used employee training strategies to implement new technologies Data were collected using (a) semistructured interviews, (b) member checking interviews, (c) …

Impacts Of Immigration Detention On Sub-Saharan Africa Asylum Seekers In The United States, Felix Vescovi Ogunsuyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Detaining asylum seekers has become an established practice in many countries. There is a large body of research suggesting that immigration detention causes asylum seekers harm. However, the focus of these studies has been on diagnosable disorders and mental health, with no descriptive understanding of how detention and resettlement are experienced and conceptualized by asylum seekers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how formerly detained asylum seekers from sub-Saharan African countries perceive the impact of detention on their resettlement experience in the United States. Ager and Strang’s conceptual framework of refugee integration was used as the study’s …

School Counselors’ Lived Experiences Working With Northeastern Urban Minority High School Students, Lisette Ann Velez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional school counselors employed in low-income education communities have a large, diverse student population to service. Researchers have indicated that urban minority youth present more challenges in school than affluent students due to economic constraints and other related factors. School counseling members apply different skills or techniques mastered from their graduate and professional training regardless of existing inequalities. School counselors are ethically obligated to help minors attain academic success, social-emotional development, and postsecondary goals. The dearth of literature warrants more qualitative research studies to explore further the phenomenon of school counselors working in underprivileged neighborhoods. Husserl’s transcendental phenomenological framework provided …

Relationship Between Ceo Gender, Hospital Size, And Urban, Rural Location, Levinda Walpole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership diversity concerning gender is important in the health care sector because diversity encourages problem solving from different perspectives. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether there was a relationship between CEO gender and the size of nonprofit hospitals and rural/urban location of hospitals in Texas. The independent variables were hospital bed size, which was categorized according to various groupings, and rural/urban areas in Texas. The dependent variable was gender (male and female). The theoretical framework that grounded this study was the perspective of organizational culture and the leader’s role based on the competing values framework. …

Strategies To Enhance Leadership Development Of Midlevel Managers, Elizabeth Wiebe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational executives annually invest more than $50 billion in leadership development worldwide. Nonetheless, human resources (HR) managers are concerned that leadership development initiatives prove inadequate in delivering learning outcomes equal to the investment, leaving midlevel managers ill-prepared to lead. Guided by experiential learning theory, this qualitative multiple-case study was conducted to explore strategies HR managers use to enhance the leadership development of midlevel managers. A purposeful sample included three HR managers from three organizations located in a west coast metropolitan area in Canada who successfully implemented leadership development strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Informed by …

Academic Self-Efficacy And Satisfaction Among College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cannda Wilbanks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over decades, researchers have identified an increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis resulting in a growing population of students with ASD attending higher education environments. Several researchers have found that individuals with ASD experience challenges in on-campus college settings. Examining other postsecondary learning environments may have provided insight into settings that may reduce the challenges students with ASD experience. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in self-efficacy and satisfaction among college students with ASD enrolled in on-campus-only, blended, and online learning environments. The theoretical foundations were Oliver’s social model of disability and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. …

Services For Homeless Veterans: A Study Of Access To Benefits, Sheryl Maddox Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHomelessness among veterans in the United States is a multifaceted social and health concern that has continued to increase despite immense efforts to minimize and eliminate this issue. Numerous organizations have dedicated resources; however, many veterans do not use benefits and resources that are available to them, and homelessness remains a health and social concern. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how individual and interpersonal barriers, community factors, organizational structure, and existing policies for assistance are perceived by support staff that work with veterans with mental disorders who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. …

Opioid Naloxone Education Clinical Practice Guideline, Tat'yana Sahleem Alethia Worthy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of an institution-wide campaign to train providers on the administration of opioid reversal agents within a large medical center in the northeastern United States, the practice problem emerged that there was no patient/family education document for healthcare providers to use as a guide to educate patients on opioid risk and proper administration of naloxone to prevent opioid overdose in the outpatient setting. This scholarly project used an interprofessional team to develop comprehensive opioid naloxone education guidelines to close the gap in clinical practice. The purpose of this project was to develop a patient education clinical practice guideline …

Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences Related To Preparing English Language Arts Students For American Literature End-Of-Course Exams, Felicia Wynter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in the local school district have continued to score below the state average on the standardized American Literature end-of-course (EOC) assessment. It was unclear what 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-grade teachers in the district were doing to prepare students for success on the American Literature EOC. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the reason for the low assessment scores and their experiences implementing instructional strategies to prepare students for the American Literature EOC. The conceptual framework for the study was Hunter’s model of mastery learning and explicit instruction. The research questions focused on …

Successful Staff Retention Strategies For Small Businesses In The Childcare Sector, Cheneta Marie Yates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a significant issue for many organizations since it frequently results in more extraordinary training expenses, poor performance, and low morale, negatively affecting the bottom line. Small business owners in the childcare industry are especially concerned about employee turnover because it results in the loss of skilled workers and harms children's well-being and educational experiences. Grounded in Vroom’s expectancy theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies childcare business owners use to reduce employee turnover. Participants were five business owners in the childcare sector that implemented retention techniques. Interviews with a semi-structured format and …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Successful Management Strategies For Addressing Information Technology Project Scope Changes, James Wesley Artemus Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate scope management strategies fail to prevent project failures. Information technology (IT) project leaders who lack strategies to prevent project failures negatively impact their business goals and delivery schedule. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies IT project leaders use to manage project scope and prevent project failures. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents from 3 participants in a small IT consulting company. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: understanding project scope changes, performance techniques, and communication. A key recommendation …

Generational Differences In Nursing Turnover, Adam Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing is currently the largest job category in U.S. health care requiring proper recruitment and retention of nurses. As the current generation of nurses ages out of the workforce due to retirement, new nurses will need to cover the gaps in the workforce. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between voluntary turnover, involuntary turnover, and career change among nurses who were born between 1980 and 1995 (Millennials) and those born between 1965 and 1979 (Generation X). The theoretical framework was Mannheim’s theory of generations. Secondary data were collected from exit interviews with 811 respondents …