Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Reported Head Injury And Risk Of Late-Life Impairment And Ad Pathology In An Ad Center Cohort, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Frederick A. Schmitt, Steven R. Browning, David W. Fardo, Lijie Wan, Gregory A. Jicha, Gregory E. Cooper, Charles D. Smith, Allison M. Caban-Holt, Linda J. Van Eldik, Richard J. Kryscio

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between self-reported head injury and cognitive impairment, dementia, mortality, and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-type pathological changes. Methods: Clinical and neuropathological data from participants enrolled in a longitudinal study of aging and cognition (n = 649) were analyzed to assess the chronic effects of self-reported head injury. Results: The effect of self-reported head injury on the clinical state depended on the age at assessment: for a 1-year increase in age, the OR for the transition to clinical mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at the next visit for participants with a history of head injury was 1.21 and 1.34 …

Social Networks, Decision Aids, And Patient Decisions Regarding Knee-Replacement Surgery, Francis G. Caro, Susanne Hoffmann, Alison Gottlieb, Iris Kesternich, Joachim Winter

Gerontology Institute Publications

Objective: Examine how information from social networks is associated with patient decisions in the presence of information from multiple professional sources including decision aids.

Methods: We conducted a stated-choice experiment in which respondents made recommendations for hypothetical patients about whether full knee-replacement surgery should be performed to treat knee osteoarthritis. In addition, we administered a background questionnaire in which we explicitly asked respondents about the experience of people in their social network with knee osteoarthritis and possible treatment options. We examined the manner in which respondents’ recommendations for vignette persons were associated with the experiences of members of …

A Comparison Of Contemporary Filial Piety In Rural And Non-Rural China And Taiwan, Li Ping Su

Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence that industrialization and urbanization has led to an increase of immigration to urban areas for employment and has led to a change of family structure and connection between parents and adult children in Chinese societies. However, little research has compared different Chinese societies, as well as rural and non-rural regions. This study compared the adult children’s current level of filial piety, between non-rural and rural regions, and between males and females using data from an international study of countries in East Asia. Overall, China reported higher level of filial piety as compared to Taiwan. Moreover, for the …

The Social Environment, Apoe-E4, And Dementia: The Social Environment As A Moderating Factor Among Individuals Genetically Predisposed To Develop Dementia, Judith L. Poey

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Many studies have shown a relationship between the APOE-e4 allele and dementia, as well as a relationship between the social environment and dementia. However, relatively little investigation into the potential moderating effect of the social environment on the relationship between the APOE-e4 allele and cognitive well-being has been reported. Further, studies that did examine these relationships typically have employed clinical populations, along with regional and non-U.S. samples. This study contributed to the research literature, in part, by using the first U.S. nationally representative sample of older adults that included clinical diagnosis of cognition and dementia (Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study …

Psychometric Properties Of The Index Of Relocation Adjustment, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

More and more American older adults are relocating to retirement communities, and they experience challenges in adjusting to new surroundings that may increase their depression and mortality. An instrument not previously tested in the United States, the Index of Relocation Adjustment (IRA), may help in early identification of poor relocation adjustment. This study examined the psychometric properties of the IRA using secondary data from a convenience sample of 104 older adults who relocated to 6 retirement communities in Northeast Ohio. Cronbach’s alpha was .86. The IRA was correlated with measures of positive cognitions (r = .48, p < .01) and relocation controllability (r = …

Integrating Advertising And News About The Brand In The Online Environment: Are All Products The Same?, Anca C. Micu, Iryna Pentina

WCBT Faculty Publications

This research compares the effects of paid advertising (banner ad plus banner ad) and publicity (news article plus banner ad) on attitude toward the brand in the context of different product categorization approaches. The authors utilize both the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and the economics of information theory to test the mechanism through which different electronic communication modes impact consumers' attitude toward the brand for various product categories. Findings indicate that the product categorization based on the level of involvement (ELM) to be superior to the one distinguishing search from experience goods (economics of information). Including news about the brand …

Cultural Sensitivity And Elder Abuse: Considerations For Social Work Practice, Katherine R. Bernardo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how social workers identify elder abuse, factors they find contribute to or protect from elder abuse, and cultural considerations they identify as important. The qualitative research approach was utilized, and an interview instrument was created to explore participants’ perceptions and generate recommendations for developing cultural sensitivity in practice. The study sample consisted of 10 social workers with experience working with the elderly population recruited by snowball sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed for analysis. This study found that social workers are particularly knowledgeable about risk factors for elder abuse and …

Racial Classifications, Biomarkers, And The Challenges Of Health Disparities Research In The African Diaspora., Latrica E. Best, John Chenault

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Current scholarly research, both sociologically and biologically based, continues to be inundated with notions of race operating as a biological construct and as a proxy for poor health outcomes. Medical research and practice have fostered an environment where diagnostics, treatment, and the creation and dissemination of drug regimens often are influenced by a patient’s skin color and ethnicity. The emergence of biological markers in social science-based surveys has fueled recent health disparities research that is shaping the meaning, interpretation, and policy of the health of people of color. Using hypertension as an example, this paper focuses on ways in which …

Hospice Patient's Perception Of Family Support, Claudia Renteria

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative and quantitative study focused on exploring hospice patient’s perceptions of family support. Family support was conceptualized as which family member they expect to receive support from, types of support provided, frequency of support, family communication about medical illness, and type of support that is perceived to be most helpful. Fifteen partcipants between the ages of 70 to 98 were interviewed using purposive sampling. Findings showed that although participants found both physical and emotional support helpful, more than half reported perceiving emotional support as the most helpful. Recommendations for social work practice and research were discussed.

Integrated Senior Housing, Kyungok Ha

Master's Theses

It is difficult to have an integrated population throughout all age strata in a society. Especially if one considers the growing percentage of the aged population and their feeling alienated in their current physical surroundings. In order to solve imminent problems with the growing elderly population, a primary task should be considering how to improve the housing of senior citizens. Furthermore, bringing the youth and elderly together would produce a functioning self-help system. It engenders interaction strategies by employing the strengths of one generation to serve another generation’s needs. This idea was introduced by the systemic family therapist Gerhard Schiele. …

Gender, Race, And Ethnic Differences In The Effects Of Education On Depression In Later Life: The Mediating Roles Of Mastery And Stress, Cathy Mae Wong

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The central objective of this study was to examine gender, race, and ethnic differences in the effects of education on late-life depression. This study differentiated education from other measures of SES due to the psychosocial resources developed through schooling. Education provides intrinsic resources, such as perceived mastery, that are beyond monetary value. Higher levels of education is hypothesized to increase perceived mastery throughout the life course and result in lower levels of stress, influencing psychological well-being in later life. The Stress Process Paradigm was the conceptual framework used for this study. The Stress Process Paradigm includes elements of Ross and …

Patterns Of Dissaving Among U.S. Elders, Deborah Gray

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This paper examined patterns of decumulation and the role that health events and marital disruption play in forming those patterns. Study data were drawn from six biennial waves of the HRS (1998 - 2008), and merged RAND HRS data files for the period 1998 - 2008. The a priori expectation was that there will be variation in drawdown strategies households employ.

Findings suggest that patterns of dissaving are heterogeneous. The five most prevalent patterns were discussed. Households predominantly transitioned between oversaving and overspending. Households are expected to have a goal of on target spending therefore the observed cycle's dissaving will …

Strategies For Sustaining Self Used By Family Caregivers For Older Adults With Dementia, Margaret J. Bull

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The negative health consequences of caring for an older adult family member with dementia are well documented. However, not all family caregivers experience these negative health consequences. The purposes of this study were to describe strategies family caregivers use to help them continue to provide care for an older family member with dementia despite challenges and describe these family caregivers’ resilience and psychological distress. A mixed methods design was used with a narrative approach dominant and standardized scales for resilience and psychological distress used to enhance the description of the sample. Data were collected through telephone interviews with 18 family …

The Enigma Consortium: Large-Scale Collaborative Analyses Of Neuroimaging And Genetic Data, Paul M. Thompson, Jason L. Stein, Laura Almasy, Anderson M. Winkler, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Ravi Duggirala, Thomas D. Dyer, Harald H. H. Goring, Peter T. Fox

School of Medicine Publications

The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger …

Disincentivizing Elder Abuse Through Disinheritance: Revamping California Probate Code § 259 And Using It As A Model, Travis Hunt

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Hospitalization Among Newly Admitted Skilled Nursing Facility Residents: Rethinking The Role Of Functional Decline, Sun J. Kim, Joo H. Lee, Shunichi Nakagawa, Elizabeth Bukowy, Ankoor Biswas, Boram Han, Yeilim Cho, Hyun Phil Shin, Ji Won Yoo

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Hospital transfer from a skilled nursing facility (SNF) is costly, and many are potentially preventable. This study examines: 1) whether functional decline is a predictor of hospital transfer, and 2) the magnitude of relationships between predictors (functional impairment and chronic medical illness) and hospital transfer from SNFs.

Methods: We used Minimum Data Set (MDS) Version 2.0 in the state of Michigan between 2007 and 2009. In total, 196,662 new SNF admissions were observed. Multilevel generalized estimating equations and regression models were performed for each functional and clinical domain while adjusting for demographic variables and change in activities of daily …

Department Chair Survey Data (Success Of Grad And Quality Of Program), Nca Criteria 4 Committee

Criterion 4 Documents

No abstract provided.

Casa Director Feedback And Data Use Summary From Assessment Reports, Karla Sanders

Criterion 4 Documents

No abstract provided.

Programs By Major Webpage, Nca Self-Study Committee

Criterion 2 Documents

No abstract provided.

Health, Health Perceptions, Healthcare Practices, And Influencing Factors Among Korean Immigrants Living In Rural Texas, Mary Beth Winton

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

The population of Asian immigrants in the United States increased 43.3% from 2000 to 2010. During the same period, Texas experienced an increase of Korean immigrants of over 47%. Despite the increase of Korean immigrants, only a minimal number of studies explored health and healthcare needs specific to this population. Furthermore, none of the studies addressed Korean immigrants living in rural Texas. Hence, an ethnographic study was conducted to examine the health and healthcare among Korean immigrants living in rural Texas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and transcribed. Five major themes emerged which included acculturation, health and health perceptions, healthcare, relaxation …

Behavior, Physiology, Biological Age, And Cultural Role Of Long-Lived Bering Sea Seabirds, Rebecca C. Young

Biological Sciences

This dissertation focuses on the intersection of behavior, physiology, and biological age. Biological age is a measure of an organism's progress through life, and it incorporates chronological age as well as the actions of environment and innate quality at the individual level. We estimate biological age using telomere length as a biomarker. Telomere degradation in relation to oxidative stress links it directly to purported proximate mechanisms of aging under the free radical theory of aging. Short telomeres, or telomere loss, have been related to ecological indicators of lowered fitness. Our work focuses on aging in the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), …

International Health And Aging: Observation And Analysis Of Elderly Care In Migori, Kenya, Amy Correll

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

While generally respected in Kenya, elders are not primary recipients of health care services in later life. This research documented the need for geriatric specific care and the availability of resources for seniors in Migori, Kenya. Lastly, a set of 5 recommendations was developed to guide the delivery of health services provided to older residents in this small village sector of 6000. After a literature review and analysis of existing demographic data, a needs assessment instrument was developed to guide gathering of relevant data from Migori. Using a research protocol approved through the WKU IRB Committee, the Primary Investigator interviewed …

Validation Of The Transportation Burden Questionnaire Among Family Caregivers Of Older Adults, Bryant James Price

Dissertations

Because family caregivers provide a substantial amount of informal care to dependent loved ones, the potential burden such care may place on family members is an important area for clinical research and intervention. While the provision of transportation is recognized in the literature as a caregiving task and a component of global burden, few studies, to date, have addressed this as a distinct concern for measurement and intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine if an item set focused specifically on transportation burden would be additive to accepted global measures of burden in a volunteer sample of caregivers. …

Relation Of Personality Traits To Cognitive Impairments And Disease Severity In Parkinson's Disease, Lindsey Clark

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with a prevalence rate ranging from 31 to 201 per 100,000 individuals. PD primarily affects individuals over the age of 65 years. Recently, researchers have recognized the importance that cognitive and other non-motor type deficits play in the lives of PD patients. Some speculate that PD patients even exhibit changes in certain personality traits. It is currently unclear, however, how these personality traits might relate to cognitive deficits and even disease severity. The current study examined this issue by administering a personality assessment and several cognitive (frontal-lobe) assessments to 27 …

Operationalizing Nursing Education Research, Susan G. Forneris

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Session presented on: Saturday, April 5, 2014:

The depth and breadth of a nurse's understanding within the context of care is vitally important to achieving successful patient outcomes. Nursing education is calling for the need for innovative and transformative strategies that guide nurses in the use of nursing knowledge and science. How nurses are educated and oriented to think in practice is receiving well-deserved attention in the literature. To that end, formal evaluation and dissemination of learning outcomes that validate the use of these transformative strategies is necessary. The purpose of this symposium is to engage educators in a dialogue …

Evaluating Student Learning Using The Williams Unfolding Case Study, Colleen Royle, Mary Ann Mckenna Moon, Norma Krumwiede

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Session presented on: Friday, April 4, 2014: Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors unfolding cases were created to guide the teaching of individualized aging, complexity and life transitions to nursing students. Even though the unfolding cases are well established, no literature was located regarding the assessment and evaluation of student learning that occurs when the ACES unfolding cases are used to teach gerontologic concepts. Henry and Ertha Williams developed by Jeanne Cleary: Henry Williams is a 69-year-old African American, a retired rail system engineer who with his wife Ertha. They had one son who was killed in the war 10 years …

Spring Commencement, Undergraduate Ceremony [Program], May 10, 2014, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

2014 Spring Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencements on May 10.

Commencement Speakers:
9a.m.: Cathleen Shultz
noon: Paul Pollard
3p.m.: Authur Shearin

University Of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2014, University Of Southern Maine

Commencement Programs

University of Southern Maine commencement program, 2014

Saturday, May Tenth, Two Thousand and Fourteen

Address by David Shaw , founder of IDEXX Laboratories

A Comparison Of Life Satisfaction, Subjective Well-Being, And Physical Health In Undergraduate College Students, Emily Shuenn-Wen Hsu

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

No abstract provided.