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Barriers To Breast Cancer Prevention And Screening Among African American Women, Abosede Francisca Obikunle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is a serious illness that often has fatal consequences. Adherence to the recommendations for breast cancer surveillance is poorly practiced among African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to seek individual professed barriers to breast cancer screening among African American women to better understand why breast cancer continues to be one of the principal basis of mortality among African American women. The theoretical framework for this study was the behavioral model of health services use. Purposeful selection was used to invite 14 African American women to participate in the in-depth interview process. Interview data were …

Human Trafficking: The Health Of Men Forced Into Labor Trafficking In The United States, Christina Omole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a criminal act that occurs globally. It affects both women and men, but most studies have focused on female victims; few have explored trafficked men or their related health issues. Though there are many forms of trafficking, it is believed that most male victims are trafficked as forced labor. Using gender schema theory as a framework, this quantitative study examined archival data to identify the types of trafficking men are subjected to, their health ailments, and how these differ from the health ailments of trafficked women. Archival data from 124 individuals subjected to human trafficking in Florida …

Improving Health Literacy With Clear Communication, Carol Barbara Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is demonstrated when individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Veteran health literacy is believed to be lower than the general population due to the aging and culturally diverse population. Veterans require adequate health literacy to manage their diverse high acuity physical injuries, psychological conditions, and chronic diseases. Clear communication between the clinician and veteran patient is essential to provide high quality health services. The objective of this quality-improvement project was to evaluate the ability of nurses in the ambulatory environment to identify low health literacy patients and …

Attitudes Of Males About Teaching Grades K-12 In A Public School District, Jonathan Matthew Bracewell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Education Association, the number of teachers in the United States has decreased over the last 100 years and only 25% are currently male. Finding effective ways to increase the number of male teachers has remained challenging at the local level. This study compared the perceptions of male teachers and non-teachers regarding their motivation for entering their current professions and their perceptions of gender equivalence in the workplace. Popper's post positivism and Schutz's social constructivism were used as the theoretical frameworks. The study instrument was first piloted at a liberal arts university where a sample of 187 …

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness And School Performance In Middle School Girls, Jamie Anne Donnelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has indicated a significant relationship between physical fitness and standardized test scores; however, the relationship between physical fitness and other aspects of school performance has yet to be empirically examined in a population specifically composed of middle school girls. This study examined several factors that contribute to school success, such as classroom behavior, attendance, and grades, in relation to physical fitness among a group of adolescent girls. It was specifically designed to examine the statistical relationship between physical fitness, as measured by the Fitnessgram, and quantitative data on school performance including grades, standardized test scores, school behavior, and …

Issues Affecting Sexual Decisions Among Black Women In The Era Of Hiv/Aids, Saecilia Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV/AIDS became a significant concern in the United States (U.S.) during the 1980s and in recent years has increased the most among people living in underserved urban areas, particularly impacting Black women ages 24-35. Guided by the social learning theory, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and behaviors of Black women in the south in order to understand their sexual health decisions and how those decisions impact the spread of HIV/AIDS among this group. The central research question focused on understanding the sexual decision making of Black women in Georgia, from the perspective of the client and provider. Convenience …

Meaningfulness Of Work As Perceived By Women From Diverse Social Classes: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Jennifer L. Hutmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research connecting the meaningfulness of work with positive organizational outcomes, such as increased employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, and retention, there remains a lack of adequate, inclusive research explaining differences in women's perceptions of the meaningfulness of work. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to address this gap in the literature by developing a theory about the formation of perceptions of the meaningfulness of work and about the impact of those perceptions. Research questions explored perceptions that women from diverse social classes have of the meaningfulness of work, what influenced those perceptions, the impact of those …

Experiences Of African American Young Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education, Yovonda Ingram Kolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the United States. As the need for STEM professionals in the United States increases, it is important to ensure that African American women are among those professionals making valuable contributions to society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American young women in relation to STEM education. The research question for this study examined how experiences with STEM in K-10 education influenced African American young women's academic choices in their final years in high school. The theory of multicontextuality was …

Healthy Weight Maintenance: Narrative Analysis Of Weight Cycling In The Formerly Obese, Cheri Renee Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical and economic costs for obesity are estimated at $147 billion per year, yet less than 1/3 of overweight individuals successfully maintain weight loss. The literature is replete with descriptions of the problem and research on treatments, yet demonstrations of effective loss and maintenance are lacking. Missing is an understanding of the experiences of individuals who successfully maintained healthy weight loss, which could provide insights regarding effective psycho-social interventions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore key events and experiences in the lives of former weight cyclers. The primary phenomena of interest included weight cycling and sustained …

Evaluating Key Predictors Of Employee Response To Change In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Otis S. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the factors that predict employee response to large-scale change in the United States pharmaceutical industry. When poorly executed, major organizational changes such as mergers and acquisitions are often disruptive and costly to organizations and demoralizing to employees. Although employee responses to change have been studied in several industries, employee responses during change execution in the pharmaceutical industry have not been subject to study. The purpose of this correlational study was to reduce the knowledge gap related to organizational change in the pharmaceutical industry by evaluating key predictors of employee response to large-scale change. The theoretical framework consisted …

Effects Of Management Control Systems And Strategy On Performance Of Minority-Owned Businesses, Raymond Onyema Obinozie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the perceived relationships among management control systems, business strategy, and organizational performance in U.S. minority-owned manufacturing businesses. Hofer's contingency theory provided a framework for the study, which included a quantitative, survey-based correlational design. Research questions focused on the relationship between financial- and nonfinancial-based management control systems as well as low-cost leadership and differentiation strategies, and how these practices impacted organizational performance. A random sample of 1,000 participants was selected from a population of 2,583 minority-owned manufacturing businesses in the United States. Results of the principal component analysis, Pearson's zero order correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis indicated …

Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes Toward Nonpharmacological Interventions For Individuals Diagnosed With Clinical Depression, Joseph Ocran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression negatively impacts the American economy, and there is a shortage of physicians to provide treatment. Nurse practitioners are viable alternatives to provide high-quality treatment of depression. The project's purpose was to describe nurse practitioners' attitudes toward nonpharmacological interventions to treat clinical depression. Attitude theory provided the theoretical framework. The American Psychiatric Association's guidelines for treating major depression provided the conceptual framework. The project used a quantitative nonexperimental descriptive survey research design. A purposeful sample of 63 nurse practitioners was obtained from members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Data were collected through an online survey that included questions …

Affecting Teen Attitudes Through Positive Media Portrayals Of Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sheila Orta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of knowledge about individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can create stereotypes, which serve as barriers to interaction. Television is a component in the development of social attitudes in teenagers. Using social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative 2-group, posttest only, experimental design was to determine whether observational learning could be effective in generating positive teen attitudes toward peers with ASD. Senior high school students (N = 130) completed the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Survey to determine whether observing a video clip can positively affect the attitudes of teens about their peers with …

Falls And Related Injuries Based On Surveillance Data: U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments, George K. Quarranttey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls can lead to unintentional injuries and possibly death, making falls an important public health problem in terms of related health care cost, incurred disabilities, and years of life lost. Approximately 1 in every 3 Americans ages 65 years and older is at risk of falling at least once every year. Children, young adults, and middle-aged adults are also vulnerable to falls. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries using surveillance data from nationally representative samples of hospital emergency departments in United States. The study was guided by a social-ecological model on …

Insecticide Treated Nets As An Effective Malaria Control Strategy In Liberia, Taiyee Nelson Quenneh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a vector-borne disease that presents the most persistent and serious public health burden in Liberia. Numerous studies have examined the relationship between ITN use and malaria prevalence. However, little research has explored the effectiveness of ITNs in controlling malaria among children in postwar Liberia. The aim of this study was to examine the association between ITN ownership, parental economic status, ITN installation support, and malaria prevalence among children. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study guided by the health belief model. The study used secondary data from the 2011 Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey. Chi-square for association and Logistic regression …

Communication Between Educators And Parents In Title I Elementary Schools, Jacqueline Marie Boney Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of positive communication between parents and educators in the Texas district under study is a problem because it interferes with learners' academic success. The purpose of this mixed method study was to understand the communication gap between educators and parents in Title I elementary schools in that district. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems and Epstein's parental involvement model formed the theoretical framework to address the importance of communication between educators and parents as related to student academic achievement. The quantitative portion of the study was carried out through descriptive survey research. The case study method was used for the qualitative …

Total Quality System Breakdowns In Outsourced Clinical Trials, Hemali Barrios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous deaths, tragedies, and underreported drug side effects occur in outsourced clinical trials. Total quality system breakdowns occur even though quality agreement contracts and quality management systems are used by pharmaceutical organizations. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies clinical quality assurance managers use to avoid breakdowns in quality with outsourced clinical trials in Asia-Pacific countries. The study included a purposeful sample of 15 clinical quality assurance managers from 1 pharmaceutical organization located in the Northeast region of the United States. The conceptual framework was von Bertalanffy's general systems theory. Face-to-face semistructured interviews or e-mail questionnaires …

Exploration Of The Relationship Between Ocd And Parenting Style Subtypes, Hilmar Von Strunck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that significantly reduces the quality of life of those affected by the disorder. Current and past research has established a relationship between an authoritarian parenting style and the development of OCD. There is an absence of research regarding the influence of parenting styles on the development of different subtypes of OCD. This study examined the relationship of Baumrind's parenting styles (permissive, authoritarian, and restrictive) as gathered from participant answers on the Parenting Behavior Questionnaire and the OCD subtypes (contamination, harm, unwanted thoughts, and symmetry) as gathered from participant answers to the Dimensional Obsessive …

A Case Study On Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Constructivist Learning In Morocco, Said Benamar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jobs are available for university graduates with entrepreneurship skills, but unemployment in Morocco persists because of the dissociation between university entrepreneurship graduate skills and professional market demand. While university graduates have achieved academic standards, they have lacked the entrepreneurial attributes to be employable. The purpose of this case study was to explore the use of entrepreneurship learning initiatives at Université Internationale de Casablanca (UIC), a private for-profit university, to promote students' employability. The constructivism and learning paradigm frameworks served as the theoretical foundations of this project study. The research questions addressed the effectiveness of entrepreneurship learning strategies in the promotion …

Rural High School Mathematics Instructional Practices And Students' Academic College Readiness, Luajean Erna Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural high school graduates in the United States lag behind in college math preparedness, therefore prompting researchers to identify instructional practices that would advance student math performance. This quantitative research study investigated specific teacher practices and their correlation with student gains in college math preparedness on the American College Test (ACT). Data were collected using a teacher questionnaire to quantify the level of reform practices among a sample of six math teachers and used ACT pre and posttests to assess 312 11th grade students' gains in college math readiness in a public rural high school in Southeast Tennessee. Correlation analysis …

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has been conducted to identify the determinants of information technology (IT) adoption. No previous quantitative researchers have explored IT adoption in the context of enterprise social computing (ESC). The purpose of this study was to test and extend the social influence model of IT adoption. In addition, this study addressed a gap in the research literature and presented a model that relates the independent variables of social action, social consensus, social authority, social cooperation, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and organizational commitment to the dependent variables of social embracement and embedment. A …

Culturally-Based Diabetes Self-Management Education And Diabetes Knowledge In The Hispanic Population, Leslie Weldon Grunden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Hispanic population has an elevated prevalence of diabetes, resulting in large part from a lack of self-management skills required to obtain glycemic control. The purpose of this project was to determine whether diabetes self-management knowledge was improved through the use of a culturally-based diabetes self-management program for Hispanic adults with diabetes using elements of the Hispanic culture. The research question asked whether a researcher-developed diabetes self-management education program that incorporated elements of the Hispanic culture improved diabetes knowledge in the Hispanic population when compared to a non-culturally based diabetes self-management program. The project was conducted using a quasi-experimental control …

Comparison Of Classroom Settings On Seventh Grade English Language Arts Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Achievement (Tcap), Deangela Anita Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to identify an effective strategy to increase English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency in middle schools. This study assessed the outcome of classroom looping in an urban middle school. Vygotsky's theory of social development was the theoretical framework of this study. Two research questions explored statistical differences between scale and number correct scores on the standardized ELA Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Classroom settings (looping and traditional) served as independent variables, and ELA TCAP assessments were used as the dependent variable. This study included a random sample of 188 students (94 looping and 94 traditional) …

A Case Study Of An African American Community's Perceptions Of Problems In Mathematics Education, Renee Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American students across income classes have been found to struggle with mathematics, impeding their ability to complete college, pursue lucrative careers, and address socioeconomic problems. Using the tenets of liberation and critical race theory, this qualitative case study explored the perceptions of a small group of 8 African American adults as to what they believe to be the root causes of mathematics achievement disparity for African American K-14 students, and what role the African American community can play in ameliorating these disparities. As most related studies are on low income communities, this study focused on an affluent African American …

Acculturation, Inflammation, And Depression Among Hispanic Adults In The United States, Kristin Marie Marano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparities exist in the recognition and treatment of depression among Hispanics in the United States, creating a social, ethical, economic, and public health burden. This study was designed to generate an improved understanding of the causes of and/or contributors to depression within this population. It was specifically designed to 1) assess the prevalence and severity of depression among Hispanic adults in the United States relative to adults of other race/ethnicities in the United States; 2) clarify the inconsistent results in the literature concerning the relationship between acculturation and depression among Hispanic adults in the United States; and 3) fill a …

Associations Between Healthcare Facility Types And Healthcare-Associated Infections, Aretha D. Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) continue to be an epidemiological issue burdening patients and public health systems worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific healthcare facility types (Acute Care Hospitals, Long Term Acute Care Hospitals, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities) were associated with particular categories of HAIs: Ventilator-Associated Pneumonias (VAPs), Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs), and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs). The theoretical framework for this study was the environmental determinants of infectious disease framework. A single research question focused on whether an association existed among the specified health care facility types and HAIs. Three independent categorical variables were …

Empirical Examination Of User Acceptance Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In The United States, Rohan Oldacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are complex software packages that support an integrated real-time setting among the various business functions in an entire organization. ERP systems improve productivity, but only to the extent that employees accept and use the systems extensively to perform their duties. The leaders of many organizations have not been able to realize the expected benefits because of a lack of user acceptance. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey study was to examine the factors that influence user acceptance of ERP systems in the United States. Davis's technology acceptance model was the theoretical foundation used to …

Online Training Impact On Adjunct Faculty Compliance And Satisfaction With Professional Development, Elizabeth Pete

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed by this project study was low levels of adjunct faculty compliance and satisfaction with the professional development program at a local college. The purpose of the study was to determine if an alternative delivery method would yield higher levels of compliance and satisfaction than would a traditional professional development workshop. The guiding research question was whether an alternative delivery method would yield higher levels of compliance and satisfaction than a traditional professional development workshop. The theoretical base included andragogy, self-directed learning, and connectivism. Using an experimental design, the project examined archival data concerning compliance and satisfaction for …

Puerto Rican Vocational Students' Experiences Regarding Standardized Tests, Nomara I. Segui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational high school students are not passing state tests and are not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements in Puerto Rico. Limited qualitative research has been conducted to examine the experiences of vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests. Using a qualitative case study, the experiences of Puerto Rican cosmetology and barber vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests were examined. The conceptual framework was based on Dewey's theory of experience regarding the influence of continuity and interaction on students' career paths. The sample was 20 vocational students from cosmetology and barber classes who participated in standardized tests. …

Employee Engagement In A Cardiac Catherization Lab, Rhonda J. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee Engagement in a Cardiac Catheterization Lab

by

Rhonda J. Smith

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

February 2016

This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on employee engagement and workplace climate in the catheter laboratory setting. The study goals were to discover the current state of workplace satisfaction and then to share the results with the staff to determine what to improve and how to guide them through the Lean process. This study was guided by Kanter's structural empowerment theory, which holds that structural factors …