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Effects Of Attribution And Appraisal Of Control On Emergency Department Nurse Stress When Treating Patients With Severe Mental Illness, Cynthia Lynn Bentzen-Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the prevalence of severe mental illness continues to rise and access to mental health care is scarce, an increasing number of U.S. adults seek treatment in emergency departments. Nurses who triage the severity of a medical emergency may appraise the situation both through the lens of mental illness stigma and the degree of confidence they have to control the outcome. However, the research community knows little about the extent to which attribution and appraisal of control affect nurses’ appraisal of stress. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental, canonical correlational study was to examine the extent to which various combinations …

Data Modeling Of Cognitive Structure In Physiotherapy Students Learning Gross Anatomy, William Allan Besselink

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive structures that promote deep learning of gross anatomy are integral to musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice yet poorly understood. This quantitative, criterion-related validation study addressed two data modeling strategies (multidimensional scaling and Pathfinder networks) as a potential visual and quantitative representation of the cognitive structures of physiotherapy students learning gross anatomy. The study was grounded in the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational theory of cognition. The research questions addressed the agreement (reliability, accuracy, and association) between student and expert cognitive structures and included the derived quantitative parameters as predictor variables in multiple regression to examine potential relationships with unit grades. An online …

Parental Stress Coping And Middle-School Students’ Grades And Behavioral Conduct, Stephanie Buckner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAccording to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, factors such as parental stress influence family functioning and affect children’s adaptive development. This quantitative study was conducted to better understand the association of parental stress coping skills with two dependent measures: the grades and behavioral conduct of middle-school students. Sixty-six parent/guardians completed the Coping Skills Assessment 2nd Revision (COSA R2), an assessment of parental stress coping skills and a brief questionnaire to collect data on their middle-school-aged children’s grades and conduct, along with demographic variables of race/ethnicity, age, family income level, number of children in the household, and partner status. No significant difference …

Teacher And Parent Perception Of Cyberbullying In A Middle School Setting, Jacqueline Gallo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this mixed method study was to evaluate differences in cyberbullying perception and self-efficacy between teachers and parents. The study aimed to determine how teachers and parents reacted to cyberbullying. The importance of examining teacher and parent perception and self-efficacy in addressing cyberbullying determined the significance of intervention. The theoretical framework for the study was Bandura’s social learning theory. The purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the perceptions and self-efficacy of cyberbullying between teachers and parents as measured by the Peer Relations Assessment Questionnaire Revised and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. A sample that incorporated perception and …

Counselor-In-Training Self-Efficacy When Working With Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients, Thomas John Hegblom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers highlighted a significant void in existing literature surrounding the preparation of counselors working with the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population. The problem addressed is the limited understanding of self-efficacy counselors-in-training (CIT) possess while working with TGNC clients. The purpose of this quantitative study rooted in self-efficacy theory was to examine the relationship between three independent variables: (a) the cumulative time the participant spent as a CIT, (b) the amount of training the CIT received specific to transcompetent counseling practices, and (c) a CIT’s competency in delivering transcompetent counseling, and the dependent variable: a CIT’s self-efficacy in providing transcompetent …

Post-Conflict Mental Health Policy And Substance Use Among Liberian Adults, Ekua Amonoo-Lartson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe objective of post-conflict countries after an extended period of war and trauma is to maintain peace and stability. However, the physical and psychological effects of substance use to cope with the devastation of war remains long after the crisis has ended. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine substance use among Liberian working-age adults, including their substance use habits, experiences with substance use, and access to mental health rehabilitative treatment. The access to medical care theoretical framework was used to guide the study. Data were collected from face-to-face semistructured interviews with 15 individuals regarding their experiences …

Safety Planning: Self-Management Approaches For Intimate Partner Violence In Ohio, Yvette Clemons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health education and promotion burden that has affected one in four women in the United States between the ages of 18-24, who are at increased risk of subsequent negative health outcomes of sexually transmitted inflections, mental health and substance abuse disorders, exacerbated suicidal ideations, and death. Exploring the health education needs and learning preferences of women affected by IPV who have utilized self-management strategies during safety planning interventions was the purpose for this phenomenological qualitative study and aligned the four research questions. SurveyMonkey was used to conduct interviews of 30 women align with …

Social Determinants Of Type 2 Diabetes And Health In Caribbean Women, Kathleen Tuitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a pressing public health issue for women in the Caribbean. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of prediabetes, overweight/obesity, and Type 2 diabetes and the predictive relationship of social determinants, weight status, physical activity, and race/ethnicity on Type 2 diabetes diagnosis of women in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Further research was needed to understand why Caribbean women are at such high risk for Type 2 diabetes and obesity. A quantitative, nonexperimental design, involving the analysis of secondary data published by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System at the Centers …

Treatment Providers’ Perspectives On Restraints And Seclusion For Children In Psychiatric Facilities, Calpurnia Chudi Adamma Okwuone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of restraints and seclusions in psychiatric treatment facilities for children and adolescents has caused major disputes in the healthcare field. Treatment providers determine the need to implement a restraint or seclusion depending on their perceptions of the situation and their responsibility to abide by the rules and regulations of the facility. The purpose of this research was to gain a deep understanding of how treatment providers are affected prior to, during, and following the use of a restraint or seclusion with a child or adolescent patient. Attribution theory was the theoretical framework used to examine this phenomenon. Data …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Territoriality As A Factor In Nursing Incivility, Carolyn Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Health Professions

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Fidelis Okoye

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

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

Chief Academic Officer and ProvostSue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2021

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

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

Dissertation …

Officer Perceptions Of Cultural Competency And Growing Hispanic Suburbia In Northwest Indiana, Joseph William Swanson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased interactions between police and Hispanic citizens in suburban communities suggest a need for officers to possess cultural awareness and competency for successful service; however, how cultural competency develops in officers remains elusive. This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study’s purpose was to explore cultural competency’s role in police-Hispanic citizen interactions through the lived experiences of officers in Northwest Indiana. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bennett’s developmental model for intercultural sensitivity comprised the research frameworks. Data collected through semi-structured interviews of 9 officers representing 4 police departments in northwest Indiana revealed the officers’ existing cultural competency was predicated by self-motivation reflective of …

Family Texting In The Perioperative Care Setting, Crystal Chantel Vestal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Domestic Abuse Against Men In Kenya, Catherine W. Kigaya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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