Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Lifestyle On Suboptimal Health: Insights From A National Cross-Sectional Survey In China, Jie Wang, Yinghao Wang, Zheng Guo, Zi Lin, Xiangqian Jin, Hui Niu, Yibo Wu, Lihua Tang, Haifeng Hou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a non-clinical or pre-disease state between optimal/ideal health and disease. While its etiology remains unclear, lifestyle is considered one of the most important risk factors. We aimed to examine the effects of lifestyles on SHS through a nationwide survey in China. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 148 cities across China between 20 June and 31 August 2022, on 30 505 participants from rural and urban communities gathered through stratified quota sampling. We measured SHS with the Short-Form Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire (SHSQ-SF). We gathered information on participants' lifestyles (ie, smoking, alcohol consumption, …

Unique Challenges In State Defense Force Chaplaincy, J. Todd Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the impact and effectiveness of traditional ministry wanes in this current culture, the influence of chaplaincy is expanding and making new inroads into numerous fields, including business, sports, health care, and the military. Chaplaincy’s commitment to pluralism and emphasis on spirituality instead of denominationalism makes it the perfect vehicle for ministry to this seemingly secular population still searching for meaning, purpose, and connection. These chaplains must be well trained for these serious moments in time and the lives of individuals. State Defense Forces are the nation’s least-known uniformed service and, therefore, lack the resources and funding of other services …

Lived Experiences Of Counselors: Navigating The Changing Role Using Emotional Intelligence, Marissa Joelle Stelzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counselors during the transition from traditional face-to-face counseling to a teletherapy format during the COVID-19 pandemic and how counselors were able to utilize emotional intelligence skills/abilities during this time. The theories that guided this study were the ability model of emotional intelligence and social constructivism. The following questions guided this study: How did counselors experience their changing role from primarily face-to-face counseling to teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic? How did counselors experience emotional intelligence during the transition from traditional face-to-face counseling to teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic? …

Transformational Leadership Behaviors Promoting Job Satisfaction In Mental Health Leaders: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Taylor Blakeley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Similar to leaders in other roles, mental health leaders are responsible for leading, supporting, and guiding their followers. Transformational leadership and job satisfaction are two popular areas of research. However, research primarily focuses on followers’ job satisfaction rather than leaders with transformational leadership. This study focused on what and how mental health leaders’ transformational leadership behaviors promote their job satisfaction. This study used a qualitative phenomenological research design with semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. The population sample consisted of ten (10) mental health leaders. The participants were recruited using social media platforms Facebook, LinkedIn, and Liberty University’s School …

The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of African American Female Faculty At Predominantly White Institutions: A Phenomenological Study, Jasmine L. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological approach aims to understand the perceptions and lived experiences of African-American female faculty at predominantly White institutions and the strategies used to overcome barriers. The theory guiding this study is intersectionality theory, introduced by Kimberlè Crenshaw, discovering the multilayers of discrimination that women face and providing a template to encourage antidiscrimination. This theory adequately addresses the focus of this inquiry because it highlights the discrimination often experienced by African-American female faculty and the experiences of various individuals from the targeted population. This study's methodology was based on interviews with different African-American female faculty at predominantly White institutions. …

A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study Of Special Education Teachers' Experiences Utilizing Interactive Whiteboards For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Elementary Self-Contained Classrooms, John P. Terrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to describe the experiences of special education teachers who use Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) to instruct students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in elementary self-contained special education classrooms. The theoretical framework for this study includes the persuasive technology theory and the social learning theory. Ten special education teachers from two elementary schools in a suburb of north Georgia will be asked to participate in this study. Data collection included an individual interview, and participant letters, followed by a focus group. Data analysis consisted of categorical aggregation, development of naturalistic generalizations, and …

Disability Critical Race Theory And Its Application To Law Schools, Vivian Hardison

Ed.D. Capstone Reports

No abstract provided.

Fall Music Series (November 17, 20, 2023), Lindenwood University

Student Music Performance Programs

Event program for the Fall Music Series (November 17, 20, 2023).

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Dance Fundamental Movement Skill Intervention For Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety In Children, Juanita Patterson-Price

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent mental health conditions in children. Rates of both disorders are rising, surpassing the capacity of available treatment services (albertapatients, 2022; Edwardson, 2022; Statistics Canada, 2020). Lack of treatment can often result in worsening of symptoms towards serious long-term effects (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Additional treatment supports must be made available. The goal of this doctoral research is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of genre-inclusive dance as a psychosocial intervention for anxiety and depression in children. The first manuscript of this doctoral work shares lessons learned in a program evaluation using …

Durable Responses At 24 Months With High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation For Nonsurgical Refractory Back Pain, Naresh P. Patel, Jessica Jameson, Curtis Johnson, Daniel Kloster, Aaron Calodney, Peter Kosek, Julie Pilitsis, Markus Bendel, Erika Petersen, Chengyuan Wu, Taissa Cherry, Shivanand Lad, Cong Yu, Dawood Sayed, Johnathan Goree, Mark K. Lyons, Andrew Sack, Diana Bruce, Manish Bharara, Rose Province-Azalde, David Caraway, Leonardo Kapural

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the 24-month durability of pain relief, function, quality of life, and safety outcomes for patients with nonsurgical refractory back pain (NSRBP) treated with high-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS) within a large, national, multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT).

METHODS: Following the completion of an RCT comparing high-frequency SCS plus CMM with CMM alone for the treatment of NSRBP, patients gave additional consent for a follow-up extension to 24 months. Presented is the cohort analysis of all patients treated with high-frequency SCS following the optional crossover at 6 months. The outcomes assessed to …

Grace-Based Faith Discipleship Approach Of Adults In South Rock Christian Church: Addressing The Contemporary Legalistic Lifestyle Of Disciples, Nicholas John Pannone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipleship often evokes different responses. However, contemporary Christians have a faithfulness dilemma driven by the constant messages they hear. This DMIN project seeks to develop and promote a ministry structure that educates, equips, and enriches the Christian life based on God’s grace. The project seeks to provide a framework for participants to be transformed holistically by God’s grace. Often, the members of South Rock Christian Church understand grace as the entry point into salvation, but not the identifying trait of their faithful life in Christ. This action project consists of qualitative research that demonstrates a gap between belief and action …

The Lived Experiences Of Elementary School Teachers Who Embedded Behavioral Support In Academic Instruction: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Christina Marie Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of educators who embed behavioral learning support into their academic curriculum and describe the meaning of the perceived influence on academic achievement and social development for elementary students in two elementary schools. What are the lived experiences of educators who embed behavioral support as a form of social-emotional learning (SEL) into their academic curriculum? Social constructivism was the interpretive framework used to guide this study, supported by Gagne’s and Vygotsky’s learning theories. Ten elementary school teacher participants in a metropolitan Atlanta area school district were selected using …

The Lived Experiences Of Army Senior Enlisted Leaders 90 Days After Retirement: A Phenomenological Study, Stephanie Francois

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The transition from army to civilian life is complicated for many veterans. Veterans must excel in multiple categories, including work, education, finances, health, and social relationships, for their transitions to be successful. Although many programs and services are designed to assist army veterans in transitioning to civilian life, many still experience transition challenges. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experiences of army senior enlisted leaders through retirement from active-duty service to reintegration into civilian life. The guiding theory of this study was Nancy Schlossberg’s transition theory. Transition theory is a theory of adult development established primarily with counseling …

Implicit Trait Policies And Situational Judgment Tests: How Personality Shapes Judgments Of Effective Behavior, Alexander Edward Johnson

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

The Situational Judgment Test (SJT) is a popular selection tool used by employers to

make hiring decisions due to their strong predictive validity. SJTs present job candidates with

hypothetical scenarios, asking them to choose the responses that best fit those situations. SJTs

have been used to measure a range of knowledge, skills, and abilities, but what they measure and

why they predict performance remains unclear. Lievens and Motowidlo (2016) called for a

reframing of the SJT as a measure of general domain knowledge. According to their theory, SJTs

measure procedural knowledge, which is composed of general domain knowledge—

operationalized as …

Linguistic Diversity From The K–12 Classroom To The Writing Center: Rethinking Expectations On Inclusive Grammar Instruction, Zoe Esterly, Hannah L.W Swoyer, Bridget A. Draxler

The Writing Center Journal

Language expresses our values and identities, but in educational spaces, multidialectical and multilingual students’ voices are often silenced in favor of Standard English (Lockett, 2019). As writing tutors and future language arts educators, we have developed a research-based inclusive grammar curriculum and classroom-based resources to expand the conversation surrounding linguistic inclusion. Guided by the principle that all students should be offered the opportunity to learn the conventions of Standard English, we advocate for inclusive teaching of Standard English grammar in K–12 classrooms and writing centers (Godley et al, 2015). Using previous research on multilingual students, linguistic inclusivity, and dialectical diversity, …

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First: Exploring School Principals’ Stress And Workplace Well-Being, Dl Alex Alexander

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to highlight the importance of studying and promoting well-being to help manage stress and prevent burnout among school principals, examine potential gender disparities, and to consider implications for future practice. Grounded in a positive psychology framework, this study examined the correlations among school principals’ workplace well-being, perceived stress, self-compassion, and intent to remain in their roles using a non-experimental, descriptive survey method. In Washington State, 124 school principals responded to an online survey over a span of 11 weeks. Descriptive, correlation, moderation, independent t-test analyses were performed on quantitative data, and qualitative data was …

Lvad Therapy Versus Medical Management In Heart Failure: An Integrative Review, Megan Cherry, Sandi Coker

Master of Science in Nursing Final Projects

Background: Advancements in technology have increased management options for heart failure (HF) patients. Options include guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, and/or heart transplant. Due to resource allocations, the most accessible options for many HF patients include GDMT and LVAD therapy. Authors of this integrative review (IR) sought to examine quality of life (QOL) and hospitalization rate outcomes among patients receiving GDMT versus LVAD therapy.

Methods: 417 articles were screened across multiple databases (CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest, Ovid, PubMed) for inclusion into the integrative review based on inclusion criteria: published within five years, peer-reviewed, written in English, …

Embryological Basis Of Polydactyly In 56 Years Old Male Patient, Sarayu M

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Polydactyly is a common congenital hand deformity. The limb buds are the precursor structures of the limbs. Their formation begins in the 4th week, with the activation of mesenchymal cells in the somatic layer of lateral plate mesoderm. As mesenchyme cells enter the limb region, they secrete factors that induce the overlying ectoderm to form a structure called the apical ectodermal ridge (AER). Polydactyly is the congenital deformities which is seen in 1000 births. To observe and study the various type of polydactyly in relation to the preaxial polydactyly and postaxial polydactyly with other classification. So, thumb polydactyly is a …

Autumn String Orchestra Concert: "Reflections Of The American Spirit" (2023), St. Norbert College Music Department

Music Performances

SNC Music Department presents: the Autumn String Orchestra Concert & the "Reflections of the American Spirit," featuring the music of Charles Lloyd Jr (2023).

Family Caregivers: From Invisible To Visible Within The Healthcare Continuum, Tara Anglim

Theses & Dissertations

As the United States' aging population rapidly grows, the prevalence of adults with chronic illness or disabilities who require intermittent or long-term caregiving from family members also increases. Despite the prevalence of caregiving, the role of the family caregiver is a label that lacks a clear description, definition, or societal understanding. The inability to identify family caregivers creates negative ramifications, including diminished recognition and support throughout the healthcare continuum. Drawing from caregiver identity theory, this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to describe the experiences of family caregivers to promote a deeper understanding of how they became aware of their caregiver identity …

Measuring The Contributions Of Perceptual And Attentional Processes In The Complete Composite Face Paradigm, William B. Erickson, Dawn R. Weatherford

Psychology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Theories of holistic face processing vary widely with respect to conceptualizations, paradigms, and stimuli. These divergences have left several theoretical questions unresolved. Namely, the role of attention in face perception is understudied. To rectify this gap in the literature, we combined the complete composite face task (allowing for predictions of multiple theoretical conceptualizations and connecting with a large body of research) with a secondary auditory discrimination task at encoding (to avoid a visual perceptual bottleneck). Participants studied upright, intact faces within a continuous recognition paradigm, which intermixes study and test trials at multiple retention intervals. Within subjects, participants studied faces …

The Impact Of Writing Center Consultations On Student Writing Self-Efficacy, Isabelle M. Lundin, Victoria O'Connor, Sherry Wynn Perdue

The Writing Center Journal

This study sought to determine the impact writing center consultations have on student writing self-efficacy and to illuminate effective consultant strategies for fostering student writing confidence. As part of a multimethods study, a survey was administered for students to reflect upon and to assess their feelings of writing self-efficacy by describing experiences in writing center consultations. Selected respondents were asked to elaborate on the strategies used by their peer consultant(s) in an optional open-ended interview. Findings suggest that writing center consultations help increase writing self-efficacy. The effective consultant strategies described by study participants are synthesized into an overarching consultant framework …

Keynote: Looking At Writing Centers Through Scientific Spectacles: The Expertise And Commitments That Characterize Contemporary Writing Centers, Bradley Hughes

The Writing Center Journal

This article is adapted from a keynote address at the July 2022 European Writing Centers Association (EWCA) conference, sponsored by the University of Graz in Austria, whose theme focused on writing centers as spaces of empowerment. Designed for peer tutors as well as writing center faculty, this talk first celebrates some examples of writing centers empowering student writers and tutors. It then attempts to articulate what scientific spectacles allow us to see when we look deeper into these examples of empowerment: some of the big ideas, the abstract principles, the constellation of expertise and commitments that underlie our contemporary writing …

Consent?, Jasmine Kar Tang

The Writing Center Journal

Reflecting on a few everyday situations, this “provocation” considers the question of consent at the writing center.

A Qualitative Case Study Examining Collaborative Teaching In Inclusion Classrooms Post-Pandemic, Danielle Maria Grunert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover educators’ perceptions of the challenges and benefits of collaborative teaching post-pandemic in inclusion classrooms throughout various New York public schools. The study focused on the central research question, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of collaborative teaching in inclusion classrooms post-pandemic? The theoretical framework guiding this study was the theory of self-efficacy, which examines educators' perceptions, beliefs, and confidence in their abilities to succeed co-teaching within inclusive classrooms. The design is an instrumental case study methodology, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon under investigation. This study utilized a …

Solving The Problem Of The Reading Achievement Gap Among Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners In A West Texas Elementary School: An Applied Study, Narichica V. Handy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to solve the problem of low reading achievement among English language learners at Wiley Elementary School in West Texas. A multi-method design was used, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach involved semistructured interviews with campus administrators, campus teaching coaches, and dual language teachers. The second approach involved conducting a focus group with campus administrators, campus teaching coaches, and dual language teachers. The third approach consisted of a document review of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness reading results. The findings resulted in several recommendations for solving the problem …

Communication And Community: The Impact Of Closed Facebook Groups On Athletic Trainers, Allison M. Schwartz-Strickland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study will use semi-structured interviews to explore the motivations of athletic trainers using social media for professional collaboration. The socio-psychological tradition is used to frame the study. Communities of practice, uses and gratification theory, and the Wisdom of the Crowd model are used as the guiding theoretical perspectives as they provide a framework for understanding how and why athletic trainers use social media. This qualitative study sought to show the impact of closed Facebook Group participation on athletic trainers. How athletic trainers understand patient privacy laws when participating in closed Facebook groups for athletic trainers will also …

Current Management Issues In Health Information Technology, Gladys Dadson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Health information technology can improve quality care delivery, thereby boosting the healthcare business reputation. However, it can negatively affect quality care delivery and lead to a negative business reputation if not efficiently managed. This single qualitative study aimed to explore the causes of the inefficiencies in managing health information technology and strategies that healthcare organizations use to ensure its efficiencies. In a purposive sample, the researcher conducted telephone interviews with twenty-one participants from Lancaster General Hospital. The participants comprised medical doctors, Doctor of Nursing practitioners, managers of health informatics, and informatics specialists working in various divisions and E-health operations. Other …

The Resurrection And The Witness, Michael A. Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis project aims to educate and equip New Life Christian Church (NLCC) and Eagle View Christian School (EVCS) leaders to use biblically fundamental arguments and theories about Christ’s Resurrection to defend its merits against contemporary cultural objections. The study employed the quantitative design method to gather information through a survey utilizing open and closed-ended questions with a convenient sample of thirty-eight participants from the NLCC and EVCS population. As leaders teach, others become effective witnesses of Christ’s Resurrection, equipping them to implement the teachings of Mathew 28:19-20 and 1 Peter 3:15 in their witness and defense of the gospel’s …

The Effects Of Motivational Messages On The Mathematics Anxiety Of Preservice Elementary Education Majors, Eric William Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of motivational messages on the mathematics anxiety of preservice elementary education majors. A quantitative, quasi-experimental posttest nonequivalent control group design was used. The attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction model of motivation and control-value theories provided direction for this study. Sampling methods included convenience and voluntary response sampling of preservice elementary education majors in nine intact sections of required college mathematics courses. The number of participants sampled was 32. Participants in the treatment group watched supplemental videos embedded with motivational messages that covered concepts in the enrolled course. Participants in the control group watched supplemental videos …