Education Commons^™

Improving Nutrition Screening Practice In The Hospitalized Heart Failure Patient Population, Amanda J. Bourgeois

DNP Projects

Background: Heart Failure is a disease known to affect nearly 6.5 million adults in the United States. Characterized by recurrent hospitalizations, heart failure significantly contributes to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States and worldwide. Because malnutrition is prevalent in the heart failure population, healthcare providers must perform nutritional assessments on admission to intervene in the case of malnutrition, prevent deterioration, and improve patient prognosis. Without intervention and early identification of malnutrition, heart failure hospitalizations will remain a significant problem.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based educational program for cardiac …

The Effect Of Physical Activity Courses On The Motivation For Physical Activity In College Students: A Scoping Review, Erica Fauste Waizenhofer Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The lack of physical activity and exercise participation has been an ongoing
problem for young adults aged 18-24. Universities and colleges worldwide offer a variety of required and elective physical activity courses for college credit to increase active participation in lifelong healthy lifestyles. This scoping review collected studies on college students’ motivation to participate in physical activity. The courses were taught using methods based on motivational theories. The authors of the studies collected information from the students before and after the classes to gather data on the theoretical framework’s effect on the students, if any. This review compiles this information, …

Safety In The Woods: Studying The Effectiveness Of The Kentucky Master Logger Program, Austin Winn Leake

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Logging is a dangerous field; in this study the researcher looks to see the knowledge both before and after professional loggers participate in the Kentucky Master Logger Program. This information was used to see the overall effectiveness of the Kentucky Master Logger Program. The researcher found an overall improvement in logging professionals’ perceptions and understanding of logging safety. The researcher recommends creating an emphasis on a safe work culture through safety incentives and a greater focus on less used personal protective equipment such as insecticide

Finland, A Package Deal: Disciplinary Climate In Science Classes, Science Dispositions And Science Literacy, Larry J. Grabau, Jari Levonen, Kalle Juuti

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Finland’s educational prowess, though tempered by recent international assessments, has remained intact. This report focused on lessons that could be learned regarding secondary-level science education from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, science-focused assessment. That PISA iteration included not only science literacy but also students’ science dispositions (epistemology, enjoyment, interest, and self-efficacy) and the schools’ science climate measures (disciplinary climate and teaching support). Due to the hierarchical nature of the PISA data, multilevel models were employed in this Finnish study, involving 5582 students from 167 schools. Science dispositions (as outcome measures) were differently associated with teaching support and …

Persistent Miscalibration For Low And High Achievers Despite Practice Test Feedback In An Introductory Biology Course, Jennifer L. Osterhage

Biology Faculty Publications

Students' ability to accurately judge their knowledge is crucial for effective learning. However, students' perception of their current knowledge is often misaligned with their actual performance. The relationship between learners' perception of their performance and their actual performance on a task is defined as calibration. Previous studies have shown significant student miscalibration in an introductory biology course: students' predicted exam scores were, on average, significantly higher than their actual scores. The goal of this study was to determine whether completion of a practice test before exams would result in better performance and calibration. The hypothesis was that students who completed …

The Relationship Between Stress And Quality Of Life In People With Multiple Sclerosis: The Mediating Role Of Resilience, Byung Jin Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system encompassing the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve, in which the patient’s immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues. Due to the unpredictable characteristics of the disease, MS can lead to an unusually high level of stress and may negatively impact the individual’s QoL. Resilience is a psychological structure that shows positive coping and adaptive ability from difficult or stressful situations. Resilience also indicates a buffering effect on the stressors of individuals with disabilities and serves to protect psychological health and function from disability. The purpose of this …

Nurse Driven Enteral Nutrition Protocol For Mechanically Ventilated Patients, Deena Shewekah

DNP Projects

Introduction: Delayed enteral nutrition in critically ill patients increases the risk of complications and poor outcomes. Current evidence-based guidelines recommend initiation of enteral nutrition within 24-48 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The quality improvement (QI) project aim was to examine whether enteral nutrition was initiated within 24- 48 hours of mechanical ventilation after implementation of QI intervention in order to determine practice change.

Methods: The QI protocol was introduced to the Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) at UK Chandler Hospital (UKHC) nurses via an education session. A post-education electronic survey identified the nurse’s understanding of the protocol. To identify nursing …

College Students Mandated To Substance Use Courses: An Exploration Of Age-Of-Onset, Perceived Norms, And The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Benjamin Neil Montemayor

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Every year, college campuses report alcohol and other drug (AOD) policy violations as the most frequent reason students receive disciplinary referrals and, thus, are mandated to programming. This dissertation focused on exploring characteristics of students mandated to intervention programming in order to provide recommendations for future programs. This dissertation includes three studies involving students enrolled in mandated intervention programming: (1) a systematic review of the effectiveness of mandated programs in reducing cannabis or other drug use, (2) an examination of the differences between early- and late-onset alcohol and cannabis users, and (3) an exploration of perceived norms, and the Theory …

A Multi-Institutional Analysis Of Instructional Beliefs And Practices In Gateway Courses To The Sciences, Joseph J. Ferrare

Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Faculty Publications

This paper builds on previous studies of instructional practice in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses by reporting findings from a study of the relationship between instructors’ beliefs about teaching and learning and their observed classroom practices. Data collection took place across six institutions of higher education and included in-depth interviews with 71 instructors and more than 140 hours of classroom observations using the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol. Thematic coding of interviews identified 31 distinct beliefs that instructors held about the ways students best learn introductory concepts and skills in these courses. Cluster analysis of the observation data suggested that …

Opportunities For Self-Evaluation Increase Student Calibration In An Introductory Biology Course, Jennifer L. Osterhage, Ellen Usher, Trisha A. Douin, William M. Bailey

Biology Faculty Publications

Accurate self-evaluation is critical for learning. Calibration describes the relationship between learners’ perception of their performance and their actual performance on a task. Here, we describe two studies aimed at assessing and improving student calibration in a first-semester introductory biology course at a 4-year public institution. Study 1 investigated students’ (n = 310) calibration (the difference between estimated and actual exam performance) across one semester. Students were significantly miscalibrated for the first exam: their predicted scores were, on average, significantly higher than their actual scores. The lowest-performing students had the most inaccurate estimates. Calibration improved with each exam. By …

Tanglewood Trail Walking And Voucher Program, Kelci Marie Mchugh

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Rural Appalachian populations have greater rates of obesity and chronic diseases attributed to lesser consumption of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and physical inactivity. Barriers to F/V consumption and physical activity include poor access and affordability. To help overcome these barriers, a community-initiated walking and farmers market F/V voucher program was implemented.

Participants were encouraged to walk (1.2 miles roundtrip) to the local farmers market to redeem a $10 voucher which could only be spent on F/V. The 16-week program (June – Sept) included 121 participants. Data was analyzed by creating two groups, low-engagers and high-engagers that differed significantly in the …

Effects Of Potassium Source And Rate On Yield, Quality, And Leaf Chemistry Of Dark And Burley Tobacco, And Residual Effects Of Soil K Levels, Andrea Brooke Keeney

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Field trials were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with dark fire-cured, dark air-cured, and burley tobacco at Princeton, Murray and Lexington Kentucky. Tobacco variety used in 2016 was a low converter (LC) variety, varieties used in 2017 and 2018 were LC and higher converter (HC) varieties. Potassium sources used at all locations and in all years were potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) and potassium chloride (KCl). Application rates used at all locations and in all years were 93, 186, 279 kg K ha^-1along with an untreated control that received no potassium. In all trials, tobacco …

Analysis Of Push-Up And Pull-Up Variants To Develop An Upper Extremity Model, Ashley Carlene Wimsett

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Musculoskeletal Injuries are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability. Push-Ups and Pull-Ups are effective dynamic exercises that mimic high level function activities, such as those used in the military. The model developed allows for researchers to analyze the forces and moments associated with the shoulder, elbow and wrist, to further assess function in military personnel, athletes and the active population. The model also follows the guidelines set forth by the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB).

A Low-Intensity, Hybrid Design Between A "Traditional" And A "Course-Based" Research Experience Yields Positive Outcomes For Science Undergraduate Freshmen And Shows Potential For Large-Scale Application, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Biology Faculty Publications

Based on positive student outcomes, providing research experiences from early undergraduate years is recommended for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To this end, we designed a novel research experience called the “STEMCats Research Experience” (SRE) for a cohort of 119 second-semester freshmen with diverse college preparatory levels, demographics, and academic majors. The SRE targeted student outcomes of enhancing retention in STEM majors, STEM competency development, and STEM academic performance. It was designed as a hybrid of features from apprenticeship-based traditional undergraduate research experience and course-based undergraduate research experience designs, considering five factors: 1) an authentic research experience, 2) …

Use And Effectiveness Of The Individual Development Plan Among Postdoctoral Researchers: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Nathan L. Vanderford, Teresa M. Evans, L. Todd Weiss, Lindsay Bira, Jazmin Beltran-Gastelum

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

The individual development plan (IDP) is a career planning tool that aims to assist PhD trainees in self-assessing skills, exploring career paths, developing short- and long-term career goals, and creating action plans to achieve those goals. The National Institutes of Health and many academic institutions have created policies that mandate completion of the IDP by both graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Despite these policies, little information exists regarding how widely the tool is used and whether it is useful to the career development of PhD trainees. Herein, we present data from a multi-institutional, online survey on the use and effectiveness …

Horse-Related Injuries: Causes, Preventability, And Where Educational Efforts Should Be Focused, Fernanda Camargo, William R. Gombeski Jr., Polly Barger, Connie Jehlik, Holly Wiemers, James Mead, Amy Lawyer

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

A high percentage of equestrians will experience accidents, with different degrees of severity, throughout their riding careers. Horse-related injuries have the highest likelihood of requiring hospitalization based on individuals visiting US emergency departments. Studies have shown that the majority of injured riders said they could have prevented the accident and the injury was due to rider/handler error. Therefore, equestrians reported their injuries, and a panel of experts analyzed these reports to better understand the causes, how to prevent, and where to invest educational resources to generate a reduction in horse-related accidents. The majority of riders reported intermediate riding skills, most …

The Influence Of Transformational Middle Leaders On Work-Life Balance, Timothy D. Tanner

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Work-life balance is a key indicator of employee satisfaction, retention, and social health as well as organizational creativity and productivity. These dual benefits for employee and employer have generated interest in promoting work-life balance. Supervisors who operate from a transformational leadership framework have been linked to greater work-life balance among employees (Lamm, 2011; (Kutilek, Conklin, & Gunderson, 2002). The role of a supportive organizational culture is also central (Lewis, 2001).

In this study, Cooperative Extension Service agents (N = 1390) participated in a nationwide survey exploring the relationship between rated levels of transformational leadership among district directors, work-life balance, …

Factors Contributing To Job Satisfaction, Retention, And Attrition Of Agricultural Educators: A Synthesis Of Research, Lee Nolan Thomsen

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

In recent years, School-Based Agricultural Education has been facing a shortage of secondary teachers, due in part to low retention rates of these valuable educators. In light of this shortage, a multitude of research has been conducted throughout the country on challenges faced by agricultural educators, some as indicators of intent to leave the profession. This thesis sought to synthesize the research conducted on job satisfaction, retention, and attrition of School-Based Agricultural Educators order to identify prevalent problems facing these teachers which may contribute to the decision to leave the classroom. From the research, seven themes emerged as job-related factors …

Leadership Styles Of State Extension Specialists, K. Amy Lawyer

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Cooperative extension is one of three components, along with teaching and research that form the mission of land grant universities. The focus of extension work is to take knowledge gained through research conducted at the university, and disseminate the information, in a practical manner to the end user. In most instances, extension work revolves around agriculture. Within the extension system are personnel that help to foster this program of educating clientele who work in the agricultural industry. County level agents are in place to teach and address the needs of local constituents, specialists are generally housed at the university campus …

Analysis Of The Difference In Landing Between Male And Female High School Soccer Athletes, Jessica Vogt

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Introduction: Females are consistently found to be at a higher risk of tearing their ACL. Extensive research has been completed previously to determine what causes an ACL tear and why this separation exists but a confirmed conclusion has not been found. Potential extrinsic factors such as decreased knee flexion and increased valgus have commonly been suggested as increased stressors on the ACL. The focus of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference in these two factors between males and females.

Methods: Seven healthy and highly trained subjects between the ages of 17 and 18 who do …

Development Of A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience To Introduce Drug-Receptor Concepts, Hollie I. Swanson, Ok-Kyong Park-Sarge, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Course-based research experiences (CUREs) are currently of high interest due to their potential for engaging undergraduate students in authentic research and maintaining their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. As part of a campuswide initiative called STEMCats, which is a living learning program offered to freshman STEM majors at the University of Kentucky funded by a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we have developed a CURE for freshmen interested in pursuing health care careers. Our course, entitled “Drug–Drug Interactions in Breast Cancer,” utilized a semester-long, in-class authentic research project and instructor-led discussions to engage students in …

Population Dynamics Based On Resource Availability & Founding Effects: Live & Computational Models, Samuel Potter, Rebecca M. Krall, Susan Mayo, Diane Johnson, Kimberly J. Zeidler-Watters, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

With the looming global population crisis, it is more important now than ever that students understand what factors influence population dynamics. We present three learning modules with authentic, student-centered investigations that explore rates of population growth and the importance of resources. These interdisciplinary modules integrate biology, mathematics, and computer-literacy concepts aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The activities are appropriate for middle and high school science classes and for introductory college-level biology courses. The modules incorporate experimentation, data collection and analysis, drawing conclusions, and application of studied principles to explore factors affecting population dynamics in fruit flies. The variables …

How Feedback And Goal-Setting Impact Children's Recess Physical Activity, Ryann Koufoudakis, Heather Erwin, Aaron Beighle, Michelle L. Thornton

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

In recent years, schools desire to promote physical activity (PA) for their students but are restricted due to resources being expended in other areas of their curriculum, including standardized testing preparation. Recess/lunch periods have potential to contribute important amounts of PA to youth’s overall levels. Interventions to maximize PA during recess are warranted. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the impact of feedback and goal-setting on students’ PA during recess. A sample of 136 (67 females, 69 males) 4^th and 5^th grade students in the Southeast United States wore unsealed Walk4Life pedometers during recess for one …

What’S In A Gene: Undergraduates’ Ideas And Misconceptions About Gene Function, Justin M. Levaughn

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The purpose of this study was to field test a two-tiered instrument including multiple-choice and short answer tasks to assess college students’ ideas and level of understanding in genetics. The instrument was constructed from previously tested assessment tasks and findings from the current research literature. Ninety-seven freshmen enrolled in a biology lab course were surveyed. Test validity and reliability were measured using Chronbach coefficients. Multiple-choice and short answer responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify frequencies of answer selections. Written responses were independently evaluated using a five-point scoring rubric by three researchers to identify common misconceptions revealed in students’ …

An Evaluation Of The Techniques And Strategies For Recruiting African-Americans By 1862 Land-Grant Universities, Rashawn P. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

As post-secondary education becomes more important for the American citizen to generate wealth, universities are struggling to retain and graduate African-Americans, the third-most represented demographic in the country, especially at predominately white colleges and universities. The Colleges of Agriculture at these particular institutions are struggling to even get Black students to apply, let alone graduate. One of the major issues is the disconnect between the African-American community and the idea of post-secondary education in the agricultural field. One way that disconnect can be combatted is new techniques and strategies in recruiting African-Americans. This study identifies three themes based on interviews …

Perception, Opportunity, Empowerment, And Policy: Women's Influence In Kentucky Agriculture, Courtney Lacy Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

The number of women farmers in the United States is increasing at a substantial rate. Women are fulfilling various roles on the farm and stepping into formal leadership positions in the agricultural community. This study surveys the perception of women reputational leaders in Kentucky agriculture among traditional agricultural leaders, the opportunities available to women in agriculture, the sources empowering women to serve in leadership capacities in agriculture, and how women reputational leaders influence agriculture and agricultural policy in Kentucky. The research revealed that the dynamic of Kentucky agriculture is shifting. Women have made significant strides in agriculture as farmers and …

Work Life Balance For Agricultural Educators In Kentucky, Kendra Horn Rowland

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Research indicates that Kentucky agricultural educators are overworked and experience job related stress. Balancing work and home can be a struggle and stress induces burnout and teacher attrition. Shortages in the agriculture classroom could result in loss of agricultural education programs and negatively affect the profession. The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the demographics of Kentucky high school agricultural educators; 2) describe the work and home life balance for Kentucky agricultural educators; 3) determine the level of job satisfaction among Kentucky agricultural educators; 4) determine the perceived busiest time of the school year for Kentucky agricultural educators. …

Comprehensive Sexuality Education In Kentucky, Luciana D. Hockersmith

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Discussions of sex education of any kind can be controversial in a given setting. Traditional approaches to sex education prompt debate regarding effectiveness. Key indicators central to the effectiveness of sex education continue to be rates of teen pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). With discontentment surrounding the effectiveness of “traditional approaches,” a more wide-ranging method is worthy of being explored. The curriculum approach of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) includes six key concepts, and subsequent sub-concepts, intended to provide a broad and even all-inclusive range of topics for a similarly broad and even all-inclusive range of ages of …

Promoting Healthy Home-Cooked Family Meals: Evaluation Of A Social Marketing Program Targeting Low-Income Mothers, Mollie Y. Dawahare

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Objective: Evaluate how a social marketing approach compares to traditional nutrition education curriculum for promoting behavioral changes related to eating and food.

Design: Nonequivalent comparison group, entry-exit design. Participants from 12 Kentucky counties assigned either comparison or pilot group. Comparison group received traditional nutrition education curriculum and pilot group received the social marketing program, Cook Together, Eat Together (CTET) curriculum. EFNEP’s Behavior Checklist and 24-Hour Dietary Recall were administered at entry and exit of the 8-week programs.

Participants: Females (18-72 years of age) from families eligible to receive SNAP benefits (n=64 comparison group participants, n=60 pilot group participants).

Intervention: …

The Perceptions, Knowledge, Benefits And Barriers Of Hispanics Regarding The Dietary Guidelines For Americans, Luisyana De Amor Gamboa

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S. and by the year 2060 the number of Hispanics is projected to double. They are disproportionately affected by obesity and chronic diseases which translate into decreased quality of life, loss of work opportunities and perceptions of injustice for the Hispanic population. The Dietary Guidelines (DG) provide information to help Americans make healthy food and physical activity choices and if followed can be a means of reducing the health disparity gap. However, culturally relevant recommendations specific to Hispanics’ health and nutritional habits are often lacking. The purpose of this study was …