Education Commons^™

The Physical Activity Of Spanish Speleologists: Accomplishment Of Recommendations And Differences By Sociodemographic Variables, Miquel Pans, Laura Antón-González, Maite Pellicer-Chenoll

International Journal of Speleology

Outdoor adventure activities are becoming more popular due to their potential health benefits, although there is little scientific information on speleology as a physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study is to expand the scientific evidence in this field in two ways: (a) describe the PA performed by speleologists, taking into account the variables of interest such as gender, age, education, speleological level, participation in ‘Alpine’ explorations and body mass index (BMI) and (b) identify how far the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PA recommendations were accomplished (i.e.,150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA or 75 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic). A …

“They’Re Still Trying To Wrap Their Head Around Forever”: An Anatomy Of Hope For Spinal Cord Injury Patients, William A. Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation draws on ethnographic data to investigate the nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in Central Florida, using participant observation and interview data to understand how people with SCI (pwSCI) conceptualize their own disabilities after experiencing such radical alterations in their subjectivities. Using case studies and ethnographic vignettes, it argues that the extreme double binds in which pwSCI find themselves (where they are personally ordinarily disabled and socially extraordinarily novel; and where they are enabled resources to pursue “hopeful” therapy modalities while being designated as hopelessly disabled) is further polarized by the various legislative regimes of truth in …

Intimate Conversations: A Mixed-Methods Study Of African American Father-Adolescent Sexual Risk Communication, Shanda A. Vereen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Approximately 50% of African American (AA) high school students are sexually active and a large proportion of sexually active AA students report engaging in sexual risk behaviors such as not using condoms at last intercourse. Consequently, AA adolescents in the United States experience outcomes of risky sexual behaviors at high rates. Evidence shows parents have an effect on shaping adolescent attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding sex through sexual risk communication (SRC). Although parent-adolescent SRC is associated with reductions in sexual risk behaviors among AA adolescents, research has primarily focused on mothers. While parents acknowledge that SRC is traditionally viewed …

Hiv Stalks Bodies Like Mine: An Autoethnography Of Self-Disclosure, Stigmatized Identity, And (In)Visibility In Queer Lived Experience, Steven Ryder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status within the context of communication between long-standing friends. For the purposes of my study, I define this type of friendship as those who have known me for at least two years and with whom I communicate regularly. These are friends who tend to know a variety of personal details about me, ranging from superficial to private and trivial to essential. I use autoethnography to ground the study in my lived experience. By doing so, I present intimate accounts of my communication with others across my lifespan to function as background …

Examining The Relationship Between Racial Respect Among Black Early Childhood Professionals And Their Perceptions Of Black Children, Kayla Nembhard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black children are exposed to the highest rates of negative teacher perceptions and punitive consequences. Healthy People 2020 acknowledges the significance of the first five years of child development and the various factors that promote or hinder health outcomes during this time. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of quality relationships between children and their caregivers, including their ECE teachers. Overall, Black children tend to fare better academically when they are able to engage with Black educators and other ECE professionals. However, there is recent evidence Black educators in ECE settings, specifically, also uphold racialized negative perceptions of Black students that …

A Macro Social Examination Of The Relationship Between Disabilities And Crime Using Neighborhood And County Level Data, Natasha A. Baloch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades, there has been a consistent increase in mental illnesses in the US population. This has also lead to increased interactions of those with mental illnesses and/or disabilities with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Despite these instances, there is limited research on the relationship between disabilities, mental health issues and crime in the large body of criminological research. Further, the current extant research is a) outside the field of Criminology, b) primarily focuses on those with only intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or c) does not examine this relationship at the macro level, despite evidence …

“Practice Basic Hygiene, And You’Ll Stay Healthy”: How Primary School Reading Textbooks Transmitted Cultural Education In The Soviet Union, Victoria Storozenko

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Russia’s Cultural Revolution, beginning after the October Revolution in 1917, produced a broadly defined understanding of culture and cultural education at Russian schools that encompassed even basic hygiene and health. Drawing from postdoctoral research, this paper discusses the Cultural Revolution’s impact and its ideas on cultural education as presented in textbooks for 10-year general education schools in the Soviet Union. Discourse analysis revealed that the schoolbooks acted as an interface between a functional education system and changes in its surrounding environment, especially changes due to the Cultural Revolution. Amid today’s COVID-19 pandemic, the study’s findings raise several questions about what …

Predictors Of Goal Attainment Among High School Students In Accelerated Academic Curricula Receiving School-Based Motivational Interviewing Intervention, Camille E. Hanks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs represent a unique group of adolescents given the high demands of their rigorous coursework and the elevated stress they experience compared to peers in the general education (Suldo & Shaunessy-Dedrick, 2013). These students are often missed in traditional screening procedures that tend to identify students struggling academically or exhibiting disruptive behaviors. Fortunately, Shaunessy-Dedrick and colleagues (2021) developed a comprehensive school-based intervention program, including universal (Tier 1) and selective (Tier 2) components, which aims to support the well-being of AP/IB students. The Tier 2 component of this program (i.e., …

Mealtimes In Early Childhood Education Centers During Covid-19: A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of Responsibilities, Interactions, And Best Practices, Joanna Mackie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Childhood obesity is a public health problem associated with many co-morbidities. The majority of young children in the United States (U.S.) attend formal early childhood education (ECE) programs, often consuming the majority of daily calories and engaging with teachers during mealtimes. Mealtime best practices support children’s development of healthy eating habits. This dissertation aimed to understand how COVID-19 has influenced mealtimes in ECE centers, including (1) the division of responsibility between adults and children during mealtimes, (2) the child feeding dynamic, and (3) how mealtime best practices have been included during COVID-19.

Methods: This dissertation used a concurrent mixed-methods …

Screening Of Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorder: Identifying Factors Impacting Implementation Of Screening Recommendations Using The Theoretical Domains Framework, Tara R. Foti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Prenatal opioid exposure is a growing problem in the United States with high and increasing rates of opioid use and opioid use disorder during pregnancy. Almost 23% of pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid programs filled an opioid prescription during pregnancy in 2007, marking a 21.1% increase since 2000. Maternal opioid use during pregnancy is associated with a variety of poor maternal, pregnancy and infant outcomes, including overdose, pregnancy-associated death, prematurity, low birth weight and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. To optimize prenatal care and pregnancy-associated outcomes, the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health, in collaboration with The American College of …

Evaluating The Use Of Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Substitute Caregivers To Identify Hazards, Carlos Abarca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The leading cause of death for children across the world is unintentional injuries (UNICEF 2001). Hazards such as accessible pools, poisons, and small ingestible items are the leading causes of unintentional injuries. Behavioral interventions such as Project 12-Ways/Safe Care have been used to teach parents how to be proactive in structuring a home free of accessible hazards by teaching the parents to identify and remove hazards in their home. Though the Project 12-Ways/Safe Care model has over 30 years of literature supporting its efficacy, the model has not been tested with substitute caregivers who often play a critical role in …

Factors In The Probability Of Covid-19 Transmission In University Classrooms, Charles Connor

Numeracy

University students and faculty members need an effective strategy to evaluate and reduce the probability that an individual will become infected with COVID-19 as a result of classroom interactions. Models are developed here that consider the probability an individual will become infected as a function of: prevalence of the disease in the university community, number of students in class, number of class meetings, and transmission rate in the classroom given the presence of an infected individual. Absolute probabilities that an individual will become infected in a classroom environment cannot be calculated because some of these factors have unknown values. Nevertheless, …

Differences In Knowledge Acquisition, Perceived Engagement And Self-Efficacy In Latino Promotores Delivering The Heart Disease Prevention Program Su Corazόn, Su Vida, Samuel Matos-Bastidas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Su Corazόn, Su Vida (Your Heart, Your Life) is a community-based, small-group health intervention designed to empower Latinos to enhance cardiovascular disease awareness and initiate enduring lifestyle changes to improve health outcomes and quality of life. Originally developed to be delivered in weekly sessions in Spanish or English language, it addresses several heart disease risk factors including unhealthy eating habits, poor physical activity, high cholesterol, overweight, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and tobacco smoking, among others. Instructors use diverse learning and support strategies such as group discussion, role modeling, problem-solving, health action planning, and self-monitoring. Participants help each other to stay on …

Adolescent Asthma And School Disparities: An Ecological Perspective Of Students And Stakeholders, Tali Schneider

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asthma is a chronic condition that mainly affects adolescents. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a gradual increase in rates of lifetime asthma among adolescents from 17.1% in 2005 to 22.8% in 2015. Currently, one in ten adolescents nation-wide experience active asthma; similar trends are seen in the state of Florida (Florida Asthma Program, 2013; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention, 2015). As a chronic, lifelong condition, asthma can be life-threatening if not properly controlled. When exacerbated, attacks of asthma constrict airways, leading to restrained breathing, wheezing, coughing and chest pain (Parulekar, Alobaidy, …

Effects Of Quantitative Literacy On Healthcare Decision-Making: An Aural Context, Robert G. Root, Sonia Bhala

Numeracy

We propose a relationship between sensory modality, numerical formatting, and performance on a survey simulating healthcare decision-making. We examine the current literature on aural health literacy, and specifically aural literacy coupled with health numeracy. We then create a survey instrument called the Bhala test for this purpose and demonstrate that it is moderately internally consistent and provides results that correlate with the NUMi assessment, a widely accepted measure of health numeracy. The quantitative information provided in the Bhala test has two treatments, percentage and natural frequency formats, in an effort to determine which format is easier for subjects to use …

Effects Of An Academic Enrichment Program On Elementary-Aged Students' Performance, Lauren E. Nieder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to develop a greater understanding of the effectiveness of enrichment programs outside of the school setting. This study was also intended to contribute to the broader understanding of the mechanism of student school-related stress, reported by parents, as it relates to student academic performance, specifically in a population which primarily consists of students and parents who are of Asian-Indian-American descent. With rising standards and intensifying pressure on students to be academically successful, it is necessary to examine the stress students experience due to their academics, as well as its effects on their academic performance. …

Positive Deviance As A Framework For Understanding Motivations And Barriers To Exercise For University Students At Campus Recreation, René Dario Herrera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to use qualitative research methodologies to better understand motivations and barriers to exercise for university students at campus recreation. The secondary purpose was to identify any correlations between physical activity habits and academic success. Ethnographic data obtained from a positive deviance sample and critically analyzed with feminist and postmodern theory could provide additional validation for campus recreation's value in positively contributing to the academic success of university students.

Participant observation, questionnaire, cultural domain analysis, interview, and focus group provided qualitative data.

Results indicate university students who frequent campus recreation to exercise are highly motivated …

Spatial-Temporal Distribution Of Mosquito Larval Hot Spots In Papoli, Uganda: A Community-Based Approach To Mosquito Control, Ryan E. Tokarz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mosquito species of the Anopheles gambaie complex are the predominant vectors of malaria transmission throughout sub-Saharan Africa. These mosquitoes tend to be endophilic, as well as anthropophilic, making them prime candidates for disease transmission. Within the same region, related mosquito vectors play a significant role in the transmission of additional human and zoonotic diseases. Furthermore, mosquito nuisance biting is an immense issue that cannot be ignored in terms of its impact on African communities. Depending on the respective factors involved, mosquito control programs throughout the continent have attempted to tackle these issues in a multitude of ways. This research approached …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Low-Risk Cesarean Deliveries In Florida, Yuri Combo Vanda Sebastiao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background and Significance: Cesarean delivery rates increased by more than 50% between 1996 and 2011 in the United States. The large increase in rates for the procedure was generally not associated with significant improvements in obstetric outcomes, raising concern about quality and prompting recommendations for prevention. Primary cesareans provide the best opportunity to reduce overall cesarean rates, and the group of first-time mothers considered low-risk for cesarean (known as nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex, NTSV) constitutes the focus of prevention efforts. Studies increasingly report racial and ethnic differences in NTSV cesareans, which remain after controlling for health factors. However, the reasons …

Development And Validation Of A Remote Sensing Model To Identify Anthropogenic Boreholes That Provide Dry Season, Refuge Habitat For Anopheles Vector Mosquitoes In Sub-Saharan Africa, James Pkemoi Kukat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A lack of surveillance systems is an impediment to public health intervention for perennial vector-borne disease transmission in northern tropical savanna region of Kenya. The population in this area are mostly poor nomadic pastoralists with little acquired functional immunity to Plasmodium falciparum, due to infrequent challenges with the parasite. A common characteristic in tropical savanna climatic zone is the availability of riverbeds that have anthropogenic boreholes that provide malaria vector mosquitoes, such as Anopheles gambiae s.l and Anopheles funestus, with aquatic refuge habitats for proliferation and endemic transmission to proximity human households during the dry-season. Unfortunately, currently there …

Melding Data Collection Methodology With Community Assistance: Benefits To Both Researchers And The Indigenous Groups They Study, Douglas S. London

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

I present a description of a model of melding data collection with community aid in the form of health educator training that emerged in the process of research collaboration during 2009-2011 with the Kawymeno Waorani foragers of Amazonian Ecuador. Some guidelines are suggested as to how benefits to both parties might be achieved when collecting data with indigenous populations. In this article I describe some of the advantages and pitfalls of melding data collection and community aid with research when collaborating with vulnerable indigenous groups.

Sound Attenuation Performance Of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Circumaural Hearing Protection Devices, Steven Christopher Augustine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Personnel who work on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier are exposed to extreme levels of jet engine noise often in excess of 140 decibels (dB). The current circumaural hearing protective devices (CAHPD) employed by flight deck crewmen are inadequate for the level of protection required for these extreme levels of noise. Fiber-reinforced thermoset polymer composite (FRPC) materials such as aramid fibers used in body armor, have high theoretical values of acoustic impedance due to a fundamentally high modulus of elasticity and may offer a superior level of hearing protection over original equipment (OE) thermoplastic CAHPDs. The objective of …

Residency Education In Preparing Adolescent And Young Adults For Transition To Adult Care: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Janet S. Hess

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is considerable evidence that physicians lack sufficient training in facilitating transition from pediatric to adult care systems for adolescents and young adults (A/YA). While several primary care residency programs have introduced health care transition (HCT) curricula in recent years, there are few studies that assess the effectiveness of HCT teaching models.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a residency education program that uses electronic health records (EHR) and other methods to teach residents how to prepare A/YA for transition to adult care.

Methods: In a mixed methods, quasi-experimental research design, quantitative methods were used to measure change in …

African Americans And Hospice: A Culture-Centered Exploration Of Disparities In End-Of-Life Care, Patrick Dillon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the United States' population ages and grows more diverse, scholars and practitioners have grown increasingly concerned about persistent disparities in the cost and quality of end-of-life health care, particularly with regard to African Americans. Although a variety of factors may influence these disparities, most scholars agree that the underutilization of hospice care by this population is an important contributor. Drawing from the culture-centered approach to health communication and narrative theory, the present study explores African American patients and caregivers' experiences with hospice care and takes an initial step toward addressing disparities in end-of-life care. I begin this study, first, …

Parent Pathways: Recognition And Responses To Developmental Delays In Young Children, Jennifer Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts parents to identify problems and seek help for their children. This mixed methods study rooted in the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory examined child, parent, family, and community level factors related to parent recognition (awareness and concern) and response (help-seeking and enrollment in services), including formal and informal …

Mother- To - Child Transmission Of Hiv And Congenital Syphilis: A Snapshot Of An Epidemic In The Republic Of Panama, Lorna Elizabeth Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Background: Worldwide HIV is going through a feminization and rejuvenation as more women are living with HIV/AIDS, increasing the risk of vertical transmission. Despite the efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by 2010, Panama was the third most affected country in the region with HIV/AIDS, with females aged 15-24 twice as affected as men.

Methods: This descriptive epidemiological study of HIV vertical transmission in Panama reviewed clinical charts to identify health care personnel's practices during pregnancies in 2008. This study also examines the impact of interventions comparing the HIV outcome of the children at the end of …

Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, And Practices, Anol Bhattacherjee

Textbooks Collection

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any course on research methods.

The contents and examples are designed for anyone interested in behavioral research (not just information systems people), and so, the book should appeal to most business programs, social sciences, education, public health, and related disciplines.

An Examination Of The Impact Of Preconception Health On Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Through The Theoretical Lens Of Reciprocal Determinism, Mary Elizabeth Buie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of preconception health on adverse pregnancy outcomes through the theoretical lens of reciprocal determinism. Thus, this study aims to develop a preconception health conceptual framework that accounts for the interactive relationships among behavior, the environment, and the person.

Rationale for the Study

Women may not recognize a pregnancy until the first or second missed menstrual cycle, a full four to eight weeks or more after conception. Once a woman realizes the possibility of a pregnancy, it takes further time to confirm the pregnancy with a home pregnancy …

Numeracy, Cancer Risk Perceptions, And Self-Protective Behaviors Among U.S. Adults, Teri Malo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals have become more involved in health-related decisions, in part due to an unprecedented access to information that can be used to enhance both physical and mental health. Much of this health-related information is presented in a numerical format; unfortunately, research suggests many Americans may not possess the literacy skills necessary to comprehend numerical health-related information. More research needs to be conducted to examine numeracy and its role in cancer risk perceptions, and how those risk perceptions relate to cancer self-protective behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to: (a) examine socio-demographic variables associated with numeracy, (b) determine which …

Impact Of A Wellness Clinic Visit On Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers In Employees Of A Va Medical Center, Margaret Asomaning

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Worksite screening programs are increasingly being provided by employers as a means to reduce cardiovascular risk in employees. A screening program that consists of fasting serum analysis of glucose plus a lipid panel is offered yearly to employees at the VA medical center in Tampa. A retrospective study was conducted to determine if a wellness clinic exposure resulted in significant changes in employees' markers of cardiovascular risk.

Methods: Computerized records were used to follow serial outcomes for glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol in employees whose screening results showed abnormal levels of one or more of …