Education Commons^™

University Students' Involvement In A Health Promoting Lifestyle: Influencing Factors Of The Health Promotion Model, Madison Estrada

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Abstract: This is a correlational study utilizing Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) for examining the key influential factors regarding involvement in a health promoting lifestyle (HPL) among undergraduate students at Pittsburg State University. Ninety-six (96) undergraduate students enrolled in general psychology courses at Pittsburg State University completed the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II; Walker, Sechrist, & Pender, 1987), the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS; Pender, Walker, & Sechrist, 1987), the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE Scale; Resnick & Jenkins, 2000), and the Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (Marcus, Selby, Niaura, & Rossi, 1992). Spearman Correlation coefficients (one-tailed tests), were …

Health Educators’ Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Implementation Of School-Based Sexual Education, Kari Ellis

Honors Theses

Mississippi is one of the leading states in both teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection rates. In an effort to limit these rates, Mississippi passed House Bill 999 in 2011. This bill mandated sexual education in public schools throughout the state. However, since the passage of the bill there have been many factors that impact the way this curriculum is taught. To better understand these factors, how they affect educators, and how schools are addressing them, this study surveyed educators who taught some form of sex-related education curriculum from 2011 to 2016. The findings show that educators believe many factors …

Self-Perceived Coordinated School Health Coordinator Leadership Styles And Practices, Heather R. Ledbetter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School-aged children’s health needs have changed over the last several decades to the present day population of many overweight and obese children with health complications (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2015). Tennessee has implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) model for Coordinated School Health (CSH) in all public schools. Leading each school district’s program is a CSH Coordinator. The role of CSH Coordinators is to provide leadership to district and school administrators while effectively and efficiently implementing the CSH program (Wechsler, 2012).

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the self-perceived leadership styles and …

Quality Management: A Global Case Study In Organ Transplantation, Cassie L. Rodriguez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Every year the US and European countries face an epidemic of organ failure from a multitude of reasons: cancer, genetic predisposition, exposure to harmful chemicals in home or surrounding areas or through drinking, drugs and smoking. Another problem faced, is the ratio of organ donors to organ recipients. Over 121,000 patients are on the waiting for an organ transplant, and a fraction of those waiting will die because of time. The Hanover Medical school and department of quality management, have created an integrated approach to organ transplant avenues. Quality management is a systematic guide for organ transplantation that allows all …

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 …

Hiv/Aids Prevention: Educating Future Generations, Carmella Williams

All Student Theses

The purpose of this study was to discover if implementing more educational interventions on HIV/AIDS would lead to lower incidents of HIV/AIDS among youth. A quantitative research design was used to determine the level of knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of high school students in regard to HIV/AIDS. The targeted population were youth ages 14-18 years old, which are generally high school students who are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Participants in this study were students from Human Resources Development Institute’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program at Harper High School in Chicago, Illinois. The researcher administered questionnaires to the students at Harper …

Perceptions Of Fidelity And Adaptation In Evidence-Informed Interventions By Women Of Color Sexuality Health Educators, Sara C. Flowers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sexuality health educators (SHEs) adapt interventions to the participants’ needs in the dissemination and implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programming. However, there is a lack of understanding of how, why and when SHEs make such adaptations. Success or failure of the transfer of prevention technology to practitioners occurs by determining community capacities and preparedness to adopt/adapt high-impact interventions to effectively manage implementation. Experts argue for evidence-informed interventions (EII), as opposed to evidence-based interventions (EBI), as the best way to incorporate research in applied settings. EBIs are solely guided by recommendations from current evidence, whereas EIIs recognize and incorporate the …

The Effects Of Health-Related Fitness On School Attendance In New York City 6th-8th Grade Youth, Emily M. D'Agostino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Only 42% of youth ages 6-11 in the United States meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation for ≥60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. Estimates for adolescents ages 12-19 are even lower, ranging from 8-17%. Literature suggests low levels of youth health-related fitness (fitness) may negatively impact attendance, potentially due to reduced physical and psychosocial wellness. Nationally, 10-15% of (5-7.5 million) students are chronically absent, meaning that they miss ≥10% of the school year (or ≥20 days of school per year). Moreover, 20-30% of students in high-poverty, urban school districts do not attend school regularly (≥6 days …

Community Schools: A Public Health Opportunity, Catherine Diamond

Dissertations and Theses

Community schools link students, families, and communities to educate children and strengthen neighborhoods. They have become a popular model for education in many U.S. cities in part because they build on community assets and address multiple determinants of educational disadvantage. Since community schools seek to have an impact on populations, not just the students enrolled, they provide an opportunity to improve community health. It has been proposed that community schools influence the health and education of the area residents through three pathways: building trust, establishing norms, and linking people to networks and services. However, no research has been published exploring …

Let’S Build Together: Expanding Comprehensive Sex Education In The United States, Olivia Cecchi

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

This paper seeks to critique the current state of sex education in the United States by examining the history of funding and the perceived effectiveness of some programs. In the past the American government has overwhelmingly supported abstinence-only methods of sex education through several federal funding streams. Yet there is little evidence to show that abstinence-only programs even work, thus there has been efforts to shift support to comprehensive sex education programs. This paper analyzes the results of several studies, which compare and evaluate the effectiveness of different types of sexuality education programs. Although these studies provide measurable evidence in …

Health Literacy As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Diabetes Knowledge And Diabetes Outcomes, Jameshyia Ballard Thompson

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if health literacy was a moderator in the relationship between diabetes knowledge and diabetes outcomes, and explore the relationship between diabetes knowledge and health literacy. The target population included adults living in Mississippi with a diagnosis of diabetes at any point in life. A pilot study was performed to determine if the Functional Communicative Critical Health Literacy scales (FCCHL) and the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy in Diabetes scale (SKILLD) were appropriate for use in a population of adults in Mississippi with a diagnosis of diabetes. Participants for the pilot study were …

Analysis In Lead Contaminants Residential Households In A Midwestern City Using Statistical Process Control, Andre Assad Williams Talley

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Business and Technology Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Andre Assad Williams Talley July 15, 2016

Transformative Learning Facilitated Dialogue: As A Tool For Social Change An Autoethnography, Leslie A. Saulsberry

Doctoral Dissertations

It is my goal, through this autoethnography, to take you through a reflective journey and present to you my personal theory of how facilitated dialogue in the context of transformative learning, critical reflection, systems thinking, shared vision, and holarchy can create a paradigm shift in our personal consciousness, decisions, behaviors, practice, and social policies—social change. My objective is to show how each theory is like a stepping-stone in the path towards social change. The purpose of this living work is to offer an alternative way of creating a healthy and whole society by exploring how facilitated dialogue can lead to …

The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model: An Examination Of Obesity Prevention Behavioral Change In Children Who Participated In The Afterschool Program Virginia Beach Let’S Move, Marilyn Miroshlava Bartholmae

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model (IMB) as a foundation to design childhood obesity prevention afterschool programs. This study employed a secondary analysis of pre (n=172), post (n=170), and 1-year follow-up (n=32) evaluations of the obesity prevention afterschool program Virginia Beach Let’s Move for children ages 5-11 years. Independent variables included demographic characteristics for the participating children and their parents. Dependent variables used in this study were the IMB constructs information and motivation. Motivation was measured by the attitudes of the children and information was measured by the children’s knowledge.

The …

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 …

Youth Empowerment For Environmental Justice, Mattie B. Brickle

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Woodsmoke pollution is an environmental justice issue for youth living in certain Pacific Northwest cities. Little is understood about how youth may be empowered to address woodsmoke issues in their communities. In this study, I examined youth empowerment in a citizen science study on woodsmoke, using Photovoice methodology. Ten diverse youth collected and analyzed indoor air samples and photos, then presented their findings to the community and policy makers. Entrance and exit surveys revealed an increased sense of empowerment to take action on woodsmoke pollution. Youth also expressed increased optimism and a resolve to become scientists and to combat environmental …

Increasing Access To Primary Care Using Np’S: The Framework For An Academic Based Nurse-Managed Center In California, Prabjot (Jodie) Sandhu

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

The dynamics of health care delivery and the role of health care providers is a changing canvas in the United States. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sets a goal to increase access to health care. The systems that support the ACA are constantly under scrutiny as failing to provide key answers to provider shortage and health care access issues. Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who are recognized by the ACA as a comprehensive part of this revolution are in a unique place to find opportunities to promote increased access to health and primary care services. While NPs in California …

Four Essays In Education And Epidemiology, Brittni Danielle Jones

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes four, co-authored essays in which social epidemiological concepts and methods were applied to explore the nexus of race, education, and health in the United States. In the first two essays, colleagues and I employed geospatial mapping and analysis to examine the association between past, racially segregative, housing practices and the geospatial distribution of poor, education, health, and related developmental outcomes across Ferguson, Missouri, and the surrounding St. Louis metropolitan region. We investigated this association during two, respective cross-sections of time. Results revealed the nature and distribution of class and racial disparities across the region. Based on the …

An Evaluation Of College Students’ Use Of Social Media In Nutrition Education For Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Cassandra Crawford-Ciglar

All Theses And Dissertations

Behavior change is a process. College students routinely have poor eating habits during a time of life that can negatively impact health outcomes for the adult years. While knowledge of nutrition is essential to promote health and wellness, other components are required to change behavior. Specifically, nutrition education must be paired with behavior change skills or goal setting strategies in order for a change to occur. In a college classroom setting, many examples of such strategies already exist. Literature supports evidence that interventions combining social media and behavior change techniques incorporating online social networks may be effective. The purpose of …

An Integrated Strategy For Strengthening Worcester's Regional Food System: Key Roles For Education And Information, Joel Simonson

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Food security and access to healthy food are public health issues that continue to persist in the United States and are ones that are strongly influenced by social and environmental factors. In Worcester, Massachusetts there are many organizations that contribute to alleviating the resulting effects, but do not always have the capacity to reach full potential and expand upon current initiatives. Students can provide existing human resources and knowledge that would benefit all parties. This would allow for organizational capacity development, ultimately impacting local residents, and for students to gain deeper connections to the greater Worcester community while learning vital …

Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers; A Needs Assessment, Olivia N. Pennington

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

Background. Multiple health disparities are associated with the Marshallese population in Northwest Arkansas. Childhood obesity, linked to a decrease in exclusive breastfeeding, is one of the predominant issues. Since their migration to the United States, exclusive breastfeeding rates of Marshallese mothers have steadily declined throughout the years. Little research has been conducted to help combat this growing health disparity. Due to the increased growth in this population in Northwest Arkansas, it is imperative that measures are taken to decrease these disparities to improve the overall health of the future generations.

Objective: To determine the relationship between maternal age, …

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers Residing In The U.S., Bentley S. Snider

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Background: The Marshallese are one of the fastest growing migrant populations in the U.S. They have considerable health disparities despite their increasing access to health care. The Marshallese women in this population prefer to breastfeed, but have encountered many cultural barriers that have deterred them from exclusively breastfeeding for a significant amount of time. Breastfeeding is linked to many protective benefits for children’s health, such as decreasing the likelihood of obesity, even into the adult years.

Objective: The purpose was to evaluate the impact on breastfeeding rates through implementation of a culturally significant educational intervention for the …

Grant Writing In Higher Education, Amos Bean

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The primary aim of this capstone was to elicit feedback from public health and grant writing practitioners and funders in order to gather data that can be used to supplement teachings and readings for a course in the Muskie School of Public Service Masters in Public Health (MPH) graduate program. Two overarching questions served as the basis for this endeavor. The primary question for public health and grant writing practitioners was, “What are the most important lessons you have learned that you think graduate students who are writing their first proposals should know?” The primary question for funders was, “What …

Exploring The Impact Of An Ld Diagnosis On The Self-Determination Of Women In Poverty, Cynthia Jakes Stadel

Dissertations and Theses

This collective case study explored the impact of a later-in-life learning disability (LD) diagnosis on women in poverty. The study focused on the perspectives of four women who were not identified with LD as children but accessed assessment services as adults receiving Oregon's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). All four reported painful awareness of learning differences as youths; as adults they voluntarily engaged in a "labeling event," furthering a process toward personal transformation and enhanced well-being initiated by their own awareness and curiosity. The women described critical social and emotional support systems and relationships that helped them integrate understanding …

Consistency In Clinical Preceptor Field Training For Sonography Students, Cathy Herring Daniels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consistency in clinical preceptor training for sonography students is important in assuring equity in sonography student evaluation. Review of a local community college sonography program revealed a gap between expected roles and responsibilities of clinical preceptorship and what was actually done in the clinical setting. The purpose of this project study was to explore perceptions of graduates and preceptors regarding what constituted best practices in the evaluation of sonography students in the clinical setting. Knowles's theory of active learning provided a framework for understanding the student-preceptor relationship in the evaluation process. Research questions focused on sonography graduates' and clinical preceptors' …

Transition To The Professional Role For Graduate Nurses In A Hospital Orientation Program, Shirley Denise Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study focused on the transitioning of graduate nurses (GNs) employed by a teaching hospital in the eastern United States to the professional role of registered nurse after a 6-week orientation was the focus of this study. Benner's novice-to-expert theory served as the framework for this qualitative case study. Twelve participants were chosen from 3 specific populations: GNs, nursing preceptors, and nurse managers. Three research questions asked about the perceptions of newly licensed nurses after completion of the orientation process related to their ability to make critical decisions in the professional role of RN, how the preceptor educational training program …

Best Practices For Controlling Tuberculosis - Training In Correctional Facilities: A Mixed Methods Evaluation, Ellen Reynolds Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the literature, identifying and treating tuberculosis (TB) in correctional facilities have been problematic for the inmates and also for the communities into which inmates are released. The importance of training those who can identify this disease early into incarceration is vital to halt the transmission. Although some training has been done by public health authorities for corrections, there is little to no evaluation of such training. The aim of this mixed methods retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training to control TB in correctional facilities. The Southeastern National Tuberculosis Center (SNTC) conducted 12 trainings between …

Influence Of Teacher Participation On Student Fitness And Student Participation In Physical Education, Whitney Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical activity plays a key role in the health of children. Childhood obesity is increasing in the United States, and children are spending less time being physically active. Active participation by a physical education (PE) teacher in physical activities has been suggested as a means of promoting student fitness. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to determine whether modeling of physical activity by a PE teacher would increase student participation and physical fitness. Bandura's social learning theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Participants included 311 4th and 5th grade elementary students enrolled in physical education classes. …

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 …

Youth-Led School Health Initiatives: Perceptions And Processes, Lila Murphy Gutuskey

Wayne State University Dissertations

Disparities in obesity prevalence, based on a child’s race and income, establish that health interventions should prioritize these target populations. Additionally, children who are from low-income families in urban neighborhoods and of ethnic minorities have unequal access to environmental determinants of healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA). Schools might be the best setting for health interventions, given the understanding that a school’s mission should be to educate the whole child and the substantial amount of time that a child spends in school. The purpose of this study was to examine student-led, school-health interventions in four elementary schools. The Fuel …