Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Young Adult E-Cigarette Exposure: Implications For Policy And Prevention, Monica Page Daniel Dobbs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with e-cigarette use among college students to better understand their behavior. Using Ajzen’s Reasoned Action Approach, this study sought to better understanding the influence of attitudes, Social norms, and perceived behavioral controls (PBCs) on college students’ intention to try e-cigarettes (even one puff) in the next 30 days.

Methodology. This study employed three phases for a mixed methods design that took place between December 2015 and April 2016. Phase 1 used Middlestadt’s salient belief elicitation procedure to capture responses through an open ended survey (n=58). Phase 2, a pilot …

A Community-Based Participatory Approach To Understanding Health Beliefs, Policies, Barriers, And Solutions Related To The Health Disparities Of Marshallese Cofa Migrants In Arkansas., Pearl Anna Mcelfish

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Public policies have different effects on different populations groups and can perpetuate health disparities among some populations. My research utilizes community-based participatory approach to research in the examination of one unique population: the Marshallese. This dissertation research presents three papers that are part of a cohesive research agenda predicated on community-based participatory research (CBPR) to facilitate policy-oriented learning. My research can be used to inform health policy, health care services, and health education. Chapter Two presents the article titled: Health Beliefs of US Marshallese Regarding Type 2 Diabetes.

This article explores the research question: what health beliefs related to diabetes …

Socially Constructing Drug Addicts From The Poor: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Kalynn Susan Amundson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Welfare drug testing was authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, and has subsequently garnered extensive legislative interest in numerous states. This policy raises several questions, which are the subjects of the two journal articles and one manuscript included in this dissertation.

The first article addresses the question of a possible confluence of War on Drugs and Welfare Reform policies as evidenced through welfare drug testing policy, and indicated by continuity in policymakers’ rhetoric. This study examines federal-level policymakers’ debate discourse in these two policy streams. The analysis finds themes of the Social pathology, …

Development And Preliminary Validation Of A Nonmedical Prescription Drug Motives Questionnaire, Lauren Ashleigh Milner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug (NMPD) use continues to increase among emerging adult populations; however, little is known about the motivations behind this use. The current study aimed to extend previous research by developing and validating the first known comprehensive NMPD motives measure. As such, the primary focus of the current study was to examine evidence for the reliability and validity of the NMPD Motives Questionnaire by assessing the factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity of the motives scale. Participants were drawn from a larger study of college student substance use behaviors and attitudes (N = 1,427; Mage= …

An Evaluation Of A Peer Led Bystander Intervention Program To Reduce Sexual Assault Violence Among College Students, Elizabeth Madeline Childers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been reported that sexual victimization among college women is three times higher than the general population. Because of these alarming rates, sexual violence prevention has become a main concern on college campuses. Sexual violence prevention programs have been implemented and evaluated throughout the years in order to decrease the incidence of sexual violence, but very few have explored the bystander intervention component. The current study developed and evaluated a program that promoted proSocial bystander behavior through a one-time educational program utilizing peer educators. Data for this study were collected with a pre/posttest design from a Division 1 university …

An Empirical Investigation Of Supply Chain Excellence In Healthcare, Brian Keith Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research is motivated by opportunities to improve the cost and quality of healthcare delivery through improved supply chain processes. This research assesses the quality of the healthcare supply chain and identifies factors that are driving supply chain excellence among organizations in the healthcare industry. The first objective of this research is to assess the state of quality measurement in the healthcare supply chain. The achievement of this first objective is presented in Chapter 3 of this dissertation in the form of a manuscript accepted for publication in The Quality Management Journal. The second research objective is to develop …