Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Development And Psychometric Testing Of A Hypertension Knowledge Instrument In A Vulnerable Population, Crescent Elayne Rowell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The primary objective of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of a hypertension knowledge instrument in a vulnerable population. The secondary objective was to determine the association between hypertension knowledge and outcomes such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 196 adults aged 18 years and older with hypertension. Item analysis was conducted to determine the reliability of the instrument. The factor structure was determined and confirmed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between …

The Role Of Unrealistic Optimism In Explaining Preventive Behaviors In High Versus Low Endemic Malaria Settings In Belize, Daniel G. Handysides

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Of all the diseases an individual can encounter in the world, malaria is one of the most destructive. Simple measures like sleeping under a bednet would greatly reduce the burden (Abeku, 2007). When people estimate their risk relative to others, they are most often unrealistically optimistic, which may explain why those at risk often fail to perform behaviors, such as using a bednet that will reduce their risk. However, one study showed that people at high risk for malaria held pessimistic perceptions of their risk for the disease, but the reasons for this finding are unclear (Morrison, Ager, & …

Assessing Mississippians’ Preparedness For Disasters Using The Citizen Corps National Survey 2009, Carl Huston Mangum Ii

Dissertations

Disaster preparedness, a shared responsibility of all citizens and disaster agencies, is the most critical component in minimizing risk and damage from disaster. Mississippi has been affected by some of the most devastating disasters in American history, both in terms of physical destruction and human life. The purpose of this study was to assess Mississippians’ disaster preparedness by replicating The 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey (CCNS). The 65 question 2009 CCNS was slightly modified to survey 678 randomly selected Mississippians about the Citizen Corps Personal Disaster Preparedness Model: Demographics, Volunteering, Drills/Exercises, Community Plan, Household Plan, Disaster Supplies, Prevention, Self-efficacy, Reliance, …

Counselor Preferences Of White University Students: Ethnicity And Other Important Characteristics, Yi-Ying Lin

Masters Theses

In the last several decades, multiculturalism has became the one of the most popular research topics in psychology and counseling, and the counselor preferences of ethnic minority clients has been well researched. However, in the history of research on counselor preferences, the needs and preferences of ethnic majority clients have been neglected. This study investigated the counselor preferences of White university students.

This study examined three primary research questions: whether counselor ethnicity influenced White university students’ initial counselor preferences, what were White university students’ preferences for various counselor characteristics, and whether White university students preferred specific counseling styles for different …

The Effects Of An Actiped Pedometer Intervention Program On Body Composition And Aerobic Capacity Of Youth In A School System In East Tennessee., Kristie Russell Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if the ActiPed Pedometer Intervention Program would sustain or improve aerobic capacity or body composition scores over a 12-week period for students ages 8-12 in a school system in East Tennessee. Obesity is an epidemic in Tennessee and in the United States. In fact, Tennessee has the 5^th highest obesity rates for youth in the United States. National and State Legislations with physical activity and wellness mandates are being passed at an alarming rate as the need to combat the obesity epidemic is astonishing. The responsibility to decrease the obesity rates …

Evaluating The Impact Of The Guatemalan Nursing Program On Staff, Organizational, And Clinical Outcomes, Sara Williamson Day

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

There is great disparity between the outcome of childhood cancer in developed and developing countries. Nurses, who comprise the largest group of health care professionals globally, are essential to successful treatment. Pediatric oncology education is generally unavailable for nurses in developing countries. This lack of education is likely to contribute to the disparity in survival rates, as undereducated nurses are unable to meet the demands of pediatric cancer care. A second critical problem in developing countries is the workload of the nurse, with a patient nurse ratio reported as high as 30 patients per one nurse.

In 2006, the quality …

Assessing The Sensitivity Of The Canadian Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance System ( Caefiss), Mina Tadrous

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Vaccines are important to public health, but because of the way they are manufactured, their mechanism of action, and their indicated population, careful monitoring of their adverse events is necessary. Canada has a national surveillance system that collects reports on adverse events that may be associated with vaccine administration. Sensitivity is one of the tools used with surveillance systems to study the extent and characteristics of reporting of a surveillance system. To date, the sensitivity of the Canadian system has not been assessed.

Purpose: To assess the sensitivity of the Canadian Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance System …

Pain Management In Nursing Home Residents With Cancer And Dementia With And Without Hospice Services, Todd Bryant Monroe

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Aims: We sought to identify differences in pain management between two groups; nursing home residents with malignant cancer and dementia with and without hospice services.

Methods: Decedent records from 2003-2009 were assessed for diagnosis of dementia and cause of death as cancer. Ten malignant cancer diagnoses were determined a priori from the CDC 2004 data on the top 10 malignant cancers for all races and genders. Fifty-five decedents from 10 nursing homes were included in the final sample. Four instruments were used: Minimum Data Set (MDS) a standardized assessment tool required of most U.S. nursing homes. A large …

Opportunities For Intervention: Characteristics Of Alcohol Related Visits To United States Emergency Departments, 2003 - 2007, Jonathon Lavalley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The cycle of alcohol intoxicated patients passing through United States (US) emergency departments (ED) and repeated inpatient detoxification for alcohol inebriates is costly, as these patients are continually exposed to injury and other health and legal consequences of their continued at risk alcohol use. The high proportion of ED resources used by these alcohol intoxicated patients has contributed to increased patient wait times, increased ambulance diversions, forced closures of US EDs, increased numbers of patients leaving without being seen, and an overall reduction in the quality of medical services provided in the ED. In order to contribute to efforts towards …

"A Cage Of Ovulating Females" : Mary Breckinridge And The Politics Of Contraception In Rural Appalachia, Dana Allen Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service have been the focus of intense scholarly effort over the last twenty years. Scholarship on Mary Breckinridge has centered on her healthcare reform work in Appalachia and its effects on the local residents and culture. This thesis examines the oral contraceptive trial that the FNS performed in Leslie County in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although Breckinridge and the FNS maintained a restrictive contraceptive stance, they paradoxically permitted the contraceptive trial to be conducted on their patients in Leslie County. The decision to participate in the contraceptive trial resulted from a complex …

Health Disparities: A Look At Colorectal Cancer Screening In The Minority Community, Patrina Louise Archie

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine a physician's recommendation for ColoRectal Cancer screenings among Caucasians and minorities (African American, Asian American, and Latino). Past research on CRC has suggested that a history of CRC in a first degree relative elevates a person's lifetime risk. Furthermore, without a physician recommendation for early screening, the patient's chances of early detection are substantially lowered. This is why it is imperative to examine the complex factors that contribute to minorities who have lower CRC screening rates compared to Caucasians.

Using The Andersen Behavioral Model Of Health Services Use To Examine Adult Uninsured Patient Health Services Use At A Community Health Center, Jewel Shonette Goodman

Health Services Research Dissertations

Prescription medications are essential to the treatment and management of chronic conditions (Smith et al., 2005). Lack of access can result in pain, worsening of the condition and increased risk of additional health problems. Health care expenditures in the United States were reportedly 1.7 trillion in 2003 (Smithetal.,2005) and exceeded" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; line-height: 0; font-size: 16.66px; overflow-wrap: normal; word-spacing: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px; position: relative;">1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded2.3 trillion in 2008 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010). Prescription medication costs …

Community Needs Assessment Of Mayasandra Village, Karnataka, India, Alexander Hernandez Holl

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.