Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Mental Health Experience Of Perinatal Military Spouses Based In Sigonella, Italy, Lyndsey Dannenberg

Capstone Experience

The perinatal period can have a profound impact on the mental health of women, their infants, and their families, especially when it comes to depression and anxiety disorders. This study aims to delve into the experiences of perinatal mental health among military spouses stationed overseas, on Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, and contribute to the limited research on active-duty military spouses and their perinatal mental health while stationed overseas. The research uses a qualitative phenomenological approach, seeking to provide valuable insights into the lived experiences of military spouses and their perinatal mental health. Risk factors associated with perinatal mental illness …

School Nurses And The Sexual Health And Education Of Public-School Students In Tennessee, Amy Wake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tennesseans have been experiencing increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases since the year 2000. Those rates are highest among those 15- to 24-year-olds. At the same time, Tennessee policy requires the teaching of abstinence as the primary form of sexual health education and emphasized the use of abstinence-only curriculum. The school nurse represents an available resource in the Tennessee public schools. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore, describe, and interpret the perceptions and experiences of public-school nurses from rural, suburban, and urban areas of Tennessee related to the sexual health and sexual health education of students. School …

Investigating Interpersonal And Community Drivers Of Taenia Solium Prevention To Reduce Acquired Seizure Disorders In Northern Peru: An Analysis Of Social Networks, Social Capital, And Community-Identified Barriers And Facilitators, Angela Gayle Spencer

Dissertations and Theses

Background: In Northern Peru and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide, the Taenia solium parasite causes an estimated 30% of acquired epilepsy -- an entirely preventable disease burden. Sanitation development and pork production regulation would reduce infection risk in endemic communities, but large-scale systemic improvements are not likely to occur in the near future. In the meantime, communities can reduce infection risk by adopting protective behaviors. Social networks can provide role modeling and support for health-promoting behaviors, and deliver social capital in the form of trusting relationships, norms of reciprocity, and information exchange in support of T. solium control. …

Factors Associated With Skin Cancer Prevention: Primary And Secondary Behaviors., Jeanne Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skin cancer, seemingly more innocuous than other cancers, maintains the highest incidence among cancers in the United States. While it is treatable early, metastasized melanoma or other carcinomas present severe illness with high mortality rates and disproportionate 5-year survival rates among ethnic/racial groups. Fortunately, most skin cancer is highly treatable when found in the early stages. However, this necessitates prevention tactics to avoid the causative agent, ultraviolet radiation, and regular skin screening to catch the disease in earlier stages. Unfortunately, these tactics are not widely conducted by adults, despite substantial skin cancer awareness. Therefore, motivating people to perform these health …

The Experiences Of Middle-Aged Women In An Online Weight-Loss Community, Holly Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The obesity epidemic continues to be a public health crisis in the United States. The number of obese middle-aged women has risen dramatically over the past few decades. Despite multiple levels of support available, not all women are receiving the support they need to reduce overweight/obesity, as evidenced by the continuing rise in obesity. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study examined middle-aged women's views on exercising, eating healthily, and social support in online weight-loss communities. For this study, the health belief model (HBM) and social learning theory (SLT) were used as conceptual frameworks to understand a person's behavioral intentions …

Community Perceptions Of Syringe Service Programs In Charleston, West Virginia: A Qualitative Socioecological Perspective, Kenya M. Burton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In rural areas of the United States, people who inject drugs (PWID) experience an array of obstacles to accessing adequate healthcare. Locations with high rates of drug use normally offer more healthcare options, including needle exchange programs but, in some communities, there is resistance to providing this kind of care. This increases mortality, morbidity, cost, and adds to the stigma experienced by this vulnerable group. The experiences of people with substance dependency, including PWID, has been widely explored throughout studies that reflect a need for increased support. However, the perspectives of the community, especially in rural areas, though equally important, …

Perspectives Of Middle Eastern Immigrant Parents Regarding Accessing Healthcare Services For Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic In London, Ontario, Sarvenaz Mehrabi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrants have been disproportionally affected and faced difficulties in accessing healthcare services. While it has been reported that the rate of pediatric healthcare utilization decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons behind this decline are unclear. It has been suggested that immigrant children might be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions regarding accessing healthcare services. This study aims to understand the Middle Eastern immigrant parents’ perspectives regarding their access to healthcare services for their children in the London, Ontario, area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with an interpretive description methodology …

Overlaps And Gaps Of Preterm Birth Programs In The Triangle Area Of North Carolina, Amber Bobbitt

Capstone Experience

Background: Preterm birth rates are a long-standing issue that has yet to be adequately addressed and prioritized. Nationally about 1 in every 10 infants are born prematurely in the United States. In the state of North Carolina, 1 in every 9 live births was preterm in the year 2020. The aim of the study was to determine the strategies organizations use in North Carolina to reduce preterm births in comparison to the CDC’s Five Strategy framework and to understand how the organizations address health equity and measure/evaluate the success of their initiatives.

Methods: Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with four …

Beyond The Plant: Facing Systemic Barriers As A Meatpacking Community During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shannon Barrientos

Capstone Experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and magnified health disparities and social inequities that disproportionately burden racial and ethnic minorities. These disparities are readily seen within meatpacking communities, considering a lack of protections offered by the meatpacking industry have heightened COVID-19 susceptibility. These conditions have aggravated health inequities within rural communities throughout the span of the pandemic. Despite significant advances in research investigating the effect of COVID-19 on essential workers within the meatpacking plants, this research remains isolated within the meat processing industry. Moreover, research has focused predominantly on the pandemic’s impact on rural communities and the institutional barriers that hinder …

Navigating A Patchwork Maze: Individuals’ Experience Of Administrative Burden When Accessing Homeless Assistance Services, Leah Robinson

Public Health Theses

Despite significant efforts to address the issue of homelessness in the United States over the past several decades, over 500,000 individuals still experience homelessness on any given night. A large portion of this persistent and high rate of homelessness can likely be attributed to the shortage of affordable housing options, the eviction crisis, and limited financial support for rental assistance found throughout the country. However, administrative burdens may also contribute to the high rate of homelessness being seen.Our study explores this question by examining 28 individuals’ experience of administrative burden when navigating the landscape of homeless assistance services in New …

Exploring Promotoras As Influencers Of Physical Activity And Diet Acceptability Among Latinas, Gladys Orock Tataw-Ayuketah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Promotoras are frontline community health workers who help link Latino community members to health and social services. Latino women have high rates of attrition and lack of participation in weight loss programs due to various barriers, and the promotora model is vital to address these concerns. The approach incorporates strong family support and influence to address health and social issues through interdependent ties of promotoras and families who live and work within the community they serve. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how promotoras influenced the acceptability of and participation in physical activity and dietary modification programs …

Perceptions Of Contraceptive Practice Among Arab American Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Linda Humaidan-Zayed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been limited research on Arab Americans as they are an unidentified minority population. The specific research problem addressed through this study is that there is little research pertaining to the role of intimate partner violence (IPV) in poor contraceptive practice among Arab Americans, contributing to the larger problem of unwanted pregnancies, reproductive coercion, and other aspects of reproductive health. The problem with a high prevalence rate of IPV among Arab American women is that they are more susceptible to becoming pregnant and not accessing the reproductive health services that they may need. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative …

Psychosocial Influences On And Behavioral Characteristics Of Young Adult Food Addiction, Rachel A. Wattick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Introduction. Research on food addiction has increased in recent years, but there are few studies focusing on college-attending young adults, who may be at risk of developing food addiction due to the stress of the college environment. Additionally, causes and characteristics of food addiction are under-explored.

Aim. This dissertation aims to 1) determine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other early life influences on the development of food addiction in college-attending young adults and 2) determine the psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of young adults with food addiction.

Methods. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used for aims 1 …

Campus Mental Health Service Use Among Female Survivors Of Sexual Violence: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Hannah Coffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Description: Despite the increase in resources to address the alarming rates of collegiate sexual violence (SV), survivors consistently do not disclose or seek mental health treatment from campus supports (Halstead et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of women who survived SV during college.

Method: Seven women who experienced SV during college completed a series of two semi-structured interviews using a HIPAA-compliant, web-conferencing software (Seidman, 2013). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework (IPA; Smith, 2004; Smith et al., 2009). A six-step data analysis procedure identified …

Exploring Social Determinants Of Covid-19 Related Sickness And Suffering In The Bronx, Hamida Chumpa

Student Theses and Dissertations

Through a positivistic and phenomenological approach, the study examines social determinants of COVID-19 related sickness and suffering in the Bronx, New York City, New York, ZIP codes 10462, 10472, 10467, 10458, 10474, and 10464. I utilize a violence paradigm (structural and everyday violence) to describe the social determinants of risk and sickness-related suffering and deploy an assemblage framework to shed light on how these determinants create negative synergies that undermine wellbeing and render certain communities vulnerable to extreme suffering. The mixed methods include 64 surveys and eight interviews. Analysis methods include a descriptive analysis of survey results and a thematic …

Mothers Without Borders Program Evaluation: Establishing Effective Program Evaluation To Assess Holistic Orphan Care Initiatives In Zambia, Alyssa Baer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses an interdisciplinary approach—combining theories and methodologies from the Social Impact and Public Health disciplines—to design an evaluation of Mothers Without Borders’ (MWB) programs in Lusaka, Zambia. Their programs aim to support communities as they care for children in crisis living in their communities—with a focus on communities with large populations of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This paper provides an overview of the orphan crisis, international orphan care standards, and evaluation practices in order to understand and design an effective evaluation plan for the organization. This project aims to provide …

Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a public health and criminal justice problem. Several criminal justice system changes have been made to combat DV, such as mandatory arrest policies, no-drop prosecution policies, and specialized DV courts. Perspectives on these policies, DV, and the criminal justice system have been obtained from the victims, police officers, and victim advocates. However, perspectives from those within the criminal justice court system are missing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to obtain the perspectives of key court personnel in small rural communities regarding the prosecution of DV cases. Narrative policy framework was used …

Provider Experiences Implementing Group Care: A Qualitative Study, Noureen Ahmed

Public Health Theses

Objective/Purpose: Group Well Child Care is an innovation in primary care delivery that may help meet the quadruple aim of health care. The objective of this study is to characterize Group Well Child Care providers’ experiences, perceptions, and strategies.

Introduction: In Group Care, also known as shared medical appointments, patients with similar medical needs attend appointments together. The practice of Group Care has spread, particularly where social support is beneficial (e.g., early parenting) and among those who might experience shame or stigma for their diagnosis or background (e.g., poverty). Group Care has shown promise in improving patient outcomes, such as …

A Phenomenological Photovoice Exploration Of Female Exercisers’ Experiences Of Their Body In Fitness Center Environments, Katherine E. Fairhurst

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

For many women, the relationship with their body and exercise is complex. Exercise can have positive effects on body image, however, not all women appear to benefit positively from all types of exercise. To date, body image research has focused on exercise as an activity and less so on the context in which exercise is performed. Women frequently exercise in fitness centers as young adults which, unfortunately, is associated with body dissatisfaction. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach with Photovoice methodology, we explored young adult women’s lived body experiences while exercising in fitness centers. A purposive sample of 11 …

Therapeutic Approaches To Recovery In West Virginia, Rachel A. Wattick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a prevalent problem in the United States, with 19.7 million Americans aged 12 and older battling an SUD in 2017. Multiple factors influence the risk that someone will develop an SUD, including family history, childhood trauma, community factors, and poverty. West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the nation, and individuals in WV are at high risk of SUD due to the aforementioned risk factors. There are a variety of treatment options available to someone with an SUD. These include outpatient or inpatient treatment, detoxification, therapeutic communities, and collegiate recovery programs. Despite …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Caregiver Goals For Urban Children With And Without Asthma, Megan M. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric asthma is a major public health concern that disproportionately affects children of color and youth living in low-income, urban areas. The implications for public health, child health, and family functioning necessitates our understanding and addressing experiences by families who are facing barriers within their socio-demographic context in addition to the stressors associated with managing pediatric asthma. The current study applied qualitative methods to interviews with caregivers of children with and without asthma in an effort to more deeply connect with caregivers’ experiences and yield richer information about the intersection of identities as Black caregivers living in an urban setting …

Perspectives Of Type 2 Diabetes Patients On Their Interactions With Providers, Marleen Z. Jones-Pool

Public Health Theses

Effective patient-provider communication has been shown to help achieve optimal health results, particularly in patients with diabetes. While previous studies have identified patient-perceived barriers in communicating with their providers, this study highlights factors in the patient-provider interaction that may contribute to effective health communication. As part of a larger mixed-methods study, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with self-reported diabetes at a primary health center. These interviews sought to understand patient-perceived communication factors that influenced their interactions with their providers. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were then coded and analyzed utilizing a grounded theory approach. Findings …

Geographically Distributed Employees' Perceptions Of Employee Assistance Program Access, Davina Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many investigators have documented high levels of stress in the U.S. workplace and the underutilization of employee assistance programs (EAP). Researchers in other studies have concluded that an employee's perception of a service influences participation and service use. However, the perceptions of geographically distributed employees, who represent a growing population, have not been sufficiently examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate geographically distributed employees' perceptions regarding access to EAP stress management services to address the problem of EAP underutilization. Organizational justice theory served as the theoretical framework. The study design was generic qualitative. A purposeful sample of 15 …

Dive Into The Hunger Pool: Exploring Students’ Experiences, Coping Strategies, And Suggestions Related To Elements Of Food Security At The University Of Kentucky, The Nu Sandar Oo

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: College food insecurity (CFI) is a prevalent social justice and public health issue in the U.S. with the prevalence ranging between 15-59%. Though numerous quantitative studies were first conducted in the past decade, little qualitative research was conducted to assess CFI.

Objective: To explore and deeply understand the contexts of CFI at a land-grant university in Kentucky.

Methods: This qualitative study used a validated food insecurity survey tool and hour-long focus groups that were audio recorded and transcribed. Three theoretical models were combined into an adapted model and utilized for the thematic analysis.

Results: Thirty-three students participated in one …

Women's Postpartum Experiences, Courtney Watkins

Online Theses and Dissertations

Current literature explores childbirth options and evidence-based approaches for care of an infant such as kangaroo care and breastfeeding, but there is little to no research on women’s birthing experiences and its impact on daily routines. This paper will reveal themes related to postpartum experiences and the impact on occupations for women who have given birth in the last six months. This qualitative study, using a convenience sample, explores a woman’s birthing experience and the influence it has on her postpartum occupations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) listed almost four million births that occurred during 2016 in …

An Exploration Of The Critical Success Factors Associated With Implementing A Public Health Plan In Local Governments Within Western Australia, Anne Polley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Public Health planning in local governments in Western Australia (WA) is a relatively new approach to addressing local health needs. The Western Australian Public Health Act came into effect in 2016. The Public Health Act 2016 encompasses a range of legislative requirements, some of which include the development of Local Public Health Plans. A range of roles within the local government workforce therefore are likely to require support to plan and implement Public Health Plans, which in the past have not directly been a component of their role. There is limited understanding and evidence of the barriers and enablers that …

Critical Illness Survivors’ Perceptions Of Their Recovery: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry, Kelly Calkins

Theses and Dissertations

Surviving critical illness with its physical, cognitive, and psychosocial morbidities is a growing clinical and research challenge and an important public health concern. Currently, there are few interventions for survivors of critical illness after hospital discharge. Potential interventions include rehabilitation services, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) diaries and ICU follow-up clinics, however, most survivors do not have access to these post-hospital interventions.

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how critical illness survivors experience their recovery, interventions they use, and what they perceive as facilitators and barriers to their recovery. A better understanding of these factors, …

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 …

In Case Of Emergency: Local Medical Services And Emergency Air Transportation In Southeast Alaska, Kourtney B. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Alaska, often referred to as “The Last Frontier”, is a vast, geographically diverse and sparsely settled landscape. Although many popular reality shows tend to exaggerate and dramatize life in Alaska, they do point to an important fact: when an emergency occurs, or someone experiences serious health complications, immediate access to sufficient medical services may not be available. Much of the state’s population faces barriers to accessing needed medical care due to large distances between communities and limited road networks due to coastal locations or challenging terrain.

Using Penchansky and Thomas’s five components of Access Theory (1981), this thesis explores factors …

Assessing Barriers And Facilitators To Appropriate Care For Chronic Pain And Prescription Opioid Abuse, Allyson Varley

All ETDs from UAB

The objective of this study was to understand and assess barriers and facilitators to the uptake of appropriate care for co-occurring chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) and opioid use disorder. Rates of CNCP and opioid overdose have doubled in the past decade. When a patient transitions from appropriate use to misuse, significant changes must be made to their treatment plan. Considering most CNCP is treated with opioids in the primary care setting, primary care providers (PCPs) are potential change agents to remediate the epidemic of opioid abuse. Although studies have explored opioid stewardship, we still lack an understanding of the factors …