Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Knowledge, Beliefs And Practices Of Radon Gas Exposure Among Public Health Workers, Paschal Nwako

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Radon gas exposure is the highest cause of lung cancer among people that never smoked in the United States. People exposed to elevated levels of radon had a higher risk of developing lung cancer. Achieving the long term goal of the Indoor Radon Abatement Act (IRAA) of 1988 require a combined efforts of government agencies. Public health workers are change agents and their role in protecting and improving the health of their communities are well documented. This study created and utilized a multi question survey, the Public Health Workers Radon Assessment Instrument (PHWRAI) to explore knowledge, beliefs, personal and professional …

Distributing Condoms And "Hope": Race, Sex, And Science In Youth Sexual Health Promotion, Chris A. Barcelos

Doctoral Dissertations

This project uses discursive, visual, and ethnographic approaches situated in a critical feminist methodology to understand how ways of knowing about youth sexuality and reproduction influence community health work. I understand the “problem” in this inquiry as the discursive contexts that limit critical ways of knowing about young people’s sexual subjectivities and practices and about the design of policies and programs. Although race, class, gender, and sexuality are understood in the public health literature as important social determinants of health, there is a lack of research that applies a critical, feminist lens to these constructs. I draw on three years …

Beyond The Millennium Development Goals: An Evaluation Of The War On Hiv / Aids In Kenya, Robert G. Nyaga

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS remains a threat to Kenya and other developing nations. This thesis aimed at assessing the HIV/AIDS situation in Kenya by examining the knowledge of Kenyans towards infection and spread HIV/AIDS, attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, involvement of community opinion leaders in the HIV/AIDS campaigns, sharing of HIV/AIDS information, and government efforts to control HIV/AIDS. A sample of Kenyans (N= 103) was surveyed and asked to respond to several scales assessing each of the above items. Quantitative and qualitative methods reveal the knowledge and attitudes portrayed by Kenyans and show that, although much has been achieved, there is need …

Differences In Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Adherence Factors For Tuberculosis In Armenian Versus Non-Armenian Populations Of Los Angeles County, Tanya Marie Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly, yet curable, infectious disease that continues to be a global health threat. Armenia suffers from rising TB incidence and mortality rates. Armenians living in Los Angeles (LA) County, where TB incidence is higher than national averages, is the second largest Armenian community in the world; therefore implications are that many TB cases are attributed to this group. Using the social ecological model as a theoretical framework, this concurrent, mixed-methods study compared Armenians to non-Armenians in LA County about their knowledge of TB and perceived barriers to seeking and adhering to treatment. Bivariate chi-square analysis from …

Delaying First Pregnancies: Canadian Women's Knowledge And Perception Of The Consequences, Deborah Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many women aged 20-30 are postponing their first pregnancies until their mid 30s and beyond, which has resulted in compressed childbearing years and/or infertility. Little is known about the knowledge and understanding that Canadian women of advanced age (age 35-45) possess of their reproductive capacity. This phenomenological study sought to explore these women's knowledge and perception of their reproductive capacity in relation to the timing of first pregnancy. Research questions using the constructs of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior were developed to explore how the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs of women's childbearing behaviors were based on their perceptions of …

Assessment Of The Knowledge And Skills Of School Personnel To Respond To Diabetic Emergencies In Georgia Public Schools, Alesha Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that affects children in the United States. As children with diabetes attend school, the ability to appropriately manage their diabetes is essential to preventing life-threatening health complications. The purpose of the study was to assess school personnel’s knowledge of diabetes and perceived self-competence in performing diabetes management skills in response to a diabetic emergency. For the present study, a diabetic emergency was operationalized to include hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis. A cross-sectional survey design, utilizing a fifty-two item self-administered questionnaire that accentuated the causes and symptoms of diabetes, definition of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and …

Development And Evaluation Of A Peer-To-Peer Intervention To Increase Self-Management Among Adult In-Center Hemodialysis Patients, Jennifer J. St Clair Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Peer-to-peer (P2P) support programs have the potential to assist ESRD patients in managing their disease and improve outcomes. Yet, there is little research examining P2P programs’ impact on psychosocial outcomes and disease management behaviors.

Methods: A 4-month P2P mentoring intervention was designed and piloted in a facility serving 249 in-center hemodialysis patients in Lynchburg, Virginia. Preceded by a social marketing effort, which included a program naming contest and participant recruitment, the intervention included: (1) mentor training, (2) pairing of mentees and mentors, (3) kick-off social mixers, (4) ongoing meetings between mentees and mentors, (5) mentor training booster, and (6) …