Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Workplace Lactation Support And Breastfeeding Practices In Employed Mothers, Robin Ray

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Low rates of breastfeeding are a global public health issue. Despite national and international health agency recommendations for breastfeeding until infants are six months of age when solid foods are introduced and continued breastfeeding until 12 months of age or older, many mothers in the United States discontinue breastfeeding at an early age. Return to work after childbirth is one of the leading contributing factors to early cessation of breastfeeding in employed mothers. Understanding the association between individual and organizational factors and breastfeeding practices in employed mothers is essential for the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs and policies to …

Associations Between Psychosocial Stressors, Genes, And Cardiovascular Disease In At-Risk Adults, Kaitlin Voigts Key

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Psychosocial stressors have a significant adverse impact on cardiovascular health. While better medical treatments and increased emphasis on healthy lifestyle have improved cardiovascular health for many in the United States over the past 50 years, there are persistent inequities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates, with the highest rates among populations burdened by chronic exposure to psychosocial stressors such as discrimination and anxiety, among others. Genetic factors may interact with these stressors further influencing the rates of CVD in these populations. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine associations among psychosocial stressors and other CVD risk factors, and the influence …

Residential Radon Exposure, Its Contribution To Lung Cancer, And Social Determinants Of Radon Testing, Stacy Stanifer

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Lung cancer is a highly preventable form of cancer. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer followed by radon gas exposure and exposure to secondhand smoke. Kentucky leads the nation in both incidence and mortality from lung cancer. Tobacco use in Kentucky continues to be a major public health concern as nearly one-quarter of adults report current tobacco use and just over one-third of Kentucky homes with children lack rules which prohibit smoking in the home. Radon, a colorless, odorless radioactive gas, occurs naturally from the decay of uranium found in rocks and soil and is harmful when …

Tobacco Use And Nicotine Withdrawal Among Patients With Mental Illness, Yazan Daher Al-Mrayat

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

People with mental illness (MI) are disproportionately affected by tobacco use compared to the general population. In fact, it is estimated that people with MI consume approximately 44% of cigarettes smoked in the United States. Moreover, the MI population is at greater risk for the negative social, economic, and health consequences associated with tobacco use and are reported to have 25-year shorter life expectancies than the general population. The impact of tobacco use is further noticeable among patients with MI who require psychiatric hospitalization. Quitting smoking in this population has been linked to fewer discharges against medical advice, better quality …

Depressive Symptoms Among Farm Women Aged 50 And Older, Cheryl Dean Witt

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Alarming rates of suicide among production farmers have prompted researchers to investigate factors associated with depressive symptoms among this population. Aspects of farm life and farming can contribute to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Higher levels of depression can also increase an individual’s risk of injury and development of chronic disease, impacting overall quality of life. Despite the approximate 3.5 million farm women in the U.S., current research has focused on the male farmer.

Men and women have different responses to stressors, and women in general have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms. Farm women can be further subjected to …

Reproductive Autonomy: The Context Of Pregnancy Intention, A Global To Local Approach, Hartley C. Feld

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Globally, in low and middle-income countries 4 out of every 10 pregnancies is reported to be unintended. Having an unintended pregnancy increases the risk of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, preterm birth, low birth weight, and decreases rates of breast-feeding. The United States (U.S.) consistently has some of the highest rates of preterm birth, infant and maternal mortality of all high-income countries and 45% of all pregnancies in the U.S. are reported to be unintended. The etiology of these outcomes and their relationship to pregnancy intention are complex and multifactorial, but we know this disproportionately effects women living in …

Social Determinants Of Health And Disparities In Outcomes Related To Cardiovascular Health In Vulnerable Populations, Jennifer L. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the mechanism of association between social determinants of health (SDH), particularly limited health literacy, and disparate outcomes related to cardiovascular disease in vulnerable populations. Specific aims were to 1) compare quality of life (QOL), anxiety, and depressive symptoms between genders in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) recipients; 2) examine the association between multi-morbidity burden and QOL; 3) determine whether health literacy levels independently predict CVD risk in the male prison population; 4) examine the relationship between health literacy and decisiveness regarding end of life (EOL) choices, and 5) examine SDH as predictors of …

Competitive Food Policy Implementation In Kentucky Schools, Paula Gisler

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

This study was designed to explore the literature on competitive food policy implementation (CFPI); examines demographic and school factors associated with CFPI; and explores the experiences of school leaders and staff in CFPI using a proposed theoretical framework to guide the research. Competitive foods are those sold in vending machines, a la carte settings, fundraisers, class parties and other venues which compete with foods offered through the national school lunch and breakfast programs. Competitive foods have traditionally been of low nutritional value and high energy density. CFPI may be effective in reducing student calorie intake and BMI. However, evaluation of …

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Emerging Adults In College, Demetrius A. Abshire

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among emerging adults in college aged 18-25 years. CVD risks that develop during this period often persist into adulthood making it an ideal time to target CVD prevention. The specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) explore perceptions of cardiovascular risk among emerging adult men in college; 2) compare differences in unhealthy behaviors and obesity between emerging adults in college living in rural, Appalachian Kentucky and urban Fayette County, Kentucky; and 3) compare measures of general and abdominal obesity in predicting blood pressure among …

Sleep Disturbance And Outcomes In Patients With Heart Failure And Their Family Caregivers, Sami Al-Rawashdeh

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Sleep disturbance is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and the family caregivers. Sleep disturbance is known as a predictor of poor quality of life (QoL) in individual level. The manner in which patients’ and caregivers’ sleep disturbances influence each other’s QoL has not been determined. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the associations of sleep disturbance and outcomes in patients with HF and their primary family caregivers. The specific aims were to: 1) examine whether sleep disturbance of patients and their family caregivers predict their own and their partners’ QoL; 2) examine the mediator effects of …

Medically Ill Smokers And Planning To Quit, Audrey Darville

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and is the cause of nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. The prevalence of smoking has had a leveling off effect after many years of significant decline. Certain subgroups of the population, such as those with low income and certain illnesses, continue to smoke at disproportionately high rates. Reasons for these disparities in smoking rates are complex. Developing a better understanding of the issues related to persistent smoking particularly for those with medical illness and limited access to cessation resources can help focus interventions to help these high …