Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Health Literacy Best Practices In Policy Development, Stacie Lee Trueheart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low health literacy is a problem the U.S. faces and, like health care itself, is a complex issue stemming from patient demographics and the healthcare providers being very diverse. Tools have been developed to mitigate the risks of low health literacy, however, without formal policy. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and compare commonalities in health literacy best practices of organizations that are recognized as leaders in health literacy and are addressing low health literacy in their communities. By comparing the organizations' abilities to implement standards of plain language and health literacy tools/guidelines, best practice and …

Effects Of Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Behavioral Health Access, Godwin Oshegbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

About 50% of adults in the United States suffer from at least 1 mental health challenge in their lifetime. Annually, mental health and substance use disorders cost the United States about $800 billion, leaving individuals with unaffordable cost of care and the nation with diminished productivity and revenue. With the Essential Health Benefits and Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), healthcare resources were created to address gaps in behavioral healthcare. There is a need to understand how the healthcare law has influenced the availability of behavioral health services and access to needed care. This study …

African American Women Caring For Loved Ones With Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia, Lisa M. Forbes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In 2016, a dramatic shift occurred in demographics in the United States because the oldest people in the baby boomer generation, which consists of people born between 1946 and 1964, reached age 65. The larger aging population and longer lifespans have produced an increased need for care and services. There are an estimated 5.4 million Americans of varying ages living with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease are more prevalent among African Americans than other ethnicities. With little research found on culturally appropriate interventions for specific ethnic groups, a more detailed review of the …

Relationship Between Employee Wages, Number Of Employee Referrals, And Employee Turnover Intention, Robert Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a significant contributor to the overall loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in profitability for many business organizations in the United States and abroad combined. Grounded in Maslow's theory of human motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee wages, number of employee referrals, and employee turnover intentions. The population was composed of employees working in the Southeastern region of the United States. A convenience sample of 92 participants answered questions regarding their wages, number of employee referrals, and completed the Turnover Intention Scale. Results of the multiple regression analysis …

Exploring Disaster Preparedness For The Aging Population, Gladysmarie W.R. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults are encountering harsh recovery after disasters, and compounding this problem is the lack of research on older adults' perceptions on disaster preparedness as aging affects the ability to react to emergency situations. To partially address that gap, the purpose of this general qualitative research study was to use Rotter's spectrum of locus of control theory to examine the level of preparation regarding disaster preparation of older adults who were living independently in single-family homes in a state affected by Hurricane Sandy. Data were collected through a qualitative survey distributed to adults aged 65 to 80-years (N=88) and publicly …

Women In Mississippi Undergoing Hysterectomies In Absence Of Comprehensive Informed Consent Law, Tammy Shaffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only three states have enacted informed consent laws aimed at providing more information concerning any alternative treatments for women who undergo hysterectomy. This study attempted to fill the research gap regarding consent laws and perceptions of women who underwent hysterectomy in a state with no informed consent laws. Supported by the health belief model (HBM), the research questions focused on the perceptions of women and their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the beliefs and attitudes of women in a state with no informed consent laws. Interviews were the main data collection technique. The participants …

The Efficacy Of Neurofeedback In The Treatment Of Autism., Rosemary Akhavan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism is a disorder that impairs the development of a person's ability to interact with other people and to relate productively with the outside world. There are many types of interventions being used to treat autism, but there are no cures or definitive treatments for this disorder. A biological theoretical foundation was the basis of this study, as recent neuroimaging techniques have demonstrated that autism is a neurological disorder that reveals distinct abnormalities in the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of neurofeedback (NFB) in the treatment of autism. NFB has shown promise of improving …

Sexism, Just-World Beliefs, And Defensive Attribution: Relationship To Online Discourse And Child Sexual Abuse, Andrea M. Barbis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that individuals' willingness to believe a disclosure of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is related to just-world beliefs, ambivalent sexism, and defensive attribution. However, researchers do not know whether these variables relate to posts made in response to online articles describing CSA. Negative or disbelieving posts may impact not only the author, but also readers who view these comments via hindrance of disclosures, increased self-blame, and avoidance of help seeking. In this quantitative study, just-world, ambivalent sexism, and defensive attribution theories provided the theoretical basis used to determine whether just-world beliefs, ambivalent sexism, and defensive attribution influenced comments …

Black Individuals' Lived Experiences With Racial Microaggressions And Implications In Counseling, Letitia V. Browne-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of racial microaggressions in the United States has important implications for counseling due to the mental and physical health concerns individuals who experience them may develop. Although the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among Black individuals and implications for counseling, no qualitative studies that included the voices of Black individuals using relational cultural theory were found. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black individuals who have encountered racial microaggressions and learn their perspectives on what counselors can do to help them in counseling. Adding this perspective will help fill this gap …

Holistic Health And Hawaii's Renewable Energy Future, Richard M. Esterle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collective efficacy, time urgency, and health literacy have been a focus of research since the 1970s. Researchers have demonstrated that these factors influence health and decision making. However, researchers have yet to establish how these factors may be connected to the achievement of policy aims that impact holistic or environmental health. This study utilized the health belief model, social cognitive theory, time urgency theory, health education and promotion theory, Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, and the Meikirch model. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the factors of collective efficacy, perceived time urgency, perceived health literacy, ethnicity, age, …

Laughter Frequency, Pain Perception, And Affect In Fibromyalgia Patients, Deidre Gayl Molchan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a common chronic pain condition, is often incompletely treated by conventional medical therapies. It can cause disability, psychological distress, work-related absenteeism, increased use of healthcare resources, and result in the inability to carry out the tasks of daily living. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the potential influence of laughter on affect and pain in individuals with FMS. Laughter produces beneficial effects on acute pain and on chronic pain in general and has been found to improve temporary affective states, but there have been no studies testing the effects of laughter on the …

Individual Understanding Of The Risks Associated With Polypharmacy, Michelle Patricia Mchenry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With many individuals experiencing multimorbidity, individuals are being prescribed more medications. Although there are benefits to taking medications to manage symptoms and treat disease processes, there are also risks to taking multiple medications. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore participants' understanding of the risks associated with practicing polypharmacy. Game theory, credibility theory, and belief bias were the conceptual frameworks used to explain how individuals experienced their care and being prescribed 5 or more medications. Eight participants residing in subsidized housing in a small Midwest city, who were taking 5 or more medications volunteered to take part in …

Elements Of Expatriate Adjustment In Host Country Organizations, Denise Suzanne Schickel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globalization and international business increasingly require the services of skilled expatriates in overseas offices. Over the past 50 years, numerous studies have focused on various factors affecting expatriate adjustment, primarily through quantitative research, reaching no conclusions on what factors in cross-cultural training would guarantee expatriate success. Expatriate failure has high personal and organizational costs. The purpose of this study was to use the qualitative methodology of narrative inquiry to investigate the adjustment, transition, and repatriation experience as a holistic process. Two theoretical constructions, Bandura's social learning theory, applied to the learning process in an international assignment, and social identity theory, …

Impact Of Acculturation On Body Mass Index In Haitians, Nirva Berthold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Longer-term immigrants residing in the United States exhibit physical health decline related to higher body mass index (BMI). Theories on immigrant acculturation have been used to examine health patterns by length of stay in the United States. The purpose of this cross-sectional study, guided by the Schwartz model of acculturation, was to examine the effect of acculturation and length of stay in the United States on BMI in a sample of Haitian immigrants living in the Northeast Metropolitan area. The research question was used to examine the effects of acculturation and length of stay on BMI in the convenience sample …

Exploring The Cultural Intelligence Of Nurse Leaders, Valerie D. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Today, nurses represent many cultures and ethnic backgrounds. In their leadership style, nurse leaders must learn to embrace cultural intelligence or cultural quotient (CQ), that is, an extension of emotional intelligence that affords them the ability to manage a culturally diverse workforce. Historically, CQ has been relevant to business, locally and globally. But it is also important to explore the CQ of nurse leaders. Scholarly studies show that leaders with CQ are responsible for developing innovative employee behaviors, forward-thinking ideas, and creativeness in the workplace. CQ has a theoretical foundation in the 2003 research of Early and Ang who focused …

Facebook, Parent-Child Relationships, And Emotion Regulation In An Adolescent Sample, Lauren Nicole Crandall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social networking has become an integral part of daily communication and information sharing. Although researchers continue to explore the fields of social networking and emotion regulation separately, there is a lack of research bridging these areas of interest, particularly in the adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between the environmental and social variables of Facebook use, online social connectedness, and quality of parent-child relationship with adolescent emotion regulation. Fogel's social process theory of emotion provided the framework for this study and allowed for examination of the social networking environment. Research questions addressed independent …

Advocating Ideal Type Policy For Police Officer Wellness Based On Body Mass Index As A Predictor Of Self-Reported Occupational Stress, Louis Chiappetta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scholars have validated both the damaging presence of police officer stress and separately, their increasing obese condition in the United States. Previous studies of police officers focus on stress or body weight, but not these variables conjointly. The purpose of this study was to inform policy creation by examining the problem of officer stress in relation to the calculated body mass index (BMI) values and to gain insight into stress outcomes. Lazarus and Folkman's stress-coping theory served as the research lens to examine if BMI would significantly contribute to the percent change of R2 variance accounted for in the predictive …

Implementation Of Food Safety Regulations In Food Service Establishments, Steve Randolph Mcallister

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food service businesses in the United States have experienced millions of dollars in losses caused by foodborne illness outbreaks, which can lead to bankruptcy and business closures. More than 68% of all foodborne illness outbreaks occur in food service establishments. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore the strategies leaders of food service establishments use to implement food safety regulations. Force field analysis was the conceptual framework for this study. The population for the study consisted of 3 leaders of food service establishments located in the southeastern region of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured …

Health Care Services For Child Survival And Performance-Based Management In Three Kosovo Municipalities, James Mugaju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the Republic of Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, new municipal structures were created with the charge of monitoring the delivery of health care services; yet, no mechanism for monitoring performance was ever implemented. With the public value theory as the foundation, the purpose of this multiple case study of 3 Kosovo municipalities was to understand issues surrounding the capacity of local government health department to monitor their performance related to the delivery of services. Relevant data were collected through focus-group discussions with 10 nurses, 9 directors of family medicine centers, and 12 municipal program managers. Purposeful semistructured interviews …

Time Banks As Aging-In-Place Initiatives, Calli Sajnani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been growing concern over how state and federal governments can support the increasing population of aging Americans and their need for long-term care. Current insurance funding models cover acute hospitalization and skilled care only, leaving unskilled care needs and homemaker services at the full expense of those in need. Time banking allows individuals to exchange or barter time for goods or services without monetary payment. There is insufficient evidence to determine if members believe time banks to be a viable alternative to support aging-in-place care needs. This phenomenological study explored time banking as a potential vehicle for nonskilled …

Factors That Influence Whether Mexican Americans With Depression Seek Treatment, Irene Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mexican Americans, the largest Hispanic subgroup in the United States, tend to underuse mental health services. Grounded in Andersen's behavioral model of health services use, the purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the likelihood of birth country, education, income, and insurance predicting which respondents would report seeking mental health services to treat depression. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to diagnose depression in 203 Mexican Americans whose data was archived from the primary study. This archived data was analyzed within this study. The results of the 2 x 2 chi-square tests of independence indicated a significant association …

Length Of Pretrial Detainment For Inmates With Mental Illness, Maria Pereira-Sosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an increase in the number of individuals with mental illness being housed in correctional facilities over the last 50 years. In this study, the length of pretrial detention was compared for inmates who have a mental illness and are compliant with psychiatric medications, inmates who have a mental illness and are noncompliant or not prescribed psychiatric medication, and inmates with no mental illness. I also examined if inmates who have a mental illness have less severe charges and if there was a difference in the classification of mental health diagnoses for inmates who are and are not …

Women's Perceptions Of Malaria In The Western Rural Areas Of Sierra Leone, Marcella Davies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death for children and women in Sierra Leone. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of women from the rural areas of Sierra Leone regarding malaria. A purposive sample of Krio women from the western rural area, aged 21-55 years, spoke English, and had taken care of someone with malaria described their perceptions and lived experiences with the disease in face-to-face interviews. The research questions were based on the health belief model and focused on knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about malaria prevention and treatment. Interpretative …