Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Risk Factors For Workplace Sexual Harassment In Female Truck Drivers, Kimberly Marie Riddle

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Sexual harassment is one of the most common forms of workplace violence in the United States. Sexual harassment is defined as unwanted verbal and physical behaviors of a sexual nature (e.g., physical advances, requests for sexual favors, inappropriate sexist or sexual comments or jokes, pornography, or other unwanted conduct) that creates an uncomfortable working environment or interferes with the employee’s job responsibilities. In general, it is estimated that nearly one in every two women have experienced sexual harassment at the workplace over their lifetime. In male-dominated occupations, such as truck driving, law enforcement, firefighting, and construction, females may have a …

Gay Men And Satisfaction With Health Care Interactions, Michael Huggins

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this research was to determine relationships among depression, anxiety, self-rated physical and mental health, self-advocacy, internalized homophobia, and quality of patient-provider communication to satisfaction with health care interactions. These were measured while controlling for select demographic variables: age; ethnicity; urban or rural domicile; relationship status; household income; highest educational attainment; health insurance; disclosure to health care provider as a gay man; reason for last healthcare visit; and, general health self-rating. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) identify general characteristics of gay men in this sample; 2) examine how levels of satisfaction with health care …

Social Support, Relationship Quality, And Self-Care Behaviors In Patients With Heart Failure, Majdi Mohammad Rababa

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the associations among social support, gender, relationship quality, and self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure (HF). Specific aims were to: 1) compare the psychometric properties of the 12-item and the 9-item European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS) when used to measure self-care behaviors in patients with HF in the United States; 2) determine whether gender moderated the association between perceived social support and daily sodium intake in patients with HF; and 3) determine whether a patient’s gender and relationship with the primary family caregiver (spousal or non-spousal) moderated the association …

Determinants Of Pap Screening Among Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Women, Adebola Olamide Adegboyega

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the determinants of Pap screening completion among sub-Saharan African immigrant women. Cervical cancer is a public health problem globally. The risk of invasive cervical cancer remains high among sub- Saharan African immigrant women in the US despite being a preventable cancer. Early detection through Pap screening is crucial for prevention, treatment and prognosis. The specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) examine Pap screening practices among African immigrant women and to identify gaps to guide future research; 2) explore barriers and motivators that influence Pap screening decisions among African immigrant women; …

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 …

Psychological Distress And Cardiac Disease, Tracey Vitori

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the association of psychological distress with cardiac disease, events, and mortality. Specific aims were to: 1) to evaluate the association between hostility level and recurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and all-cause mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD); 2) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) hostility and anxiety subscales in a group of incarcerated participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease; and 3) to evaluate the association of patient and caregiver psychological state with quality of life in both patient and caregiver, and postoperative complications …

Explore The Relationship Among Lung Cancer Stigma, Social Support, And Psychosocial Distress, Lisa Maggio

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

There is longstanding causal relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Smoke-free policies and anti-smoking campaigns have been linked to the decline in smoking acceptance and contribute to the unintended consequence of stigmatizing smokers. Lung cancer is viewed as a self-inflicted disease and patients’ feel judged in a manner different from other cancers affecting social interactions between family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Lung cancer stigma contributes to depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, guilt, shame, blame, threatens a person’s social identity, and limits social support that deeply affects patients and their support persons.

This dissertation contains a review of the literature related …

Decision-Making Processes And Health Behaviors Among Adults Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Lillian J. Findlay

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia commonly experience problems with accurately assessing their health status due to cognitive deficits including impaired working memory, amotivation, and communication difficulties. Little is known about whether these deficiencies influence health behavior decision-making among individuals with schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia die an average of 25 years earlier than those without a mental illness. Approximately 60% of premature deaths in this population are from medical comorbidities; mortality rates due to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are two to three times higher than the general population. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality, it is important to find effective ways …