Senescence Disorder Literacy Among Prelingual/Culturally Deaf Individuals Age 50 And Older, J. Delores Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The preferred method of communication for most prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals is American Sign Language (ASL), and members of this linguistic/cultural minority community are often not recognized as being bilingual. Many prelingually/culturally Deaf individuals have limitations and deficits in English proficiency; which can lead to deficits in general knowledge of health-related terminology. Current projections are that older adults are expected to live longer, and will also experience the development of, increases in and more extended periods of living with senescence/age-related health disorders, also includes prelingual/culturally Deaf individuals. This quantitative research project, utilizing the theoretical framework of health literacy and a modified …

Teacher And Student Variables Affecting Special Education Evaluation And Referral, Lorenzo Adrian Woodson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that African American/Black boys are referred for special education evaluation at disproportionately higher rates than boys of other racial/ethnic groups. This correlational study used survey methodology to examine whether student and teacher demographic variables predicted how likely a teacher would refer boy students for special education evaluation. The following questions guided this research: 1) To what degree does student race/ethnicity, teacher gender, teacher race/ethnicity, and teacher attitude toward inclusion predict how likely a teacher would refer boys' to special education after controlling for teacher's years of experience in general and special education? 2) What are the …

Impact Of Social Support Networks On Level Of Stress And Self-Esteem Among Canadian Immigrants, Jackie Williamson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigration may be an effective survival strategy for individuals from countries involved in war or political unrest.However, the immigration process may exacerbate a number of physical and psychological health symptoms. There are limited data on the health status of new Canadian immigrants, and some social support networks are not formally connected to settlement programs.The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to assess the level of stress and self-esteem of 400 recent and older immigrants in Canada, and to investigate the impact of social support networks on the mental well-being of recent immigrants.Cultural care and general adaptation theory provided the …

Initial Findings Of A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit Program, Hesper B. Nowatzki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the emphasis of benefits on preventive health, many older adults are not receiving the recommended age specific, evidence based screenings and vaccinations. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is designed to address modifiable risk factors with aging adults and close gaps in care not captured in routine office visits. Although a free Medicare benefit to patients, and a reimbursable service to health care providers, participation in the AWV is low nationwide. The purpose of the project is to introduce an AWV program to a rural health clinic in Northwest Illinois that has a population consisting of over 25% of …

The Experiences Of African American Women Participating In Church-Based Weight Loss Programs, Mangle L. Shanks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While obesity is a nationwide phenomenon, African Americans - especially women - continue to be more severely affected than any other ethnic group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 20% of African American women are obese compared to 15.6% of Caucasian women. The church is an important community center for many African Americans, and is often a site for health promotion programs, though little is known of the effectiveness of these programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to study the experiences and attitudes of African American women who have gone through a church-based weight-loss …

Improving Fall Prevention Strategies In An Acute-Care Setting, Sylvia B. Boye-Doe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls with or without injuries among the elderly have become a public health concern, with falls among adults age 65 years and older increasing every year. Nurses play a role in ensuring patient safety by following fall prevention guidelines. The purpose of this evidence-based study was to implement the RE-AIM evaluation tool to determine the impact of the Safe Five program on staff compliance with the program; patients' awareness of the need for falls prevention; and falls among older adults, ages 65 years and older, admitted to an acute care nursing unit. The literature supports implementing a falls prevention program …

The Impact Of Nursing Staff Ratios On Falls Rates In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Akudo Okeorji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls and complications from falls are a common problem among adults aged 65 years and older. About 60% of older adults fall every year, causing injuries, hospitalization, nursing home placement, and even death. Most studies on falls among skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents focus on fall preventive measures that fail to include staffing variables such as nursing hours. Although researchers have examined the relationship between nursing staff and patient outcomes in hospital settings, similar studies have not occurred in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to determine whether a correlation exists between nursing staff hours …

The Relationship Between Hispanics/Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men And Women Cultural Beliefs, Risk Behaviors And Self-Disclosure, Donnalee Maria Lawson-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among cultural/spiritual beliefs, risk behaviors, and disclosure among Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men and women (MSMW). Minority men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV, in particular MSM who are Hispanic/Latino or African American. Limited research is available on the link between Hispanic/Latino MSMW, their cultural/spiritual beliefs, risk behavior, and disclosure about risk behaviors to friends and family. The data were obtained from the SJS Project, which used survey methods to gather data on participants from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Among the participants …

Workers' Perceptions Of The Effect Of Three-Tier Shift Schedules On Community Functioning, Jillian Leigh Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shift work is commonplace in many fields that require around-the-clock employee coverage. There is ample evidence that two-tier shift work can detrimentally affect health and functioning. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of three-tier shift schedules on physical and mental health and community functioning, a concept which refers to activities and behaviors performed by individuals or groups within a system. This study used a qualitative phenomenological design, and community functioning and recovery theory were central to the conceptual framework. In-depth interviews were used to explore the perceptions of three-tier shift workers on their functioning, relationships, mental …

Implementation Of A Standardized Multifactorial Fall Prevention Program In A Rehabilitation Facility, Shanetta Monique Ancrum-Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One and a half million people are currently living in residential care facilities; as the baby boomer generation ages, this number will increase to 3 million. Approximately 3 out of 4 residents of these facilities fall each year, and 10% to 20% of those falls result in serious injuries such as fractures, disability, and a decreased quality of living. The BOUNCE Back fall initiative is a multifactorial program that uses a systematic approach starting on admission and to re-evaluate a resident following a fall. Nursing and therapy uses the Morse Fall Scale and the Elderly Mobility Scale to assess and …

Rural Haitian Women's Experiences With Poor Health Through Poverty, Geralda Felix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People living in rural Haiti lack access to basic health care services due to poverty. Rural poverty in Haiti particularly affects women's health because Haiti has had the highest maternal mortality and infant mortality rates in the Americas, in addition to some of the worst health statistics in the Western Hemisphere. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to cultivate a greater understanding of the poverty factors that affect access to health care services specifically among poor women living in rural Haiti. This study was based on the social ecological model for population health development, theorizing that a person's health …

Exploring Police Officers' Perceptions Of Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams Within A Nodal Policing Framework, Trevor Viersen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

An increasing portion of police service resources are being dedicated to interactions involving persons with mental illness (PMI). As a result, Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams (MCT) comprised of mental health professionals have been recently implemented to assist police officers in more efficiently handling police calls for service involving PMI. The current ethnographic study used data collected through researcher ride-alongs with police officers at a mid-sized police service in Ontario to assess how police officers interact with and perceive MCTs. Results from thematic analysis indicated that officers value the skill sets possessed by MCT workers, had relatively positive perceptions towards …

Health Care Delivery For The U.S. Hispanic Minority Can Be Improved, Samantha Pascoe

Honors Theses

America was born as a melting pot of peoples. From the very beginning this culture has been mixed with others. Diversity is a huge part of the American experience, and over the past 30 years, the Hispanic and Latino population has been increasing. With this population increase, the experience in the medical field that latino and Hispanic patients receive needs to be improved due to the cultural differences concerning individualism, values, and medical care: especially when concerning Latino patients. As a whole, the Hispanic community in the United States have a lower mortality rate then that of non-Hispanics living in …

Sms Parent Action Intervention (Span): A Pilot Study To Assess The Feasibility Of Using Text Messaging To Promote Child Health On An American Indian Reservation, Julia M. Malich

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract

Purpose: Childhood obesity and its associated health risks are widely recognized as a major public health crisis in the United States (Johnson & Johnson, 2014; Proctor, 2008; Rogers et al, 2013; Vinci et al, 2016) and worldwide (Elías-Boneta, Toro, Garcia, Torres, & Palacios, 2015). Among children in low-income families, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children have the highest prevalence of obesity (21.1%) compared to other racial/ethnic groups (14.74% overall) (Pan et al, 2015). Parents play an important role in introducing healthy foods and encouraging physical activity in young children (Birch & Ventura, 2009; Lindsay et al., 2006; Natale et al., …

The Impact Of Perceived Mental Illness Stigma On Caregivers’ Desire To Relinquish Care, Tyler R. Corson

Theses and Dissertations

Caregiving can be stressful, and older adults’ health and well-being may be impacted by the roles and responsibilities they assume as caregivers for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). This study is the first to apply the Stress Process Model of Caregiving (SPM) in an attempt to understand how mental illness stigma influences caregiver outcomes, specifically their desire to relinquish care. The intent of this study was to call attention to care relinquishment as an under-studied stress process outcome and to explore stress factors, with a focus on mental illness stigma, that contribute to SMI caregivers’ desire to relinquish care. …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Receipt Of Immediate Breast Reconstruction Surgery: Do Hospital Characteristics Matter?, Jaya Shankar Khushalani

Theses and Dissertations

Immediate Breast Reconstruction Surgery (IBRS) is associated with better quality of life among women who undergo a mastectomy. Despite insurance coverage for IBRS, utilization of IBRS remains low. Data from publicly available sources for 2010-2012 are used to examine the association between hospital characteristics receipt of IBRS by patients. Minority-serving status, low bed size, for-profit ownership, non-teaching status, high competition, low density of plastic surgeons in the market and non-metropolitan location are associated with lower likelihood of receipt of IBRS.

Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive IBRS. A mixed effects logistic regression model with interactions between Black/Hispanic …

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …

Chinese Nursing Students At Australian Universities: A Narrative Inquiry Into Their Motivation, Learning Experience, And Future Career Planning, Carol Chungfeng Wang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study presents a narrative inquiry of Chinese nursing students at Australian universities in order to examine these students’ motivations, learning experiences and future career planning. Australia seeks to attract international nursing students from China to maintain its economic advantage and alleviate its projected nursing shortage. In contrast, China desperately needs its best and brightest citizens who have trained abroad as nurses to return to China in order to cope with its current challenges in the healthcare system and nursing education. Little is known about the underlying factors that motivate Chinese nursing students to study in Australia, these students’ learning …

Construct Validity Of The Teate Depression Inventory With A Black African American Sample, Samantha Rushworth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the construct validity of a new measure of depression, the Teate Depression Inventory (TDI), with primary focus on the Black/African American participants. Research has demonstrated that Black/African Americans experience disparity in receiving mental health care for internalizing disorders, partially due to under-detection of symptoms. Detection of internalizing disorders is an important step in receiving appropriate treatment. This research is essential to benefit mental health practices, addressing the need for professionals to be culturally competent and aware of the appropriate assessment tools available. In order to best serve ethnic minorities, validity of measurements …

Investigation Of Sandwich Generation Caregiver Perceptions And Factors Of Caregiving Strain, Samantha Marie Young

Masters Theses

The Sandwich Generation caregiver is responsible for caring for their children and parents simultaneously (Miller, 1981). In this study, stressors, burdens, and strains were analyzed in relation to caregiver demographics and the following variables: caregiving relationship quality, caregiving roles, communication, and resources (time and finances). The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that contribute to perceived strains in Sandwich Generation caregivers. The Sandwich Generation Caregiver Survey was distributed through social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn), email, listservs, and word of mouth through a nonprobability snowball approach (Creswell, 2012). The researcher used frequency counts, percentages, and mean …