Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Functional Health Literacy In Older Adults With Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Jennifer K. Fortuna

Dissertations

This three-paper dissertation explores functional health literacy (i.e., the ability to access, process and understand health information) in older adults with vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This research builds scholarship that explores the unique patient education needs of older adults with AMD. The specific aims of this research are to: (1) explore associations between functional health literacy and severity of visual impairment; (2) determine the general readability, suitability and comprehensibility of online patient education materials (PEMs) designed for older adults with AMD; and, (3) assess the overall quality of one PEM that has been simplified based on …

The Relationship Of An Ipad, A Video Magnifier, And Large Print Text With Oral Reading Outcomes For Children With Low Vision, Rosemary L. Nave Stawasz

Dissertations

Low vision may cause a decrease in visual performance and interfere with daily functioning, especially reading print or text materials. Reading standard text can be particularly challenging for students with low vision in an educational setting and can reduce oral reading rates. Students with low vision may use large print or low vision devices for reading. Limited evidence currently exists to compare oral reading outcomes across various reading media for children with low vision.

The purpose of this exploratory project was to examine oral reading rate, fluency, and comprehension among children with low vision when using an iPad, a video …

Visual Impairment And Factors Associated With Difficulties With Daily Tasks, Anne T. Riddering

Dissertations

In the past 10 years, the number of American adults with visual impairments has increased from 1 million to 4 million and is expected to double to 8 million people by the year 2050 (The Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group, 2004; National Eye Institute, 2013). Therapies to treat retinal diseases causing visual impairment, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (Massof, 2002; Mogk, 2011), have evolved in the past two decades (Gupta et al., 2013; Hooper & Guymer, 2003), but little research has examined recent population and difficulties with performing daily activities. Different types of professionals, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, …

Co-Construction Of Personal Narratives In Supporting Identity And Communication In Adults With Aphasia: The ‘My Story’ Project, Katie A. Strong

Dissertations

Stroke and subsequent aphasia can impact a person’s identity negatively, interfering with quality of life. Co-constructing personal narratives about stroke and other aspects of a person’s life is a promising intervention for addressing identity issues. This series of three dissertation studies explored key aspects related to identity, personal narratives, and the perceived impact of telling one’s story.

Study 1 involved a survey examining whether speech-language pathologists view themselves as having a role in supporting the reconstruction of self-identity in adults with aphasia through the use of personal narratives. Results revealed that, whereas the majority of respondents viewed themselves as having …