Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Folk Medical Beliefs And Practices Concerning Women's Health And The Female Body In Southern Appalachia., Emily Lucinda Dale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores folk medical beliefs and practices regarding women's health issues and the female body, specifically menstruation, pregnancy, abortion and menopause, in the Southern Appalachian region. This research reveals what information was given to young girls, by whom was it given, and the effect this had on their self-image and on how they communicated about their bodies as they matured. Other key elements include the social restrictions surrounding menstruation and the ways these beliefs were communicated to young girls. In addition, this project presents information on the treatment of symptoms such as cramps, bloating, headaches, excessive bleeding, lack of …

Dectin-1 Expression Is Altered By Fungal Infection, Polymicrobial Sepsis, And Glucan Administration., Tammy Regena Ozment-Skelton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glucans are fungal cell wall PAMPs that promote survival in polymicrobial and candidal sepsis. Dectin-1 is the primary PRR for glucans. The goals of the present study were to characterize 1) the effects of fungal infection on Dectin-1; 2) the effects of polymicrobial sepsis in the presence and absence of glucan on Dectin-1; 3) the effects of systemic administration of glucans on Dectin-1; and 4) the intracellular trafficking of glucans. Mice were either systemically infected with Candida albicans, or made septic by CLP with and without glucan phosphate (GP) injection, or injected with GP. Flow cytometry was performed to …

Samuel Taylor Coleridge And Opium., Donald John Marotta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coleridge's usual use of opium was through laudanum, a mixture of opium and alcohol. This thesis presents the history of and criticism regarding the poet's use of laudanum and the physical and emotional consequences the drug held for him and his writing career.

Reasons For Living And Suicidal Ideation Among College Students With Varying Levels Of Risk For Alcohol Related Problems., Dorian A. Lamis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year in the United States approximately 30,000 people commit suicide including approximately 1,100 college students. Furthermore, heavy alcohol consumption is prevalent on many college campuses and has been linked to suicidal behavior. The present study was conducted to examine suicidal ideation and reasons for living in college students with varying levels of risk for alcohol related problems. Undergraduate students (n = 161) were administered a survey to assess demographics, suicide ideation status, reasons for living, and the participant's level of risk for alcohol related problems. Results indicated that suicide ideators are significantly more likely than non-ideators to be at …

The Relationship Between Tobacco, Alcohol, And Marijuana Use Among Teenagers., John Donald Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among teenagers. This study examined three research questions: (1) Is there a relationship between demographic characteristics (i.e., sex and race), the attitudinal variable (attachment to family), and the admitted use of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco among teenagers? (2) Is there a relationship between the use of marijuana by teenagers and the use of tobacco by teenagers? (3) Is there a relationship between the use of marijuana by teenagers and the use of alcohol by teenagers?

The data used for this paper were from the …

The Prevalence Of Voice Disorders In University Teaching Faculty, Kristen P. Higgins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

K-12 teachers are known to be at a higher than average risk for developing voice disorders. Less is known about the prevalence of voice disorders among teaching faculty in higher education. In this study, 100 university teaching faculty members were interviewed to assess possible voice problems. Information on risk factors such as demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) and health and behavioral variables (i.e. illness, use of tobacco, alcohol, and medications) was also gathered. The results were compared to published data on K-12 teachers and non-teachers. University professors reported significantly more cases of voice disorders than non-teaching professionals, but significantly …

Voice Onset Time Production In Individuals Wth Alzheimer's Disease, Julie M. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the present study, voice onset time (VOT) measurements were compared between a group of individuals with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a group of healthy age- and gender-matched peers. Participants read a list of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, which included the six stop consonants. Recordings were gathered and digitized. The VOT measurements were made from oscillographic displays obtained from the Brown Laboratory Interactive Speech System (BLISS) implemented on an IBM-compatible computer. VOT measures for the participants' six stop consonant productions were subjected to statistical analysis. The results of the study indicated that differences in VOT values were not statistically significant …

Role Identity Formation Of Occupational Therapy Students, Denise A. Rotert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the professional socialization process of occupational therapy students from a role identity theoretical perspective. First-year students, second-year students, fieldwork students, and faculty at an occupational therapy educational program at a Midwestern institution volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected through focus group interviews and surveys. The focus of the study was to determine factors associated with occupational therapy students’ identity salience, commitment, and role-person merger. Interviews and surveys were used to determine what factors, over and above didactic education, influence the socialization of students into the profession of occupational therapy and what …

A Comparison Of Three Phonological Awareness Tools Used To Identify Phonemic Awareness Deficits In Kindergarten-Age Children., Edgard Robelo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if three different tests of phonological awareness: the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP) (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999), The Phonological Awareness Test (PAT) (Robertson & Salter, 1997), and the Pre-Literacy Skills Screening (PLSS) (Crumrine & Lonegan, 1999) measure the same phonological awareness skills (content) in the same manner (procedures) and, whether typically-developing kindergarten-age students perform similarly on each of the tests. Twenty-five kindergarten students consisting of 14 males and 11 females (mean CA of 72.24 months) participated in this study. All participants were attending the second half of kindergarten in a …

Utility Of Health Belief Model Constructs In Predicting Dietary Behaviors Among Female University Students: A Pilot Investigation, Vanessa Emily Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between Health Belief Model constructs as they related to dietary behaviors in a sample of university women 18-to-25 years of age (n=182). A cross-sectional, non-experimental design was utilized. Independent sample t-tests compared the mean of body mass indices (BMI) to dietary risk and race. Odds ratios amassed relationships between race and healthy food choices. Nearly one-third (32.4%) of participants were either overweight or obese. Black females had significantly higher BMI than white females; however, dietary risk from less-than-adequate fruit and vegetable consumption and consumption of high-fat foods were not related to race. Focus group participants …

"All For Health For All": The Local Dynamics Of Rural Public Health In Maine, 1885-1950, Martha Anne Eastman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following new discoveries in bacteriology, public health developed slowly in rural Maine during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, initially in response to communicable diseases and poor sanitation. The legislature created the Maine State Board of Health in 1885 and in 1887 required towns to appoint boards of health. Local responses to public health problems and disease control methods led to both cooperation and resistance. By the 1920s governmental and non-governmental health programs involved the participation of farmers, housewives, school children, women's club members, summer residents, business leaders and health professionals. Voluntary health organizations, such as the Maine Public …

Articulation And Phonological Systems Of Spanish-English Speaking Florida 4 And 5 Year Olds, Jennifer Dennis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are currently five million children three to five years of age (i.e., 59.5% of all children from three to five), who are bilingual, living in the United States. By 2025, Census data show that the population of Florida will increase by some 26 percent adding another 5.5 million people to the state. There are a limited amount of studies yielding data on the development of Spanish phonology in 4 and 5 year old children residing in the United States, particularly in Florida. Consequently, there is limited normative information pertaining to articulation and phonological development in Spanish speakers. It was …

Television Viewing Habits, Body Mass Index, Dietary Behaviors And Physical Activity Among University Students, Mary Catherine Ball

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between TV-viewing, BMI, dietary behaviors and physical activity in a purposive sample of university students. Twenty-three items from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey were used. For data analysis, students were placed into dichotomous categories for TV-viewing risk; dichotomous categories were also created for each DV. Chi-square tests examined relationships between demographic and risk-behavior correlates and Ss' self-reports of TV-viewing; subsequent analyses were run for Ss who were normal- and overweight/obese. Odds ratios with 95% CI were also computed. TV-viewing was related to decreased use of diet/exercise to control weight and an increased likelihood …

Contagious Discourse: Germs, Mass Media, And The Shaping Of Reality, Amy Richardson Ballagh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, mass media coverage of certain infectious diseases has become more abundant. News reports of many of these contagious illnesses invoke fear in many people, such as Ebola and pandemic influenza; multidrug-resistant strains of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis; and agents of biological warfare, a concern that is now at the forefront with many Americans due to the most recent act of bioterrorism on American soil following the events of September 11th. This dissertation focuses on the American public's perception of infectious diseases, particularly as portrayed in the cultural science curriculum. I examine the cyclic nature …