Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Promoting Adult Pertussis Vaccination In The Workplace, Jennifer Bainum, Karlen Beth Luthy, Renea L. Beckstrand, Janelle L. B. Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden

Student Works

Vaccines are an important disease prevention strategy among individuals of all age groups. Despite the success of vaccinations in preventing communicable diseases, adults, in particular, often have sub-optimal vaccination rates. Consequently, some vaccine-preventable diseases, such as pertussis, are still on the rise in the United States despite the availability of the Tdap vaccine. As most adults can be found in the workplace, occupational health and environmental health nurses (OHEHNs) are in a unique role to encourage employers to promote adequate Tdap vaccination among their employees. As specific resources regarding Tdap vaccination are lacking, the Pertussis Prevention Toolkit was developed to …

Source Localization In Cross Modality Matching Of Brightness And Loudness Of Young Adults, Tawnya Nadine Coates

Theses and Dissertations

Cross modality matching is a magnitude matching procedure, developed to study the relationships between sensory modalities. Auditory and visual sensory integration can be examined through cross modality matching of brightness and loudness. Brightness and loudness are natural correlates of one another as they both represent the parameter of intensity for their respective sensory modalities. Past studies have demonstrated that typical individuals tend to match brighter lights with louder sounds and dimmer lights with softer sounds. The current study utilized a modified cross modality matching procedure, combined with electroencephalography (EEG) data, to examine the cortical response to sensory integration. It was …

What Do You Want To Eat? A Descriptive Study Of Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islanders' Home Food Environment, Petr Ruda

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Home food environments are created when families stock their kitchens with food, which contributes to their dietary patterns and weight management. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NPHIs) have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. A description of their home food environment can help nurses understand NHPIs' dietary patterns. Our purpose was to describe NHPIs' home food environments by analyzing grocery store and restaurant receipts. Design and Sample: This descriptive study used analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from eight NHPI families, collected over an 8-week period. Measures: Grocery store and restaurant receipts were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Families' dietary …

The Use Of Teamstepps® In The Development And Implementation Of Staff Nurse Councils, Katreena Collette Merrill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

1. TeamSTEPPS training: As a result of this project, 395 number of students received training on TeamSTEPPS. Students created case studies and role play videos about communication in healthcare.
2. In addition to the effect on the senior undergraduate nursing students and family nurse practitioner graduate students, we were able to implement TeamSTEPPS into a new interprofessional education course STDEV 214R.
3. As a result of this project, we were contacted by the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality for an interview on how we have applied TeamSTEPPS. Results of the interview will be posted on the web site in 2015 citing Brigham Young …

The ‘Ohana Mana Challenge: An Intervention Study On Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islander Nutrition And Activity, Jane H. Lassetter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In our recent study, 84.4% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) in Hawaii and Utah were overweight or obese, which puts them at increased risk for obesity-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Pre-colonization NHPI diets were rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and fish, but research indicates current NHPI diets consist largely of processed and fast foods. Along with this change in NHPI diet came a change in activity, from fishing and farming to more sedentary jobs. The changes in diet and activity likely contribute to high NHPI overweight and obesity prevalence. People can make wise …

My Patient Died: A National Study Of Nursing Students Perceptions After Experiencing A Patient Death, Barabara Heise, Debra Wing

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this national study was to answer the following questions:

1. What is the prevalence of nursing students encountering death in the clinical setting?
2. What are the perceptions of nursing student’s first clinical encounter with death?
3. What are the students’ perceptions of their knowledge and communication abilities to manage patient situations at end-of-life (EOL)?
4. What actions by nurse educators might mitigate this potentially stressful situation according to students?

Nursing Students’ Experiences With High-Fidelity Simulation, Rana Halabi Najjar, Bret Lyman, Nick Miehl

Faculty Publications

Research has revealed the effectiveness of simulation for facilitating student development of self-efficacy, knowledge, clinical judgment, and proficiency in technical skills. This grounded theory study was conducted to describe the experience of nursing students in high-fidelity simulation and develop a model which explicates the experience of nursing students in simulation. Focus group interviews were conducted with three cohorts of students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program who experienced simulation four to twelve times per academic year. Five prominent themes emerged during analysis Emotional Processing; Anxiety; Making Connections; Fidelity; and Learning. The Simulation Learning Model – Student Experience (SLM-SE) was developed …

Social Disparities: Household Income In Poverty Stricken Ecuador Affecting Cognitive Function In Children, A. Chamberlain, M. Williams, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the largest nutritional disorders in the world. Approximately 25% of the world’s population has anemia with 50% of those cases being IDA, according to the World Health Organization. The reduced oxygen carrying capacity associated with anemia can have many adverse effects. Many anemia studies have been done on infants but few have been done on school-aged children. A charity organization in Ecuador has been identifying anemia prevalence among children within a suburb of Guayaquil. To further identify possible risks resulting from anemia, a study comparing cognitive function with anemia rates was conducted in …

Perception Of Safety, Importance, And Effectiveness Of Vaccinations Among Urban School Employees In Utah, Karlen E. Luthy, Kim E. Thompson, Renea L. Beckstrand, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden

Faculty Publications

Purpose: School employees are in direct contact with children in confined areas, a setting in which communicable infection can quickly spread. Therefore, it is important for school employees to be fully vaccinated. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the current vaccination status and perceptions of school employees in an urban school district.

Data Sources: The study employed a nonexperimental mixed-method design. School employee participants (N = 1,400) completed a questionnaire to evaluate vaccination status, availability of vaccination records, and vaccination awareness. Participants were randomly selected from 85 schools within one urban school district.

Conclusions: Two common perceptions about …

Brain Mapping Of The Latency Epochs In A Mcgurk Effect Paradigm In Music Performance And Visual Arts Majors, Lauren Donelle Nordstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The McGurk effect is an illusion that occurs when an auditory /ba/ is combined with a visual /ga/. The two stimuli fuse together which leads to the perception of /da/, a sound in between /ba/ and /ga/. The purpose of this study was to determine whether music performance and visual arts majors process mismatched auditory and visual stimuli, like the McGurk effect, differently. Nine syllable pairs were presented to 10 native English speakers (5 music performance majors and 5 visual arts majors between the ages of 18 and 28 years) in a four-forced-choice response paradigm. Data from event-related potentials were …

Attachment Behaviors As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Disapproval And Relationship Satisfaction, Lauren Drean

Theses and Dissertations

Both approval and disapproval of one's social network have been shown to predict relationship outcomes. Additional research has shown that attachment can buffer the negative effects of various factors (e.g., depression) on relationships. This thesis researches the effects of disapproval of friends and family and attachment on relationship outcomes. More specifically this study looks at the potential moderating effects of couple-specific attachment behaviors on the relationship between social network disapproval and relationship quality. The RELATE data set was used to study couples and their relationship quality. The study looked at 858 married couples and found that one's own attachment behaviors …

The Relationship Among Male Pornography Use, Attachment, And Aggression In Romantic Relationships, Andrew P. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Clinicians and researchers question how pornography might be impacting the people who view it and their partners. In particular, does pornography link to couples attachment and levels of aggression? Using data collected by the RELATE institute a sophisticated structural equation model was set up to answer this question. In particular, an actor partner interdependence model was used to analyze the relationship among male pornography use, insecure attachment behaviors, relational aggression, and physical aggression in 1630 heterosexual couples. Results indicate higher reports of male pornography use are associated with higher reports of insecure attachment behaviors, relational aggression, and physical aggression. Differences …

A Longitudinal Study Of Therapist Emotion Focused Therapy Interventions Predicting In-Session Positive Couple Behavior, Josh Novak

Theses and Dissertations

This is a longitudinal multilevel analysis using third party coded data of 15 couples therapy sessions to identify which therapist Emotion Focused Therapy interventions (Management of Couple's Interaction, Working with Primary Emotion, Managing Defensive Responses, Reframing the Problem in Terms of the Cycle, and Placing Emerging Emotions into the Cycle) influenced husband-to-wife and wife-to-husband exchanges of Positive Behaviors (warmth, prosocial behaviors, communication, assertiveness, and listening). A mixed effects model was used to examine within- and between-individual variability. Men and women were modeled separately. A series of two-level multilevel models of change were examined, where Time is Level 1 and Individual …

Facilitative Implicit Rules And Adolescent Emotional Regulation, Lexie Y. Pfeifer

Theses and Dissertations

Research has linked emotional regulation to the adaptive functioning of adolescents. Further research suggests that family processes, which include implicit rules, impact children's emotional regulation. The current study examined the impact of implicit rules that are facilitative of family connectedness on development of adolescents' emotional regulation. Data came from the Flourishing Families Project (FFP), a seven-year longitudinal study measuring family processes that impact adolescent development. The sample was collected in the northwestern United States and consisted of 500 families with a target child between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Participants filled out self-report measures on implicit family rules …

Interactions Between Race, Gender, And Income In Relationship Education Outcomes, Andrew K. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers and policymakers have become interested in the use of relationship education programs as a means to remedy the effects of family instability. Research suggests that relationship education produces positive outcomes with some groups. However, whether populations who are socially and economically more at-risk of relationship problems and relationship dissolution are gaining from relationship education remains an open question. Ecocultural Theory is used to conceptualize the research question and to illustrate the importance of studying diverse populations. The purpose of this study is to assess relationship education outcomes for select at-risk groups. The sample for this study (n=1,907) comes from …

External Validity Of Grammatical Word Category Classification Using An Adaptation And Selection Model, Michelle Chatterton

Theses and Dissertations

The process of acquiring language requires children to learn grammatical categories and apply these categories to new words. Researchers have proposed various explanations of this process in the form of algorithms and computational modeling. Recently, adaptation and selection models have been tested and applied as a possible explanation to the process of acquiring grammatical categories. These studies have proven promising, however, the external validity of this approach has not been examined by grammatically coding samples outside the training corpus. The current thesis applies an adaptation and selection model, which pauses the evolution of dictionaries after every thousand cycles to allow …

Monophthongal Vowel Production In Females With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Following A Hydration Treatment Of Nebulized Saline, Kara Rytting

Theses and Dissertations

Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that causes extreme dryness, or sicca,of the eyes and mouth, as well as other potential drying of the throat and intestines. Speech, voice, and swallowing problems are common in individuals with SS. Therefore, this study examined the possible changes in acoustic characteristics of monophthongs (/i, æ, α, u, ʌ/) in eight females with SS following laryngeal hydration treatments. An ABAB experimental design was implemented. Treatment consisted of nebulized isotonic saline immediately following completion of audio-recordings. Using acoustic analysis software the duration, formant frequencies, and vowel space area (VSA) was calculated for the participant's …

Modeling Children's Acquisition Of Grammatical Word Categories From Adult Input Using An Adaptation And Selection Algorithm, Nicole Adele Stenquist

Theses and Dissertations

It is understood that children learn the use of grammatical categories in their native language, and previous models have only been partially successful in describing this acquisition. The present study uses an adaptation selection algorithm to continue the work in addressing this question. The input for the computer model is child-directed speech towards three children, ages ranging from 1;1 to 5;1 during the course of sampling. The output of the model consists of the input words labeled with a grammatical category. This output data was evaluated at regular intervals through its ability to correctly identify the grammatical categories of language …

Avoidant Parental And Self Conflict-Resolution Styles And Marital Relationship Self-Regulation: Do Perceived Partner Attachment Behaviorsplay A Moderating Role?, Erin L. Rackham

Theses and Dissertations

Relationship self-regulation (RSR) refers to the “work”, or effort and strategies, that partners put into keeping their relationships healthy. Past RSR research has not taken into account distal and proximal variables that may affect RSR, such as parental and current relationship avoidant conflict-resolution style (CRS). In this study, we examine the relationships between parental avoidant CRS and current relationship avoidant CRS, as well as self-report of RSR in the relationship. Additionally, the perception of one's partner's attachment behaviors consisting of responsiveness, engagement, and accessibility is included in the model to test for moderation of the relationship between current relationship avoidant …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Comparison Of Medication Efficacy And Cost, Karlen E. Luthy, Robert M. David, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden, Renea L. Beckstrand

Faculty Publications

Although a common psychological disorder, pharmacological treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be a costly endeavor. Among 4-5 year olds, methylphenidate is a safe, efficacious, and cost-effective option for short-, intermediate-, and long-acting medication options. Short-acting methylphenidate, intermediate-acting methylphenidate ER and SR, and long-acting methylphenidate LA are the most efficacious and cost-effective medications. Selection of non-stimulant medications should be based upon recommended guidelines rather than primarily on cost. For children incapable of swallowing pills, the most efficacious and cost-effective treatments are short-acting dextroamphetamine liquid and long-acting methylphenidate LA capsules that can be opened and sprinkled over food.

Rural Emergency Nurses' End-Of-Life Care Obstacles Experiences: Stories From The Last Frontier, Jonathan Rohwer

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rural emergency nurses face unique obstacles to providing quality end-of-life (EOL) care. Stories provided by emergency nurses embody their most difficult EOL care obstacles. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 53 rural hospitals. Respondents were asked to share stories that epitomized the obstacles faced while providing EOL care in the rural emergency setting. Results: The lack of an ideal death (nurse personally knows the patient, issues with family members, and unknown patient wishes) was the top obstacle. Other reported obstacles were insufficient ED staff and power struggles between nurses and physicians. Discussion: Rural emergency nurses often provide EOL care …

Exploring Perceived Attitudes Of Counseling Between Lds Religious Leaders And Mental Health Therapists, Kawika Allen, Curtis Hill

Faculty Publications

Perceived attitudes between mental health therapists and local congregational LDS religious leaders regarding the value, function, and efficacy of mental health therapy were qualitatively examined. Qualitative data emerging from 4 LDS religious leaders (all male; 3 bishops and 1 stake president) and 7 mental health therapists (5 females, 2 males) were analyzed. Results showed differences in attitudes related to the collaboration process as well as the efficacy and process of counseling between local mental health therapists and LDS religious leaders in a specific Southwest region of the U.S. Additional results are reported. Implications are discussed related to these findings.

Examining Legalism, Scrupulosity, Family Perfectionism, And Psychological Adjustment Among Lds Individuals, Kawika Allen, Kenneth T. Wang, Hannah Stokes

Faculty Publications

This study examined the relationships and interactions between legalism, scrupulosity, family perfectionism, guilt, and shame among 421 Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormons). The results showed that scrupulosity fully mediated the links between legalism and guilt, as well as legalism and shame. A moderated-mediation effect was found, in which family discrepancy (maladaptive perfectionism) intensified the scrupulosity–shame association in the mediation model of legalism and shame by scrupulosity. Family discrepancy was not a significant moderator for the mediation model of legalism and guilt by scrupulosity. Additional results are provided and implications of these findings are outlined.

Spiritual Pathways To Healing And Recovery: An Intensive Single-N Study Of An Eating Disorder Patient, Kawika Allen, Troy Lea, P. Scott Richards, Peter W. Sanders, Jason A. Mcbride

Faculty Publications

This article presents an in-depth single case study of 8 sessions of spiritually integrated psychotherapy with a 20-year-old woman recovering from an Eating Disorder. The inclusion and utility of session-to-session outcome data as well as systematic follow up data in conjunction with in-depth qualitative interviews are shown. Dr. H and client’s perspectives are highlighted over the course of treatment. Clinical areas of focus were extracted from the the qualitative interviews and the therapeutic process is described. Single-case study statistical analyses were conducted to highlight clinical gains and maintenance.

Bringing Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapies Into The Health Care Mainstream: A Call For Worldwide Collaboration, Kawika Allen, P. Scott Richards, Peter W. Sanders, Troy Lea, Jason A. Mcbride

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to describe an overall strategy and specific plans for bringing spiritually oriented treatment approaches into the health care mainstream. We describe Bridges, a practice-research network created in 2012 that is devoted to helping practitioners, researchers, educators, and pastoral professionals collaboratively pursue this goal. We describe the achievements of Bridges thus far, which include a website for networking, an online psychotherapy research system, several completed studies, and grant funding for future collaborative research studies. We conclude with an invitation to health care professionals around the world to join with us in efforts to mainstream spirituality …

Evaluation Of Vaccination Policies Among Utah Pediatric Clinic Employees, Tia Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Pediatric health care settings are high risk environments for spreading communicable and vaccine preventable diseases from health care workers to susceptible patients. Methods: All managers of pediatric clinics operating in the state of Utah were included. Participants were invited to complete a two-page questionnaire regarding their clinic vaccination policies. Results: Half (n = 23, 50%) of Utah pediatric outpatient clinics recommend employee vaccinations, although employee refusal is allowed without consequence. Of all adult vaccines, influenza was most often included as part of the employee vaccination policy. Some clinics required unvaccinated employees to wear masks in the event of illness, …