Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Barriers To Musculoskeletal Injury Reporting In High School Athletes: A Qualitative Study, Mikayla Talak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: There are a substantial amount of sport related injuries recorded at the high school age and it has been recorded as a public health concern in a vast amount of health literature. Although participating in sports has a risk of injury associated with it, it is common for high school athletes to underreport injuries. But there is no known literature on injury reporting behaviors of musculoskeletal injuries in the high school athletic population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the barriers and facilitators to musculoskeletal injury reporting and towards playing injured in athletes that attend a …

Sexual Minority Stress And Mental Health: An Investigation Of Rural-Urban Differences In Social Support, Justin T. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As mental health disparities and discrimination facing the LGB (sexual minority) community continues to come into public focus, researchers and clinicians are moving toward identifying LGB-specific mental health interventions to support well-being efforts within this population. Furthermore, much of the current literature on sexual minority mental health is focused on predominantly urban samples failing to consider the sociocultural impacts of living in low resourced and geographically isolated regions of the United States (US). To this end, social support is a promising prevention factor, but few studies to date examine its influence on different minority stress models. As such, the current …

Becoming A Public Health Professional: Millennials’ Perspective On Organizational Assimilation And Professional Identity, Tony K. Winters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Public health must confront the ongoing challenge of workforce transitions and the impending exodus of existing employees. The millennial generation rises as an option to fill this workforce gap. Using the Socialization Resource Theory as a framework and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 27 millennial professionals from federal, state, local, and non-governmental public health agencies, this study describes (a) the organizational assimilation (OA) process for millennial public health professionals, (b) explores the impact of OA on professional identity, and (c) describes how the OA process may impact the retention of public health professionals.

The results from this study …

Factors Associated With Intention To Disclose Concussive Symptoms In Active Duty Soldiers, Carly Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Concussion disclosure is a heavily researched topic, and while previous literature has explored predictors of concussion disclosure in numerous populations, research within the active duty Soldier population is limited. This study further explored predictors of concussion disclosure to a medical professional or leadership in the active duty Solider population through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to 181 active duty Soldiers. Descriptive statistics were used to report frequency of high intention to disclose concussive symptoms among demographics, and a multivariate regression model was used to assess significant predictors of intention …

Exploring Sport, Exercise, And Performance Psychology Practitioners’ Attitudes On Attire, Claire Harding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has revealed that attire has an influence on one’s self-perceptions, self and socially prescribed adjective traits and behavior (Adam & Galinsky, 2012; Lubker et. al, 2008; Peluchette & Karl, 2007). The present study aims to explore the influence of attire on perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of SEPP (Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology) practitioners during their applied work. Specifically, these factors were investigated through various demographic lenses such as gender, experience level, and age in order to describe the population. SEPP graduate students (n = 49) and early career professionals (n = 82) were asked to participate in a questionnaire, …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Female Athletic Trainers Working With Male Coaches In Male Sports, Sierra Hobday

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Female athletic trainers are making great strides in a previously male-dominated profession and are also becoming more prevalent in working with male sports teams. Female athletic trainers working within male sports often face gender bias and discrimination which has been found to come from male coaches of these sports. While previous studies have shown male coaches may demonstrate practices of gender bias towards female athletic trainers working in male sports, no studies have focused directly on the male coach and female athletic trainer relationship. Purpose: To examine the experiences and perceptions of female athletic trainers currently working with male …

Characteristics And Regions Of Hospital Locations And The Risk Of Postpartum Hemorrhage., Zahra Shahin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the contributing factors to maternal morbidity and mortality that in addition to maternal risk factors, may be related to other factors such as obstetric practice and clinical management of postpartum hemorrhage. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of postpartum hemorrhage with characteristics and regions of hospital locations across the United States, as the outcomes may create opportunities to improve policies and protocols regarding PPH management more effectively. Method: A retrospective study was performed using the 2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Low-risk delivery hospitalizations involving the third stage of labor with …

The Tragedy Of Caspian: C. S. Lewis And His Trauma, Chandler Hanton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reconsiders C.S.Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia as a type of scriptotherapy that enabled Lewis to process and come to terms with a life full of serious and significant traumatic events. Trauma theory offers a vehicle for us to consider the alignments and connections between Lewis himself and his fictional creation, Caspian. In the specifics of both characterization and incident, Lewis mirrors the events and relationships that instilled and healed the trauma in his own life. In situating Caspian as his alter-ego, Lewis allowed his writing to function as a gender-specific therapeutic process for addressing the effects of his …

Stress, Stress Appraisal And Coping In Athletic Trainers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lawson Holton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: There have been many studies conducted on the stress and mental health of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) over the past months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Very limited literature has examined the effect of the pandemic on athletic trainers (ATs). Objective: The aim of this investigation was to examine the stress, stress appraisal, and coping measures of ATs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants were recruited members from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). The Perceived Stress Scale-10 was used to measure stress, the Stress Appraisal Measure was used to measure stress appraisal, and the Brief COPE was used …

The Relationships Between Sleep Quality, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Injury In High School Student Athletes, Karleigh Kirsch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Various physiological and lifestyle factors make shorter sleep durations more prevalent in young people, leaving them at risk of sleep deprivation. In addition to overall poorer health outcomes and decreases in well-being, lack of sleep has known effects on performance, neurocognitive functioning, and recovery from exercise. This creates a greater potential for sport-related injury to occur. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between sleep quality, health-related quality of life, and injury in high school student athletes. The sample consisted of 100 high school athletes (M age = 15.86, SD = 1.25 years). Participants completed a …

Does Race Have An Influence On The Athletic Trainer-Coach Relationship, Cayce M. Sloan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Interpersonal relationships are the most frequent types of relationships individuals maintain on a daily basis. Rapport provides the foundation necessary to build positive interpersonal relationships, specifically, collegial relationships such as the relationship between the athletic trainer and coach. However, facilitators and barriers exist that may hinder relationships. Specifically, race appears to influence relationships, but to date, it appears race has not been examined in the athletic trainer-coach relationship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the facilitators and barriers to building rapport in race-discordant athletic trainer-coach relationships and to examine the role race plays within the athletic …

A Virtual Camp For Adolescents With Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Changes In Physical Activity, Function, And Psychosocial Health, Sarah Creveling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with developmental disabilities (DD) have low levels of physical activity (PA), are more likely to be overweight or obese, and are at an increased risk of developing secondary conditions compared to their typically developing peers. Participation in PA has been linked to a myriad of benefits including improvements in psychosocial health, decreased risk of developing secondary conditions, and opportunities for socialization. Summer camps provide opportunities for adolescents with DD to participate in meaningful activities while being physically active during the summer months when school is out and there is a change in routines, skill and learning loss is a …

Effects Of Various Golf Bag Loading Strategies On Perceived Exertion And Vertical Jump Performance, Austen Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: The sport of golf is increasing in popularity among both novice and skilled players alike. A round of golf necessitates players to cope with a range of physically demanding movement patterns. At the collegiate level, golfers must transport their clubs by loading them onto the body. Previous literature has yet to determine how different golf bag carrying positions influence periodic, unloaded jump performance and perceived exertion of the load carrying task. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate how different golf bag load carriage methods may influence vertical jump performance and perceived exertion. METHODS: Five golf bag …

Correlates Of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among African American Females In Juvenile Detention Centers, Eghosa E. Asemota

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: In comparison to other demographics, research shows that African American female adolescents are over-represented in the United States Juvenile Justice System. Studies in this vulnerable population demonstrate higher rates of engagement in unsafe sex, and its attendant negative consequences of HIV infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and mistimed pregnancies. There is a paucity of studies that have specifically examined risky sexual behaviors amongst African American females in Juvenile Detention Centers. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between the individual, family, peer, and societal factors, and engagement in risky sex among Black female detainees in Juvenile …

Seasonal Variation In Anthropometric And Performance Variables In American Professional Soccer Players, Hannah Elizabeth Ramirez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Preseason is an essential component of sport; it prepares players physiologically for the beginning of the competitive season by allowing for improvements in performance and fitness variables. As the season progresses, the need to maintain an ideal performance state may be difficult due to accumulating training load. PURPOSE: The purpose was to determine the seasonal variation of power, agility, and body fat percentage (BF%) via a series of tests throughout the competitive season of American professional soccer players. METHODS: 23 male United Soccer League (USL) One players underwent a performance battery (akimbo vertical jump (VJ), reactive strength index (RSI), …

Generalization Of Net Benefit Of Diagnostic Tests Into Multi-Stage Clinical Conditions: A Collapsing Approach, Ferdous Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evaluating diagnostic tests based on benefit-risk involves both the tests’ accuracy and the clinical implications of the diagnostic errors. Diagnostic tests are commonly classified into two stages: either positive or negative for a clinical condition (diseased or non-diseased). However, some diseases have more than two stages, such as Alzheimer’s. In diseases with more than two stages, the benefits and risks of the clinical consequences could differ from stage to stage. I could not find any investigations to account for the difference in benefits and risks of tests with more than two stages in the literature. The benefit to cost values …

The Relationship Between Physical Mobility And Firefighter Occupational Task Performance, Shelby Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Firefighters work in a dangerous profession with high injury rates. Mobility dysfunction in firefighters may impact performance and contribute to injury. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is commonly used to evaluate individuals for mobility dysfunction and compensatory movements. PURPOSE: Identify if mobility is related to firefighters’ occupational task performance. METHODS: This was a retrospective study assessing 29 career firefighters using FMS and occupational performance task scores. Statistical analyses consisted of a multiple linear regression assessing predictors on the occupational task performance and 21 point-biserial correlations ran to assess the relationship between each individual predictor and occupational task performance. RESULTS: …

Bridging The Gaps: Exploring Factors Associated With Goal Achievement Within An Accountable Care Organization Care Coordination Program, Jessica L. Polk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Healthcare cost in the U.S. has been increasing at an unsustainable rate due to the growing population diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions and a fragmented healthcare system. The high-risk patient population includes persons who over utilize the healthcare system with frequent avoidable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and exacerbations of their chronic conditions. This high-risk population makes up five percent of the U.S. but accounts for over fifty percent of all healthcare spending. Care coordination models have emerged to focus proactive health interventions for the highest-risk patient populations to reduce overutilization and empower patients to improve long-term health. Evidence has …

Modelling Muscle Activation Using Emg Signal, Mercy U. Okonna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

(EMG) is a method for measuring muscle activity by an electrical signal, and is useful in studying motor control, postural control, and in physical therapy. A current research topic is creating an algorithm that can use the EMG signal to reliably classify a muscle as active or inactive. This thesis presents a classification algorithm for leg muscles with a single activation spike while walking. Time is rescaled into steps, which are identified using data from cameras measuring joint angles while walking. The algorithm is based on moving averages and a convex combination of mean signal strength in active and inactive …

United States Nursing Homes And Health Equity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carla Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected older populations, with nursing homes impacted early on by the disease. The contribution of race/ethnicity of nursing home residents and facility characteristics on COVID-19 were unknown. The Donabedian model framework was used to study the relationship between the racial/ethnic characteristics of nursing home residents and COVID-19 outcomes and to examine if this relationship was moderated by the racial/ethnic composition of the county of nursing home location.

Method: Cross-sectional research design merging data from five publicly available sources. Laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths were compared by the racial composition of the county and nursing …

Identifying Strategies To Increase The Recruitment And Retention Of Minority Males In The Public Health Workforce: A Two-State Comparative Case Study Approach, Melicent R. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Non-White males have higher rates of morbidity and mortality from chronic health conditions as compared to Whites. An essential element for achieving success in eliminating health disparities is to increase the presence of racial/ethnic minorities (i.e., people of color) within public health careers. One of the most important competencies for a public health professional is the ability to work in culturally and racially diverse populations. Yet, individuals are significantly more likely to receive their care and experience greater satisfaction from providers that are of the same racial or ethnic background. The racial/ethnic composition of the health professions workforce continues to …

The Association Of Demographic Characteristics And Social Vulnerability With Covid-19 Outcomes, Gloria D. Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Association of Demographic Characteristics and Social Vulnerability With COVID-19 Outcomes

by

Gloria Boone

(Under the Direction of Gulzar Shah)

ABSTRACT

This research explored 102 Illinois counties' COVID-19 data to determine whether demographic characteristics and social vulnerability are associated with increased vulnerability to COVID-19 infections and deaths. COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups and has been deadlier for African American and Hispanic people. The findings of this research will contribute to the knowledge base regarding social vulnerability and assist public health officials in targeting resources and designing interventions. This study used a retrospective cross-sectional design to assess demographic characteristics of …

The Effects Of A Mirror On Cognitive Strategy And Performance Of A Muscular Endurance Task, Brianna M. Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Mirrors are common-place in exercise facilities, however, the effect the mirror has on cognitive strategy (i.e., where the mind’s at) and performance time has not been examined in a muscular endurance task (i.e., a wall sit). Objective: To determine, (1) the mirror’s effect on cognitive state during a wall sit to volitional exhaustion, (2) the mirror's effect on time to volitional exhaustion during a wall sit, and (3) the mirror’s effect on the participant’s rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the wall sit. Design: Repeated measures design. Setting: Indoor exercise facility. Participants: Twenty resistance-trained Georgia Southern University Students (9 …

Qualitative Study Of Factors Contributing To Fertility Service Use Among Cancer Survivors Of Reproductive Age In The Us, Angela Rodgers Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States; however, there has been a decline in incidence and mortality due to advances in screening and treatment. Currently 16.9 million survivors are thriving within the United States, and the population of cancer survivors has been projected to grow to 22.2 million by 2030. Although cancer survivors report an increased surge of vitality and vigor, they often face physical, mental, psychosocial, or financial challenges that threaten their quality of life. A late treatment effect of particular concern for cancer survivors of reproductive age that has both physical and psychosocial …

Thinking Ethically About Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Retention In Care And Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing In A Southeastern United States Local Health Department In The Time Of Covid-19, Ellie Purdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Local Health Departments (LHDs) are critical providers of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention efforts. HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is an evolving public health initiative and practitioners should consider PrEP interventions in context of ethical decision-making and a broad STI prevention strategy as global incidence of bacterial STIs remains high and those at-risk for HIV are generally at-risk for other STIs. An evaluation of the Thinking Ethically framework and LHD PrEP services was performed to fill a gap in the literature and support program decision-making. A retrospective review of PrEP user medical records from a LHD …

The Quantification Of Training Load In Professional American Soccer Players, Drew S. Dejohn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Training load (TL) has become a common tool to measure the exertion of athletes over the course of a session or season. However, there is still limited understanding of the load placement throughout training weeks within American professional soccer. The purpose of this study was to quantify potential differences in the external [duration, total distance (D_T), explosive distance (D_E), sprint distance (D_S), maximum speed (Speed_Max) and number of sprints (#S)] and internal [session rating of perceived exertion load (S-RPE Load), average heart rate (HR_Avg), peak heart rate (HR_Peak), …

Injury Reporting Barriers Amongst Aviation Soldiers, Morgan Stanwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in the U.S. military which poses a major threat to military readiness. However, recent research indicates that Soldiers do not seek medical care for nearly half of their injuries. PURPOSE: Identify barriers in injury reporting using the Theory of Planned Behavior within a U.S. Army special operations aviation population. METHODS: This descriptive study utilized a self-report survey to explore injury rates, reporting rates, and perceptions of reporting behaviors. RESULTS: Of the 108 Soldiers who completed this study 77.8% experienced a MSKI in the previous 12 months and 69% sought medical care (reported …

"Who's The Man?" Examining The Relationships Between Black Masculinity, Perceived Social Support, And Sexual Behavior In Black Male College Students, James Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Sexual health disparities in college-aged Black men remains a critical public health issue. Black men are likely to have an earlier sexual debut, acquire sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV at higher rates, and enter fatherhood at earlier ages than their White counterparts. Previous research has identified masculinity and perceived social support as predictors of sexual risk behavior for men in the U.S. However, when exploring masculinity’s influence on sexual behavior, studies that are culturally sensitive to Black men’s experiences and perspectives on manhood are few. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Black masculinity, …

Design, Synthesis And Applications Of Nanoparticles In Suppression Of Mosquito-Born Flaviviridae Viruses, Maria R. Blahove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, nanoparticles have become an origin of exploration in the chemistry field due to their unique medical uses. The current drug delivery models of nanoparticles often include a metal base with a drug conjugated to its surface. However this raises concerns regarding toxicity. A novel approach to solving this dilemma is the development of nanosized biocompatible polymer-based micelles, created from PEG-PCL-PEG triblock polymer, and formed around a drug of choice. The goal is to create a drug carrier nanoparticle system that is labile at a specific intracellular pH, without undue toxicity to the cell. This creates a drug-loaded nanoparticle that …

Identifying Collegiate Athlete's Motivation To Continue Training In Quarantine Compared Between Sexes, Delaney A. Jamison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To identify the type of motivation that was most common among NCAA Division I athletes to continue training during a period of quarantine and how this differs between sexes. Methods: Male and female student-athletes from a university in the southern United States were recruited for the study. 47 participants (males = 13, females = 34) completed the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) and Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Sale (BNSSS) questionnaire to determine their motivation and basic needs satisfaction during the period of imposed quarantine. Data Analysis: A Mann-Whitney-U test was calculated to determine the differences of composite intrinsic motivation …