Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Delivered Alcohol Intervention In First-Generation College Students, Pamela Helen Taylor

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

First-generation (first-gen) students encounter not only the typical anxieties and

aggravations of attending college but also face stressors from social and cultural transitions.

Social adjustment, including college alcohol use, directly affects the success of a first-gen

student. Due to an increased reliance on computer-delivered alcohol interventions (CDIs) and

the growth in the number of first-gen college students, a need has emerged to investigate

alcohol use and web-based interventions among this population. Exploring the effectiveness of

CDIs and first-gen experiences will increase knowledge and improve current practice on

college campuses.

Methods

Phase 1: A systematic review using the reach, effectiveness, adoption, …

Examining University Food Systems: Understanding Student Food Insecurity Levels And Food Waste At Minority-Serving Institutions, Amy Louise Gootee-Ash

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated food insecurity levels and attitudes and behaviors towards food waste at minority-serving colleges (MSIs). A validated survey from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Adult Food Security Survey Modules (AFSSM) was used to assess food security population levels. Paper 1 of the three included is a case study at a MSI (n = 229) that examined food security levels. No significant relationships at the p < .05 were found between food security and student ethnicity, living arrangements, meal plan enrollments, or grade-point averages. Paper 2 examined food security at three MSIs (n = 449) and two traditional, diverse schools (TDUs; n = 236). Food security levels between MSIs and TDUs were shown to be statistically significant (p < .05), while levels of student financial aid participation between MSIs and TDUs were not statistically significant. A comparison of food security levels at regional-state colleges in Delaware and Maryland reveal a significant difference in levels of food security (p < .05). The third paper found no significant relationship between students (n = 222) who were exposed to food waste education campaigns and reported levels of food waste behaviors. No statistical significance could be discerned between meal plan offerings and reported plate waste, which is food thrown away by consumers after a meal.

How Coping Process Relates To Eating Behaviors Among Military Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Debra Kimberlin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition faced by many veterans, and veterans with PTSD have higher rates of poor health and obesity than civilians. Evidence suggests mental health issues such as PTSD may be associated with disordered eating behaviors. In addition, veterans with PTSD may select a variety of coping behaviors to manage stress and emotions, some of which may negatively impact their health. This study explored the relationships between coping process, emotion- and stress-related eating, and eating disorder risk among a sample of veterans with PTSD (n = 239) who were recruited through veteran service organizations …

Stress Response And Performance Changes Of Law Enforcement Officers’ Marksmanship Under Varied Levels Of Stress, Brandon Michael Male

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Objective: To investigate changes in physiological stress response and shooting performance of law enforcement officers under varying levels of stress. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine how increasing levels of stress from operating a firearm on static targets changes when law enforcement officers are subjected to a simulated life-threatening or dangerous situation.

Background: Performance changes associated with high levels of stress have been well documented in disciplines such as sports psychology, medicine, and military/law enforcement fields. However, little work has been done to draw comparisons between firearm training methods and qualification procedures which closely mimic armed …

Body Image Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Niu Students, Sara Mattillion

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the presence of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among NIU college students.

The objectives of the study included: determining if there was a significant difference in the presence of body image dissatisfaction among NIU college students, determine if there was a significant difference in the presence of disordered eating among NIU college students, and to determine if there is a relationship between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among NIU college students.

The transition into college and graduate school is challenging and can induce …

Investigating The Effects Of Methylphenidate On Cue Salience And Behavioral Flexibility: Role Of D2 Receptors, Mercedes Mcwaters

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Healthy individuals worldwide are using cognitive enhancing drugs in an attempt to remain competitive in society for education, careers, and athletics. Commonly, these individuals are using prescription stimulants, such as methylphenidate (MPH), due to their known acute neuroenhancing effects. While these neuroenhancing effects have been established using a variety of learning, memory, and attention tasks in humans and rodents, little research has investigated the effects of MPH use on specific components of these tasks, such as cue salience. One process that is important for learning the relationship between a cue and a reward is salience, or the heightened perception and …

The Relationship Between Participation In Community-Level Service-Learning And Career Plans To Practice In Underserved Areas Among 4th-Year Medical Students, Felicia Bolden Mobley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Service-learning is a form of experiential learning that allows students to combine knowledge acquired in the classroom with community-level experiences. In medical education, service-learning provides medical students the opportunity to apply clinical knowledge to health-related experiences within communities in an effort to prepare them to address the health needs of communities after they graduate. Research shows that without service-learning opportunities, some medical students may lack a level of compassion and empathy that is necessary to treat medically underserved patients.

A secondary data analysis was conducted using 4th-year medical students’ survey responses on the Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire …

Outpatients' And Treatment Providers’ Cultural Model(S) Of Mental Illness In Northern Illinois, Emily Jean Stephen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

For this thesis, I interviewed outpatients and clinicians from mental health treatment providers from the DeKalb, Illinois area to investigate the cultural models of mental illness held by both groups. I employed ethnographic methods of semi-structured interviews, and with cognitive tasks (free-listing, and pile sorting) to research similarities and differences between the outpatients’ and mental health treatment providers’ cultural models of ‘mental illness.’ Both mental health clinicians and outpatients have experience with disorders commonly termed ‘mental illness.’ I found differences of experience and identity seemed to more strongly influence one’s cultural model of mental illness than one’s level or type …

A Secondary Analysis Of Insurance Claims Data To Determine The Association Between Provider Type And Treatment Escalation In Musculoskeletal Disorders, Brian Anderson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research study has two primary objectives: first, to examine the association between provider type, along with a variety of other predictor variables, on treatment escalation in the management of musculoskeletal disorders, and second, to examine the association between provider type, along with a variety of other predictor variables, on the use of opioid medications for musculoskeletal disorders. The methodology used to investigate both objectives involved secondary analysis of an insurance claims database from a privately insured Fortune-500 company in the southwest United States. Given the extreme costs and generally equivocal results of treatment interventions, the aim of this line …

The Risk For Developing Eating Disorders Among Indivdiuals With Diabetes, Nicole Havlik

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The objective and purpose of this research was to determine if individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing eating disorders. Currently, there is a gap in literature on the topic of eating disorders and diabetes. Further, there is little research on those with type 2 diabetes and their risk for eating disorder development. Management of diabetes and eating disorder treatment contradict each other. Therefore, there is a need to understand the risk involved in the treatment of diabetes in order to prevent eating disorder development.

Methods: The current study used a Likert-type scale …

Wellness In Asexual-Identified Individuals: The Impact Of Social Support And Microaggressions, Elisa Marie Woodruff

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

One hundred sixty asexual identified individuals living in the United States were recruited from asexual online communities. The participants completed a comprehensive survey consisting of Zimet et al.’s 1988 Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, Foster’s 2017 Asexual Microaggression Scale, and the Five Factor Wellness Inventory Adult Version Revised (FFWEL-A2) developed by Myers and Sweeney in 2014, as well as 15-item demographic items. Regression models were used to assess relationships among the factors.

Social support was found to have a significant positive impact on participant wellness, supporting previous social science research. Microaggressions were not found to have a negative impact on …

Effects Of Different Dual Tasking Modalities On The Standing Balance Performance Of College Students, John Patrick Manning

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Center of pressure (CoP) and related-metrics are widely accepted indicators of balance performance. Traditional indices of balance performance (e.g. sway area) have been seen as incapable of fully characterizing CoP dynamics, therefore newer measures have been used in contemporary literature to characterize regularity, complexity, and dimensionality of CoP signals. A popular method of increasing standing task difficulty is through the addition of a cognitive task, referred to as dual-task. PURPOSE: The present study sought to investigate the potential of a hierarchical attentional difficulty within the dual-task paradigm and to propose way to order those difficulties by examining differences in static …

Role Of Religion For Christian Couples Who Successfully Cope With Trauma, Bernadette Collins

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Most of the research concerning couples focuses on either couples and trauma or religion and couples. The current research investigated what role religion plays when Christian couples effectively navigated a trauma. Interviews were conducted with five Christian couples who experienced joint trauma more than eight years prior to the study. Interviews of the couples consisted of questions concerning what their trauma was, religious coping strategies utilized during and after their trauma, and the effect religious coping had on the couples’ ability to effectively navigate the traumatic event. Qualitative analysis found several major themes which included meaning making of the traumatic …

An Exploration Of Parental Alcohol Abuse: The Effect On Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships, Hillary Nicole Schraufnagel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to explore the effect of parental alcohol abuse on emerging adult romantic relationships. Parent-child relationships play an important role and can impact emerging adults’ ability to function in their own relationships. Additionally, the role that alcohol plays in the childhood home has direct implications for child development. Data was collected using an initial survey and follow up extensive one-on-one interviews. Fifteen emerging adults (ages 18-29) were interviewed on their relationship with their parents, the role that alcohol played in their childhood home, as well as their relationship with their current romantic partner. The interviews …