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Walden University

2015

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Articles 31 - 60 of 413

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Health Care Administration Faculty Perceptions On Competency Education, Graduate Preparedness, And Employer Competency Expectations, Wittney A. Jones Jan 2015

Health Care Administration Faculty Perceptions On Competency Education, Graduate Preparedness, And Employer Competency Expectations, Wittney A. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care administration programs have transitioned to using the competency approach to better prepare graduates for workplace success. The responsibility of preparing graduates lies with the program faculty, yet little is known about faculty perceptions of the competency approach. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the perceptions of graduate-level health care administration faculty about the competency approach, the approach's effect on graduate preparedness, and employer expectations. Adult learning theory and the theory of self-efficacy were used as the theoretical foundations for the study. Faculty demographics related to personal information, workplace/teaching experience, and program information served as the …


The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills Jan 2015

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act And High School Obesity, Derek Grills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States high school student obesity rates have doubled in the past 30 years to 13%, threatening the health of millions of adolescents. To mitigate the epidemic, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010, which mandated significant changes to school nutrition and physical education. From a public policy perspective, the HHFKA changed school nutrition and exercise policy to affect obesity rates by changing intake and energy expenditure at school, though no study using national-level data examined this relationship. As such, the purpose of the study was to examine whether HHFKA policy compliance had a statistically significant effect …


Role Ambiguity, Role Strain, Job Dissatisfaction, And Difficulty Transitioning Into Academia Among Nursing Faculty, Paula Stallard Whitehead Jan 2015

Role Ambiguity, Role Strain, Job Dissatisfaction, And Difficulty Transitioning Into Academia Among Nursing Faculty, Paula Stallard Whitehead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Registered nurses with experience in the clinical area entering academia go through a transition that may lead to difficulties such as role ambiguity and role strain when beginning a new job. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences leading to role ambiguity, role strain, difficulty with role transition, and job dissatisfaction among the faculty at colleges of nursing in the mountain region of Western North Carolina. Guided by Kahn's organizational role theory and Schlossberg's transition theory, research questions investigated the nursing faculty experience of role ambiguity, role strain, difficulty transitioning into academia, and job dissatisfaction. A qualitative …


Health Education To Decrease Obesity In Adolescents With Asthma, Mitzie Eumarie Thomas Jan 2015

Health Education To Decrease Obesity In Adolescents With Asthma, Mitzie Eumarie Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity increases asthma severity and is costing the health care industry a significant amount of money. Decreasing adolescents' obesity will decrease the risk for chronic health problems, which can have a significant impact in adulthood. Implementing a school-based health education program can decrease the prevalence of obesity amongst adolescents. This program will be implemented by school nurses in the after-school program at Public School 59 (P.S) in New York City. The purpose of this project is to develop adolescents' school-based obesity prevention policies and documentation which will focus on increasing their nutrition education, increasing physical activities, and providing skills to …


Retrospective Study Of Trauma Programming And, Domonique La'toya Rice Jan 2015

Retrospective Study Of Trauma Programming And, Domonique La'toya Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In state psychiatric hospitals in the United States, many patients are admitted with a history of trauma. Although trauma-focused interventions are offered within these psychiatric facilities, there remain issues with the higher-than-average length of treatment and rehospitalization rates for patients with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder or for those who are suffering with a history of trauma. This study investigated between group differences for measured levels of attendance and type of group intervention (which included the men's trauma recovery empowerment model, dialectical behavior therapy, and art and healing) on the risk for violence as measured by scores on the …


A Meta-Analysis Of Association Between One-Carbon Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms And Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Mahmood Tazari Jan 2015

A Meta-Analysis Of Association Between One-Carbon Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms And Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Mahmood Tazari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. The purpose of this quantitative, meta-analysis study was to examine one-carbon metabolism gene polymorphisms in a group of genes to determine their association with prostate cancer risk. The genetic epidemiology theory provided the framework for the study. The data collected were from published articles. From over 2,800 individual studies, 20 articles were retained for results and data abstraction, following the title, abstract screen, and full text screening in the second phase. The data were analyzed by a meta-analysis statistical method, combining the results from selected studies to estimate the overall association. …


Recent Graduates' Perspective On The Efficacy Of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences, Holli Sowerby Jan 2015

Recent Graduates' Perspective On The Efficacy Of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences, Holli Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It has become progressively difficult to find suitable clinical placement for nursing students. To help meet this need, local schools of nursing are turning to high-fidelity simulation manikins to substitute for clinical experience. There is a lack of research that explores recently graduated nurses' perceptions about the efficacy of simulation experiences. Guided by the constructivist theory, this qualitative case study identified how recent RN graduates viewed simulation experiences and whether associate's-degree RN program graduates and bachelor's-program RN graduates viewed simulation differently. Nine recent graduates participated in individual face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and grouped into 5 major themes in …


Use Of Traditional 3-Hour Lectures In Preparing Students For The Childbearing Clinical Setting, Teresa Pohle Jan 2015

Use Of Traditional 3-Hour Lectures In Preparing Students For The Childbearing Clinical Setting, Teresa Pohle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following completion of a 4-year nursing program, some graduates have difficulty applying theories learned in the classroom to the clinical environment. This difficulty results in healthcare employers providing additional in-house training to ensure graduates' ability to safely care for their patients. The purpose of this research was to explore how traditional lecture methods have prepared students for the clinical environment. Based on a constructivist theoretical framework, a case study design was used to examine students' learning of theories delivered by traditional lecture methods. The research questions focused on student activities in the classroom and clinical setting, teaching strategies, critical thinking …


Cyp2a6 Polymorphisms May Strengthen Individualized Treatment For Nicotine Dependence, Yawo M. Akrodou Jan 2015

Cyp2a6 Polymorphisms May Strengthen Individualized Treatment For Nicotine Dependence, Yawo M. Akrodou

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Each CYP2A6 gene variant metabolizes nicotine differently depending on its enzymatic activities. The normal nicotine metabolizer CYP2A6*1A is associated with high scores of nicotine dependence (5-10) on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scale because it encodes for enzymes that catalyze nicotine 100%. Slow nicotine metabolizers (i.e., CYP2A6*1H, CYP2A6*4A, CYP2A6*9, and CYP2A6*12A) are associated with underrated nicotine metabolizing activity (50%-75%), linking them to low scores for nicotine dependence (0-4) on the FTND scale. In a clinical trial involving the use of bupropion, people who were carriers of slow nicotine metabolizers were found to have a tendency to maintain abstinence …


Health Literacy And Health Decision Making Attitudes In People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Christine Miranda Jan 2015

Health Literacy And Health Decision Making Attitudes In People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Christine Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy has been recognized as a vital issue in the self-care management of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of functional, communicative, and critical health literacy dimensions on positive and negative attitudes toward health decision making. The transtheoretical model of health behavior change (TTM) provided the theoretical framework to explain this association. A culturally-adapted survey was used in this cross-sectional study to measure health literacy dimensions, positive and negatives attitudes toward health decision making, and other factors in 100 Puerto Ricans living with HIV/AIDS. Demographic factors and clinical and immunological …


A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Low Rates Of Influenza Vaccination Among Older African Americans, Delia Roxanne Howson-Santana Jan 2015

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Low Rates Of Influenza Vaccination Among Older African Americans, Delia Roxanne Howson-Santana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Influenza vaccination is recommended for persons with high-risk health conditions such as chronic diseases to prevent flu-related complications and death. African Americans 65 years and older have consistently been reported to have the lowest influenza vaccination rates compared to all other racial groups, despite having higher rates of chronic diseases. A review of the literature indicated that there is a dearth of qualitative studies examining the grounds for these low rates. In this study, 15 African Americans 65 years and older were interviewed to explore the factors that contribute to low rates of flu vaccination among this racial group. Research …


Assessment Of Vitamin D Levels And Depression Among Adults In The United States, Troy Jean-Luc Owens Jan 2015

Assessment Of Vitamin D Levels And Depression Among Adults In The United States, Troy Jean-Luc Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vitamin D is essential to optimizing health; vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance. VDD occurs when individuals do not receive sufficient oral intake or obtain adequate sun exposure. Previous researchers indicated there is a relationship between VDD and depression, while others have indicated there is no relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vitamin D levels and depression, and how this relationship might be moderated by an individual's demographic characteristics (gender, age, smoking status, or marital status). This study was a quantitative data analysis of archival data …


Implementing Relationship Based Care In An Emergency Department, Ruthie Waters Rogers Jan 2015

Implementing Relationship Based Care In An Emergency Department, Ruthie Waters Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When patients and families come to the emergency department seeking medical attention, they come in with many mixed emotions and thoughts. The fast paced, rapid turnover of patients and the chaotic atmosphere may leave patients who visit the emergency department with the perception that staff is uncaring. The purpose of this project was to implement a patient care delivery model, relationship-based care, in the emergency department. The model is comprised of several caring theories including Jean Watson's model of human care and Kristen Swanson's middle range theory of caring. The main goals of the project were to help staff enhance …


Predictors Of Obesity Among Nigerian Immigrants In The United States, Olawunmi Obisesan Jan 2015

Predictors Of Obesity Among Nigerian Immigrants In The United States, Olawunmi Obisesan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has been identified as a significant risk factor for chronic diseases, contributing to health disparities in minority and vulnerable populations. Though research has identified an increased risk for obesity in the Hispanic immigrant population, there is little or no research on the heterogeneity of obesity predictors in specific immigrant populations in the United States. This study examined the predictors of obesity in the Nigerian immigrant population in the United States. Guided by the social ecological model and the segmented assimilation theory, this cross-sectional study collected primary data from 205 Nigerian immigrants in the United States using the CDC's Behavioral …


Sociodemographic Predictors Of Medication Nonadherence Among Latinos Diagnosed With Diabetes Type Ii, Bianca L. Tristan Jan 2015

Sociodemographic Predictors Of Medication Nonadherence Among Latinos Diagnosed With Diabetes Type Ii, Bianca L. Tristan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latinos of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately affected by diabetes Type II complicated by poor adherence to diabetes Type II medications and management programs. Self-management of diabetes Type II is a tool used to teach health education to patients with diabetes. The objective of this retrospective quantitative study was to explore if there are predictors of nonadherence to diabetes Type II medications and programs among Latinos with diabetes Type II. Data from 200 patient records from a community clinic in Fresno County California were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Selected sociodemographic independent variables were age, gender, income, migrant …


Oral Care Practice Guidelines For The Care-Dependent Hospitalized Adult Outside Of The Intensive Care Unit Setting, Cynthia Susan Drapal Jan 2015

Oral Care Practice Guidelines For The Care-Dependent Hospitalized Adult Outside Of The Intensive Care Unit Setting, Cynthia Susan Drapal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many nurses lack evidence-based knowledge to deliver appropriate oral care, view oral care in the care-dependent patient as a comfort measure, and give it a low clinical priority. An estimated 44%-65% of hospitalized care-dependent patients do not receive adequate oral care, an intervention that can prevent aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis. The purpose of this project was to develop a policy for use of an oral assessment tool and evidence-based guidelines for oral care in hospitalized care-dependent adults outside of the intensive care unit setting at a regional health system in the Southeast United States. The project used the theoretical foundations …


Complementary Alternative Medicine: Awareness And Perceptions Of Health Care Providers Who Provide Systemic Lupus Care, Carmen Ionie Bartley Jan 2015

Complementary Alternative Medicine: Awareness And Perceptions Of Health Care Providers Who Provide Systemic Lupus Care, Carmen Ionie Bartley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers' awareness and perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in providing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) care. This phenomenolgical study was built upon existing research indicating SLE patients' need to foster better communication about CAM use. Participants were recruited from the Long Island Rheumalogical Clinic in the State of New York. Individual in-depth semistructered interviews were conducted to explore the awareness and perceptions of a purposive sample of 10 healthcare providers who care for patients with SLE. Transcripts were analyzed, and categorical themes were developed. Guided by the use of …


Predictors Of Recidivism For Offenders With Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorders, Linda Buckmon Jan 2015

Predictors Of Recidivism For Offenders With Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorders, Linda Buckmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness and substance use disorders have been determined to be leading predictors for recidivism among criminal offenders in the United States who are released to community supervision. Women make up an increasing in percentage of this criminal justice population; however, few studies have explored the role that gender plays in determining men and women's recidivism. Offender's education, employment, and peer association have also been reported to be predictors increasing the likelihood of recidivism among criminal offenders. This study was designed to determine if gender, mental illness, substance use disorder, employment, education, and peer association predicted recidivism. Differential association theory …


Bright Facet Sign And Its Association With Demographic And Clinical Variables, Gary Andrew Longmuir Jan 2015

Bright Facet Sign And Its Association With Demographic And Clinical Variables, Gary Andrew Longmuir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low back pain has a significant impact on global public health and economics. The bright facet sign (BFS), a common finding on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine, is associated with low back pain. While degenerative joint disease (DJD) affects low back pain, its presence appears independent of the BFS at the disc and facet joints at the same spinal level. Increased BMI, considered a risk factor for DJD, has an inverse association with the BFS. The independent relationship of DJD and the BFS is poorly understood and may represent a previously unreported pain pathway. In this nested …


Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano Jan 2015

Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death and disability for children ages 1'15 years. Despite local, state, and federal legislative and educational efforts, children continue to be restrained improperly and thus face harm. Identifying behaviors and barriers that place child occupants at risk is crucial for implementing focused, injury-prevention programs and policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Connecticut's child passenger safety law that was strengthened in 2005. This study involved a multifactorial approach to predicting child seat use, guided by Roger's diffusion of innovations …


Predictors Of Community Supervision Failures Among Female Offenders, Fayola Wolfe Jan 2015

Predictors Of Community Supervision Failures Among Female Offenders, Fayola Wolfe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the predictors of community supervision failures amongst female offenders in the United States criminal justice system. Female offenders have, in comparison with male offenders, particular challenges for community reintegration. This study used the relational theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory to investigate the effects of childhood trauma on adult female offenders' behaviors, including substance use disorder and mental health issues. Secondary archival data were obtained from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency's AUTO Screener and Supervision and Management Automated Record Tracking System; this data pool included information on 1,085 female offenders who had served at …


Knowledge Of Diabetes Mellitus And Health-Preventive Behaviors Among African American Adults, Wanka Ndifor Jan 2015

Knowledge Of Diabetes Mellitus And Health-Preventive Behaviors Among African American Adults, Wanka Ndifor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the risk within the African American population of developing diabetes, its complications, and the benefits associated with timely management and treatment of diabetes. The study also looked at how such knowledge may be related to preventive health behaviors. The Risk Perception Survey-Developing Diabetes and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnaires were employed in this study. The theoretical basis of this study was the health belief model. This was a cross sectional, quantitative study with 126 participants. Descriptive analysis was employed to calculate the mean scores and frequencies across each …


Assessment Practices At An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Tracey Jane Siegel Jan 2015

Assessment Practices At An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Tracey Jane Siegel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing programs have traditionally used teacher-developed multiple-choice (MCQ) examinations to prepare students for licensure. Researchers have determined that poorly constructed MCQ tests used as formative and summative evaluations may penalize nursing students and impact progression and retention in nursing programs. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine issues related to the use of teacher-developed MCQ examinations as the only method of student assessment in the theory component of nursing courses. The National League for Nursing Core Competencies for Nurse Educators and the revised Bloom's Taxonomy were used as the conceptual frameworks for this study. The Director of …


The Relationship Between Information Technology And Organizational Effectiveness As Perceived By Health Care Providers, Christian Chikwem Ukaga Jan 2015

The Relationship Between Information Technology And Organizational Effectiveness As Perceived By Health Care Providers, Christian Chikwem Ukaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Congress has made health information technology a central component of the national quest to improve health care delivery. The problem addressed in this study was the uncertainty among healthcare providers regarding the benefits of health care information technology adoption relative to healthcare delivery processes and outcomes. The purpose of the study was to understand the effectiveness of information technology as perceived by healthcare providers. The research questions were designed to investigate the relationship between health information technology and organizational effectiveness, exchange of information, organizational process, organizational productivity, and direct personal care. Sociotechnical systems theory and Donabedian's framework for …


Psychosocial Determinants Of Elective Cesarean Section Deliveries In Selected Obstetric Facilities In Nairobi, Kenya, Tom Joseph Oguta Jan 2015

Psychosocial Determinants Of Elective Cesarean Section Deliveries In Selected Obstetric Facilities In Nairobi, Kenya, Tom Joseph Oguta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cesarean section (CS) rates have generally increased across the world in the past decade. Reducing elective cesarean section (ECS) rates is imperative as many countries aim to maintain threshold CS rates at or below 15%, the level recommended by the United States' National Institutes of Health. Women are believed to consider ECS for various interconnected psychosocial reasons, but few quantitative studies have investigated these factors. This prospective cohort study was based on the social ecological model (SEM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) models, and identified the psychosocial predictors of ECS among 1,268 expectant women in 2 hospitals in …


Differentiating Demographic Factors In Latino Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Carol Lynne Manning Jan 2015

Differentiating Demographic Factors In Latino Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Carol Lynne Manning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) data suggest that Latinos share a greater burden of disease than do non-Latino Whites with type 2 diabetes. As a result of poor glycemic control, Latinos also suffer consequences such as blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation more often than do other ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic factors of Latinos with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, as measured by a HgbA1c of 7 or less (n = 118) to Latinos not well controlled (n = 105). This cross sectional study used a secondary data set with a sample selected from …


Development Of An Evidence-Based Influenza Vaccination Program For Nurses, Marlene Reid Jan 2015

Development Of An Evidence-Based Influenza Vaccination Program For Nurses, Marlene Reid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this educational influenza vaccination project was to increase nurses' influenza vaccination rates. Nationally, 41% of nurses were vaccinated, which is far below the Healthy People 2020 goal of an influenza vaccination rate of 90%. Literature suggests that the low nurses' vaccination rate is responsible for inpatient healthcare associated influenza, mortality, and influenza-like illness. Healthcare facilities will not be reimbursed for treatment of healthcare associated infection. Despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for nurses to become vaccinated, only 20% of the 800 nurses at a healthcare facility in Baltimore were vaccinated for the past …


Factors Relating To Underrepresentation Of Black American Women In Health Care Administration, Alquietta Lavayle Brown Jan 2015

Factors Relating To Underrepresentation Of Black American Women In Health Care Administration, Alquietta Lavayle Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a low representation of Black American women (BAW) in health care senior leadership. With the high level of health problems found among the Black community, diversifying the executive leadership with BAW may be instrumental in increasing provider trust and reducing discriminatory action. Using critical race theory as the conceptual framework, this study examined the experiences, perceptions, and influential or deterrent factors inhibiting advancement of BAW in the health care field. Inquiry centered on factors related to lack of advancement, experiences at different stages of career progression, and strategies impacting career advancement. A qualitative research design using a transcendental …


An Examination Of Physician Resistance Related To Electronic Medical Records Adoption, Terrence Duncan Jan 2015

An Examination Of Physician Resistance Related To Electronic Medical Records Adoption, Terrence Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed under the Obama administration, mandated physicians to complete certification for electronic medical records (EMRs). Despite these mandates and the increased access to information technology, slow adoption rates persist on the use of EMRs. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the independent variables perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived behavioral control, perceived social influence, attitudes toward EMR, and the dependent variable user acceptance. This study identified physicians in the United States as end-users of …


Obesity And Workplace Injury In Hazardous Occupations Among The Hispanic/Latino Population, Barbara Klyde Jan 2015

Obesity And Workplace Injury In Hazardous Occupations Among The Hispanic/Latino Population, Barbara Klyde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 20 years, adult obesity has increased in the United States, especially among the Hispanic/Latino population. In 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Environmental and Safety News, reported that younger workers, ages 18 to19 years of age, worked in the most high-risk occupations such as agriculture, construction, fishing, and manufacturing. The reported fatality rates for these occupations were 5.6 times greater for Hispanic workers compared to other race/ethnicity groups reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013. This study determined whether obesity contributed to workplace injury or mortality in hazardous occupations, using federal, state, and independent …