Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hardships, Motivations, And Resiliency: Case Study Of Health Implications Of 2022 Russian Invasion On Ukrainian Resistance Members, Jessi Hanson-Defusco

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused millions of Ukrainians to flee. Yet most citizens continue to reside in the country, playing critical roles in the Ukrainian resistance. Today the Ukrainian fighting force includes trained military and police as well as citizens who either were conscripted or volunteered to take part in national war efforts. This mixed-method study conducted in Spring 2022 presents data collected from 79 respondents in a semistructured survey, using snowball sampling. Data analysis examined individual self-reported motivations, attitudes toward the conflict, resilience, quality-of-life hardships, and scaled perceived stress. Results indicated that Ukrainian resistance members face …

Association Between Therapeutic Interventions And Quality Of Life In People With Autism, Taline Movsessian, Tolulope A. Osoba

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Research exploring the association of autism interventions with the quality of life (QoL) of adults with autism spectrum disorders was scarce. Although a multitude of interventions are used to target a specific challenge facing the individual with autism, their correlation with achieving a better QoL is largely unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional, correlational survey study to determine the association between seven interventions—behavioral, social, mental health, daily living skills (DLS), vocational, mindfulness, and medications—and the QoL of adults 18 years and older with autism with no intellectual disability (ID) living in Canada. A national sample of 182 autistic adults or proxy …

Improving A Culture Of Knowledge Transfer In A School Of Nursing, Margareth S. Zanchetta, Kateryna Metersky, Bridget Miller, Danielle Strachan, Elena Blackwood

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Introduction: A series of 19 unfunded knowledge transfer hands-on workshops were implemented (2017–2019) and delivered by 22 facilitators from disciplines of nursing, business, communication, plastic arts, engineering, and community studies. The purpose of this paper is to report on the post-appraisal of the workshops’ implementation; uncovering the attendees’ new ideas and reflections on the content; and the process of expanding knowledge for practice.

Methods: The qualitative program evaluation approach, using the standards of utility, feasibility, accuracy, and propriety of a given program, inspired the design of the immediate appraisal of the workshops delivered within a Canadian school of nursing located …

Factors Influencing The Development Of Social Change Involvement, Linda Johanson, Patti P. Urso, Kimberly Priode

Journal of Excellence in Nursing and Healthcare Practice

How to cultivate and encourage the motivation to become an agent of positive social change has not been studied to a great degree. For example, what kind of factors influence the development and growth in nurses toward a desire to be involved in changing society for the better? Knowledge of these factors could help educators and nurse leaders provide and encourage those growth opportunities. The purpose of this research was to interview nurses known to be deeply involved in various types of positive social change and discover what factors influenced this development. Three overall themes emerged as influencing factors for …

Evaluation Of The Control Of Water Sanitation And Hygiene Related Disease Through Community Hygiene Club Intervention In Rwanda, Amans Ntakarutimana, Elias Nyandwi, Nadine Rujeni, Chantal Marie Ingabire Dr, Kato Jonas Njunwa, Théoneste Ntakirutimana, Gaspard Rwanyiziri, Joseph Tuyishimire, Schaddrack Ngabonziza

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article consists of a review article reporting the results of previous evaluations of the control of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) related disease through the Community Hygiene Club (CHC) intervention from 2010 to 2020. CHC constitutes the main intervention for the control of WASH-related disease in Rwanda and is implemented countrywide. The study objective was to evaluate if the CHC intervention significantly reduced the prevalence of WASH-related disease after 10 years of its implementation in Rwanda. The study utilized online existing policy documents, research reports, and experiences on the CHC intervention in Rwanda published between 2010 and 2020. We …

Counseling Active-Duty Female Service Members Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault: A Guide For Professional Counselors, Rebekah Cole, Rebecca Cowan, Taqueena Quintana

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Sexual assault is a prevailing problem for active duty women in the United States military. We explore the unique nature of military culture and explain the military’s dual pathway process for reporting sexual assault. In addition, we describe, in depth, evidence-based theoretical approaches applicable for counselors to use in their work with female service members who are survivors of sexual assault. Finally, we discuss sexual assault resources available to military clients and the steps counselors can take to engage in advocacy for and with this population.

A Winning Approach: Teaching Science Communication Skills Through Small-Group Workshops, Serena B. Gumusoglu, Maria Noterman Soulinthavong, Jennifer Barr

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Research almost always culminates in the communication of findings. Despite the necessity of grant and manuscript writing throughout academic careers, scientific trainees often receive little guided practice in written communication. To fill this gap, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a voluntary writing initiative for biomedical students at a research-intensive (R1) university in the midwestern United States called Writing Initiative in Neuroscience (WIN).

Method: WIN consisted of didactic and workshop components. The didactic component included discussions with topic-specific experts on writing grants and manuscripts for the public and for non-academic scientific careers. The workshop component consisted of small group-based peer …

Narrative Inquiry Into Postsecondary Transition Outcomes For Young Adults With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Eric R. Sarrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to struggle with community engagement despite decades of research and policy initiatives addressing postsecondary transition. Evidence shows that persons with IDD are engaging in employment, postsecondary education, independent living, socialization, and other roles at significantly diminished rates, yet little data exists describing this participation in the voices of those affected. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to describe community integration of persons with IDD in the decade following postsecondary transition in their own words. Critical disability theory was used as a lens to explore the successes and failures of public …

Mental Health, Chronic Disease, And Substance Use: Findings From Rural Texas, Subi Gandhi, Ryan Glaman, Elizabeth Wachira, Muna Bashir, Sushma Sharma, Chelsea Mowles, Jasmine Luttrell

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

There are vital links among mental health conditions, chronic diseases, and substance use disorders. Simultaneous examination of the relationship among these three conditions is essential for providing well-integrated care to rural residents who have limited resources and for representing medically underserved areas. We aimed to assess the burden of behavioral health conditions and chronic diseases from a rural Texas community to garner context-specific insights and inform effective health promotion strategies in similar communities. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 181 residents from various zip codes in a rural Texas county. A self-administered, 18-item health-needs questionnaire was used to collect data …

Social Cognitive Theory Constructs That Predict Betel Nut Chewing Among Secondary Students In The Solomon Islands, Lepani Waqatakirewa, Manoj Sharma, Hadi Danawi, Ambrose Roots Gali

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Background: After alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, areca or betel nut is the fourth most commonly abused substance in the world. The prevalence of betel nut use in the Solomon Islands is estimated at 68% in young people. Long-term use can result in detrimental health outcomes such as oral cancers and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine whether the constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) can predict betel nut use in Year 12 secondary students in the Solomon Islands. Five SCT constructs of expectations (outcome expectations and outcome expectancies), self-efficacy, self-efficacy to overcome barriers, …

Relationship Between Single Motherhood Status And Stunting Among Children Under 5 In Kgatleng, Botswana, Mulume Sf Mwamba, Shirley Gerrior, Reginald Taylor

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Undernutrition affects sub-Saharan African countries with increased stunting among children under 5 years old. The short- and long-term effects of this stunting include the potential for slow growth in early life, impaired health, and educational and economic disadvantages in adolescent and adult years. In this quantitative cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relationship between single-mother families and the occurrence of stunting among children under 5 years old in the Kgatleng District of Botswana. We collected primary data from 196 mothers and their children who visited selected clinics in Kgatleng. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis were significant: χ2 (1, …

Tell Me More: Parent–Child Sexual Talk And Young Adult Sexual Communication Satisfaction With Romantic Partners, Kelsi N. Wilson, Jakob Jensen, Sharon Ballard, Alan Taylor

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Young adults (18–30) tend to show insufficient levels of communication about sex with their romantic partners, despite its many benefits to relationships among this age group. Learned sexual shame and guilt can play a role in inhibiting sexual communication with partners, and early messages about sex from parents stemming from narrow cultural boundaries of communication may play a role in fostering sexual shame and guilt from a young age, potentially influencing later sexual communication patterns with partners. We sought to identify whether a significant relationship existed between the sexual communication participants received from parents while growing up and their current …

Health Expectations, Risk Tolerance, And Walking In Peripheral Artery Disease-Related Claudication, Sherene Sharath, Panos Kougias, Neal Barshes

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

We examined the association between health expectations, baseline physical activity, and self-reported symptom severity among patients with claudication: calf pain that occurs during walking and is relieved at rest. Beliefs and attitudes toward exercise influence the behavior. When walking is prescribed as an alternative to surgical intervention with the intention of decreasing symptom severity, as is the case with claudication, it is important to assess patient perceptions, beliefs, and expectations. Through a phone survey, participants described the severity of their symptoms via the Walking Impairment Questionnaire. Data were collected on (1) health expectations and attitudes, assessments of value placed on …

Improving Nurses' Knowledge On The Assessment And Documentation Practices In The Pediatric Settings Of A Jamaican Hospital, Binol Rajesh Balachandar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere have been anecdotal reports from the on-site Quality Assurance team, administrators, and educators that a theory-practice gap exists in pediatric nursing practice settings relating to the specific assessment and documentation. A deidentified chart review confirmed the reported practice gaps in 80% of the patient records. Therefore, in collaboration with the in-service unit, this staff education project and the educational interventions were implemented, and the knowledge improvement was appraised using a pre and posteducation survey. Mozirow’s reflective learning theory formed the basis for staff education, utilizing adult learning principles. Twenty-five consenting nurses completed the preeducation survey (N = 25); however, …

Relationships Between Stress Self-Management, Social Support, And Health In Hispanic Informal Caregiver Burnout Prevention, Nicole Alexandra Mas Román

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout syndrome is a psychological disorder characterized by physical, emotional, and mental distress and exhaustion resulting in feelings of depression, anxiety, irritability, and negative attitudes. If left unattended, burnout syndrome can lead to new or worsening health outcomes. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the relationship between stress self-management, perceived social support, health status, and burden among Puerto Rican informal caregivers. The theoretical foundations for this research were the informal caregiving integrative model and the individual and family self-management theory. Survey data were collected from 415 participants. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship …

Use Of The Hester Davis Falls Risk Assessment Scale In Medical-Surgical Patients, Gideon M. Nyakundi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIdentifying and containing patient falls before they happen, reporting fall occurrence, and analyzing fall causes could increase patient safety to achieve the triple aim of improved quality, reduced cost, and accessibility in healthcare. Patient falls within the medical-surgical population continue to present challenges to patients, families, hospitals, and society, despite the use of fall-related predictive analysis tools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the extent to which the overall score on the Hester Davis Falls Risk Assessment Scale (HDS), comprised of patient-related factors such as medications, volume/electrolyte status, age, last known fall date, mobility, toileting needs, communication/sensory …

Comprehensive Sex Education, Religious Affiliated Organizations, And Std Knowledge Among Young Adults, Leslie Marie Shaffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEvery year there are approximately 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States, and half of these are among young adults. Stark County, Ohio recently experienced an increase in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases among 18- to 24-year-old individuals. Public health practitioners have since called for research regarding factors that affect STD knowledge and perceptions in this population. This cross-sectional study was guided by the social-ecological model and assessed the association between attendance at a religious-affiliated institution, access to comprehensive sex education, and STD knowledge. One hundred thirty-eight (n=138) participants, aged 18 to 24 years, …

Readiness Of Adolescent And Young Sickle Cell Patients To Transition From Pediatric To Adult Care, Tanisha D. Belton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) face many challenges as they enter adulthood; therefore, preparing for the transition to adult care is crucial. Assessing the knowledge and skills adolescents and young adults (AYAs) possess before transitioning to adult care can aid in the success of their transition. However, a gap exists regarding factors attributed to guiding patients’ sense of readiness. The purpose of this quantitative study, driven by the theory of self-care management of SCD, was to examine the self-perceived readiness of SCD patients as they prepare to transition to adult care. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 68 sickle …

Exploring Moral Distress, Ethical Climate, And Psychological Empowerment Among New Registered Nurses, Luz Bruel Mauro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral distress in nursing has been an issue for decades and has consequences on nurses’ physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Nurses in different settings experience a high intensity and frequency of moral distress particularly in intensive care units (ICU), but few studies have examined the moral distress of non-ICU nurses. The purpose of this 3-manuscript dissertation was to assess the frequency and level of moral distress, ethical climate, and psychological empowerment among new registered nurses (NRNs) who work in non-ICU settings. The conceptual framework of Jameson's moral distress guided this study. Twenty-three NRNs with fewer than 3 years of experience …

Perceptions Of Associate Degree Nursing Faculty Of A Primary End-Of-Life Care Course Within Prelicensure Nursing Curricula, Katherine Zaharchuk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe responsibility for educating U.S. nursing students on end-of-life (EOL) care concepts lies with prelicensure nursing programs; however, the majority of all prelicensure nursing programs offer only a few lectures, and only a small percentage offer EOL and palliative care courses. The lack of education on EOL care results in greater stress for nurses, poor symptom management for patients, and reduced support for family caregivers. There is limited knowledge on why primary EOL education has not yet been adopted by many Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of ADN …

Creating A Clinical Practice Guideline For Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Nar'cissa Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, with hypertension (HTN)the primary causal factor. The nursing professions' role as a critical agent in facilitating the management of patients should be based on best practices. No specific standard exists in the United States for nurses despite the publication of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on HTN for adults. A gap in practice was identified in an outpatient primary care clinic located on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, as there is no comprehensive CPG for nurses to provide patients with complete HTN diagnosis and management care. A literature review revealed that clinical …

Organizational Barriers To Effective University Student Mental Health Services, Felicia Evans-Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on organizational barriers to effective university student mental health services access in the department of student resources (DSR) at a for-profit university in the northeastern United States. Once such barriers are addressed, faculty may be more successful in reaching out to students needing mental health services who are not self-identifying as needing these services. The Baldrige excellence framework guided this descriptive case study to examine the organizational barriers that prevent university leadership from creating clear policies and procedures for faculty to refer students to mental health services. Data sources included interviews with the behavioral health leader …

The Lived Experience Of Individuals Thinking About Food And Coping With Stress, Tobi Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress results in many people altering their eating patterns, often consuming food high in sugar and fat. Such behavior is a factor in the growing obesity epidemic and can potentially cause the development of chronic diseases, resulting in employment problems and billions of extra dollars spent on national health care programs. Researchers have focused on the concept of “emotional eating” while overlooking the overarching research question of this study, which was about exploring the experience of individuals using eating behavior as a coping mechanism to deal with stress. All responses were viewed through the lens of social cognitive theory. Interviews …

Perceived Diabetes Susceptibility Among African American Female College Students, Khaliah India Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death among African American women ages 20-44 years, and African American female college students are at high risk. Research shows that college students tend to underestimate their susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes, despite their existing risk factors. There is a gap in knowledge concerning African American female college students and their perception of diabetes susceptibility, despite their increased risk. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental, correlational study was to identify the factors associated with perceived personal susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes-related health behavior among African American female college …

Perceived Barriers To Health Care Access And Delivery Among Arkansas Medicaid Beneficiaries, Kimbra D. Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Arkansas has historically been one of the lowest ranking states in the United States in education, economy, opportunity, crime and corrections, and health care. Though more than 3 million Arkansans live in the state, nearly 1 million receive Medicaid-funded health insurance. This phenomenological study employed a constructivist paradigm and focused on the perceptions of underserved Arkansans regarding their health and their access to health care; additionally, within this study, the Health Belief Model shifted the study’s focus to individuals’ perspectives, perceptions, experiences, and opinions through interview responses. The research was intended to identify factors that may relate to the higher …

Perceived Discrimination As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Allostatic Load And Asthma Control, Vera Kern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While asthma prevalence in the United States is generally declining, African Americans tend to experience poorer outcomes regarding asthma severity and control. The purpose of the present study was to test whether discrimination (everyday and lifetime) moderated the relationship between allostatic load and asthma severity/asthma control (dyspnea and peak flow). In previous literature, researchers established the relationship between allostatic load and asthma severity/asthma control among African Americans. The biopsychosocial model and allostatic load theory served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. In this cross-sectional, nonexperimental, quantitative design, 201 African Americans between the ages of 34 and 82 years were …

Association Between Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits And Financial Liability Of Hospitals, Mary-Zitta Muabe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency departments (EDs) are experiencing an influx of patients with opioid-related which result in increased opioid misuse, abuse, and overdoses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals by evaluating if an increase in opioid-related ED visits leads to an increase in average ED visit costs. The framework used for this study was Reason’s theory of failures, which involves improving healthcare maturity in terms of risk management, achieved through enhanced efficiency. The analyzed research questions included analysis between the number of opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals …

The Correlation Between Laura’S Law And The Incarceration Of The Mentally Ill In A Southwestern State, Aaron Alarcon-Bowen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assisted outpatient treatment and involuntary outpatient treatment laws refer to the power of the court system to order community-based treatment without hospitalization to individuals with a mental illness diagnosis. Studies have linked these laws to a decrease in the use of incarceration among this population. The effectiveness of the assisted outpatient treatment law in a Southwestern state, known as Laura’s Law, has not been studied. With a theoretical foundation based on the social contract and multiple streams analysis theories, a quantitative, casual, comparative study using an independent t test was centered on determining whether the mean numbers of incarcerated individuals …

Job Satisfaction Among Nurse Practitioners Who Work At Retail Health Care Centers, Karen Morrissey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail health care clinics (RHCCs) were designed to ease the shortage of access to primary care by having nurse practitioners (NPs) provide quality care to patients on a walk-in approach. RHCCs can be stressful work environments and when NPs become dissatisfied, they may leave RHCCs which creates a shortage of primary care access. The purpose of this descriptive study, guided by Herzberg’s dual-factor theory, was to determine if there was a relationship between: (a) challenge/autonomy, and professional growth and job satisfaction among NPs who work at RHCCs and (b) intrapractice partnership/collegiality, professional, social and community interaction, time and benefits and …

Health Department Prevention/Education Plans And Perceived Risks Of Zika Infection, Lacey Jacques

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractZika virus is an infectious disease caused by the bite of an infected mosquito that has been linked to increased rates of microcephaly and other devastating birth defects. The existing body of knowledge has focused on the individual-level factors that influence a person’s decisions about prevention activities and risk perceptions related to Zika virus. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between state-level plans for prevention and education and individual-level risk perceptions. Rosenstock’s health belief model lays a foundation for why individuals make the health decisions they do and helps explain how these can be influenced for …