Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Establishing Normative Values For The Barnett Balance Assessment Tool: A Preliminary Study, Monica L. Cercone, Katherine M. Grulke-Kidd, Alora S. Haskin, Kyle M. Medearis, Clarissa J. Wegner, Ellen Herlache-Pretzer

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for the Barnett Balance Assessment (BBA) for individuals ages 18-70+ years. The BBA is a newly developed assessment tool that may address limitations present in other assessments currently used to detect balance deficits. The BBA was administered to 141 participants who had no history of medical issues that could impact balance. A review of the normative data collected indicated little variation in total assessment scores in the age categories of 18-29, 30-39, and 40-49, due to the presence of a ceiling effect. Variations existed in scores among participants in the …

Visual-Motor Skills Performance On The Beery-Vmi: A Study Of Canadian Kindergarten Children, Melissa Coallier, Natasha Rouleau, Florence Bara, Marie-France Morin

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The Beery VMI is one of the standardized assessment tools most widely used by occupational therapists to assess visual-motor integration. Currently, no specific norms exist for Canadian children. This study was developed to assess whether kindergarten children in Canada compared similarly to the norms established in the U.S. sample of the Beery VMI in order to validate its use with Canadian children. Possible gender differences were also examined. The Beery VMI was administered to 151 kindergarten children, aged 5 to 6 years, at the end of the school year. The data collection took place in seven schools, where the participants …

Promoting Client Goal Ownership In A Clinical Setting, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Effective goal setting involves collaboration between the client and therapist and is an important component of occupational therapy practice. However, encouraging involvement and collaboration does not necessarily guarantee that client goals are incorporated into the treatment plan. The purpose of this innovative treatment program was to determine if providing a client with a venue for goal identification, documentation, and maintenance might impact participation and satisfaction in a day rehabilitation setting. Responses to a study satisfaction survey (Ss) were taken at baseline and immediately postintervention from the experimental (N = 11) and control (N = 10) groups and attendance rates were …

Effects Of Cognitive Status On Life Participation Of Cancer Survivors, Mary F. Baxter, Theresa Smith, Jennifer Wahowski

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purposes of this study were to identify the cognitive status of cancer survivors, determine the effect of cognitive status on function and participation in daily activities, and explore how cancer survivors perceive changes in their cognition. The study used a quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional design. The participants included 35 cancer survivors from two different sites. Instruments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Reintegration to Normal Index-Postal Version (RNLI-P) in the measurement of cognitive impairment and functional performance respectively. Data were also collected with a supplemental questionnaire to explore participants’ perspectives on their cognitive difficulties and current function. The …

Technological Guidelines: The Relationship Between Our Expanding Knowledge And Our Philosophical Assumptions, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Speaking Rate And Nasalance In Typical Adult Speakers, Rachel Whitney

Masters Theses

Nasometry is a non-invasive tool frequently used to measure speech resonance in clinical populations. The instrument uses an acoustic recording system to derive a measure termed nasalance, which is an estimate of the relative amount of acoustic energy emitted from the nasal cavity. Nasometry protocols do not provide detailed instructions for speaking rate control during data collection. Studies attempting to establish a relationship between speaking rate and nasalance have yielded mixed results; therefore, it is important to identify the influence of speaking rate on nasalance in a variety of speaking tasks. If rate is found to influence nasalance values, protocols …

Vaccinia Virus Flll Mediated Expedition Of Tanapoxvirus Replication In Cell Culture, Yih Wen Goh

Masters Theses

Tanapoxvirus (TPV) produces large but slow-forming plaques as opposed to vaccinia virus (VACV) that forms similar large plaques but more rapidly. A number of genes were identified in VACV, inclucding FllL, A33R, A34R and A36R that contribute to the regulation of virus release and dissemination, and are particularly responsible for the induction of actin tails. Among them, TPV lacks homologs of the FllL and A36R genes. F11Lmediated inhibition of RhoA-mDia signaling was shown to enhance the microtubules dynamics and modulates the cortical actin that assisted in the release of progeny virus from infected cells. To understand the possible effects of …

A Metaevaluation Of Evaluations Of Health Care Programs That Employ The Chronic Care Model, Jan Fields

Dissertations

Background: The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the use of metaevaluation to evaluate the quality of healthcare studies conducted on programs that employ the Chronic Care Model (CCM) to provide chronic illness care. In this study, healthcare studies of CCM programs are regarded as program evaluations. Method: Using a non-experimental cross-sectional design, 28 healthcare studies of CCM programs were evaluated using the accuracy standards portion of the Program Evaluations Metaevaluation Checklist (Stufflebeam, 2011). The results of the metaevaluations were analyzed and compared to the HEAL grade of the same healthcare studies as determined by the Hierarchy of Evidence …

Gdnf Content And Nmj Plasticity In Slow And Fast Twitch Myofibers Follows Recruitment In Exercise, Amy Morrison Gyorkos

Dissertations

Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) supports and maintains the neuromuscular system during development and through adulthood by promoting neuroplasticity. GDNF may play a role in delaying the onset of aging and help compress morbidity by preventing motor unit degeneration. Exercise has been shown to alter GDNF expression differently in slow and fast twitch myofibers. The aim of this dissertation project is to determine if different intensities of exercise can promote changes in GDNF expression and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) morphology in slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. Skeletal muscle fibers were analyzed from adult Sprague Dawley rats aged 4 weeks …

Impulsive Choice In Unmedicated And Medicated Children Diagnosed With Adhd: Examining The Variables Of Reward Type And Adhd Subtype, Nicole Henriksen

Dissertations

Developmentally inappropriate and impairing impulsive behaviors are often seen in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One method for objectively assessing impulsivity is the Choice-Delay Task (C-DT) which presents repeated opportunities to choose between a smaller, sooner (SS) or larger, later (LL) reward. A preference for the SS reward that results in less total reward is considered impulsive. Many studies have found that participants diagnosed with ADHD choose the SS reward more than typical controls. However, less is known about the effects of different types of rewards, or the comparative performance of certain subgroups, such as children diagnosed with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type …

The Intersection Of Depression, Partner Violence And Poverty During The Perinatal Period, Catherine L. Kothari

Dissertations

Problem: Despite the wealth of research documenting the individual links between maternal depression, partner violence, and poverty, important gaps remain regarding their combined interactions, and their variation related to perinatal timing (pregnancy and postpartum). The current dissertation examined the interplay of these phenomena across perinatality.

Methods: This dissertation utilized secondary analysis of telephone survey data from a representative sample of women recruited during their postpartum hospital stay and interviewed four times over the subsequent 18 months. Linear regression was used for predictive modeling of fixed effects, and generalized estimating equation regression was used for multivariate analysis of temporal trends.

Findings: …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Orthopaedic Fracture Fixation, Bipinchandra Patel

Dissertations

Poor bone fracture fixation leads to malunion, delayed union, non-union, or infection. These malunited fractures affect a bone’s ability to carry loads. Patient outcomes regarding fixation quality can be affected by the healing environment and human factors such as bone quality and surgeons’ perception. Furthermore, the stiffness and strength of the screw-plate construct affect the healing environment. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the stiffness and strength of the non-locking (conventional) and locking (fixed angle) type screw-plate constructs and the factors that contribute to them, such as screw-plate interface, screw design, bone density, cortical bone thickness and load orientation. Additionally, the surgeon’s …

Family Studies Students Win Contest, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

• Angela Carter
• Ashley Machacek
• Robin Millar
• Amanda Mocny
• Sarah Tidd
• Ashley French
• Dakota Williams
• David Aboosamra
• Angelique Bridges
• Rachel Dewitte
• Briana Farkas
• Ryan Larish
• Taren Fales
• Breanna Leeuw

Student Wins $5000 Scholarship Award, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Student Wins $5000 Scholarship Award

Language Trends Of Spanish/English Dual Language Learners, Cailin Amundsen

Honors Theses

This honors thesis project explores past and current research on the language and literacy development and assessment of Spanish-English bilinguals. The researched differences between Spanish and English language acquisition, cross-language development patterns and phenomena found in bilingual children, and holistic approaches to accurate and authentic assessment of language acquisition of bilinguals have lent support to future research questions and methodologies. The following literature review provides clear connections from current bilingual language acquisition and literacy development studies to the future research questions and ideas they rouse. Said questions and ideas have been organized into a research proposal addressing the language trends …

Creativity In Transitions, Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Professor Sandra Edwards, MA, OTR/L, FOATA, and professor emerita at Western Michigan University (WMU), provided the cover art for the winter 2014 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. The oil painting, “Silent Witness, Cross Creek” was created over a period of two years. Professor Edwards has participated in many creative and artistic activities throughout her life, which have shaped her practice as an occupational therapist and her experience in life.

Pilot Interprofessional Education Program For Ot Student Pediatric Practice Readiness, Michelle A. Suarez, Heather K. Koole, Jerrold Jackson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This mixed methods pilot study investigated the impact of an interprofessional education program on OT student readiness for collaboration with SLP students in a pediatric teaching-clinic practice setting. OT students were randomly assigned to either the treatment group, which received the interprofessional education experience, or the control group, which received the typical educational experience. Students completed pre and post surveys and journaled about the experience. Results pointed to a ceiling effect in the measurement scales in both the treatment and control groups due to positive attitudes at baseline. This positivity was also reflected in journal entries for the treatment group …

Beyond The Pencil: Expanding The Occupational Therapists’ Role In Helping Young Children To Develop Writing Skills, Hope K. Gerde, Tricia D. Foster, Lori E. Skibbe

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists (OTs) play an important role in early childhood classrooms as vital members of the educational team, particularly for young children’s writing development. Children’s emergent writing is a foundational literacy skill, which begins to develop well before they enter elementary school. However, early childhood classrooms are lacking in supports for early writing development. OTs are experts in guiding the development of early writing skills in young children and, therefore, should be considered as critical members of the early literacy curriculum team. This paper identifies the critical role emergent writing plays in early childhood literacy development and how to effectively …

Case Study: Caregiver Perception Of Pediatric Multidisciplinary Feeding Outpatient Clinic, Thomas F. Fisher, Anna Dusick

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study explores the perception of satisfaction of caregivers who attended a feeding clinic at a large pediatric hospital in the midwest. The clinic is designed for a multidisciplinary team to meet with the child and the caregiver. Thirty-five participants were involved in the study. Results indicated that most participants were satisfied with the clinic experience. However, there were areas of care not covered by the members of the feeding team, which indicates a need. It is suggested that this need could be filled by occupational therapists.

Indicators Of Simulated Driving Skills In Adolescents With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sherrilene Classen, Miriam Monahan, Kiah Brown

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have an increased risk for committing traffic violations, and they are four times more likely than neurotypical peers to be crash involved, making them a potentially high risk group for driving. We used a two-group design to measure differences in demographics, clinical off-road tests, and fitness to drive abilities in a driving simulator with nine adolescents with ADHD (mean age = 15.00, SD ± 1.00) compared to 22 healthy controls (HC) (mean age = 14.32, SD ±..716), as evaluated by an Occupational Therapist Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (OT-CDRS). Despite few demographic differences, the …

Choosing The Path Of Leadership In Occupational Therapy, Clark Patrick Heard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Leadership is vital to the success and sustainability of any group, organization, or profession. Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology, consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines why occupational therapists choose the path of leadership. Data was collected through the completion of semistructured interviews with 10 occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. This collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by multiple coders. Several methods were employed to establish trustworthiness. Results identify that a desire to influence the profession or care delivery, a need for personal or career development, and a need for change motivate those occupational therapists …

State Of The Journal: The First Year, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Cultural Conflict In Medicine: A Moral Debate Between Paternalism And Patient Autonomy, Hannah Webb

Honors Theses

In today’s society filled with globalization and mass movement of people and ideas, there is an ever present question of how each individual society fits into the overall culture of a diversified country such as the United States. The idea of the US as a melting pot has triggered the inability to create a “one size fits all” style of living. In terms of medicine, westernized practices are typically accepted in a majority of the world. However, conflicting traditional practices as well as religious beliefs are still present in some areas of the world as well as in the US …

Differences Between Healthcare Systems In Costa Rica & The United States And How Those Differences Affect The Overall Quality Of Healthcare, Carlie Decker

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to examine the similarities and differences between the healthcare system employed in Costa Rica and the healthcare system employed in the United States through a series of interviews and web-based research. Four healthcare system components will be examined in order to determine the success of each system. These components include health insurance coverage, access to pharmaceuticals, medical licensing requirements, and medical research.

Following the completion of the interviews and research, I found that United States citizens pay nearly four times the amount Costa Rican citizens do for health insurance coverage. This dramatic increase in price can be …

Physician Assistants: The Rise Of A Career From A Missed Opportunity In Nursing, Madeline Jary

Honors Theses

The implementation of the concept of mid-level providers in healthcare has undoubtedly contributed greatly to the solution of the physician shortage. This shortage of physicians had posed a problem in the delivery of health care for decades, particularly in rural areas. Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants as we know them today may not have existed without previous groundwork and inspiration. The introduction of the nurse clinician concept by Frances Reiter in 1943 led to the later development of a masters nurse clinician program at Duke University by Dr. Eugene Stead and Thelma Ingles. Despite the denial of accreditation of the …

A Holistic Approach To Therapy And Management Of Lower Back Pain, Lauren Ross

Honors Theses

My thesis project is focused on the concept of pain. It is a compilation of input from my intern advisor, a licensed physical therapist, and from my thesis advisor, a professor within the Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness department. It is an exploration of the origin, effects, development, types, perception, costliness and treatments of low back pain, through a holistic, anatomical, neurological and integrative approach. My research is expressed through a thorough power-point project with several diagrams, pictures and information, as well as a research paper containing significant detail.

This thesis project effectively defines what pain is in the body …

Secondary Analysis Of Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health In Kalamazoo And Jackson Counties, Jenna Moreau

Honors Theses

This secondary analysis is a comparison of two Counties, Kalamazoo and Jackson, to see if the presence of a university has impact on reported Chlamydia cases. Nationally, 20-24 year olds account for the highest number of reported Chlamydia infections. This age group also accounts for the large majority of college students that attend Western Michigan University found in Kalamazoo County. It is believed that by collecting this data, there will be an obvious need for implementation of an education intervention for students at Western Michigan University regarding sexual health.

It was proposed that there would be a higher prevalence of …

Secondary Analysis Of Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health In Kalamazoo And Jackson Counties, Kayla Bolter

Honors Theses

Based off of the Healthy People 2020 goals regarding sexual health behaviors and reduction in the proportion of gonorrhea infections among males and females ages 15-44, the purpose of this thesis to provide the necessary evidence that a sexual health education intervention needs to be implemented into the campus of Western Michigan University in order to reduce the rates of gonorrhea among college students aged 20-24 in Kalamazoo County. This is a secondary analysis that compared the reported gonorrhea rates in Kalamazoo County, Michigan to the reported rates of gonorrhea in Jackson County, Michigan. Several components were compared within each …

Humans' Bonding With Their Companion Dogs: Cardiovascular Benefits During And After Stress, Rebecca A. Campo, Bert N. Uchino

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined whether having one's companion dog present during and after stress posed similar cardiovascular benefits as having a close friend present, even when the relationship quality for both the companion dog and friend was highly positive. Positive aspects of relationship quality for participants' dog and friend were not associated with one another, suggesting that these relationships exist independently. Additionally, compared to participants with a close friend present, those with their dog present had lower heart rate and diastolic blood pressure (p's < .05) while undergoing the stressors, and tended to have lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure (p's < .09) when recovering from stressors. This study indicates that even when relationship quality is similarly high for companion dogs and friends, dogs may be associated with greater reductions in owners' cardiovascular reactivity to stress, particularly if there is a potential for evaluation apprehension in the human friendships. These findings support the value of the human- companion animal relationship in promoting human welfare.

The Impact Of Companion Animals On Social Capital And Community Violence: Setting Research, Policy And Program Agendas, Phil Arkow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The term social capital has been used to describe the networks and other forces that build social cohesion, personal investment, reciprocity, civic engagement, and interpersonal trust among residents in a community. With the exception of three Australian reports describing positive associations between companion animal ownership and social capital, the literature has neglected to include the presence or absence of companion animal residents of communities as factors that could potentially affect social capital and serve as protective factors for community well-being. Companion animals are present in significantly large numbers in most communities, where they have considerable economic impact and provide emotional …