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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

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All ETDs from UAB

Theses/Dissertations

2013

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Nursing

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Obesity, Prediabetes, And Perceived Stress In Municipal Workers, Louise Camilleri O'Keefe Jan 2013

Obesity, Prediabetes, And Perceived Stress In Municipal Workers, Louise Camilleri O'Keefe

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Obesity and diabetes are major contributors to morbidity and mortality in the United States. According to the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, obesity is growing faster than any other public health problem in the United States. The prevalence of diabetes has also increased significantly with an estimated 79 million Americans aged 20 years or older suffering from prediabetes. Few studies have examined the influence of perceived stress on obesity and prediabetes among working adults. Investigations are needed to examine factors that can contribute to higher health care costs for both employees and employers. The aims of this …


Adolescent Mothers: Factors Affecting Social And Sexual Decision-Making, Donna M. Campbell Jan 2013

Adolescent Mothers: Factors Affecting Social And Sexual Decision-Making, Donna M. Campbell

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Adolescent pregnancy remains a public health concern despite decades of attempts to prevent it. The United States continues to have the highest adolescent pregnancy rates of any industrialized country (Kost, Henshaw, & Carlin, 2010). While adolescents of all ages (10-21 years) can become pregnant, pregnancy rates are highest among adolescents who are 15 to 19 years of age. Multiple factors have been identified that increase the likelihood of adolescent pregnancy and repeat pregnancy. Often times, adolescent pregnancy is the result of sexual risk-taking, which has been attributed to the changes that occur neurologically, physically, and emotionally (Reyna & Farley, 2006). …


Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight Jan 2013

Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight

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Introduction: Pregnancy during adolescence is potentially stressful due to the concurrent tasks of navigating the typically tumultuous adolescent stage of development and the life altering experience of pregnancy (Kaye, 2008). There is a growing body of research linking prenatal stress to poor birth and developmental outcomes such as premature birth and low birth weight infants (K. Keenan, Sheffield, & Boeldt, 2007; Mulder et al., 2002), which makes describing the relatively unexplored perceptions and experience of stress during adolescent pregnancy important. The life course framework, with its emphasis on social, environmental, and family risk factors, has implications for reducing disparities among …


Blood Pressure And Tobacco Exposure Among Rural Adolescents Ages 15-18, Luz Huntington-Moskos Jan 2013

Blood Pressure And Tobacco Exposure Among Rural Adolescents Ages 15-18, Luz Huntington-Moskos

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High blood pressure is a prevalent precursor to cardiovascular disease. An estimated 3% of US adolescents have hypertension. In addition, prehypertension is predictive of hypertension in adolescents, with progression between these stages at approximately 7% per year. Tobacco use/exposure is strongly linked to cardiovascular risk and disease in adults. Further, rural communities have higher tobacco use prevalence and fewer community policies restricting tobacco use. Little is known about the effects of tobacco exposure on blood pressure and the mediating effects of inflammation (salivary C-reactive protein (CRP)) in rural adolescents. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between …


Socioeconomic Predictors Of 30-Day Readmission Of Elderly Patients With Initial Discharge Destination Of Home Health Care, Dianne Marrie Richmond Jan 2013

Socioeconomic Predictors Of 30-Day Readmission Of Elderly Patients With Initial Discharge Destination Of Home Health Care, Dianne Marrie Richmond

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Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine the association of social determinants of health with 30-day rehospitalization among elderly patients who were discharged from an acute care hospital with an initial discharge destination of home with home health care support and to explore the social determinants' ability to accurately predict the odds of rehospitalization. Methods A secondary data analysis was performed on data obtained from the home healthcare agency. A total of 4,717 unique patients found in the data set. Some patients were represented in the data more than once during the observation period. To examine the relationship …


Blood Pressure Control And Perceived Stress, Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, And Perceived Health Status In Municipal Workers, Debra D. Baldwin Jan 2013

Blood Pressure Control And Perceived Stress, Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, And Perceived Health Status In Municipal Workers, Debra D. Baldwin

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Although hypertension is highly prevalent, associated with serious health consequences and treatable, fewer than half of those with hypertension have achieved blood pressure control (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011b). Limited studies have examined the influence of perceived stress, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and perceived health status may have on blood pressure control, although epidemiological evidence reveals psychological factors can mediate and negatively influence health behavior leading to hypertension (Blanchflower & Oswald, 2008; Kulkarni, Farrel, Erasi, & Kochar, 1998; Walcott-McQuigg, 2000). The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and blood pressure control …


Relationships Between Latino Parental, Adolescent And Cultural Variables On Adolescents' Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, And Sexual Intentions, Vanessa Pirani Gaioso Jan 2013

Relationships Between Latino Parental, Adolescent And Cultural Variables On Adolescents' Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, And Sexual Intentions, Vanessa Pirani Gaioso

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The quantity and quality of parent-adolescent sexual communication has been suggested as the best predictor on adolescent sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model based on the Parent-Based Expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior (PETPB) examining relationships between selected parental, adolescent and cultural variables and Latino adolescents' intentions to engage in sexual behavior. This study used a cross-sectional correlational design based on a secondary data analysis of 130 Latino parent and adolescent dyads. Regression and path analysis procedures were used to test seven research hypotheses and the results demonstrated partial support for the …


The Effects Of Markers For Hiv Disease Progression, Social Network, Barriers To Care, Depression, And Substance Abuse On Medical Appointment Adherence Of Hiv-Infected Adults, Yeow Chye Ng Jan 2013

The Effects Of Markers For Hiv Disease Progression, Social Network, Barriers To Care, Depression, And Substance Abuse On Medical Appointment Adherence Of Hiv-Infected Adults, Yeow Chye Ng

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The study was designed to test a causal model of theoretical relationships among markers for HIV disease progression, social network, barriers to care, depression, substance abuse, and medical appointment adherence among HIV-infected adults. The proposed causal model was derived and developed from Lazarus and Folkman's theory of stress, appraisal, and coping. The knowledge gained from this study may yield critical information with respect to determining how a health care provider or researcher can develop specific behavioral interventions for the improvement of medical appointment adherence among HIV-infected adults living in the Southeastern United States. The correlational study was a secondary analysis …