Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Associations Among Perceived Benefits, Barriers, Cues, And Physical Activity In Thai Primary Students, Sireewat Ar-Yuwat Phd, Mph, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action and levels of physical activity in Thai fourth grade students. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework of the study to investigate students' beliefs related to physical activity. The participants in this cross-sectional study were fourth grade students selected by a simple random sampling method. A sample of 123 students was recruited from primary schools in Muang district, Phitsanulok province. The sample schools were selected by stratified random sampling. For data collection, the study utilized two instruments: the …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Valued Living Questionnaire: Comparing Distressed And Normative Samples, David D. Cotter

Dissertations

The Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ; Wilson, 2002) was created to measure the extent to which an individual contacts his/her chosen values, an important construct in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). The goal of the current study was to contribute to the psychometric evaluation of the VLQ by replicating and extending the first study of the VLQ’s psychometric properties conducted by Wilson, Sandoz, Kitchens, & Roberts (2010). In the present study, the VLQ was administered to a normative collegian sample (n = 171, M age = 19.32) and a distressed sample of collegians who were participating …

Latent Growth Modeling Of A Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention, Alicia Dea Sample

Dissertations

The health, economic, and social impacts of physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary patterns are quite significant and evidenced by the fact that only 3-4% of American adults follow all the dietary advice recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA; Kohatsu, Robinson, & Torner, 2004), and specific subpopulations, including the rural South, are affected even more drastically (McCabe-Sellers et al., 2007). Furthermore, the majority of the people in the United States do not currently meet recommended amounts of physical activity (PA) and have not since the mid 1980s (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2008). To address the …

Lived Experience: East African Somali Speaking Women Accessing The U.S. Healthcare System, Shukri Adam Phd

Dissertations

Access to prenatal healthcare for East African Somali Speaking Women (EASSW) who are immigrants to the U.S. has been dependent on the availability of a systematic healthcare treatment model. The purpose of this study was to explore EASSW's lived experiences in accessing prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. A descriptive, qualitative phenomenological approach informed by the work of Husserl was used to explore EASSW's experiences, views, and problems encountered while attempting to access prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. Fifteen EASSW of childbearing age (ages 18–45) were recruited for this study. All participants interviewed privately, beginning with a semi-structured, open-ended …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Maternal And Child Outcomes Following An Obesity Intervention Program, Melinda S. Bender Phd

Dissertations

Background: One of the highest risk groups for childhood obesity and associated co-morbidities in the United States are low-income Hispanic preschool children. To reduce obesity, effective interventions are being sought to improve health behaviors among high risks groups. Objectives: To evaluate a subset of data from a larger 9-month promotora facilitated obesity intervention study. The aims were to determine: 1) pre- to post-program differences in health behaviors including: (a) children's consumption of high carbohydrate beverages (HCB); and (b) maternal walking, beliefs, knowledge, self-efficacy, and relationship building regarding nutrition and physical activity; and 2) which covariates were significant for change in …

Cord Blood Collection In Pregnant Women For Stem Cell Research, Irene Carr Phd

Dissertations

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells form commonly banked types of human tissue. Confusion remains about sources of stem cells and their use. Birth is a once in a lifetime opportunity with 74 million births per year in the world and four million occur in the United States. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells and pluripotent mesenchymal cells (Moise, 2005). There is a surge of interest in the clinical use and research investigation of umbilical cord blood for transplantation and regenerative medicine. Clinicians need increased awareness and education of options for private versus public donation and banking of cord blood …

Examining Nursing Presence In The Acute Care Setting As An Indicator Of Patient Satisfaction With Nursing Care, Wendy Hansbrough Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Nursing presence is conceptualized as occurring within the nurse-patient relationship when the nurse acknowledges the uniqueness of the patient, within his or her context of being and chooses to intervene on the patient's behalf with a patient who allows the nurse into a reciprocal relationship. Nursing presence is described as occurring in varying levels and nurse expertise is suggested as one antecedent. Quantification of nursing presence would be useful in examination of nursing care outcomes, quality management and research. The Presence of Nursing Scale, PONS (Kostovich, 2002) was used in this study to test its reliability and determine its validity …

Emergence Delirium In U.S. Military Combat Veterans, Jason M. Mcguire Phd, Crna

Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the phenomenon of emergence delirium in U.S. military combat veterans. Emergence delirium is a post-anesthetic phenomenon that occurs immediately following emergence from general anesthesia and is characterized by agitation, confusion, and violent physical and/or verbal behavior. Clinical evidence suggests that emergence delirium is occurring with greater frequency among military personnel returning from conflict in the Middle East. This body of work is a culmination of three distinctive phases and is presented in three individual manuscripts. The first manuscript, "Risk Factors for Emergence Delirium in U.S. Military Members," was published in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing with …

California School Nurse Survey, Rachel Van Niekerk Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain evidence to support the assumption that school nurses have a positive effect on school attendance and medication administration practices and to hear the voice of the California school nurse. Data from this exploratory, descriptive study came from an online researcher developed survey consisting of both forced choice and open-ended questions completed by California school nurses representing the three major regions of California (Northern, Central, and Southern). The following three research questions guided the study: 1) What is the relationship between school and nurse factors on student outcomes? 2) How valued do California …

Mother-Son Connectedness, Substance Use, And Young Men's Criminal Justice System Involvement, Kim L. Moreno Phd

Dissertations

The relationship between a mother and her son and its influence on health and risk behaviors as a boy becomes a man has had little exploration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between mother-son connectedness, substance use, serious delinquency, violent delinquency, and criminal justice system involvement in young men. This study uses data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health), a school-based study of students in grades 7–12 in the United States. Multiple regression, ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to analyze independent and dependent variables. Results show a perception of connectedness, which …

The Post Deployment Lived Experience Of U.S. Military Troops After Combat-Related Blast Exposure, Shirely A. Jett Phd

Dissertations

Blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT) is a newly emerging re-occurrence of an old combat-related injury in U.S. military troops returning from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq. BINT is leading to a silent epidemic of symptomatic troops who face barriers to accessing healthcare and suffer debilitating symptoms in silence. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to discover the meaning of the lived experience of U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq after combat-related blast exposure. Eleven service members and veterans ranging in age from 21 to over 30 years old participated in semi-structured face to face interviews. These service members and …

A Quantitative Inquiry Into Moral Distress And Psychological Empowerment In Critical Care Nurses Caring For Adults During End Of Life, Annette Marie Browning Phd, Rn, Cns

Dissertations

Background Critical care nurses care for many adults at end of life and it is known that these nurses can experience moral distress. Moral distress occurs when nurses are unable to perform what they believe is ethically correct. There has been speculation that psychological empowerment may ameliorate moral distress among critical care nurses. However, research has yet to examine the relationship between moral distress and psychological empowerment in the population of critical care nurses.

Objectives To describe the relationships between moral distress, psychological empowerment and select demographics in critical care nurses caring for patients at EOL.

Method Using a quantitative …

Nutritional Status And Clinical Outcomes Of Residents Admitted To A Nursing Home, Sheryl Nespor Phd

Dissertations

Purpose The purpose of this research study was to describe the nutritional status (well nourished, at risk for malnutrition, or malnourished) of residents admitted to nursing homes and adverse clinical outcomes in those residents after four weeks. Methodology A descriptive, correlational design utilizing medical record data was used to examine the relationship between nutritional status and adverse clinical outcomes of weight loss and pressure ulcers. Results The sample (n=69) was predominately Caucasian (90%) with 38% having one or more pressure ulcers on admission. Most of the residents were admitted from an acute care facility (97%) and were either malnourished or …

Examining Dietary Acculturation In Hispanic Males Residing In South Mississippi, Diana Katherine Cuy Castellanos

Dissertations

This study explored dietary behavior in terms of dietary intake, dietary intake change and dietary contributing factors in a sample of Hispanic males residing in southern Mississippi that are at various stages of the acculturation process. Grounded theory and the bidimensional acculturation model were incorporated to identify the dietary factors and assess acculturation in each participant. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used in data collection. Qualitative measurements included Semistructured interviews, a focus group, and photovoice with group interviews. The ARSMA-II, Marginality Scale, Fruit/Vegetable and Fat Food Screeners, a psychosocial dietary questionnaire, and the New Vital Signs Food Label for Health …

Fibromyalgia Self-Care Management: Use Of Essential Oils, Regina Ann Sacco Izu Phd

Dissertations

Fibromyalgia is a female dominant chronic syndrome of diffuse muscle pain on palpation of at least 11 of 18 syndrome-associated tender points present for 3 months or longer. There is no cure. Self-care management involving multimodal integrative medicine approaches may increase treatment involvement resulting in a sense of control and pain relief. This embedded, single case study explored 'how' and 'why' an informant with fibromyalgia chose to initiate and continue self-care management using essential oils over several years to treat symptoms within context reality. Orem's Self-Care Deficit Model and the Principles of Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona formed …

Compassionate Care, The Patient Perspective, Lori Burnell Phd

Dissertations

Professional mandates call for nurses to respond with compassion (e.g., American Nurses Association [ANA] Code of Ethics, International Council of Nurses [ICN]) and countless hospital mission and vision statements prominently display compassion as their fundamental purpose. As a component of healthcare and nursing models, however, defining characteristics and standards are inconsistent. Compassion as a means of establishing a connection on a spiritual level abounds in the literature (Buck, 2006; Grant, 2004; O'Brien, 2008; Schultz et al., 2007) and is documented as a nursing requirement (e.g., ANA, ICN); however, it remains virtually uncharted from the lens of the patient. Through interpretive …

Comparisons Of Three Analytical Techniques For Measuring Absolute And Relative Temperature Changes During Ultrasound Treatment, Michael G. Miller

Dissertations

Ultrasound is a thermal modality that utilizes acoustic energy to promote heating. While there are many factors that affect heating of body tissues, the effects of skinfold thickness and skin temperature upon ultrasound heating have not been studied extensively. In addition, while temperature typically follows a linear trend, past research typically uses ANOVA or regression analysis to examine this relationship; but these models examine the within-subject effects (time) and between effects (usually groups) at the group level, not the individual level. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to determine if skin temperature and skinfold thickness are predictors for intramuscular …

Implementation Of The 2009 Cacrep Standards Addiction Competencies, Tiffany K. Lee

Dissertations

Addiction issues have been and continue to be significant problems affecting the United States. Over the past few decades, substantial scholarly attention has been paid to the lack of addictions training in the counseling profession. The purposes of this mixed-method study were to examine the current status of addiction training among institutions that offer counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and determine how institutions plan to integrate the addiction-related competencies outlined in the 2009 CACREP standards.

The quantitative data were obtained from a 15-item online survey completed by 74 CACREP …

Improving Diabetic Outcomes With Caring Communication: Identifying Communication Patterning For The Human Diabetic, James R. Kennett Phd

Dissertations

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of caring communication for people living with diabetes (PLD) and the relationship to diabetic outcomes. Caring communication has not been studied for improving diabetic outcomes. Randomized control trials (RCTs) direct care, however people do not do what they told, they need to be included in their care. PLD need a voice to establish what is important to them. Incorporating medical, communication, and nursing science as multidisciplinary approach within a theoretical framework can be predictive diabetic outcomes. Methods. A correlational cross sectional survey design study was done. A sample of …

Relationship Between Self-Stigma And Personal Empowerment Among People Who Have Severe Mental Illness, Diane Fischer Hickman Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-stigma of mental illness and personal empowerment among people who have a severe mental illness. It had been hypothesized that self-stigma of mental illness and personal empowerment are at opposite end of a continuum. As such, individuals who perceive themselves in a stigmatized manner tend to reciprocally perceive themselves as being relatively powerless, rather than having a strong sense of personal empowerment. Likewise, individuals who perceive themselves as having a relatively strong sense of personal empowerment tend to experience a low degree of self-stigma. To test this hypothesis, a …

Spiritual Well-Being And Quality Of Life Among Persons With Paraplegia, Darlene Nelson Finocchiaro Phd, Msn, Rn, Crrn

Dissertations

With the advent of better emergency response and medical advances, the life expectancy of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is about 85% to 90% compared to that of non-disabled persons. Since SCI survivors are living well into their 70s, quality of life (QOL) is a major concern. The purpose of this study, informed by Ferrell and Grant's Quality of Life Model, was to examine relationships between spiritual well-being (SWB), existential well-being (EWB), religious spiritual well-being (RWB), depression, length of injury, age, gender, ethnicity, and QOL while living with paraplegia one year and longer. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design, with …

A Retrospective Study Of Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders In A Sample Of Urban American Indian And Alaska Natives, Kathryn Aimee Fuller Phd

Dissertations

This retrospective study examined the prevalence of mental health disorders, co-occurring disorders (COD), and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD) among a sample of urban-dwelling adult American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) seeking behavioral health services from one metropolitan Indian clinic in Southwestern United States. A descriptive quantitative design employed retrospective data from AI/AN subjects (N = 123) verified as tribally enrolled and receiving outpatient behavioral health services. Chart abstraction included patient demographics, substance use and mental health diagnoses, and ATOD scores from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Addiction Severity Index-NAV (ASI-NAV). The t-test compared gender differences …

A Salutogenic Framework To Understand Disparity In Breast Cancer Screening Behavior In African American Women, Regina Conway-Phillips

Dissertations

African American women (AAW) have the highest breast cancer mortality rate than any other racial or ethnic group. Limited access to care reduces mammography screening for AAW. Despite barriers, some AAW engage in breast cancer screening (BCS) behaviors like mammography. The salutogenic theory of health focuses on positive health behaviors and offers a framework to understand personal factors which allow some AAW to overcome adversity and engage in BCS. Sense of coherence (SOC) is central to salutogenic theory. Individuals with greater SOC utilize available resources to attain optimal health. This study: 1) Evaluated the contribution of SOC, social support and …

Working Together Toward A Common Goal: A Grounded Theory Of Nurse-Physician Collaboration, Lori Lynn Fewster-Thuente

Dissertations

Purpose: Effective collaboration has been identified as essential to quality patient care processes and outcomes. Yet, the conceptual and theoretical basis for understanding and practicing collaboration remains underdeveloped and imprecise. These factors may hamper the study of collaboration and therefore the optimization of care processes and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to understand the social processes associated with collaboration between nurses and physicians, with the intention of theory development.

Background: Collaboration, or a lack thereof, has been shown to impact both provider and patient satisfaction and outcomes. JCAHO now requires proof of collaboration for accreditation. Many organizations state …

Living With Bipolar Disorder: A Qualitative Investigation, Richard P. Freedberg

Dissertations

The specific aims of this study were to gain a broader understanding of the lived experience of adults with bipolar disorder and to explore how people diagnosed with bipolar disorder used cognitively, affectively, and spiritually oriented strategies to cope with life stressors and circumstances. The cognitive domain in this investigation was defined as those activities related to how one knows, thinks, or perceives phenomena in a way distinct from emotion. The affective domain referred to the feelings and emotions associated with phenomena that are distinct from cognitive reasoning or knowledge. The spiritual domain was defined as values, attitudes, and beliefs …

Evaluation Of Verbal Behavior In Older Adults, Amy Gross

Dissertations

Older adults make up a large and increasing portion of the population (U.S. apply those assessments to the evaluation of verbal behavior in older adults with and without dementia. The research addressed two questions. First, in what way do verbal behavior problems differ between older adults with and without dementia? Second, does language deteriorate in a pattern compatible with Skinner's analysis of functionally independent verbal operants? Thirty-one participants were categorized into Control (n=15) and Dementia (n=16) Groups based on their score on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Verbal behavior assessments were administered to participants on two occasions, separated by one week. …

Exploring The Well-Being Of Foster Children Of Parents With Substance Abuse Problems In Family Dependency Treatment Courts, Barbara M. Howes

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper format dissertation is to explore how the well-being of foster children of parents with substance abuse problems is defined and promoted through Family Dependency Treatment Courts (FDTC) within the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The benefit to the author of the three-paper method is the task of submitting the findings of the study for publication is eased as the dissertation contains three stand-alone articles. A drawback for the reader of the three paper method is that there is redundancy in reading the same sections in each paper. The reader is encouraged …

Neuroprotective Effects Of A Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist And Modulator In The Rodent Retina, Kazuhiro Iwamoto

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the potential neuroprotective effect of an alpha7 nAChR agonist, PNU-282987, and modulator, PNU-120596, in an in vitro model of excitotoxicity and an in vivo model of acute glaucoma. In in vitro studies, retinas obtained from Long Evans rats were cultured using various concentrations of the PNU compounds to analyze neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. After 3 days in culture, RGCs were identified using an antibody against Thy 1.1, visualized using a fluorescent dye and quantified. In culture, glutamate significantly decreased the number of RGCs. However, if either PNU compound was introduced before the …

The Picture Exchange Communication System: Digital Photographs Versus Picture Symbols, Carmen Jonaitis

Dissertations

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an augmentative and alternative system (AAC) used to improve and increase communication for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders. Research addressing the efficacy of this system is increasing; however, there is limited information published that evaluates the picture type used for PECS instruction. A single-subject alternating treatments design was used to examine the role of iconicity, or how closely a symbol resembles its referent, in the acquisition of picture discrimination in the third phase of PECS. The purpose of this study was to compare how well children were able …

Reading, Writing, And Repetition: Performance On Nonword Measures Bystudents With And Without Language-Learning Disabilities, Patricia J. Tattersall

Dissertations

The central purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to explore the ability of school-age children with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD) to apply sound/word level structure knowledge when performing speaking, spelling, and reading tasks. Data came from a larger investigation that used stratified sampling to create two ability groups—children with typical language (TL) and with LLD—comparable in terms of age (range 6 through 18 years), sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The central purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to explore the ability of school-age children with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD) to apply sound/word level structure knowledge when performing speaking, …