Female Ex-Offenders Transitioning Into Society, Stacey L. Forte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine female ex-offenders’ perceptions of their lived experience(s) while transitioning into society after incarceration. This study examined risk factors that female ex-offenders faced while transitioning into society asking the question, “What are the lived experiences of female ex-offenders who utilized transitional housing for reentry with regard to their perception of the benefits of certain services/offerings and staff support?” Nine participants were part of the study ranging from 25–64 years of age, with the majority being between the ages of 25 and 55 years old, residing originally in five different states. Sixty percent …

The Broncos: A Social Support Approach To Team Tragedy, Shaun Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the last decade there has been a widespread effort to collectively acknowledge mental health challenges faced by individuals within society and to improve their outcomes through social support. While much of this discussion has included sport, sport organizations remain resistant to change at every level from the professional level to school sports. Accordingly, individuals have continually faced mental health challenges that originated or were compounded by their participation in sport. This study attempted to identify the social supports and barriers to those supports that resulted in athletes having poor outcomes, while also identifying the strategies and social supports used …

The Impact Of Sexual Violence On Student’S Academic And University Experiences: A Qualitative Study, Shelby Lacey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual violence is an ongoing public health concern within university communities. Students who experience sexual violence may be at risk for negative academic impacts including declines in grade point average (GPA), increased absenteeism, and withdrawal from school. Less information is known regarding if students who have experienced sexual violence report changes in their academic and university experiences, such as participation in class, social groups or clubs. Help-seeking through formal or informal sources may alleviate the negative consequences of sexual violence. Due to the unique environment of universities which may influence a student’s personal, social, and cultural life, …

Optimization In Mri Experiment Design And Image Reconstruction, Mark Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging modality with numerous applications due to its flexible contrast and high resolution. Recent improvements in computation power have enabled optimizations which were previously out of reach. This has led to improvements in image reconstruction and experiment design.

Compressed sensing (CS) allows for images to be reconstructed using less data than is normally required leading to faster image acquisitions. In this thesis, CS is applied to experiments tracking individual cells in time lapse MRI. The faster image acquisition with CS reduces blurring from cell motion, improving the Contrast-to-Noise ratio (CNR) of moving cells …

The Influence Of Administrative Timing In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatments, Emily Mailloux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer accounts for 25% of all cancers in Canadian women, and 15-20% of these are triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), which have a poorer prognosis than other breast cancer subtypes. TNBC lacks expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which are common therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Due to the lack of target therapy, generalized chemotherapy treatments are used instead. The standard of care for treatment of TNBC instead consists of doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C) paclitaxel (T), and carboplatin (Carbo), that target various aspects of the cell cycle to induce cell …

Nurses’ Experience Of Family-Centered Rounds In The Intensive Care U, Kaitlyn Sheehan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A paradigm shift in the Canadian healthcare system has transitioned the patient and family from care recipients to integral and valued members of the multidisciplinary team. Implementation of family-centered care within the context of the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remains slow to adopt in Canada despite evidence that open visitation and family presence offer many benefits to improve the delivery of quality care, and satisfaction with the overall patient experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the ability of the healthcare team to effectively include patients and families into their daily multidisciplinary rounds. Restricted visitation policies, infection control and …

Assessment Of The Utilization Of Healthcare Services Specific To Pregnancy-Related Complications In Rural And Medically Underserved Georgia, Diana L. Aguirre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternal mortality is a continuing issue, with rates for the state of Georgia (3.7 per 100,000 live births) are higher than that of the US rates (2.9 per 100,000 per live births) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, n.d., 2023). However, maternal mortality may not account for health disparity factors, apart from access to quality care and physiological issues, which is a factor in pregnancy-related deaths, Pregnancy-related death, as defined by the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), is a death of a woman that occurs during or within one year of pregnancy that …

Training Specificity And Functional Performance In Collegiate Cheerleaders, Carly Routman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Competitive collegiate cheerleading requires participants to be conditioned for explosive powerful movements. Studies have shown cheerleading is associated with a high incidence of catastrophic injury (Mueller, 2009; Boden, 2005; Xu et al., 2021). In response to high injury rates, studies have recommended strength and conditioning requirements to decrease the likelihood of injury due to the lack of cheer-specific training (Jacobson et al., 2004). Although it has been recommended for cheerleaders to receive formal strength training, many schools do not provide these resources to their cheerleading teams. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

Understanding Human Gut Bacterial Interactions And Their Role In Colonization Resistance Against Clostridioides Difficile Using Mini-Bioreactor Array And Caenorhabditis Elegans As Model Systems, Achuthan Ambat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although fecal transplantation has shown to be effective against Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), key species responsible for colonization resistance still need to be better identified. There needs to be more understanding of the rules governing the development of a healthy microbiome upon transplantation. The bottom-up approach of assembling simple to complex communities in model systems such as bioreactors is one of the ways to approach this problem. Studying synthetic communities with less complexity can yield a system-level understanding of microbial interactions. In the first study, we assembled a synthetic community of 14 bacterial species belonging to the core human microbiota …

Rumen-Protected Methionine Supplementation Improves Lactation, Oxidative Status, And Immune Response During A Subclinical Mastitis Challenge In Lactating Dairy Cows., Anita Paz Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mastitis is a significant problem in the dairy industry, posing numerous challenges for dairy farmers worldwide. Mastitis refers to the inflammation of the mammary gland, primarily caused by bacterial infections. This condition affects the health and well-being of dairy cows and has severe economic implications for farmers and overall dairy production. The prevalence of mastitis substantially threatens milk quality, productivity, and profitability, making it a top concern in the dairy industry. Preventing mastitis in cows is crucial for maintaining the herd's health and ensuring highquality milk production. Nutritional strategies have recently gained greater attention due to a direct impact on …

Racial Differences In Depression Indicators Before And After 2008 Financial Crisis In A Sample Of Older Adults, Angelina E. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine patterns of mental health outcomes in older Black and White adults after the national 2008 financial crisis. The data was acquired from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a publicly available dataset. This longitudinal study has obtained data from a representative sample of approximately 20,000 older adults in America, aged 55 and older. The hypotheses were (1) rates of mental health indicators related to symptoms of depression will increase after the 2008 financial crisis and (2) that increase will be significantly higher in Black respondents compared to White respondents. The analysis …

“My Ob/Gyn Has The Worst Bedside Manner…” A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient-Provider Communication And Mental Health Outcomes Of Women In Rural Georgia, Tobi F. Oloyede

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite technological advances in medicine and public health innovations, maternal mortality in the United States remains significantly higher than in other developed countries. Specifically, Georgia ranks as the second worst place to give birth in the country. Maternal mental health conditions are common, manageable complications that can happen at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first year following delivery, with 1 in 5 women affected. Unfortunately, 75% of women who experience MMH symptoms are left untreated.

This study focuses on patient-provider communication through the birthing experiences of women who have been pregnant in Georgia to examine how their …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Intent Among Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Biebele Okpeahior

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Although research has highlighted the benefits of physical activity in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), they are still more likely to live an inactive lifestyle. There are limited studies that examine the relationship between physical activity and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) among the MS population. This study aimed to explore the factors that associate with physical activity intent of adults with MS utilizing the constructs of the TPB. Methods. This study utilized a cross-sectional online survey done via a social media platform. There were 326 respondents to the survey and ultimately 249 surveys that met the criteria …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …

The Relationship Between Age, Sport, And Years Coaching On Knowledge, Confidence, Preparedness, And Intention To Intervene With Youth Athletes Experiencing Mental Health Challenges, Allyson P. Looby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mental disorders can affect all ages and populations, but there is an increasingly high prevalence in the pediatric population. It is estimated that 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 9-17 experiences some degree of impairment from a diagnosable mental health disorder (Merikangas et al., 2010). Youth are often not equipped to seek professional support; making parents, teachers, and coaches key to detection and referral to professional help (Ng et al., 2021). The environment youth sports creates gives coaches the opportunity to have a greater impact on youth mental health (Das et al., 2016). Purpose: Determine if age, …

What Could Go Wrong? Patient And Hospital Characteristics Associated With Pediatric Quality Of Inpatient Care And Pediatric Adverse Events, Michael H. Samawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to analyze associations between hospital and patient characteristics with pediatric adverse events (PAE) in the inpatient hospital setting, utilizing the framework of pediatric quality indicators (PDIs) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicators. Three PDIs were identified and utilized for this purpose: NQI 03 Neonatal Blood Stream Infection, PDI 09 Postoperative Respiratory Failure, and PDI 10 Postoperative Sepsis. The data used for the study is based on an analysis of discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid’s Inpatient Databases (KID) for the year 2019. The findings contribute to the growing …

Acute Effects Of Trunk Stretching On Aortic Arterial Stiffness And Central And Peripheral Blood Pressure In Middle-Aged Older Adults, Kylee West

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Physical activity may alter the trajectory of age-related arterial stiffening, which is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Trunk stretching has reduced arterial stiffness (AS) in young males, but its effect in middle-aged to older adults is unclear. This study examined the effects of passively assisted trunk stretching (PATS) on aortic arterial stiffness and central and peripheral blood pressure in middle-aged to older adults. METHODS: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and Augmentation Index normalized to a heart rate of 75 beats per minute (AIx75) were measured in 28 middle-aged to older adults (14M/14F; 72 ± 7 years; 28.5 …

Factors Associated With Patient Portal Utilization, Preventive Services Utilization, And Health Promoting Behaviors Among Adults In The United States, Elizabeth Ayangunna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Nearly 60% of adults in the United States are estimated to have one or more chronic conditions, necessitating strategies to improve the health status of persons with chronic disease. Given that health information technology (HIT) is considered highly valuable for superior disease management, it is imperative to examine how HIT use can improve health behaviors, which can in turn improve health status. This study aimed to examine if there was an association between patient portal utilization and the use of preventive services & health-promoting behaviors. Also, this study examined the influence of self-efficacy on preventive health behaviors among adults …

Athletic Identity And Intention To Report Concussions In Collegiate Club Recreational Athletes, Kiersten D. Kuhlman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Athletic identity is the extent to which one identifies with the athlete role, but we do not know what that looks like in club sports and its effect on concussion reporting intention. The athletic identity of club sport athletes and their intention to report concussive injuries is limited and needs further research. Purpose: Describe athletic identity in club sport athletes and determine its influence on concussion reporting in club sport participants. Methods: A convenience sample of 149 (age 18-28 (M= 19.95±1.81) years old) club sport athletes at Georgia Southern University completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and …

Examining The Nexus Of Housing Instability And Neighborhood Within New York City (Nyc), Benjamin Boateng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Housing instability within the New York City (NYC) area significantly affects the community's well-being. As a robust and growing city, many families in the low-income bracket face the challenge of spending a significant portion of their monthly income toward housing costs (rent, utilities, insurance). With families spending 50% (extreme housing burden) and more of their monthly income to stay in their housing units, various disparities have presented themselves within the housing context.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, families within NYC have struggled to maintain their housing stock. Policy and community-based actions are needed to reduce the burden …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Of First-Year University Students, Kylie A. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The early college years represent a specific period in a student’s life that is crucial for their development. Approximately one in three college students meet the criteria for a mental health problem (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Universities have unique opportunities for identifying risk and delivering prevention or intervention strategies to students in need. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with First-Year University students’ help-seeking behaviors for university-based mental health services. H₁: There will be group differences between gender and race/ethnicity on help-seeking behaviors, knowledge barriers of services or providers and perceived stigma. H_{2 …}

Evaluation Of The Loving Support Peer Counseling Program On Breastfeeding Duration Rates Among African American Women Enrolled In The Program (2017-2018), Nancy S. Jeffery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.”-World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling (LSPC) program, under the WIC program in the state of Georgia, on breastfeeding duration rates among African American postpartum primiparas women. This observational study analyzed state-level data from January 2017 through December 2018. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling Program (LSPC) in six of the …

Acceleration Patterns During Standing And Running Tumbling Passes In Collegiate Cheerleading, Benjamin L. Paquette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tumbling requirements and expectations of heightened difficulty of tumbling skills has grown to become a vital component in competitive collegiate cheerleading. Acceleration patterns during tumbling skills has been previously explored in gymnastics, with a floor routine being the most similar in nature, but not completely transferable considering differences in tumbling surface, execution strategy, and setting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate acceleration patterns during different tumbling passes in collegiate cheerleading athletes. Fifteen female collegiate cheerleaders (age = 19.6 + 1.50) participated in the study. Each participant completed a max of seven different tumbling passes (two standing, 5 …

Development And Praxis Of Ph Drug Delivery System Contra Zika, Julissa Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the effects of global warming continue to spread throughout the world, another critical issue is slowly gaining attention in many urban tropical countries. The Emerging Infectious Diseases/ Pathogens list from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) listed the Zika virus as a potential pandemic threat. In 2015, an outbreak of Zika was noted in several South American countries until the spread reached an all-time high of 87 countries in 2017. During the outbreaks, adults affected were noted to have joint and muscle pains, fevers, and rashes. The worst cases reported would ultimately lead to Guillain-Barre symptoms. Still, pregnant women …

Comparison Marker-Based And Markerless Motion Capture Systems In Gait Biomechanics During Running, Hui Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Markerless (ML) motion capture systems have recently become available for biomechanics applications. Evidence has indicated the potential feasibility of using an ML system to analyze lower extremity kinematics. However, no research examined ML systems’ estimation of the lower extremity joint moments and powers. Objectives: This study primarily aimed to compare lower extremity joint moments and powers estimated by marker-based (MB) and ML motion capture systems during treadmill running. The secondary purpose was to investigate if movement’s speed would affect the ML’s performance. Methods: Sixteen volunteers ran on a treadmill for 120 s for each trial at the speed of …

The Impact Of Controlling Language And Source Similarity On Psychological Reactance, Caroline Yarbrough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persuasive health messages are frequently advertised throughout the pandemic to decrease the spread of COVID-19 while increasing the likelihood of immunity. However, research demonstrates that persuasive health messages may be ineffective because they have the potential to elicit psychological reactance. Reactance is characterized by a state of unpleasant motivational arousal and often occurs when individuals experience or perceive threats to their freedom, and it can be evoked through controlling language (Frey et al., 2021; Grandpre et al., 2003). Additionally, research has shown that similarity is associated with liking (Cialdini & Trost 1998) and people are often more inclined to comply …

Supports And Services To Improve Academic Success Of High School Student Athletes, Samuel G. Nichols

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether supports and services offered in various study hall programs (Traditional, Objective Based, and/or Objective Based +) at the high school level to help student athletes be academically successful in terms of achieving a minimum GPA of 2.0 or above. Basketball programs were used for this study because it is a major sport in the school district in which the data were collected. Data were sought via questionnaires of chosen participants via convenience sampling from eight eligible high school athletic directors in one school district in Georgia. This study called for the …

Emergency Preparedness And Response: Examining Rural Hospitals (Rhs) Communication Systems Before, During, And After A Natural Disaster, Geremy D. Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rural Hospitals (RHs) have distinctive characteristics that constitute unparalleled challenges. One of those challenges is the ability to communicate effectively in a disaster, impacting the various effects on the affected society. Research has shown that effective emergency preparedness and response (EPR) communication is paramount when communicating informed details about emergent events. Despite the evolving complexities of communication and the technology associated with disaster communication, very few studies have successfully investigated RHs communication systems before, during, and after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to examine and assess RHs communication systems and to highlight the strengths, identify …

Sheprep: Examining The Influence Of The Messaging And The Messenger Associated With Prep Uptake Among African American Women, Christian C. Spears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American Women (AAW) make up less than 15% of the female population in the United States but account for over 50% of new HIV diagnoses among females. This largely preventable health disparity can be mitigated by advocating and prescribing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive HIV medication, to persons at risk. Despite advances in medication options, there are less than 13% of Black people who could benefit from having been prescribed PrEP, and limited research and promotion on the effectiveness of PrEP for AAW. The “ShePrEP Study” aimed to assess awareness, perceptions, and receptivity toward PrEP among AAW. This study …