Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Government Food Assistance Programs: A Nutritional Perspective, Marlee Harris

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Food security remains a problem in the United States. Historically, the government began to distribute excess agricultural goods to those in nutritional need. Efforts to provide food to people in need continue today through the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Nutrition status of participants in these programs demonstrates the nutritional effectiveness of these programs. These programs provide needed benefits and are making positive changes in food security, but improvements can be made to fully improve the nutrition status of these low-income participants. Nutrition professionals can be key in improving …

The National School Lunch Program: History Of The Past, Challenges Of The Present, Solutions For The Future, Hilary Annie Smith

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was initially designed to provide nutritious meals to hungry schoolchildren. Over time, it seems as though this focus has shifted to serving as a source of proper nutrition in a society of over-fed yet undernourished children. The stated purpose of the NSLP is to "safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food." Currently, there are many challenges that the National School Lunch Program faces in meeting its goal of promoting healthful lifestyle practices among school-aged children. Three main challenges include …

Motivation And The Dietitian: Dietitians Must Increase Their Efforts To Motivate And Bring About Long-Term Success In Their Clients, Cory Ann Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of a dietitian's job is motivating clients to make necessary changes in their lives to benefit their health. Although most people are capable of enduring short-term attempts at healthy living, a lifetime of appropriate dietary habits is difficult for virtually everyone. One of the greatest challenges of long-term success is a lack of motivation. This signifies that it is not skills or knowledge that people lack in general. Therefore, dietitians must focus part of their efforts on motivation rather than simply teaching people what they need to do. Methods that have been found to be …

Nutritional Concerns In Pediatric Renal Disease, Rachael Firmage

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Chronic kidney disease is a growing area of nutritional concern as the number of diagnosed cases increases. Children suffering from these renal diseases require special attention and medical nutrition therapy because of concerns and problems unique to this renal population. Uncontrolled kidney failure in pediatric patients can result in a number of consequences, such as growth retardation, anemia, metabolic imbalances, renal osteodystrophy, anorexia, and malnutrition. With the proper guidance, medical interventions, and dietary prescriptions, these untimely side effects can be reduced or avoided all together.

Health Promoting Aspects Of The Mediterranean Diet, Devrie Fielding

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the 1960's information regarding the diet of the Mediterranean Regions was publicized as a healthful way of eating. Information was obtained from the Seven Countries Study conducted by Ancel Keys. This study revealed that residents of these regions had a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and increased longevity. Such health benefits were connected with low intakes of saturated fat. However, several other studies since then have found the Mediterranean dietary patterns to be more than cardioprotective. A decreased risk of cancer, reduced morbidity and mortality, and a decreased risk of several other diseases are also attributed to the …

Diet And Nutritional Concerns Of Hispanic Americans, Valerie Rawlinson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Hispanic Americans are the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States today, at 12.5% of the total U.S. population. They face considerable nutrition-related challenges, of which dietitians and other nutrition professionals who serve this population need to be aware. Their diet goes through drastic, rapid changes soon after immigration to the United States, many of which have a strong negative impact on their health, putting them at greater risk for obesity and chronic diseases than the general population. In addition to diet and disease, Hispanic Americans face other issues that hinder their ability to benefit from nutritional counseling, …

Refeeding Practices Of Malnourished Children, Marcianne Wittwer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Over 200 million children in developing countries under the age of five are malnourished. Malnutrition contributes to more than half of the nearly 12 million under-five deaths in developing countries each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines malnutrition as "the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions." Because of the high demand for energy and essential nutrients, infants and children are at a particular risk for under-nutrition. Malnutrition is a condition that needs to be taken seriously and with proper treatment can save the …

Body Image Among Elementary-Aged Children: Development, Implications, And Interventions, Mindy Beth Probst

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Body image is the mental image or conception that one has of one's body. Its development is effected by an individual's life experiences beginning at birth. Statistics show that close to half of elementary-aged children are already dissatisfied with their bodies and have begun to develop negative body images. Review of the current literature suggests that family, peers, cultural values and the media, and changes in physical appearance related to adiposity rebound and puberty are the major causes of this unfortunate situation. Research is also showing that children are participating in unhealthy diet and exercise practices as a result of …

The National School Lunch Program, Elizabeth Strasser

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The National School Lunch (NSLP) Program is a federally assisted meal program that began in 1946 and is designed to provide nutritionally balanced lunches to children. The program started slowly in 1853, in a few school districts around the United States. The efforts spread throughout different cities, and organizations were set in place to serve meals to children in schools under the supervision of the school boards.

The American Dietetic Association believes that all children and adolescents should have access to food and nutrition programs that ensure adequate food supply that promotes optimal physical. and social growth and development.

School …

Maximum Repetition Rates In Children At-Risk For Dyslexia, Amy L. Baxter

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

My senior thesis has focused on current research exploring precursor communication skills being conducted by Dr. Ben Massen at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. To that end, I worked in an acoustics lab analyzing Maximum Repetition Rates (MRR), also known as diadochokinetic rates, DDKs, in young children's speech development. This four year funded research project began in 2004.

In this paper I will provide an overview of the underlying theoretical considerations guiding the study and then describe my particular contribution to the effort, completed during Fall semester 2005 while I was a foreign exchange student.

Nutritional Perspective Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Jessianna Rose

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, incurable, autoimmune disease that affects as many as two million persons in the United States. Current nutritional guidelines are very basic and revolve around specifics of the treatment of symptoms as seen with drug-nutrient interactions. Although current opinion does not directly see the onset of this disease linked to dietary factors, recent research may indicate that there is a link to a possible deficiency of pantothenic acid. This is not a widely accepted theory, but has some very unique observations which shed a new and interesting light on possible interventions through nutrition.

Regulation Of Cardiac Fibroblast Metalloprotease Secretion, Glen De Guzman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes secreted by cardiac fibroblasts. Altered expression of MMPs plays an important role in congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases^1,2. Emerging evidence has led us to consider the role of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PtdIns 4-kinase) in regulating MMP secretion in cardiac fibroblast cells^3-7. PtdIns 4-kinase is a lipid kinase involved in various cellular processes including protein secretion. This project was designed to test the hypothesis that PtdIns 4-kinase controls MMP secretion. Techniques such as cardiac cell culture, transfection, and in-gel zymography were used for this experiment. Results demonstrated that PtdIns 4-kinase …

Cultural Identity Of Labor And Delivery Nurses In The Assessment Of Pregnant Patients For Interpersonal Violence, Ramona Nichols Smith

Master's Projects

Objective: Identification of barriers to assessment of interpersonal violence (IPV) in pregnant women. Design: An exploratory descriptive study Setting: The labor and delivery department of a public county hospital Participants: 34 nurses, representing 8 cultures and 13 native languages, completed the survey, and 34 laboring patient's medical records were reviewed. Main Outcome Measures: Any specific barriers, identified by nurses, to assessing for IPV in laboring patients Results: Medical record review revealed 50% assessment rate in labor triage patients. Survey results revealed that cultural identity (85 %) was not a significant barrier. Approximately 65% of nurses agreed that in their culture …

Evidenced Based Practice Considerations Regarding Rural Health And Access To Care, Amy S. Benjamin

MSN Research Projects

While the United States (U.S.) healthcare system has been extremely successful, concerns remain about access to care for a large segment of the population (Rivers, 2003). Availability o f health care to rural areas is limited, leaving a large portion of the American population with limited access to care. According to the data of the U.S. Census Bureau collected in 2001 27% of the United States population was considered rural. Rural, as defined by the Census Bureau, is a town of less than 2,500 residents’ (Schmidt, 2005). Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can offer increased accessibility to local care by addressing primary …

Characteristics Of Human Figure Drawings Created By Students With Learning Disabilities, Monika L. Isip

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Previous research concerning the artistic indicators of learning disabilities has yielded inconsistent results. Children with learning disabilities comprise a heterogeneous population, with diverse strengths and challenges. There has been a lack of research on the graphic indicators of learning disabilities, which takes this diversity into account. This study aimed at exploring the characteristics of Human Figure Drawings (HFDs) created by students with learning disabilities.

The study examined the HFDs of 2 Virginia Beach Public School 2nd graders who were identified by their parents as having learning disabilities; one child’s disability was described as being a decoding deficit and the other …

Art Therapy And Sensory Stimulation To Decrease Agitation: A Pilot Study, Leslie Cristen Lavergne

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Dementia affects 1% of older adults in America between the ages of 65 and 74 years, and increases to 10% in those 85 years and older. The cognitive and behavioral symptoms of dementia may restrict an individuals ability to perform activities of daily living, such as self-care, memory, and language. The literature supports the premise that individuals who have dementia can benefit from a treatment approach that focuses on medication regulation, as well as mental stimulation. This study was an art therapy and sensory stimulation intervention designed to reduce agitation, a common non-cognitive symptom of dementia. This study included five …

The Healing Potential Of Art: A Psychobiographical Study Of Three Artists, Amy Reahard

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The statement that art in itself is healing may not always be true as demonstrated by the destructive, often short lives of many artists. This may appear to contradict the fundamental belief, held by many art therapists, that art is healing. Studying the fields of creativity and art history could help understand this apparent contradiction.

One way to combine the studies of creativity, the healing power of art, and art history is through the practice of psychobiography. The psychobiographer who studies the life of a prominent artist combines various psychological approaches with the literary records, art history, and visual evidence …

Professional Outcomes Of Eastern Virginia Medical School Art Therapy Graduates, Heather Tyng

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In 1982, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) awarded the first art therapy graduate with a Master’s Degree. Since then there have been 202 graduates through 2004.

The EVMS art therapy program has had no detailed or current information regarding the professional outcomes of its alumni. This lack of information created a need to survey EVMS art therapy graduates to determine how their careers have progressed to this point.

A survey was designed to investigate the professional outcomes of the EVMS art therapy alumni and to determine their opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of the EVMS art therapy curriculum. Of …

Stress Management Through Art-Making, Karina Schwarz

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Stress is a natural and necessary part of everyday existence; the symptoms related to stress are unavoidable and systemic (Frey, 2001). Acute and chronic stress can adversely affect individuals both physically and emotionally. The literature gives evidence that medical school students are not provided with the adequate tools needed to cope with stress. This study was an art-making intervention designed to decrease stress among medical students. There were 24 participants, 19 women and 5 men enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure their levels of …

The Effects Of Music On Art Making With Older Adults, Gertrude W. Goodwin

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

It is projected that by 2030, older adults will make up 69.4 million of the population in the United States (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). The basic physical, mental, and emotional needs of these older adults must be addressed to ensure an adequate quality of life. Quality of life refers to the degree needs are being met as well as the person’s perception and satisfaction with life. As the population ages there is an increased expectation for a higher quality of life because older adults are healthier, more active, and living longer. The therapeutic use of art and music …

Art Therapy With Adults With Autism, Kimberly Dennler

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Research regarding art therapy with adults with autism is limited. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of a specific art therapy intervention upon social interaction and communication of the adults with autism. The hypothesis was that by participating in this intervention, the participants’ communication and socialization would increase and their maladaptive behaviors would decrease. Over a series of nine sessions, the five participants from Bittersweet Farms were introduced to basic techniques for working with clay.

Results were based on qualitative analysis of data from staff surveys, through the use of pre and post questionnaires; observations made …

Color In Children’S Human Figure Drawings, Melanie Metelsky

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Color is an important part of our everyday lives and its use in art-based assessment is theorized to relate to aspects of emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. The Human Figure Drawing (HFD) is a highly utilized projective technique that is also theorized to be related to these areas of development. However, there is little research regarding the use of color in HFDs, particularly in respect to children’s drawings.

This study explored whether or not there is a relationship between children’s age and their use of color in the HFD. This is important to art therapists and other clinicians in …

Implications For Using Transpersonal Art Therapy With African Americans, Robin Coley Wooling

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Very little art therapy literature on racial and cultural themes exists. The purpose of this study was to expand on the literature that explores the use of art therapy with African Americans. The goal of this study was to determine if transpersonal art therapy would be an appropriate modality for working with African Americans.

Interaction with art materials, especially among adults, seems to be universal. Adults are initially nervous about their artistic abilities, but once at ease, are able to communicate their thoughts and feelings using the art media. In this study, the workshop participants’ reactions to using art materials …

Art Therapists’ Response To Countertransference: An Exploratory Study, Rachael Smith

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study explored five practicing art therapists’ common countertransferential reactions and the methods used to attend to their countertransference. Data was collected by recorded interviews, which were reviewed and transcribed using the note-and-quote method. The content was analyzed according to theoretical constructs of The Countertransference Questionnaire, Index of Countertransference Behaviors, and Racker (1968). Disengaged countertransferential reactions were reported most often, followed by special/overinvolved and helpless/inadequate. The researcher found art making a valuable tool for proper identification of countertransference. Themes of decreasing the intensity of countertransference and personal/professional development were motivations for attending to countertransference. This study suggests that identifying …

Perceptions Of Art Therapy As Portrayed Through The Media, Heidi Torres

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the perception of art therapy as portrayed through the media. Two studies were conducted with two facilitated via online surveys and one focus group. All participants were college students from Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University. A sample of 14 volunteers participated. It was hypothesized that adolescents from both groups would use art as an effective and desirable means of personal communication and expression.

Results are based on qualitative analysis of data from two questionnaires, pre and post, which included perceptions toward art therapy prior to viewing media sources and …

An Investigation Into The Coming-Out Experience For Families Of Homosexuals: Understanding Through Personal Artmaking And Dialogue, Micah Bennett

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

A review of the literature indicated the lack of art therapy research with homosexuals and their families. The need for research into the implications for the use of art processes and materials to assist in the coming-out process of families of self-disclosed homosexuals was established. A qualitative hermeneutic method of research was initially proposed to study this need. Volunteer participants who were parents or adult relatives of self-disclosed homosexuals would participate in an audio-videotaped workshop to include three art-making exercises intended to evoke expressions of the participants’ experiences of the coming-out process. Data would have consisted of the researcher’s written …

Exploring The Relationship Between U.K. Midwives And First-Time Mothers Receiving One-To-One Vs. Standard Midwifery Care During The Postnatal Period, Danielle Matthys

Honors Theses

Initially when researching how to best use the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom (U.K.) and integrate the exploration of midwifery practice into an honors thesis research project, many ideas emerged. One stood out in particular. As an American nursing student, only one form of U.S. midwifery practice had been observed; namely, where the expectant mother receives care from a multitude of practitioners. This care was observed both in a large tertiary center and smaller community hospitals. Unknown prior to researching the history of midwifery, however, a model of midwifery care called One-to-One began in 1993 in England (Page, …

Automated Grammatical Analysis Of Language Samples From Spanish-Speaking Children Learning English, Nicole Redd

Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that automated grammatical tagging is fast and accurate for both English and Spanish child language, but there has been no research done regarding its accuracy with bilingual children. The present study examined this topic using English and Spanish language samples taken from 254 children living in the United States. The subjects included school-aged children enrolled in public schools in the United States in grades 2, 3, or 5. The present study found high automated grammatical tagging accuracy scores for both English (M = 96.4%) and Spanish (M = 96.8%). The study suggests that automated grammatical analysis has …

Is Negative Thinking Related To Low Self-Esteem And Depression In Low-Income Single Mothers In Labette County, Kansas?, Linda L. Forbes

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive, cor-relational research study was to determine if negative thinking was related to low-self esteem and depression in low-income single mothers in Labette County, Kansas. Targeting the symptom of negative thinking, might break the link of low self-esteem with depressive symptoms in low-income single mothers. The results can be improved mental health of the mother and improved physical and mental health of her children (Peden, Rayens, Hall, & Bebe, 2000; Peden, Rayens, Hall, and Grant, 2004).

Data for this research study was collected from December, 2005 to February, 2006 from a convenience sample of 55 single …

Efficacy Of Therapeutic Listening Intervention On Auditory Processing/Attention In Children Ages 3-11, Casey James Pawell

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to determine the effect Therapeutic Listening® intervention has on auditory attention in children when used in conjunction with sensory integration therapy. Single subject experimentation took place with three participants over a ten week period of time. Pre-test and post-test results on standardized tests were compared as well as graphical representation of change during the intervention phase of this study to determine effect. Positive intervention results were concluded when graphical and test changes were compared. Therapeutic Listening® has noted positive change in auditory attention and completion of verbal tasks in children between the ages of 3 and …