Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Increased Caregiver Involvement In Pediatric Home Health, Madeline L. Keheley, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This pediatric home health capstone project aims to enhance caregiver implementation of home exercise programs for children. By providing tailored training, resources, and support, the project seeks to improve caregivers' confidence and competence in guiding children through prescribed exercises. Through structured education, clear communication strategies, and ongoing feedback, the initiative strives to promote better adherence to the exercise regimen, ultimately improving the child's health outcomes and quality of life.

Early Intervention Pediatric Adaptive Sports Program, Emily Horsley, Cassandra M. Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This doctoral capstone focused on developing a community-based program to improve access to pediatric adaptive sports for children with physical disabilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. A needs assessment of families, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists revealed significant gaps in awareness and accessibility of entry-level adaptive sports programs. In response, a multi-component program was developed, including a centralized resource website (DFWAdaptiveSports.com), an educational outreach initiative for families and providers, and a six-week introductory adaptive sports curriculum. Guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model, the program aims to increase participation, promote social and motor development, and reduce barriers to community-based recreation …

Daily Routine Redesign To Optimize Occupational Performance For Individuals With Cancer During And Post-Treatment, Summer M. Mazade, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Cancer and cancer treatment impacts individual's ability to participate in daily activities due to the symptoms or side effects that they experience. With advancements in cancer screenings and treatments, there is a growing population of those living with long term side effects that lower their quality of life. A program was developed to redesign cancer survivors' daily routine based on their symptoms and priorities to increase occupational performance in activities of daily living. The program showed a positive impact on the lives of cancer survivors' daily lives.

Adolescents Undergoing Back Surgery & Caregiver Support Needed Before & After Surgery, Kayla R. Jaacks, Mary Jan Greer, Lee Ann Hoffman

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adolescents with spinal conditions such as scoliosis, kyphosis, or fractures may require surgical intervention, with spinal fusion being the most common procedure. While these surgeries can significantly improve outcomes, parents and caregivers often feel unprepared for the responsibilities and emotional demands that follow. This lack of knowledge and support can lead to caregiver stress, feelings of isolation, and unmet self-care needs, highlighting the urgent need for better education and resources.

Balanced Bliss: Promoting Leisure Participation In A Daytime Homeless Shelter, Timarie Delony, Shelby Osborne, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Opportunities to engage in leisure activities are limited for individuals experiencing homelessness who attend daytime homeless shelters (Palimaru et al., 2023). The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement a leisure participation program for homeless individuals attending daytime shelters, addressing the gap in leisure exploration and participation. The program was structured around an 8-week timeframe, with weekly thematic focuses on physical, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, financial, and occupational wellness.

The program consisted of one-hour sessions, four times a week, incorporating 32 structured activities designed to encourage engagement in diverse leisure pursuits. To support ongoing wellness, weekly …

Simulated Adventures: Occupational Therapy's Role In Outdoor Participation, Erica Martinez, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Access to outdoor leisure activities remains limited for individuals with disabilities due to barriers such as transportation challenges, functional limitations, and social/psychological constraints. These limitations significantly reduce opportunities for participation in outdoor recreation, which has been proven to enhance the overall quality of life. This capstone program aims to address these challenges by supporting the special abilities community in developing transferable skills necessary for meaningful engagement in outdoor activities. The program emphasizes emotional regulation, social participation, health promotion, and safety education while enhancing the quality of life. Through this program, participants develop essential skills for engaging in outdoor activities by …

Aquatic Therapy In Neurorehabilitation, Alexis Poe, Rebecca King, Caitlin Boyd

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Healthcare workers and their patients have seen the benefits of aquatic therapy (AT), but education is lacking (Marinho-Buzelli, 2023). Research suggests that AT can improve fatigue and balance for people with an acquired brain injury (Bhatnagar et al., 2019). These findings highlight the need to enhance occupational therapy (OT) education and implementation of AT in clinical practice.

A Comprehensive Diabetes Symptom Management Program For Independent Living Facilities, Brooke A. Foster, Mary Jan Greer

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project aimed to support older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) and pre-diabetes in independent living facilities through a comprehensive symptom management program. Implemented at Coastal Heights Senior Living in Costa Mesa, California, the program focused on improving overall education and self-management of DM symptoms, emphasizing foot care, physical activity, and nutrition. Using a client-centered approach and the Person-Occupation-Environment-Performance model, participants engaged in group and individual sessions over an eight-week period. Outcomes showed an increased understanding of DM, improved self-care behaviors, and enhanced ability to manage symptoms independently, supporting aging in place and promoting overall wellness.

Sleep Program For Individuals With Sleep Issues In A Counseling Center, Adrian Flye, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Sleep is essential for rest, restoration, and the ability to perform everyday occupations. Sleep provides numerous health benefits when an individual receives adequate sleep. Unfortunately, many individuals sleep poorly due to work demands, childcare responsibilities, and health-related issues. An inconsistency in sleep can negatively impact an individual’s physical and mental health and overall quality of life. The purpose of this project was to develop a sleep program that provides a counseling center with strategies to help improve sleep quality in individuals with sleep issues.

An Occupational Therapy Based Guidebook For Young Adults Transitioning Into Adulthood With Sickle Cell And Renal Medullary Carcinoma, Alexcia Frelix, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster displays the key points within my capstone project of creating an occupational therapy-based guidebook for young adults with sickle cell anemia, and renal medullary carcinoma.

Preventing The Strain: An Educational Program To Address Upper Extremity Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders In The Beauty Industry, Stacy Bello, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The program aims to enhance the safety and health of beauty professionals by addressing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD). The educational program seeks to reduce injuries in the beauty industry by teaching ergonomic practices and joint protection strategies, which include the development of seminars targeted at cosmetology and esthetics students, as well as working professionals, with a strong emphasis on understanding body mechanics and ergonomic principles. Feedback from beauty professionals highlighted common WRMSD conditions and the critical need for preventative education and advocacy for care. The educational program strives to create a safer working environment that benefits beauty service providers throughout …

Educational Development Program For Caregivers Of Acquired Brain Injury, Kaylan Griffin, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Acquired brain injury (ABI) disrupts normal brain function and often requires caregivers to assist with daily tasks. One-third of ABI caregivers experience burnout and psychological distress within a year of the injury, primarily due to decreased confidence, education, and social support. This burnout can significantly affect caregivers' emotional, social, financial, physical, and spiritual well-being. The purpose of the proposed capstone is to aid in preventing caregiver burnout and burden by empowering caregivers through education.

Safe Lift System: In-Bed Repositioning Assistive Device, Mariah Sparkman, Cassandra Nelson, Lee Ann Hoffman

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Bedridden patients require frequent repositioning toward the head of the bed. The current Safe Lift System prototype was revised and surveyed to address the gap in effective methods for in-bed repositioning of this patient population and to improve its efficacy in meeting the needs of bedridden patients, caregivers, and healthcare staff members.

An Ot Program For Amputation Individuals And Their Caregiver, Ashley Hradecky, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Amputation individuals and their caregivers currently lack sufficient education regarding residual limb management, limb positioning, mental health, and phantom limb pain. These gaps in health management skills ultimately result in relationship strains, technology abandonment, and decreased independence. The goal was to develop and implement an educational program for new amputation individuals and their caregivers targeting these topics. Six pairs successfully completed this four-week program, with each pair responding to pre and post surveys. Interventions included lower extremity positioning, prosthetic care management, residual limb management, mirror therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and tactile point discrimination. When comparing the pre and post …

Poderosas: A Program To Meet The Occupational Needs Of Latina Women, Alana Govea, Mary Jan Greer, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Many women who have immigrated from Mexico and other Latin American countries and who have experienced some form of sexual trauma, sexual violence, sexual abuse, or sex trafficking have unmet occupational needs as they adjust to their lives in the United States. Limited research and resources are available to address these needs. A culturally sensitive program was curated to identify and meet the occupational needs of these women. Three themes that encompassed their primary occupational needs included the need for social participation and connection, the need for emotional and mental health promotion and maintenance, and the need for security and …

Organization Change Process Initiative Recurrent Emergency Room Visits By Mental Health And Substance Use Patients, Julie Marie Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rising rates of patients diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD) signify a critical national crisis, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This increase has reduced access to essential resources and treatment options, resulting in overcrowded emergency rooms (ER) and extended wait times. Addressing these issues is vital for nursing practice, as they significantly influence patient care and health outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations. This doctoral project explores whether an organizational change designed to raise awareness of updated community resources impacts MHSUD patient visits to the …

Heredity, Chris Burley, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Heredity is the sum of biological processes that result in the transmission of genetic traits from parents to their offspring, making each individual unique. Through the transmission of genetic traits, heredity is responsible for each individual’s genotype, as well as his or her phenotype. The genes that are passed down from generation to generation have a considerable influence on psychological characteristics including intelligence, personality, mental health, and patterns of behavior. However, when considering psychological characteristics passed down through heredity, it is vital that environmental aspects are also considered.

The Conservative Approach To Informed Consent: The Evidentiary Model And An Antidote To The Problem Of Framing Effects In Medical Decision-Making, James D. Polk

Honors Theses

Since the latter part of the 20th century, there has been a gradual but significant shift of the doctor-patient relation from paternalism to a more patient-centric approach. As such, informed consent – the legal and moral requirement that a physician fully disclose relevant details to their patient and gain their consent – is a central doctrine to patient-centric care. Gone are the days of the doctor governing the patient: the patient is now considered a valuable and important decision-maker. Achieving informed consent is the foundation of patient centric medicine. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that philosophical consideration be …

Lateral Flow Immunoassay Test Strips And Vibrational Spectroscopy For Mobile Detection Of Fentanyl, Sophia Rau

D.U.Quark

There is an increasing number of opioid-related crime scenes, resulting in more evidence that must be tested in a forensic laboratory. New fentanyl analogs are constantly being created, posing significant challenges for drug identification. This increase in drug-related crime and new substances cannot be effectively managed using current forensic technologies. There is a need for on-scene substance testing of unknown substances to improve the speed of testing of collected evidence and for the safety of responders. This review evaluates the impacts of fentanyl test strips, infrared absorption spectrometers, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectrometers as portable forensic instruments. The development and …

Reducing Antibiotic Duration For Pneumonia And Sinusitis In The Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Approach, Joshua Saucedo, Leslie Hueschen, Amanda Nedved, Marsha Dannenburg, Patricia Phillips, Jennifer Floyd, Alaina N. Burns, Rana El Feghaly

Presentations

Background: Limiting antibiotic duration is one of the pillars of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) as it reduces unnecessary antibiotic exposure. In our emergency department (ED), >90% of respiratory infections are treated with first-line guideline-recommended antibiotics; however, duration continues to be prolonged especially for community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS). Institutional guidance recommends shortening antibiotic durations to 3-5 days for CAP and 5-7 days for ABRS, however only 13% of discharged ED patients receive the recommended duration. Objective: Our aim is to increase the percentage of children discharged home from the ED with a diagnosis of CAP or …

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura In Pediatric Patients, Niki Shrestha, Robert W. Maitta

Faculty Scholarship

Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura is a serious disease that can involve complex symptomatology, prolonged hospitalization, and a high risk of mortality if treatment is delayed. This disease is rare, but it is even rarer among pediatric patients. Even though it was first described 100 years ago, the earliest documented case was a pediatric patient. The last three decades have seen the discovery of the pathological mechanisms responsible for its clinical presentation. Symptoms/signs characteristic of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with significant thrombocytopenia characterize the vast majority of patients. Its pathology centers on the accumulation of ultra-large von Willebrand factor multimers due to an …

Studies To Understand The Stability And Liabilities Of Legumain-Cleavable Antibody-Drug Conjugates, Michele Yi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) offer targeted drug delivery of potent cytotoxic payloads, minimizing systemic toxicity. However, the stability of the linker is integral to ensure that there is minimal off-target payload release and little systemic toxicity. This study analyzes the physical and biological stability of our new legumain-cleavable vs traditional cathepsin-cleavable antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), with a focus on hydrophobicity, thermal stability, aggregation, and biological payload release. Our findings indicate that decreased hydrophobicity of the legumain-cleavable ADCs compared to cathepsin-cleavable ADCs is correlated with decreased aggregation (predicting lower uptake by liver macrophages and therefore slower clearance and less systemic toxicity) and lower …

Comparing Out-Of-Pocket Costs And Health-Related Quality Of Life Between Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors And Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Sisi Hu, Preeti P. Zanwar, Tara Jenkins, Rajkumar J. Sevak, Bhaskara R. Jasti

Pacific Faculty Work

Purpose: To compare the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2 inhibitor), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), with or without metformin, on out of pocket and total prescription expenditure and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients and Methods: This observational study utilized 2017– 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from patients with T2DM (≥ 18 years) on SGLT2 inhibitor, GLP-1 RA, with or without metformin, from payer and self-perspective. HRQoL was assessed using physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores based on Veterans Rand 12. This study estimated survey-weighed …

Distinct Adipose Progenitor Cells Emerging With Age Drive Active Adipogenesis, Guan Wang, Gaoyan Li, Anying Song, Yutian Zhao, Jiayu Yu, Yifan Wang, Wenting Dai, Martha Salas, Hanjun Qin, Leonard Medrano, Joan Dow, Aimin Li, Brian Armstrong, Patrick T Fueger, Hua Yu, Yi Zhu, Mengle Shao, Xiwei Wu, Lei Jiang, Judith Campisi, Xia Yang, Qiong A Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Starting at middle age, adults often suffer from visceral adiposity and associated adverse metabolic disorders. Lineage tracing in mice revealed that adipose progenitor cells (APCs) in visceral fat undergo extensive adipogenesis during middle age. Thus, despite the low turnover rate of adipocytes in young adults, adipogenesis is unlocked during middle age. Transplantations quantitatively showed that APCs in middle-aged mice exhibited high adipogenic capacity cell-autonomously. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified a distinct APC population, the committed preadipocyte, age-enriched (CP-A), emerging at this age. CP-As demonstrated elevated proliferation and adipogenesis activity. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations indicated that leukemia inhibitory factor receptor signaling was …

Relation Of Persistent Organic Pollutant Exposure With Autism, Gender, Age, And Body Mass Index, Tekle Mitiku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately one third (37%) of children in the United States are impaired with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) resulting in intellectual disability, and about 1 in 6 children in the United States has one or more developmental disabilities. The economic burden of ASD is estimated to be over $40 billion lost per year. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of polybrominated diphenyl ether derivatives (PBDEs) with ASD, age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). The conceptual framework of the study was based on the physiologically based pharmacokinetic theory that the body burden of PBDEs’ free radicals may …

The Analysis Of Reference Standard Storage Failures Through The Use Of Ibuprofen, Hope Vonder Brink

Honors Projects

Reference standards are commonly used in drug chemistry. They are used to calibrate the instruments and serve as a known point of reference for analysts’ ability to compare unknowns. Drugs can degrade over time or through environmental factors, causing contaminants to be present. In the event of environmental degradation while in storage, such as the exposure to high heat, it would be beneficial to have a database of known breakdown products in common drug reference standards for analysts’ reference. Using ibuprofen as an exemplar drug, this study attempted to identify the thermal breakdown products of ibuprofen and introduce the proposed …

Factors Associated With Quality Of Intrapartum Care In Kenya: A Complex Samples Analysis Of The 2022 Kenya Demographic And Health Survey, Lilian Nuwabaine, Earnest Amwiine, Quraish Sserwanja, Joseph Kawuki, Mathius Amperiize, Angella Namulema, Ahmed Sarki, John Baptist Asiimwe

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background

The provision of quality intrapartum care increases women’s utilization of skilled birth attendants in health facilities and improves maternal and newborn health. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the quality of intrapartum care using the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS).

Methods

Secondary data from the 2022 KDHS of 11,863 participants, who were selected by multistage stratified sampling, was used. Based on literature and the availability of indicators within the 2022 KDHS, the quality of intrapartum care was operationalized as receiving all the three clinical components of intrapartum care including a mother having a facility-based …

Correction: A Mapping Review And Critique Of The Literature On Translation, Dissemination, And Implementation Capacity Building Initiatives For Different Audiences, Ana A Baumann, Danielle R Adams, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Rachel G Tabak, Sara Malone, Maura M Kepper, Anita D Misra-Hebert, Kathleen R Stevens, Maria E Fernandez, Sunil Kripalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This corrects the article "A mapping review and critique of the literature on translation, dissemination, and implementation capacity building initiatives for different audiences", 34.

Metabolic Theories Of Aging, Chris Burley, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Metabolic theories of aging postulate that aging is due to energy expenditure, which ultimately results in the breakdown and eventual death of cells. Historically, within the realm of metabolic theories of aging, there have been three models: The Rate-of-Living theory, The Oxidative Damage/Free Radical theory, and the Metabolic Stability theory. All three theories maintain that aging is directly related to metabolic rate, but the theories differ in how they arrive at that conclusion.

Content Analysis Of Food Items In Youtube Videos Viewed By Children, Julie M. Zaituna, Tiffany Munzer, Sarah Morris, Jane Harness, Megan H. Pesch

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Children have historically been a target of the food advertising industry because their preferences for certain foods are known to be shaped by food portrayals in digital media. In the most popular YouTube videos with child influencers, 90% featured ultra-processed and branded food products. Given the algorithmic specificity in YouTube, some children may be differentially exposed to more ultra-processed or branded food content; however, no studies have examined YouTube video characteristics or family characteristics associated with such food content.

Objective: To examine YouTube video characteristics and child and caregiver characteristics associated with greater exposures to ultra-processed or branded food …