Preventive Medicine Commons^™

The Ratio Of Positive To Negative Affect, Flourishing, And Health Behavior, Michael Stuart Leibow

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The ratio between positive and negative affect, known as the positivity ratio (PR) is thought to be associated with flourishing (psychological and social well-being). However, little research has been done on how PR and flourishing relate to specific health behaviors. The relationships between PR and flourishing with health behavior i.e., physical activity, and diet (fruit, leafy green vegetables [LGV] and meat intake) were investigated in this study. We examined whether PR mediated the relationship between flourishing and health behaviors, and whether flourishing mediated the relationship between PR and these behaviors. Gender and ethnic differences for the above associations were examined …

Racial Differences In Preventive And Complementary Health Behaviors And Attitudes, Steven E. Shive, Grace X. Ma, Yin Tan, Jamil I. Toubbeh, Lalitha Parameswaran, Lalitha Parameswaran, Joe Halowich

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Screening tests have been developed for many diseases—the presence of cancer, especially—but are differentially utilized among racial/ethnic groups. In addition to standard medical screening techniques, some patients opt to use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for prevention and treatment. The purpose of the current study is to examine racial/ethnic disparities in primary and secondary preventive health behaviors, determine differences in use of complementary and alternative health regimens, and determine which health attitudes and health self-management factors are associated with use of complementary alternative medicine. If differences among ethnic/racial groups in perceived health status, preventive health care behaviors, and use of …

Sick With Fear: Popular Challenges To Scientific Authority In The Vaccine Controversies Of The 21st Century, Ellen Watkins

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

In the 20th century, vaccines were heralded as one of the greatest medical inventions in history. In the late 1990’s, however, the myth of vaccine-caused autism caught fire. Despite mountains of evidence disproving the link, panicking Americans eschewed vaccines and turned against their physicians. Why did Americans turn their backs on doctors, scientists, and the health industry? This paper follows the vaccine controversy of the last thirty years, looking in particular at the relationship between science and the media. This paper analyzes the contrast between discussion of the hypothesized link in scientific circles and in popular news sources, seeking to …

The Association Of Religious Coping On Reports Of Low Back Pain And Inflammatory Markers, Jacqueline D. Bougie

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability in the United States with depression, anxiety, and stress often occurring co-morbidly. The purpose of the study was to explore how religion may modulate the frequency of back pain, influence inflammatory markers, influence the use of medications, and impact functional ability.

Participants were from the Biological Manifestations of Religion Study (BioMRS; N= 508) and the Psychological Manifestations of Religion Study (PsyMRS; N = 10,988). All participants completed a 20-page questionnaire and BioMRS participants provided blood, salivary, and urine samples, performance tests, and learning tests all collected within 1 week of …

Relationship Of Vitamin D Levels To Blood Pressure In A Biethnic Cohort, Rosario O. Sakamoto

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Serum hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has been well-accepted as not an ordinary vitamin but a pro-hormone that has many benefits beyond its well-known effects on bone. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension remain a huge health burden and Blacks have been recognized to have higher prevalence of hypertension compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Despite increasing evidence of the benefits of vitamin D on blood pressure control, there is much more to be learned about the relationship of serum 25(OH)D to blood pressure among different ethnicities.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine whether vitamin D serum 25(OH)D levels were …

Vaccines Controversy, Jackelin Ruiz, Keith Wellman

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Our research was conducted on a Vaccine controversy which raised the question on ethics, morality, safety and effectiveness of vaccination on children. The case study we focused on was about a study done by Dr. Andrew Wakefield and twelve other Colleagues, which was published in a well know journal The Lancet. The study has recently been retracted because an investigation found that he failed to mention that his research of the MMR vaccine was funded through solicitors seeking evidence to use against vaccine manufactures (Deer, Brian). To conclude our research we compared the current vaccination rates with the rates …

Preventive Care Utilization Among Black Women : Perceived Beliefs, Benefits And Barriers To Mammography Screening, Rowandalla Y. Dunbar

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Blacks, in comparison to other racial or ethnic groups, suffer higher rates of illness and death from many preventable or treatable diseases. Despite the significantly higher rates of mortality and disease, Blacks are least likely to utilize clinical preventive care services. Black women, who are more likely to have advanced breast cancer at time of diagnosis (Chu, Lamar, & Freeman, 2003) are least likely to seek mammography screening (National Health Interview Study, 2000). Allen, Bastani, Bazargan and Leonard (2002) examined predictors of mammography screening among women 40 years old and older residing in the South Central area of Los Angeles, …

Using The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 In Obesity Treatment, Adam L. Arechiga

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ-45) can be used in the treatment of obesity to predict participant dropout and initial treatment success, in terms of weight loss (Lambert et. al, 2002a). The OQ-45 has been used with success to predict dropout from psychotherapy in clinical populations. It was hypothesized that higher pretreatment OQ-45 scores would be associated with less program completion and less weight loss by the end of treatment.

Method: The study employed a non-experimental time series design. Seventy-eight participants were recruited from the three local obesity treatment programs, which …

Psychological Stress And High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Levels In Overweight And Obese Men, Olivia L. Moses

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background and Purpose. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a measure of inflammatory response, is now considered an independent marker for coronary heart disease. Psychological stress also affects the immune system and influences the inflammatory response. Ladwig, et al (2003) found a significant positive association between hs-CRP levels and depression (F=4.9, p^.008) in 726 obese males, even after adjusting for smoking, high blood pressure and age. This study investigated if there was a similar association between increased hs-CRP levels and psychological stress in overweight and obese males.

Method. Sixty-one overweight (n=28) or obese (n= 33) males, ages 20-35, were recmited …

Predictors Of Intention To Use Contraception, Given Alcohol Consumption, Among Women In Southeast Alaska, Donna Louise Hebbeler

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fetal alcohol exposure is a serious public health problem and is 100% preventable. Traditionally, FASD prevention programs and research recommendations have targeted peri-conceptual or pregnant women. Another approach to the prevention of FASD involves preventing pregnancy in women who use alcohol. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to identify factors that predicted women’s intention to use contraception using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), to determine if predictors of the theoretical constructs varied in women depending on alcohol use, and to examine interactions between alcohol use and TPB constructs. Qualitative data was gathered to triangulate with the quantitative …

The Application Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Change To Self-Care Behaviors In Type 2 Diabetics, Heather N. Mercer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. The Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) has been investigated as a model of health behavior change; however, it has only begun to gain recognition in the diabetic population, and has not yet been investigated as it relates to the full-spectrum of diabetes self-care behaviors.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of stages of change across four self-care behaviors between intervention and control groups, and examine psychosocial and health outcome variables.

Method. In a cross-sectional design, a sample of 132 adult subjects with type 2 diabetes completed surveys. The survey assessed stages of change among …

The Relationship Of Health Beliefs And Health Value In Cardiovascular Outcomes, Kimberley Schaub

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite extensive theoretical information regarding Schwarzer's Health Action Process Approach the utility of the model pas yet to be explored within a chronic illness population. Using Schwarzer's Health Action Process Approach (Schwarzer, 1992), the purpose of this study was to investigate cardiovascular outcomes based on health beliefs and health value. Participants were eighty-one adults ages 42-87 with cardiovascular disease recruited from a cardiac rehabilitation program in Central Indiana. Participants completed instruments that assessed (a) health beliefs, (b) health value and, (c), quality of life. Measurements of physiological outcome (resting heart rate, distance walked, and metabolic equivalent) were also obtained. A …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Age-Appropriate Immunizations Of Infants In Norfolk, Virginia, Hoda Youssef Atta

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study represents an investigation of psychosocial factors affecting age-appropriate immunizations of infants in Norfolk, Virginia. A household survey was conducted in Norfolk, Virginia, from 4/93-8/93, to assess immunization coverage of children 12-30 months of age. This survey included a total of 389 children in the target age range. A subset of 201 mothers were randomly selected and reinterviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes and the relationships of these factors to age-appropriate immunizations at 12 months of age. Sixty-two percent of children were not age-appropriately immunized at 12 months of age. Almost all mothers (99%) considered vaccines to be …

The Effect Of The Cooper Wellness Program In Promoting Long- Term Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Ernesto P. S. Medina Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Most research on health behavior change programs examines their effectiveness in producing initial behavior changes, but fails to evaluate long-term maintenance of those changes. This study examined the effectiveness of the Cooper Wellness Program (CWP) in Dallas, Texas, in promoting maintenance of lifestyle behavior changes for one year or longer in the areas of diet, exercise, and stress management.

The CWP offers an intensive live-in lifestyle behavior modification program in four-, seven-, or 13-day formats. Data were collected from 223 individuals who attended the CWP between January, 1989, to February, 1992. The study addressed the following areas: 1) long-term maintenance …