Public Health Commons^™

Analyzing Regional Impact Of Caregiving On Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Adults, Myra Callis Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Historically, sparse research efforts have focused on informal caregiving as a possible risk factor for developing chronic illnesses across the United States. Identifying additional subgroups at higher risk of becoming obese could provide insights into where public health practitioners, the health care community, and policy makers can direct limited resources through a more targeted approach. The theoretical foundation for the current project was the social cognitive theory. In this secondary correlational analysis using the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data set, the relationship between …

How Cyber Activity Influences Depression And Anxiety In Teenagers, Mary Fridah Gatwiri Muiruri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Both depression and anxiety have been a focus of scholars since their rates have recently skyrocketed from 5.4 % in 2003 to 20 % currently among teenagers in the United States. Although numerous studies have assessed the association between playing video games and depression, few studies have examined how cyberbullying and screen time contribute to depressive symptoms in teenagers. The purpose of this study was to analyze cyberbullying and screen time on depression in teens. . The exploration of associations between the dependent variable, depression, and the independent variables, screen time, video gaming, and cyberbullying, were guided by Bandura’s social …

Nutrition Practices And Obesity Standards Among Obese, African American Women, Martina Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity in the United States has been labeled a national pandemic. Obesity occurs across all populations, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, or geographical region; however, it has disproportionately affected African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of African American women’s behaviors that are preventing them from conforming to nutrition and obesity standards of the body mass index (BMI) guidelines. The targeted population for this study was 10 obese or morbidly obese African American women, ages 30 to 45. The data were collected using telephone interviews due to the …

Contraceptive Use Among Northern Nigerian Women Ages 15 To 49 Years, Hadiza Balarabe Usman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractContraception remains the most effective modern way of controlling unwanted pregnancies among sexually active women. The purpose of this study was to investigate contraceptive use among northern Nigerian women ages 15 to 49 years. The study was anchored on social ecological model, which examined contraceptive use at the individual, interpersonal and community levels. Univariate, bivariate, Chi-square test of independence and logistics regression were conducted using secondary data from the Nigerian Demographic Health Survey 2018. 39,928 women, ages 15 to 49 years in the northwest region of Nigeria were sampled and only 6% used contraceptives. Results showed that a significant association …

Factors That Determine The Place Of Childbirth In Lagos State, Nigeria, Ohiemi Emmanuel Adegbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNigeria is among the 10 countries in the world with the worst maternal mortality. Though most of these deaths can be prevented using antenatal care (ANC) and having institutional deliveries, in Nigeria, ANC attendance and institutional delivery are suboptimal. Research is lacking on the reasons for the disparity between the use of antenatal services compared to deliveries at health centers. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between sociodemographic, obstetric, and health service factors and the place of delivery used by pregnant women in predominantly urban, cosmopolitan Lagos, Nigeria. Because both service delivery and demand factor categories …

Type 2 Diabetes And Pesticide Exposure Among U.S. Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers, Judith Faustin-Gabriel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHispanic migrant farmworkers provide indispensable services to the United States, yet they are low-paid, uninsured employees working in extremely hazardous conditions. Public health and other healthcare professionals have worked to address the impact of pesticide exposure in the Hispanic migrant population. Although pesticides have been associated with various chronic diseases, limited evidence and studies have established an association between pesticide exposure and Diabetes Type 2 (DT2) among Hispanic migrant farmworkers. Guided by fundamental causes theory, this study addressed whether there is a relationship between agricultural pesticide exposure and DT2 among Hispanic migrant farmworkers in the United States who participated in …

Sociodemographic And Obstetric Predictors Of Cesarean Section In Ghana, Nana Mireku-Gyimah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing cesarean section (CS) rate in Ghana has severe public health implications as it results in significant maternal and child morbidity and mortality. An assessment of the factors contributing to the increasing CS rate in different settings is imperative to guide the development of interventions. The purpose of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and obstetric predictors of CS in a major referral health facility in Accra, Ghana. This research was grounded in the systems thinking approach and involved the use of a case-control design whereby 2,704 pairs of cases (delivered by CS) and controls (delivered by vaginal …

Determinants Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption For Adults In The Panhandle Of Nebraska, Erin Marie Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption has been documented and is associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Previous studies have revealed that consuming the recommended servings of F/V per day can be influenced by many determinants including healthy eating self-efficacy, cooking confidence, perceived family support, perceived access, perceived quality, and perceived cost of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to examine these determinants of F/V consumption at the individual level of the socioecological model for adults ages 18 years and older residing in the panhandle of Nebraska. The socioecological model (SEM) provided the theoretical framework for …

Socioeconomic Factors And Comorbid Conditions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, William Paris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts children and adults. Comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, and low socioeconomic status negatively impact health care quality in children with ASD. Missing from the academic literature is the quantification of the relationship between parental education and employment and health insurance coverage on the prevalence of comorbid conditions in children with ASD. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative analysis was to examine and quantify the relationship between parental education and employment, health insurance coverage, and the reporting of comorbid conditions (anxiety, depression, behavioral issues) in a nationally representative …

Meaningful Use Criteria And Staff Accountability In An Office Setting, Marcia Ionie Pender

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Proper documentation for meaningful use (MU) criteria within electronic health records (EHRs) was identified as an issue for office staff at a local primary care office in a metropolitan area of Central Florida. The project question addressed the local gap in knowledge about MU standards necessary to ensure correct documentation of EHRs. The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide an educational program for staff to ensure compliance with the HITECH Act of 2009. Lewin’s Change Theory and Knowles Theory of Adult learning were the conceptual foundations for the educational program. The project question was to determine whether a …

Social Determinants And Academic Success For Online Undergraduates Mediated By Mental Health, Jamie Michelle Claus Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSocial determinants of health (SDH) are social and economic systems that directly contribute to health disparities and inequalities. This study examined SDH and their relation to education, also an SDH. The relationship between SDH and online undergraduate achievement, as measured by grade-point average (GPA), was studied. Cumulative inequality is the theoretical framework that guided the study; it underscores the complexity of interaction between personal, social, and environmental stressors in relation to a student’s academic performance. The quantitative survey design allowed for potential relationships between variables to be observed and studied based on the survey responses per self-report from 212 online …

Contraceptives Use Among Reproductive-Age Women In New Juaben Municipality, Ghana, Phyllis Abrah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research study was an investigation into the factors associated with the use of modern contraceptives among reproductive-age women in the New Juaben Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Reproductive-age women in the Municipality have been found to have a high rate of unplanned pregnancies despite the availability of modern contraceptives. Telephone interviews were conducted with 15 reproductive-age women (20 to 39 years) from the New Juaben Municipality who were recruited voluntarily using purposive sampling technique. The research was based on the health belief model to explore the knowledge, perceived threats, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and cues to …

Age-Of-Consent Policies And Hiv Among Adolescents In Sub-Sahara Africa, Suzanne Marie King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Age of consent policies have recently been identified as a barrier to HIV testing among adolescents in HIV endemic Sub-Sahara Africa. Grounded in the modified social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to determine if these policies were related to HIV testing rates and prevalence. In this quantitative research secondary data sets from the Demographic Health Survey were used. This study included all sexually active respondents aged 18 years or below (N=37,015) and then was further limited by respondents that had HIV test results (N=25,107). Binary logistic regression showed that respondents with lower age of consent had higher …

Examination Of The Efficacy Of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act To Reduce High School Childhood Obesity Rates System, Catrina Lashawn Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid rise in U.S. high school student obesity rates to 20.8% in 2018 presented significant risks to the health and well-being of American children and foreshadowed increased future healthcare costs. To address high school obesity, Congress passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010 that mandated the U.S. Department of Agriculture develop regulations to nutrition to improve the nutrition of school cafeteria breakfasts and lunches. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test for changes between 2009 and 2016 in high school obesity rates attributable to the HHFKA using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data, adjusted for …

Health Literacy Staff Education For Heart Failure Management, Ifeoma Onyeiwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease with progressive deterioration that occurs over years or decades. There is a need for individuals affected by HF to be educated regarding this complex disease. Health literacy, an integral part of health and wellness, is one's ability to understand and use health information. Ninety million adults in America have difficulty understanding and using health information, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients. Limited health literacy may lead to billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. This DNP project addressed health literacy as it relates to medication adherence …

Medical Brain Drain And Its Effect On The Nigerian Healthcare Sector, Oluwakemi Osigbesan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria suffers from a huge brain drain issue across different sectors, particularly in the healthcare sector. The WHO assessed that there is a current shortage of 2.8 million physicians in the world A heuristic phenomenological method was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of 12 Nigerian healthcare practitioners that migrated to the United States. The push-pull theory served as the theoretical framework that grounded this study. The central research questions for this study focused primarily on the reasons healthcare practitioners are leaving Nigeria and what the impact of those decisions have on the Nigerian healthcare sector. Qualitative …

Misuse Of Prescription Pain Relievers Among Pregnant Women In The United States, Winnie Chebet Rono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The non-medical use of prescription pain relievers has increased remarkably, posing social and public health concerns particularly in developed countries such as the United States. The management of pain experienced by pregnant women poses a challenge to clinicians considering the effects of the regimen on unborn babies. Guided by the health belief model, which aims to predict health-related behavior in terms of certain health beliefs and explain change and behavior maintenance as well as to guide health behavior interventions, this cross-sectional study aimed to understand the associations between misusing pain relievers and social determinants of health such as education level …

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …

Parental Education As A Potential Predictor Of Adolescent Substance Use Status, Haruna Bida Aliyu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescents in the United States commence substance use as early as 12 to 14 years old and as late as 15 to 17 years old. Several factors influence adolescent substance use/abuse status, including environment, boredom, friends, teachers, and parental influence. The influence of parental communication with adolescents about the danger of substance use/abuse (SUA) required further study. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to understand the influence of parental knowledge and communication with adolescents as potential predictors of substance use/abuse status. The social cognitive theory and social determinants of adolescent risky behavior provided the theoretical framework of this …

Social/Cultural Factors In Preschool Immunizations, Mozambique, Kristine Gayle Bernabe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immunizations are scientifically proven, effective global health interventions that prevent infectious diseases and save lives. Yet, in Mozambique at the national level, less than 65% of children are fully immunized, i.e., received all the basic/routine vaccinations. The overall purpose of the doctoral study was to conduct quantitative research examining the sociocultural factors that may impact childhood immunization status in the context of the social ecological model. The study examined the relationship between child’s gender, mother’s and her husband/partner’s educational level, household wealth index, religion, ethnicity/language, urban-rural residency, and province/region with the child’s full immunization status in Mozambique. Secondary analysis of …

Inhaled Insulin, Afrezza, Educational Module For Health Care Providers, Sara Lynn Doolin-Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Inhaled Insulin, Afrezza, Educational Module for Health Care Providers

bySara Doolin-Thompson

MSN, Walden University, 2014 BSN, University of Phoenix, 2004 ASN, Kentucky Wesleyan College, 1994

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University August 2021 Abstract Diabetes is on a global rise and there is a definite gap in providing care for the diabetic population. Two of the largest contributors to this gap in care are the lack of collaboration between health care professionals and the lack of education for health care providers on the evolution of diabetes treatment plans. …

Safety Planning: Self-Management Approaches For Intimate Partner Violence In Ohio, Yvette Clemons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health education and promotion burden that has affected one in four women in the United States between the ages of 18-24, who are at increased risk of subsequent negative health outcomes of sexually transmitted inflections, mental health and substance abuse disorders, exacerbated suicidal ideations, and death. Exploring the health education needs and learning preferences of women affected by IPV who have utilized self-management strategies during safety planning interventions was the purpose for this phenomenological qualitative study and aligned the four research questions. SurveyMonkey was used to conduct interviews of 30 women align with …

Language Acculturation Effect On Diabetes Prevalence And Self-Care Skills In Puerto Ricans, Gerardo Lazaro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes, a silent, chronic disease that involves demanding long-term self-care skills, affects adult Puerto Ricans disproportionately. Based on the health belief model, a theory that predicts health behavior, and the theory of language barriers, which predicts the effects of language on beliefs and behavior, this quantitative nonexperimental study analyzed the relationship of the preference of Puerto Ricans in Boston to use and speak Spanish (language acculturation) to diabetes prevalence and 4 diabetes self-care skills (healthy eating, being active, taking medication, and healthy coping). Data on 1,506 initial participants in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were used from 3 study …

The Effect Of Race, Provider-Location Type, And Region On Adolescent Hpv Vaccination, Erica Sade Hunter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have been conducted on various factors and their effect on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake amongst adolescents. However, these studies typically point to communication factors and provider recommendations as having a significant effect on HPV vaccination uptake, ultimately leading to the need for more information on other factors that may increase HPV vaccination amongst adolescents. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine if race, provider-location type, and region of the United States have a statistically significant effect on HPV uptake amongst adolescents. The 2018 National Immunization Survey (NIS) was used, and 34,980 participants were included in …

Impact Of The Internet On Young Adult’S Perceptions Of Childhood Vaccinations, Hollie Leigh Xu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The internet and social media have transformed the way people receive information and connect, but the impact on society is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of indirect exposure to vaccine messages via the internet on young adults’ perceptions of childhood vaccinations. The health belief model and the social marketing theory were used as the theoretical framework. Research questions explored the relationship between exposure to anti and pro-vaccination messages and perceptions of participants as well as the relationship between perceptions of vaccination and intent to vaccinate. A quantitative correlational study design was used, with …

Exploring Ethnic And New Orleans Cultural Influences On Health Behaviors Of African American Women, Keneitra Brown-Mayfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States (U.S.), African American women suffer disproportionately due to obesity and chronic diseases. Many studies have examined the culture of African Americans and its influence on their health behaviors in order to gain knowledge to inform obesity and chronic disease prevention interventions. However, a geographical segment of the U.S. African American population shares a unique culture that had yet to be studied. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to understand the perceptions of overweight and obese African American women living in the Greater New Orleans region about their culture’s role in the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related …

Relating Overweight/Obesity And Psychosocial Outcomes Among Racial/Ethnic And Sexual Minority Adolescents, Cadene T. Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents being overweight/obese is a public health crisis that threatens the health and welfare of adolescents going into adulthood and places a significant strain on society. It has been described as one of the most severe public health challenges of the 21st century by the World Health Organization. The pervasiveness of obesity in adolescents rose by 47.1% over the last three decades, and it disproportionally affects racial/ethnic minority lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. Guided by distal and proximal health behaviors, the minority stress model, and intersectionality, the purpose of this study was to examine whether being overweight or obese …

Alzheimer’S Dementia Care: Impact On Family Caregivers, Rose Anne Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type increasingly become dependent on caregivers. Researchers have demonstrated that these caregivers experience serious burdens during their caregiving experiences. They face emotional, physical, and financial burdens. The objective of this paper was to discuss the burden and strains of Alzheimer’s disease on the older caregivers in the United States. The stress process model and the quality of life were used in this study. The study used a descriptive and analytical approach to analyze 2015 secondary data retrieved in 2018 from the National Alliance for Caregiving. The adult Alzheimer’s dementia caregivers were selected. A multiple …

Factors Predicting Obstetric Fistula Among Women 15-49 Years Old In Uganda, Fatmata Fofanah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obstetric fistula is among the public health issues that are preventable and treatable, as evidenced by its elimination in industrialized nations. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to use Andersen’s behavioral model of health services utilization to examine the factors that predict the likelihood of experiencing obstetric fistula among women ages of 15 and 49 living in Uganda. Demographic risk factors (marital status, age at first pregnancy, level of education and income, and religious affiliation), medical risk factors (access to health care, distance from hospital, parity, and number of antenatal visits), the mode of delivery (C-section), and location …

Comparison Of Kidney Disease Risks Among African Americans In Maryland And Neighboring Regional States, Nneka A. Offiah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a recognized global health burden that has affected 10-15% of the general adult population, which is caused by diabetes and has disproportionately affected minority populations such as African Americans. Despite the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, other variables could predispose this racial group to CKD, hence the need for this study. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study using secondary data analysis methods was to investigate to what extent various factors such as gender, diet, age, exercise, socioeconomic status, diabetes, and hypertension were associated with the prevalence of CKD among African Americans residents in Maryland, …