Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Sociodemographic And Psychosocial Factors And Wellbeing Among Adults 65 And Older In England, Dainelle Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased number of older adults living longer parallels with the growth of public health concerns regarding the impact of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors (e.g., loneliness and social isolation) on older adults' wellbeing. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between loneliness, social isolation, the combined model of loneliness, and social isolation on wellbeing among older adults when accounting for age, gender, ethnicity, and social support. The socioecological model (SEM) was used to evaluate the multiple levels of environmental determinants for loneliness, social isolation, and wellbeing. The target population included older adults 65 years and older …

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 …

The Predictive Relationship Of Allostatic Load In Asthma, Mohamed Mustafa Hassan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on populations emphasizes the influence of allostatic overload, a marker of biophysical and biochemical stress, in driving adverse health outcomes. Unknown is the impact of allostatic load and its cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory components as they pertain to asthma prevalence in U.S. populations. Specifically, there is a need to understand the nature of the relationship between allostatic load and asthma in light of confounders such as socioeconomic status, race, education, and gender. Using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model as a theoretical underpinning and binary logistic regression as a statistical modality, the predictive relationship between allostatic load and asthma was examined in …

Health Insurance Coverage, Sociodemographic Factors, And Treatment Completion For Opioid Abusers In Indiana, Ibrahim Samna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many accidental deaths have recently occurred in Indiana due to opioid overdose. The current study sought to assess the association between sociodemographic factors, health insurance, and successful treatment completion for opioids abusers in Indiana based on the existing literature gap. In this study, the dependent variables considered were treatment completion status and opioid abuse. The independent variables included health insurance coverage and sociodemographic factors of education, marital status, employment status, race, gender, and age. I measured both dependent and independent variables as categorical. A cross-sectional and quantitative research approach was used by analyzing data from the 2017-Treatment Episode Data Set …

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 …

The Lived Experiences Of Avoiding Recidivism Among African American Male (First-Time) Former Offenders, Jeff Hines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe United States has a high recidivism rate within its criminal population, especially among men of African American descent. However, within this population, some first-time former offenders have used successful approaches to avoid re-incarceration. The objective of this study was to investigate how these first-time former offenders desist from crime and avoid recidivism. This was a phenomenological study, utilizing the Desistance Theory as a framework, to explore how these men survived the consequences of post-incarceration and remained crime-free. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with six African American male first-time former offenders (age 25 and older) who were not on …

Relationship Between Trust, Race, And Health Care Information Sources Among African American Men, Uzochukwu Onukogu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American men have not been sufficiently at the center of research studies, especially when it comes to health. Most researchers have explored African Americans as a whole, and few have looked at African American men specifically, especially when it comes to their perceptions and ability to trust sources of health information. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between race and trust in health information sources, including the relationship between prostate cancer health outreach done through the internet and the acceptance of such information outreach among African American men. The theory of planned behavior …

Risk Factors For Foodborne Illness Outbreaks In Retail Food Establishments, Brendalee Viveiros

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite policies and interventions over the last two decades, foodborne illness remains a significant public health concern. According to the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, 60% of reported foodborne illness outbreaks involved food that was prepared at a restaurant. Reducing foodborne illness outbreaks that occur at restaurants would have a significant impact on the overall number of foodborne illnesses that occur each year. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the differences in risk factors in food establishments that have had a foodborne illness outbreak compared to food establishments that have not. This study used Reckwitz’s theory …

Child Marriage: Parents’ Lived Experience Of Decision-Making Processes And Consequential Health Effects, Hadiza Yakub, Jirina Foltysova, Jeanne Connors

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Child or early marriage is increasingly recognized as a public health concern that poses significant health challenges for a young bride. This qualitative research explored child marriage among Hausa-Fulani ethnolinguistic communities in Northeastern Nigeria. Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents who married off their underage children. The central research questions relied on a theoretical foundation of social values theory and interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study results provide an in-depth understanding of the child marriage phenomenon by exploring parents' lived experiences and the role of a child bride's health in the decision-making process and illustrates how social values and norms drive …

Homeless Canadians’ Perspectives On Homelessness In Calgary, Edith N. Ahajumobi, Peter B. Anderson

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Since the 1990s, homelessness has increased in Canada, but the strategies of the government and public health service providers to manage the situation have had limited success. Researchers have also noted the lack of inclusion of those experiencing homelessness in homelessness research to better understand and develop a solution to the issue. In the present study, this is addressed through inclusion of homeless participants from diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this phenomenological study, framed by social cognitive theory, reciprocal determinism, and symbolic interaction, was to understand homelessness from the perspectives of people who do not have homes. Data were collected …

Racial Differences In Hospital Readmission And Reimbursement Rates For Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Catherine Talongwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with a significant economic burden that includes frequent emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and readmissions. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences, if any, between hospital readmission rates and insurance reimbursement rates for non-Hispanic Black and White CHF patients in California. The theoretical framework was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Secondary data for this quantitative study were obtained from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and State Inpatient Databases from Healthcare Cost and Utilization for calendar year 2014-2016. A t-test and Levene's test for equality of variance were conducted on a …

Quality Of Life For Persons With Chronic Disease Utilizing Mobile Integrated Healthcare, Dr John Robert Ash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of mobile integrated healthcare-community paramedicine (MIH-CP) has the potential to be integrated into existing chronic disease management initiatives as a means of reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and costs as well as improving quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between demographics, noncommunicable disease type (NCD), and changes in self-perceived, self-reported QOL for those who have participated in an MIH-CP program. The research design for this study was a pretest/posttest design using secondary data that were obtained from a research partner using the MIH-CP intervention and collecting QOL data using the Euroqol QOL …

Factors Affecting Cervical Cancer Screening Among Dominican Women Living In The United States, Cybil Bonhomme

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are seen among minority women groups in the United States. Hispanic women have the highest rate of cervical cancer, contributing to the 2nd highest mortality rate of the disease. Researchers have examined the lower rates of cervical cancer screening among Hispanic women, as compared with other groups of U.S. women, but researchers have not examined cervical cancer screening practices, specifically for U.S. Dominican women. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between compliance with cervical cancer screening and major influences including acculturation, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and usual …

Georgia Government Leaders' Lived Experience Creating And Implementing Health Equity Policies, Tracy M. Clopton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Georgia’s racial and ethnic minority communities have a continual problem of disproportionately worse health outcomes, including higher chronic disease and behavioral risk factors, compared to their nonminority counterparts. The average cost per year for chronic disease between 2016 and 2030 could be $64.6 billion in medical costs and $26.8 billion in lost employee productivity for Georgia. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Georgia legislators and health program staff to determine policy solutions to reduce chronic disease and behavioral risk factor disparities in the racial and ethnic minority population. The theoretical lens for the study …

Fertility Treatments Of Women In Nigeria: Using Long Versus Short Protocols, Michael Egwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A global estimate indicates that over 70 million heterosexual married couples live with the burden of infertility, and Nigeria accounts for about 30%. Although protocols exist, it appears there are no standardized treatment guidelines for practicing fertility experts in Nigeria. This study, therefore, aimed to determine which protocol provides a better outcome across a given population of infertile women in Nigeria as a method to move towards developing standardized treatment guidelines. The study was grounded using the Patient-Centered Care Treatment Model, and the method of inquiry was a retrospective, cross-sectional, quantitative, and nonexperimental technique, and the influence of the patient’s …

Health Behaviors Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Physical Activity, And Breast Cancer Among African American Women, Nicole Ekoue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer incidence is suddenly increasing among African American women. Recent studies indicate that health behaviors are thought to confer important health benefits and have the potential to lowering breast cancer incidence. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between health behaviors of fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, and physical activity and breast cancer after adjusting for age, body mass index, and smoker status. Social support and income level were assessed as modifiers. Using the 2012 to 2017 Health Information and National Trends Survey data, this study was conducted with …

A Provider Education Program Addressing Barriers To Diabetic Patients’ Self-Care, Henrietta O. Emokidi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is the leading cause of death among American Indian/Alaskan Natives and the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) affects 9% of the U.S. population and costs the United States an estimated $245 billion annually. The purpose of this project was to identify patients’ concerns related to their disease and to develop an education program for providers to address these concerns. The project was framed using Orem’s theory of self-care and the middle-range theory of self-care of chronic illness. Five providers in an underserved clinic in Alaska conducted assessments during a primary care …

Perceptions, Practices, And Risk Factors Associated With Typhoid Fever In Nimo Village, Nigeria, George Ilouno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease transmitted by the fecal-oral route. In Nigeria, the condition is life threatening and endemic. It affects communities such as Nimo that have limited water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure. Previous researchers focused on sanitation and hygienic conditions that contribute to the disease such as household-level hygiene and food and water contamination, including handling practices. However, there is limited knowledge on how the environmental behavior and living conditions of eating and sleeping on a floor harboring fecal materials affect typhoid fever prevalence. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perception of the …

Promotion Of Lifestyle Changes By Community Pharmacists Among Adults With Hypertension In Nigeria, Olanike Olawunmi Kehinde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing prevalence of hypertension is a global public health problem. Lifestyle modification is the first-line best practice for the management of hypertension, however there is not enough focus on healthcare professionals’ competencies in managing hypertension in Nigeria. The perspectives of Community Pharmacists (CPs) about promotion of lifestyle modification (PLM) among adults with hypertension have not been explored in Nigeria though they play an essential role in healthcare in the community. This phenomenological study was conducted to document the experiences of CPs about PLM by using in-depth interviews. Social cognitive theory and the health promotion model were used as frameworks …

Decreasing Hiv Stigmatization For Care Of Young Men Of Color Who Have Sex With Men, Alethea Arnett Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV-related stigma from healthcare provider attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, or misconceptions has been a barrier to healthcare delivery. This project was conducted to examine whether an HIV-related stigma education provided to healthcare clinic staff with a focus on advance practice registered nurses can improve knowledge and empathy toward young men of color who have sex with men (MSM), which can lead to improved overall quality of healthcare through increased health behaviors and retention in care. An educational intervention was conducted utilizing a blended-learning environment focused on social cognitive theory to influence social behavior change among healthcare professionals, increasing their exposure, knowledge, …

The Correlation Between Unemployment Rate, Gdp Per Capita, And Adult Obesity Prevalence In Developed Economies. Evidence From Oecd Member Countries., Uche Noel O'Martins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult obesity continues to be endemic in developed countries; at least 1 in every 5 people in developed economies is obese. In line with the theory of social suffering, socioeconomic factors may be correlated with the increasing prevalence of adult obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between socioeconomic factors and adult obesity prevalence rate in developed countries using Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries as a case study. In this study, the correlation between 2 independent variables - unemployment rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita - and the dependent variable …

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses And Their Knowledge Regarding The Hindrance Of Obesity, Crystal Rainey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Their Knowledge

Regarding the Hindrance of Obesity

by

Crystal N. Rainey

MSN, Walden University, 2014

BSN, University of Arkansas in Little Rock, 2011

AASN, Southeast Arkansas College, 2009

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

February 2020

Pharmacy Manager Strategies For Reducing Financial Losses From Adverse Drug Events By Polypharmacy Patients, Francis Rudden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year over 100,000 deaths occur in the U.S. from adverse drug events derived from medication errors. Medication errors account for an annual cost of $100 to $200 billion. Healthcare pharmacists lack strategies to reduce adverse drug events and medication errors from taking place. Grounded in complex adaptive system theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies to reduce advere drug events and medication errors. The participants were 5 pharmacist managers in a county in central Florida. These pharmacists were from different community pharmacies, and each had a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the …

Effectiveness Of A Standardized Fall Assessment Tool In Reducing Falls Among Elder Home Health Clients, Terica M. Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because of the physiological changes that occur with the normal aging process, falls tend to have more serious consequences in individuals age 65 and older. The purpose of this systematic review of literature was to analyze studies that addressed the impact of a multifactorial fall risk assessment tool on decreasing falls in the elderly home health patient population following hospitalization. The conceptual model for this project was Roper, Logan, and Tierney’s activity of daily living model. A narrative analysis was used to analyze 16 selected articles from the CINAHL, ProQuest and MEDLINE databases. Results indicated that implementing fall assessment tools …

The Role Of Self-Mutilation Behaviors Among Adolescents Who Are Depressed, Patricia Wilkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents who are depressed may self-injure themselves. Common methods for non-suicidal self-injury are cutting and burning the skin of one’s own body. Multiple confounding factors of age, gender, race and socio-economic status could lead one to engage in intentional or unintentional self-mutilation acts. The current body of literature on adolescent mental health demonstrates limited understanding of how racial and ethnic identity factors contributes to depression, self-injurious behavior, and suicide. This quantitative study determined if there was a relationship between depression and prevalence of adolescent self-mutilation. The social ecological theory was used to study the intersection of social determinants of depression …

Antibiotic Stewardship And The Quality Of Life For Residents Over 65 Years, Reshma Beharry-Guest

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotics were often over-prescribed in long term care facilities (LTCFs) and antibiotic stewardship guidelines, established by the CDC were not followed. The nursing home administrator was responsible for the quality of care for the residents and ensured that the facility met and/or exceeded the CMS antibiotic stewardship standard of care. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze operational secondary data collected from a Texas LTCF regarding antibiotic utilization for male and female residents over 65 years. The theoretical framework of the social cognitive theory was applicable for quality improvement in the LTCF setting. The data analysis showed that …

Population Density And Spatial Distribution Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In Sierra Leone, Abou B. Funna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are the most common health conditions affecting the poorest residents of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These infections affect an estimated 2 billion people worldwide, including 500 million people living in SSA. About 85% of NTD infections are a result of helminth infections; hookworm is also a common occurrence among SSA’s poorest people, especially children. Schistosomiasis is the 2nd most prevalent NTD after hookworm. This quantitative correlational study investigated population distribution and the spread of NTDs in Sierra Leone. The focus was on 5 major NTDs: ascariasis, hookworm, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and trichuris. Data were obtained from the …

Health Literacy And Diabetes Among Refugee Women Residing In Arizona, Aline Nina Indatwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited research available linking health literacy and diabetes knowledge to poor health outcomes among refugees. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of health literacy and diabetes knowledge and examine whether different factors (age, education, employment status, number of years lived with diabetes and length of stay since resettlement) are associated with health literacy and diabetes knowledge. A cross-sectional study was performed among 82 refugee women with a known diagnosis of diabetes and residing in Maricopa County, Arizona. A modified two part questionnaire (self-reported health literacy extracted from the European Health Literacy Questionnaire [HLS-EU-Q16] and …

Physicians’ Perceptions Of Facilitators And Barriers In Electronic Health Record Education, Alice Keene Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant focus in health care is quality documentation to lower patient safety risks. The local problem at a healthcare organization in the northeastern United States is that some physicians are falling short with quality documentation of patient care in athenaNet, a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR). This qualitative case study was conducted to explore physicians' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers that impact the educational process for quality documentation in EHRs. Attention also focused on identifying physicians' recommendations for enhancing the educational process for quality documentation. Knowles’ adult learning theory served as the conceptual framework. Purposeful sampling was used …

Self Reported Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Deaf Users: A Communication Barrier, Dr. Jolene Ayres Ogunjirin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of mortality worldwide, and may disproportionately affect the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) subpopulation in the United States. It has been suggested that communication barriers among the DHOH subpopulation contribute to the high prevalence of CVD risk factors. To assess this claim, this quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional data set of 400 DHOH and 400 non- DHOH participants taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. The differences of being told by a health professional of having specific CVD risk factors were assessed between the two groups and …