Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Not A Phase: Lgbtq+ Teens -- How We Can Save A Life, Jennifer Carner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This DNP project was conducted to address suicide and risk-taking behaviors of LGBTQ teens and how adults can improve the long-term outcomes of LGBTQ teens by being supportive adults. LGBTQ+ teens are at 4 times higher risk of suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers (The Trevor Project, 2021). The Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2008, found a teen having one caring adult in their lives decreases the risk of suicide. The project's goal was to educate adults to increase their comfort levels in terminology, their understanding of the developmental stages of teens, and how to provide protective factors to help reduce the …

African American Women’S Body Image Perceptions And The Built Environment, Andrea Denise Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American (AA) women have a 54.8% overall obesity rate in the United States. This quantitative cross-sectional study’s aim was to determine what factors may have an impact on body image perceptions of AA women in Alabama and New Jersey. A gap in research this study addressed is sociodemographic and geographic differences that may impact obesity rates among AA women. The theoretical framework used for this study was the social cognitive theory. Secondary data were obtained from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Linear regression (LR) analyses results showed that none of the sociodemographic variables (education level, employment status, …

Health Educators’ Perspectives On Black And Latin@ College Students’ Health Literacy, Desiree Williams Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmerging adulthood is a critical life stage when participation in higher education can facilitate the transition of young individuals into adulthood and independence. The barriers associated with low health literacy levels are higher among racial or ethnic groups facing health inequalities, including those enrolled in higher education institutions. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how health educators promoted the health literacy of Black and Latino emerging adult college students. The theoretical framework was based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Eight health professionals who served to promote health literacy across diverse college campuses and different states in …

Effects Of Perpetrator Types And Gender-Based Violence On Condom Use Among Tanzanian Female Sex Workers, Lashonda Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV status among female sex workers (FSWs) continues to be a significant public health concern. Condom use is associated with HIV cases among FSWs. Gender-based violence (GBV) plays a role in FSWs HIV status. While studies have investigated the relationship between GBV and condom use, little is known about the impact of factors such as perpetrator type and substance use. I aimed to examine whether perpetrator type and substance use affect the relationship between GBV and condom use among FSWs in Tanzania. Secondary data analysis was performed on 1,502 FSWs extracted from the 2020 Tanzanian, John Hopkins Program for International …

Pharmacists’ Responses To Medication Management Following Disasters, Rellamichelle W. Tyree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disasters, both natural and human made, can cause emerging health threats in the United States and the Caribbean. The disasters that pharmacists experienced and reported for this study included hurricanes, snowstorms, ice storms, flooding, and a pandemic. The purpose of this research was to investigate the challenges and outcomes associated with pharmacists’ medication management practices during and following disasters. This generic qualitative study focused on pharmacists’ experiences and their responses to disaster planning and medication management activities. The ecological model of disaster management was the conceptual framework used to investigate the pharmacists and their responses and actions used to address …

The Impact Of Electronic Health Records Meaningful Use On Patient Safety And Satisfaction, Paulette Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is encouraged because of their potential to improve the quality of care provided. It was unknown to what extent the meaningful use of EHRs would impact patient safety and satisfaction in general and specialty hospitals. The researcher’s purpose for this quantitative correlational research was to examine the impact of meaningful EHR use of EHRs on patient safety and satisfaction outcomes in general and specialty hospitals in Philadelphia (PA). The constructs of the institutional theory guided the study. The hypotheses that guided the study included (a) Meaningful EHR use positively influences patient satisfaction …

The Childbirth Experiences And Perceptions Of Sierra Leonean Women Relating To Basic Maternal Rights, Francess Fornah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sierra Leone faces immense challenges in supporting good quality, woman-centered care, with one of the world's highest maternal mortality ratios of 717 per 100,000 live births. In countries with high maternal mortality, evidence of the fear of disrespect and abuse women usually confront in maternity care is a more solid deterrent to the use of skilled care than commonly recognized barriers, such as cost or distance. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed at understanding the childbirth experiences and perceptions of Sierra Leonean women relating to basic maternal rights. The ecological systems theoretical framework and the respectful maternity care charter conceptual framework …

Water/Sanitation, Hygiene, And Risk Factors Associated With Under-5 Mortality In Côte D’Ivoire, Ouda Kamagate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite remarkable progress in children’s survival since 1990, the global burden of the under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) remains immense. According to the World Health Organization, about 5.2 million children below 5 died in 2019, with 14,000 dying each day. Literature reveals that the lack and limitation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) are linked to deaths in childhood. Cote d’Ivoire still lags behind expectations with 79 per 1000 live births in 2019 rather than 25 and below, so there is a need to uncover to what extent the U5MR is affected by WaSH. Through a cross-sectional design guided by the …

Overeating As A Coping Response To Workplace Gender Discrimination: The Role Of Resilience And Social Support, Rosemarie Charmain Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender discrimination in the workplace continues to be a persistent source of stress for women even after 5 decades of antidiscrimination legislation in the United States. Women are more likely than men to cope with stress by overeating, which is a risk factor for chronic illnesses and obesity. Much less is known about the protective factors that could weaken the association between perceived stress and overeating. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address this gap in the literature by examining whether resilience and social support are moderators of the overeating response for women who have experienced gender discrimination …

Exploring Vaccination Hesitancy Among Nonmandated Nurses And Health Care Workers, Germaine Lazett Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

COVID-19 vaccinations have been mandated for most healthcare professionals providing direct patient care, but there are a group of nonmandated healthcare professionals who have been hesitant to receive the vaccine. Given prolonged hesitancy among key health professionals charged with providing direct patient care, it is crucial to understand why they are hesitant; their apprehension may impact the pool of professionals available to provide direct patient care. This is a cross-sectional quantitative study that included an online survey. The health belief model served as the theoretical framework. The research questions addressed whether there is an association between type of patient care …

Understanding The Perspectives Of African American Gay And Bisexual Men Toward Hiv, Victor Onwezi , Ikechukwu Nwanguma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an urgent need to stop the HIV epidemic among African American gay and bisexual men in the United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify the health issues responsible for the HIV epidemic among African gay and bisexual men. Two theoretical frameworks that guided the study were the transtheoretical model and the syndemic theory. The study's research involved understanding African American gay and bisexual men's perspective toward HIV infections and their understanding of possible reasons HIV rates appear to increase in their community. Semi-structured telephone interviews and field notes were used to collect primary …

Birthplace Decision Making Experiences Of The Ugep Women Of Southern Nigeria, Thomas Okoi Ofem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore and describe how behavioral, normative, and control beliefs shape women's birthplace decision-making experiences. The study sought to better understand how Ugep women of southern Nigeria decided where to give birth after attending antenatal care. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, a purposeful sample of nine women aged 25 to 35 years who attended antenatal clinic at least twice at the selected primary health facility but gave birth at home during the past year was recruited. Data collection was through face-to-face, semistructured interviews. Audio recordings of interviews were …

Role Of Hypertension In Low-Birth-Weight Racial Disparities Among Virginian Women, Ashli Owen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low birth weight (LBW) is a leading cause of infant mortality globally, but it disproportionately burdens the Black community in the United States, with a rate twice that of White women. Further, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDsP) increase LBW incidence. The purpose of the study was to assess the association between HDsP and LBW, maternal race and LBW, and the moderation effect of HDsP on race and LBW on Black and White women in Virginia. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the lifecourse health development model, which states that health should be viewed as an outcome of …

Associations Of Fast-Food Zoning Policy And Cardiovascular Disease In African American Communities, Starrlett Pena-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major public health concern, causing one in every four deaths in the United States. Despite availability of effective disease management, African Americans bear the burden of incidence and mortality as CVD prevails as the primary cause of disparities in life expectancy, stroke, and heart failure. This cross-sectional study investigated fast-food restaurant (FFR) availability and socioeconomic status (SES; income, occupation, and education) to predict CVD risk scores in African Americans residing in Jackson, Mississippi. The social construction of target populations theory was used to inform this study. Using hierarchical multiple linear regression, a secondary data analysis …

Diabetes Self-Management Education In The Urban Low Socioeconomic Status Senior Population, Heather Santa Barbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This exploratory quantitative study used a survey design to address a gap in the literature concerning primary care team perceptions about diabetes care for urban low socioeconomic status seniors with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic health problem that is often managed in primary care offices, and primary care teams are often the first source of education and support for patients. Standards of management for seniors with diabetes has changed to eliminate tight control of glucose levels, and primary care team members may have differing perceptions about diabetes care depending upon their role in the primary care team and years of …

Health Educator Experience: Recommendations For Physical Activity For Mental Health In Women, Patricia Schneider

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health issues, specifically anxiety and depression, continue to be a public health crisis in the United States. Despite the established therapies of pharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy, not all patients seek or find relief using these methods. Therefore, other treatment strategies need to be studied. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the experiences of health educators who use physical activity as a strategy for anxiety and depression management among middle-aged women as well as their own attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral controls. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was leveraged as the theoretical foundation for …

The Process And Case Study Approach To Implementing A Nutrition-Specific Dissemination And Implementation Science Training In Appalachia, Ayron E. Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Nutrition professionals face implementation challenges due to their lack of knowledge to incorporate D&I science into intervention design. To improve intervention outcomes, nutrition professionals must be trained in D&I science, which are currently absent in the field.

Aims: To identify and assess nutrition educators and practitioners perceived motivations, self-efficacy, and attitudes in using D&I science to inform the educational design and strategies of a nutrition-specific D&I curriculum for nutrition educators. Then to test feasibility of the nutrition-specific curriculum in increasing knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes by a case study approach, pre/post intervention design.

Methods: First, scoping review methodology involved the …

Risk Factors Associated With Community-Onset Sepsis In Latino/Hispanic Adults, Joan Ivaska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sepsis results in a significant public health burden globally, causing 20% of adult mortality worldwide and accounting for more than one third of deaths in hospitalized adults in the United States, making it one of the top 15 leading causes of death in the United States. Community-onset sepsis (COS) comprises nearly 80% of all sepsis cases occurring in the United States each year. Despite the widespread prevalence of COS, significant gaps in knowledge exist regarding the risk factors that lead to COS and sepsis mortality in Latino/Hispanic adults in the United States. The purpose of this secondary data study was …

Perceptions Of Implicit Bias In New York City Healthcare System During Covid-19, Kiesha Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implicit bias has been identified as a significant problem that hinders effective healthcare delivery. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory phenomenological study was to examine whether implicit bias influenced healthcare services for African Americans with comorbidities aged 30 and over living in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current studies show healthcare disparities, revealing barriers with healthcare delivery; however, they do not disclose a patient’s lived experience qualitatively, which constituted a gap in the literature. The frameworks of the behavioral model of health services use, and social construction and policy design guided this study. Research questions addressed (a) whether …

Appraisal Of Institutional Antimicrobial Stewardship In Selected Public Health Facilities In Nigeria, Joshua Olusegun Obasanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The misuse of antimicrobials (AM) constitutes a huge problem in developing countries, including Nigeria, posing severe public health threats to the populace’s health. Misuse contributes to the high consumption of AM, driving the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Establishing functional antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs at the health facility levels is recognized as an effective and efficient strategies to tackle AMR. Literature is replete with evidence of poor prescription practices, but few studies assessing the factors contributing to inappropriate use of AM in Nigeria exist. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of AMS practice at …

Association Between Parental Socioeconomic Status And Childhood Obesity In The Southwest Geopolitical Zone Of Nigeria, Omatsola Aboyowa Sifo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractGlobally, childhood obesity is a major social and public health concern characterized by complications such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the association between childhood obesity in children age 6–12 years and the socioeconomic status of their parents in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Social cognitive theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Questionnaire data were collected from 384 parents/guardians of children age 6–12 years across three states in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression at …

Perspectives Of Girls, Families, And Healthcare Workers On Accessing Services For Adolescents With Perinatal Hiv In Nigeria, Joseph Fabian Inyang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) include those who were infected from their mother perinatally (PHIV) and those who were infected through sexual behaviors or drug use. Nigeria contributes the largest burden of children born with HIV globally, due to poor implementation of its prevention of mother-to-child transmission program. With advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), more children and adolescents with HIV survive into adulthood. However, there are challenges to ART including access, uptake, adherence, and risks of long-term exposure. Using the social ecological model and a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of adolescent …

The Experiences Of Teenage Mothers About The Socioeconomic Aspects Of Teen Pregnancy In A Low-Income Community, Sunday Kerobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy has adverse social, economic, and health consequences for adolescents. Pregnancy in adolescence is linked to high school dropout, high unemployment, stigma, low income, financial hardships, anxiety, and depression.. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to understand the socioeconomic factors that impact young mothers aged 17 years and younger in low-income communities. Schlossberg's transition theory guided this study. Fifteen young women ages 18 and 24 who were either pregnant or had given birth before age 17 years and under were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed using in-depth key informant interviews. Audio recordings of interviews were transcribed, …

Perceived Health/Safety Risks And Critical Thinking Skills In College Students Using Social Media Networking, Denise Mary Makri-Werzen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe 21st century has brought about an increase in the popularity of social media networking usage on a global level, especially among college students. Social connectivity has become a vital part of the daily lives of college students, providing connections with their educational, personal, and social lives. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the actual experiences and self-reported perceptions of health/safety risks in college students using social media networking sites and to assess whether critical thinking skills were employed. The sample size of the targeted population was 23 volunteer college students, recruited from the Walden University Participant …

An Evidenced-Based Nursing Education Discharge Plan For Prescription Opioids, Josephine J. Messelmani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reported number of prescription opioid overdoses justifies the need for providing patients with opioid discharge information and follow-up care as recommended. To prevent any misuse of prescription opioid drugs, it was critical for patients to receive a thorough review of their medications prior to being discharged. The purpose of the project was designed to educate nurses on the importance of delivering essential information to patients prescribed opioids. Implementation of an opioid discharge plan integrated with the teach back method increased patients’ understanding of how to properly take prescription opioids compared to the patients who did not receive opioid education …

Perceived Diabetes Susceptibility Among African American Female College Students, Khaliah India Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death among African American women ages 20-44 years, and African American female college students are at high risk. Research shows that college students tend to underestimate their susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes, despite their existing risk factors. There is a gap in knowledge concerning African American female college students and their perception of diabetes susceptibility, despite their increased risk. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental, correlational study was to identify the factors associated with perceived personal susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes-related health behavior among African American female college …

Lived Experience Of Albanian Migrants Who Became Obese After Moving To The United States, Briseida Xhelaj

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of obesity is significant in the United States, and more information is needed about the factors that increase the risk for obesity among migrant populations like Albanian Americans. The purpose of this study was to discover the lived experience of Albanian migrants who became obese after moving to the United States. This study was guided by the social ecological model. The research questions were used to examine how individual, relationship, community, and societal level factors impacted lifestyle changes and obesity for Albanian American migrants after moving to the United States. This qualitative study involved the use of a …

Factors Associated With Mask Use In New York City Neighborhood Parks During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Audit Study, Lisa Hitch, Marie A. Sillice, Hanish Kodali, Katarzyna E. Wyka, Javier Otero Peña, Terry Tk Huang

Publications and Research

Background: Mask use is a cost-effective measure to decrease COVID-19 transmission. Mask mandates intend to increase mask compliance but are often ambiguous when it comes to public outdoor spaces.

Methods: We used a field audit study to examine mask use in New York City neighborhood parks during COVID-19. 1453 park visitors were observed in 13 parks during July–August 2020 using a modified and validated park use audit tool (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) that included items on general and proper mask use (i.e., mask covering both nose and mouth). Generalized estimating equation regression was used to determine …

Sociodemographic Factors As Predictors Of Low Influenza Vaccination In Chicago, Illinois, Ingrid L. Jeske

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Outbursts of seasonal influenza contribute to morbidity and mortality in the United States. Influenza is a contagious disease caused by influenza viruses. The main subtypes of the influenza virus are Type A and Type B. Influenza vaccines are among the most effective methods in preventing the spread of the influenza virus because they offer the best immune defense. However, health care providers face significant challenges due to low patient compliance with current vaccine recommendations and misinformation. Scholars have yet to expand and further explore the reasons for the gap in influenza vaccination between White individuals and minorities, such as the …

Predictors Of Health Literacy Scores In The Adolescent Oncologic Population, Amber N. Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent research showed a relationship between low health literacy in adult oncology patients, poor communication with providers, misconceptions about disease and treatment options, and the inability to adhere to treatment plans. Comparative literature addressing adolescent health literacy contained insufficient evidence of these relationships. The purpose of this exploratory cross-sectional quantitative study, based on the health literacy skills framework, was to assess the health literacy of adolescents treated in the oncology department at an academic children’s hospital in Missouri to determine whether there was a significant relationship between individual health literacy scores of this population based on age, sex, number of …