Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

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 …

Effects Of Trained Providers And Naloxone Distribution On Prescription Opioid Use Disorder, Samuel Sarpong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpioid abuse and overdose are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates, as well as social and economic costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of state-sponsored prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) trained healthcare providers and community-based naloxone distribution program related factors in the states of Florida and Georgia for the prevention and reduction of prescription opioid use disorder, overdose, and deaths. The research theory adopted was the socio-ecological model with an emphasis on risk factors such as age. The study used secondary data from 2014 to 2018 from the Florida and Georgia …

Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a public health and criminal justice problem. Several criminal justice system changes have been made to combat DV, such as mandatory arrest policies, no-drop prosecution policies, and specialized DV courts. Perspectives on these policies, DV, and the criminal justice system have been obtained from the victims, police officers, and victim advocates. However, perspectives from those within the criminal justice court system are missing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to obtain the perspectives of key court personnel in small rural communities regarding the prosecution of DV cases. Narrative policy framework was used …

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 …

Social Determinants Of Health And Type 2 Diabetes Among Enrollees Of California Children’S Services Program In Fresno County, California, Daniela Marie Aghadjanian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite extensive study in adults, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been the subject of little research concerning young adults or children. Doctors believed T2D to develop only in a person’s later years until health care providers found younger individuals developing this disease. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative analysis was to determine correlations between T2D and social determinants of health in Fresno County, California, based on children and adolescents. The 2017-19 data came from the Fresno County Department of Public Health. The theoretical foundation for the study was the socio-ecological framework focusing on individuals’ traits having a bidirectional impact on …

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. …

Breastfeeding Information And Breastfeeding Duration Among African American Women With A Family History Of Breast Or Ovarian Cancer, Aleatha Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decades of research supports the notion that breastfeeding may help prevent breast and ovarian cancer in women. Women with a family history of these cancers are at greater risk. African American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates, yet the highest breast and ovarian cancer mortality rates. No studies have been conducted exploring the impact of being informed about breastfeeding from health care providers, breastfeeding support services, or family and friends and the relationship between their knowledge of family history of breast or ovarian cancer and breastfeeding duration for African American women. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine …

Impact Of Out-Of-Pocket Fees On Under-5 Infant Mortality In Cameroon, Amelie Olga Mafotsing Fopoussi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health facilities in Cameroon charge fees for treatment and services, which can affect health outcomes for those unable to pay for services. Some studies have shown that the removal of user fees had a positive impact on child health outcomes in selected African countries. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to understand whether there is a link between out-of-pocket expenses and under-5 mortality in Cameron. The study was guided by the social ecological framework. Secondary data from the 2011 Cameroon Demographic Health Survey were used in the study. Chi-square, binary logistic regression, and multicollinearity analyses were used to …

Effectiveness Of Cancer Survivorship Plans On The Emotional, Psychosocial, And Physical Well-Being Of Breast Cancer Survivors, Amber Renee Purdie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCancer survivorship is essential for the longevity of all cancer survivors, and breast cancer survivorship has become the focus of public health organizations to help address the unmet needs of breast cancer survivors. This quantitative cross-sectional study explored the impact on the Quality of Life (QoL) and health outcomes of female breast cancer survivors in cancer survivorship programs or tertiary care. The ages of the survivors in the study sample ranged from 18 to 80, and all participants were at least 6 months into their cancer survivorship journey. Surveys used were the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s …

Disparities In The Use Of Radiation Therapy For Postlumpectomy Breast Cancer, Deborah Rothley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early-stage breast cancer can be highly curable when properly treated using national standards of care. However, disparities in treatment, including radiation therapy after lumpectomy, may result in disproportional mortality rates in African American women. The purpose of this study was to add to the body of research to help determine the reasons for an underutilization of radiation therapy among African American women and whether the disparity has continued by analyzing recent patient data. Anderson’s behavioral model was used to frame the study and help determine the associations between the predisposing and enabling independent variables of race, age, health insurance status, …

Relationship Among Health Literacy Superstitious Beliefs And Self-Care Among Diabetic Patients In Warri, Nigeria, Nkemakolam Simpson Ukpabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDiabetes imposes significant burdens in medical expenditures, medication use, outpatient visits, and treatment of its chronic complications. Self-care behaviors such as medication adherence and foot care have been shown to reduce hospitalizations and complications, and high health literacy levels have been positively associated with self-care adoption. However, the effect of superstition on this relationship has not been studied among diabetic patients in Warri, Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the moderating effects of superstitious or cultural beliefs on the relationship between health literacy and self-care adoption among diabetes patients in Warri, Nigeria. A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional design guided this …

Workplace Bullying/Interpersonal Conflict, Job Stress, Coworker Support And Hypertension Among Women, Kia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interpersonal conflict in the workplace, such as workplace bullying, is recognized as a growing public health issue that could lead to poor health outcomes like hypertension among women workers. However, there is limited research on the role that interpersonal conflict, as well as other job-related factors such as job stress and coworker support, may collectively have on hypertensive outcomes among minority women workers, specifically in younger age groups. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine the extent to which certain job risk factors (interpersonal conflict, job stress and coworker support) were associated with being treated for hypertension …

Access To Preventive Health Care Services And Effects On Health Outcomes For Hispanic Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Shafa Al-Showk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite elevated prevalence of diabetes among Hispanic, Hispanic older adults face challenges in self-control and management of their glucose levels, and they have less access to preventive health care services. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between access to preventive health care services and Type 2 diabetes outcomes among Hispanic adults aged 65 years and older. The social-ecological model provided the framework for the study. The research question for this study examined the extent to which doctor visits, diabetes education and blood sugar checks correlate with HbA1c levels. Data were collected from 566 …

Social Ecological Factors Affecting Marijuana Use Among Young Adults In The United States, Temple Oritsegbubemi Jagha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCurrent knowledge of young adults’ marijuana use centers around individual risk factors and negative health effects (i.e., mental disorder), with less focus on contextual circumstances. In this study, I examined the association between demographic (i.e., gender, race, education, employment, income, and population density), social (i.e., risk perception and religious beliefs influence), living context (i.e., difficulty getting marijuana, poverty level, and county metro status), and marijuana use among young adults. The social-ecological model guided this study. In this quantitative cross-sectional study, data from the 2019 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health that included 14,226 young adults aged 18 to …

Diabetes Education For Nursing Staff In Primary Health Care, Artemio Pontejos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nature of the DNP project was a staff education program for staff nurses and other clinic personnel on diabetes self-care management in a primary health care setting. The goal of this educational program was to improve and update the knowledge on self-care management of primary health care nurses. This education program followed the Walden University DNP Project Manual for Staff Education guidelines. The purpose of this continuing education of professional nurses was to improve nurses’ patient education on self-care management. After a 3-day face-to-face 90-minute lecture, improvement of knowledge was measured with a comparison of a pretest and a …

Fetal/Infant Mortality: Understanding Race And Ethnicity, Birthing Location, And Prenatal Care, Chelsea Collum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed whether race and ethnicity, birthing location, the month the mother begins prenatal care, and pregnancy risk level impact fetal/infant mortality. Infant mortality is a gauge by which the efficacy of the healthcare system and the overall health of the country is measured. The United States falls behind most other developed countries in terms of infant mortality rates. The ecological perspective was used as the theoretical framework. The study design was a cross-sectional cohort design using a sample of births and infant deaths from U.S. Vital Statistics data. Binomial logistic regression analyses were carried out to calculate odds …

Experiences In An Online Learning Community, Michelle Potthoff Wylie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Master of public health online programs have been experiencing issues with retention and problems related to inconsistent implementation of online learning communities. This basic qualitative study aimed to understand the efficacy of online programs and the perceived impact of the implantation of online learning communities. The conceptual framework for this study is Siemens’s connectivism theory supporting different types of learning in the online environment. Two research questions guided the study: (a) How do graduate students in an online Master of Public Health program perceive the efficacy of online learning communities and (b) Which components of online learning communities do graduate …

African American Females And Herpes Simplex Virus 2: A Basic Interpretive Qualitative Study, Cherlisa Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, African American females are most susceptible to HSV-2 and are often asymptomatically diagnosed. Yet, the perceived benefit of discussing sexual health as well as recognizing a need to discuss HSV-2 with a healthcare provider was an identified gap in the existing research and current study findings. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to understand the experiences of African American females who received an asymptomatic HSV-2 diagnosis. The health belief model constructs guided this study. Outlined through semi-structured interviews were the experiences of seven African American females diagnosed with HSV-2 in Fulton County, GA, as …

Predictors Of Stunting In Children Under 5 Years Of Age In Zimbabwe, Ranganai Matema

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stunting is the most common form of undernutrition globally and is a major public health concern. Child stunting has both short-term negative effects on children’s health and long-term negative effects on adult health and human capital. Zimbabwe has a high prevalence of stunting, 27% in 2015. Although some of the factors associated with stunting are known, there is a gap on comprehensive evidence on the significant factors associated with persistent high levels of child stunting. The UNICEF conceptual framework for malnutrition was used to guide a cross-sectional study using the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey data to identify and …

Social Determinants Of Maternal And Neonatal Birth Outcomes Among Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Mona Charbel Kiwan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neonatal and maternal health indicators have been impacted due to Syrian refugees’ displacement in Lebanon and an increase in child marriage rates from 13% in pre-conflict Syria to 41%. Using the causal continuum framework, the retrospective cross-sectional study’s purpose was to examine whether there is a statistically significant association between adverse maternal and birth health outcomes among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and social determinants of health. The sample size drawn from UNHCR database included 48,083 maternal and 4,288 neonatal refugees admitted to the secondary health care in 2018. Pearson chi-square and binomial logistic regression results showed that employed, newcomers mothers …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status And Ethnicity On Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients, Donald Garret Abshier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating respiratory condition that leads to significant medial and financial burdens. For many patients with COPD, multiple socioeconomic factors contribute to health disparities, including income, education, employment status, and race/ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of SES and race/ethnicity on COPD patients. For this cross-sectional study, using secondary data analysis, the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), which discusses five levels of influence, was utilized. Data from over 3,222 participants aged 18 and over, living in Nevada were obtained from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study. …

Multimorbidity, Healthcare Processes, And Mortality Among Tb/Hiv Patients Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Uganda, Abel Nkolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, Uganda is one of the 30 tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) high burden countries with high antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage, yet mortality is still high among TB/HIV patients on ART. The reasons for the high mortality have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between multimorbidity, age, sex, marital status, phase of TB treatment, timing of initiation for ART, and type of TB and mortality among TB/HIV patients on ART in Uganda. The health outcomes conceptual framework with 3 domains that directly or indirectly affect the outcome domain was used …

Psychosocial Support During Pregnancy: A Narrative Inquiry Of Low-Income Unmarried Women In Iowa, Summer D. Parrott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pregnant women who experience high levels of stress and who lack support are at higher risk for negative birth outcomes for themselves and their offspring including preterm labor, low birthweights, and a myriad of other short- and long-term health and behavioral consequences across the lifespan of the child. Unmarried or socioeconomically disadvantaged women lack the most common resources used to protect against the negative effects of stress during pregnancy. A research gap existed regarding the specific types of psychosocial support perceived by low-income unmarried women to be most beneficial at buffering their perceived prenatal stress. The ecological model and the …

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 …

Mental Health Literacy Among Rural And Urban Young Adults In Zambia, Etta Y. Mwambwa-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Misconceptions that negatively influence attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are still prevalent in Zambia. Researchers have reported that young adults are the most impacted population for mental disorders in Zambia. Researchers have also highlighted mental health literacy (MHL) as a useful strategy for influencing positive attitudes and beliefs about mental disorders. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between levels of MHL and attitudes and beliefs about mental illness and health-seeking behaviors of Zambian young adults aged 18 to 24. The study used the health belief theoretical model. A MHL questionnaire was used to …

Why African American Men Diagnosed With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Continue To Smoke, Vashonda Laniece Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to explore why some African American men diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue smoking following their diagnosis. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) guided the development of this research. The research questions were developed to understand the attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control that influence their continuing or quitting smoking based on the TPB model. The study’s research method was qualitative. A pilot study, using the same criteria as the main study, confirmed the reliability of the interview guide. Participants were informed about the study …

Sociodemographic Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, And Teenage Pregnancy Outcomes In Guyana, Karen Roslyn Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy, a global phenomenon is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, owing to the mother’s individual factors, location, education attainment, and service accessibility. Globally, 16 million babies are born to teenage mothers annually. In Guyana, there is a paucity of information on factors associated with teenage pregnancy rate which stands at 74 per 1,000, and its outcomes. Archived data from the 2014 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 5 (MICS5) was used to identify and examine relationships between the sociodemographic, socio-economic factors, and teenage pregnancy outcomes in Guyana. This quantitative cross-sectional review approach guided by the Bronfenbrenner theoretical framework analyzed data …