Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“Applied” Aspects Of The Drug Resistance Strategies Project, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This paper discusses the applied aspects of our Drug Resistance Strategies Project. We argue that a new definitional distinction is needed to expand the notion of “applied” from the traditional notion of utilizing theory, which we call “applied.1”, in order to consider theory-grounded, theory testing and theory developing applied research. We label this new definition “applied.2” research. We then explain that our descriptive work describing the social processes of adolescent substance use, identity and use, and drug norms, as well as the subsequent development and dissemination of our keepin’ it REAL middle school substance use curriculum are examples of “applied.1” …

Computerized Provider Order Entry Implementation: Provider And Hospital Leadership Impacts On Success, Elizabeth J. Walker

Theses and Graduate Projects

Healthcare organizations are consistently exhausting efforts to improve their patient safety standards and outcomes, especially those that are regulated by federal and state agencies. Many healthcare organizations have chosen to implement an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to facilitate better decision-making and faster tumaround for providers, thus improving patient safety. The EHR allows providers to manage patient care with the help of decision support functions, and with greater accessibility to the patient's information. One of the components of an EHR is the application of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE). Although the benefits to both providers and patients have shown to be …

Prevention With Positives: How Do We Reach Them In The Community?, Avina Sarna, Jerry Okal, Stanley Luchters, Nzioki King'ola, Scott Geibel

HIV and AIDS

In the past, HIV prevention efforts have focused primarily on developing risk-reduction interventions for those presumed to be HIV-negative and therefore at risk of becoming infected with HIV. In recognition of the need for prevention among people living with HIV (PLHIV), programs have been initiated in Africa, but primarily in clinical settings for those who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is little knowledge about how to reach those PLHIV not on ART, and therefore not in regular contact with the health system or with effective prevention messages. This diagnostic study aimed to address the gap in information on how …

Protecting Hope: Situation Analysis Of Vulnerable Children In Uganda 2009, Sam Kalibala, Lynne Elson

HIV and AIDS

The Government of Uganda has focused attention on the problem of orphaned and other vulnerable children through a number of policies, regulations, and initiatives. In 2004, the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development developed the National OVC Policy, aimed at improving the quality of life for poor and vulnerable children, such as children who have been orphaned, children who are living on the streets, children who are at risk of abuse, and children exposed to situations of armed conflict. However, despite the many efforts to improve the circumstances of vulnerable children in Uganda, policymakers, donors, and program managers still …

Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan

HIV and AIDS

RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.

Pepfar Special Initiative On Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Baseline Report, Lynne Elson, Jill Keesbury

HIV and AIDS

The PEPFAR Special Initiative on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence aims to strengthen services for survivors of sexual violence (SV) though the implementation of a comprehensive model of care in participating PEPFAR partner facilities. This baseline report examines project sites in Uganda and Rwanda and suggests strengthening health services involving training, community and provider awareness and attitudes.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Reducing Hiv-Related Stigma, Horizons Studies 2000 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss, Lisanne Brown, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Access To Antiretroviral Therapy For Hiv Infected Adults And Children In Developing Countries: Horizons Studies, 2002 To 2008, Avina Sarna, Scott E. Kellerman

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Promoting Gender Equity To Fight Hiv, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Implementing Pmtct Programs In Resource-Constrained Settings, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Carolyn Baek, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Improving The Lives Of Orphans And Other Children Affected By Aids, Horizons Studies 1998 To 2007, Katie D. Schenk, Annie P. Michaelis, Tobey C. Nelson, Lisanne Brown, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Comparison Of Affective Analgesia And Conditioned Place Preference Following Cholinergic Activation Of, Elena Schifirnet

Wayne State University Dissertations

Activation of the dopaminergic mesolimbic reward circuitry that originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is postulated to preferentially suppress affective reactions to noxious stimuli (affective analgesia, AA). VTA dopamine neurons are activated via cholinergic inputs, and we have observed that microinjections of the acetylcholine agonist carbachol suppressed vocalizations of rats that occur following administration of brief (1 sec) tail-shocks (vocalization afterdischarges = VAD). VADs are a validated rodent model of pain affect. In addition, the capacity of carbachol to support reinforcement appears to be regionally dependent within VTA. Ikemoto and Wise (2002) reported that carbachol was self-administered in the …

Stigma Reduction Techniques/Campaigns For Practitioners In A Rural Community Mental Health Practice, Becky Mensing

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to systematically review the literature on the negative effects of stigma on the therapy seeking clients of rural mental health centers. Also to provide information on anti-stigma campaign efforts. The goal of anti-stigma programs are to create awareness about how stigma affects people with mental illnesses, and to have participants develop a sense of what it means to walk in the shoes of a person with mental illness (Corrigan, 2004, p. 19). The research question was how do we help people from being victimized by the prejudice and discrimination that arises from stigma?

Who Shares? Managerial Knowledge Transfer Practices In British Columbia's Ministry Of Health Services, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Lock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The British Columbia government's Ministry of Health Services will experience significant loss of operational knowledge from an aging managerial workforce, increased staff turnover, and difficulties in recruitment. The purpose of this study is to provide the ministry's Strategic Human Resources Planning branch staff with a map and description of knowledge transfer practices used by approximately 40 managers within the ministry's Health Sector Information Management/Information Technology division and its Vital Statistics Agency. The study is a mixed-methods case study of knowledge retention and transfer practices founded on a knowledge management and social network theoretical foundation. To understand the ministry's complex nature …

National Survey On Equine Assisted Therapy: An Exploratory Study Of Current Practitioners And Programs, Patricia J. Mcconnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP), a new field in psychology, is an alternative method of therapy that uses horses to facilitate therapeutic outcomes. There is minimal peer reviewed literature and few published studies examining efficacy. The conceptual lens of this study was grounded theory, as there is insufficient evidence of theoretical frame-works guiding equine assisted therapy. The purpose of this exploratory concurrent mixed methods study was to examine the theoretical foundation of practitioners; program make up; client populations; efficacy of program; and why the horse serves as the therapeutic catalyst of this model. A 43-item survey was sent to 800 programs, …

A "Pawsitive" Influence Of Animals In Long-Term Care Facilities: Animal-Assisted Therapy At St. Peter Regional Treatment Center, Hannah L. Winkler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The St. Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC) provides secure, residential, multi-disciplinary treatment services, including psychosocial rehabilitation and skill enhancement, to individuals civilly committed as Mental Ill and Dangerous by the State of Minnesota. Since the treatment process is so comprehensive at SPRTC, patients may spend several years receiving in-patient treatment.

Since SPRTC does not currently have an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program, the purpose of this project was to research existing AAT programs being implemented with similar patient populations as a way to inform SPRTC staff of possible programs they could implement on their campus. The overall goal of this project …

Tobacco-Free Prison Policies And Health Outcomes Among Inmates, Alison R. Connell

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study was the first to examine the effect of tobacco policies in prisons on the health of inmates. Kentucky has two types of tobacco policies in its 16 state prisons: indoor smoke-free policies, where smoking is allowed outdoors and tobacco-free policies, in which no tobacco of any kind is allowed on the grounds of the prison. The smoking rate of inmates is three times higher than that of current smokers in the non-incarcerated population which results in high rates of tobacco-related health conditions such as heart disease and lung cancer.

A literature review discussed the evolution of tobacco policies …

Essays On Human Capital, Health Capital, And The Labor Market, Charles Hokayem

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays concerning the effects of human capital and health capital on the labor market. Chapter 1 presents a structural model that incorporates a health capital stock to the traditional learning-by-doing model. The model allows health to affect future wages by interrupting current labor supply and on-the-job human capital accumulation. Using data on sick time from the Panel Study Income of Dynamics the model is estimated using a nonlinear Generalized Method of Moments estimator. The results show human capital production exhibits diminishing returns. Health capital production increases with the current stock of health capital, or better …

Screen Door Medicine: The Informal Medical Consultation, Debra Faith Nickell

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the phenomenon of the informal medical consultation, a communication event in which an individual asks for medical information, advice, or care from an off-duty health professional with whom the individual has no formal patient-provider relationship. Using surveys and interviews, the study describes these consultations from the perspective of the health care professional and the informal patient. The study explores foundational theories that offer explanations for the phenomenon. The theories considered include social support, decision-making, social exchange, perceived partner responsiveness to needs, and uncertainty management.

This study suggests health care providers perceive informal medical consultations to be more …

Social Categories And Health Care Outcomes: African American Women And Hiv Survival In The Urban South, Alyson J. O'Daniel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This ethnographic research examines the daily life and institutional conditions under which low-income Black women in urban North Carolina perceived and attended to HIV health-related needs. I focus specifically on the interplay among women’s living conditions, programmatic service needs, and their strategies for navigating the local system of care to explore and refine the categorical label “low income.” I found that there were significant differences among study participants in terms of their monthly incomes and financial resources, housing quality and status, and personal experiences with incarceration and substance abuse. The economic differences among women translated into social differences within the …

The Effects Of Gestalt And Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Group Interventions On The Assertiveness And Self-Esteem Of Women With Physical Disabilities Facing Abuse, Cilene Susan Adam Rita

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differential effects of Gestalt and Cognitive-Behavioral group therapy interventions on assertiveness and self-esteem among women with physical disabilities facing abuse. The eleven women, who met the study criteria, were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions, Gestalt Therapy (GT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group interventions. The Demographic Questionnaire (Adam Rita, 2009) documented personal characteristics of the participants. The criterion instruments were: a) RAS (Rathus, 1973), and b) CFSEI-2 (Form AD, Battle, 1992) measuring assertiveness and self-esteem respectively and were administered pre-and-post treatment. The research was conducted over a period of …

From Infanticide To Activism: The Transformation Of Emotions And Identity In Self-Help Movements, Verta Taylor, Lisa A. Leitz

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Taylor and Leitz trace processes of collective identity construction and politicization among women suffering from postpartum psychiatric illness who have been convicted of infanticide. Joining a growing body of research suggesting that self‐help and consumer health movements can be a significant force for change in both the cultural and political arenas, Taylor and Lietz examine one such movement, a pen‐pal network of women incarcerated for committing infanticide. Taylor and Leitz show how a sense of collective identity fostered by the pen‐pal network triggered a profound emotional transformation in participants, allowing them to convert shame and loneliness into pride and solidarity, …

More Than Just Openness: Developing And Validating A Measure Of Targeted Parent-Child Communication About Alcohol, Michelle Miller-Day, Jennifer A. Kam

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research addressing parent-child communication on the topic of alcohol use relies heavily on assessing frequency of discussions and general assessments of openness in parent-child communication, ignoring the complexity of this communication phenomenon. This study adds to the literature by articulating a conceptualization and developing a measurement of parent-child communication—targeted parent-child communication about alcohol—and comparing the efficacy of targeted parent-child communication about alcohol in predicting positive expectancies of alcohol use and recent alcohol use. The predictive power of general openness in parent-child communication and frequency of communication about alcohol also were assessed. Students in 5th and 6th grade (N = 1407) …

Virtual Environments And Sensory Integration: Effects Of Aging And Stroke, Nicoleta L. Bugnariu, Joyce Fung

All Faculty Scholarship

Research was carried out on the effects of aging and sensory motor defi cits following strokes with respect to the capacity of the central nervous system to resolve sensory confl icts created by Virtual Reality (VR). The results of this research demonstrate that VR can be a valuable tool for therapeutic interventions that require an adaptation to complex, multimodal environments. The rehabilitation protocols include balancing training in virtual environments.

Les études qui ont été menées sur les effets du vieillissement et des défi cits sensori-moteurs consé-cutivement aux accidents vasculaires cérébraux concernent la capacité du système nerveux cen-tral à résoudre les …

Effect Of Dai Training On Maternal And Neonatal Care: An Operations Research Study, Peter C. Miller, Gul Rashida, Abdul Wajid, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Mahmood, Minhaj Ul Haque

Reproductive Health

This study examines the use of training traditional birth attendants, or "dais" as they are known in Pakistan, to reduce maternal mortality. By training dais to adopt safer routine delivery, newborn care practices, and recognize and refer in case of emergencies, dais can improve maternal and neonatal health. While one group of women met with specially trained dais who received Safe Motherhood Applied Research Training (SMART), a control group met with dais who offered health services only. The objectives of this evaluation were to determine whether dais substantially improved their performance after attending the "SMART dai" training course, to determine …

Increasing Complete Immunization In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the current rate of compliance for recommended schedules of child immunization, identify the barriers and factors facilitating the uptake of full immunization, and identify behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate adoption of this practice. This policy brief identifies a number of barriers to immunization: low risk perception, lack of faith in vaccines, lack of knowledge about vaccines, fear of side effects, lack of family support, and lack of knowledge about location and type of services available. The brief also identifies several facilitating factors and …

Increasing Institutional Delivery And Access To Emergency Obstetric Care Services In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative in rural Uttar Pradesh (UP), India to determine the impact of the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme on the current status of institutional delivery in the region, to understand the facilitating factors and barriers in delivering in a health facility, and to identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of institutional delivery. JSY was launched as an intervention to address the barriers to institutional delivery, through the introduction of community-based women volunteers. The study shows that with the introduction of the JSY the rate of institutional delivery jumped …

Referral Mechanism Improves Uptake Of Art Services For Hiv+ Fp Clients, Population Council

Reproductive Health

An operations research intervention by the Population Council in Kenya aimed to design a referral framework for linking HIV‐positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities. The project also assessed the acceptability and effectiveness in increasing the number of eligible HIV‐positive FP clients receiving HIV care and treatment services. This summary details the effort to improve the linkage between FP services and comprehensive care centers that led to a dramatic increase in the proportions of HIV-positive clients in FP clinics who go on to receive HIV/AIDS treatment and care services at the same facility. Recommendations …

Maternal And Neonatal Health Services In Sudan: Results Of A Situation Analysis, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Maha El-Rabbat

Reproductive Health

This project brief is based on the results of a situation analysis (SA) study that was done collaboratively by the Population Council and Sudan Ministry of Health (MOH) with funds from UNFPA, UNICEF, and Packard Foundation. The analysis showed an uneven distribution of reproductive health (RH) staff across Sudan, and nurses and nurse midwives are the key in RH services. There was also limited access to family planning services. Antenatal care was limited, and pregnant women in the study seldom received counseling on birth spacing or birth preparedness. Birth attendants also lacked adequate knowledge and skills. Emergency obstetric care was …

Factors Affecting Enrolment Of Plhiv Into Art Services In India, Avina Sarna, Damodar Bachani, Mary Philip Sebastian, Ruchi Sogarwal, Madhusudana Battala

HIV and AIDS

At the end of 2007, India had an estimated 2.31 million people living with HIV, and an HIV prevalence of 0.34 percent. Despite the low HIV prevalence, these statistics place India among countries with a large number of people living with HIV (PLHIV). To address the care and support needs of PLHIV, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, initiated a national program in 2004 to provide free antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV. By March 2009, there were 211 functioning Antiretroviral Treatment Centers and 254 Community Care Centers across the country, and to date 217,781 individuals are …