Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Non-Clinical Risk Factors Of Hysterectomy, Chung-Won Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, hysterectomy is one of the most commonly performed operations for women that is not related with pregnancy. However, not enough attention has been paid to how women's exposure to the surgery differs according to their social characteristics as well attitudinal/behavioral factors. Using cohort data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Mature Women, this study investigated two aspects: (1) the association between socioeconomic status and hysterectomy and (2) the impact of women's attitudinal/behavioral characteristics on hysterectomy. With Cox proportional hazards analyses, this study found that women's exposure to hysterectomy significantly differs according to their social and attitudinal …

Predicting Marital Discord And Depression In Early Head Start Mothers: A Step Toward Marriage And Family Therapy Collaboration, Wade Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) recently sponsored Head Start-Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program partnerships. MFT programs can begin building similarly successful collaborative partnerships with Early Head Start (EHS) programs through using all or portions of this research study. This study has been dedicated to describing the occurrence, co-occurrence, and predictive characteristics of marital discord and depression in families served by EHS programs. This identification of at-risk families can then be used to bolster existing treatment efforts, develop new maritally based interventions, and facilitate increased referrals.

Marital discord and depression are two often interrelated problems EHS …

The Use Of Therapeutic Rituals In Substance Abuse Treatment, Becky L. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the use of rituals in substance abuse counseling. Data were obtained from a total of 25 mental health workers in the substance abuse field from the northern region of Utah. Four research questions were asked about rituals and their use in substance abuse counseling: (1) Are addictions therapists using rituals? (2) How did therapists determine when to use rituals? (3) What types of rituals do they use? and (4) How do therapists assess ritual effectiveness? Results indicated that about three fourths of the mental health workers questioned were using rituals in their treatment protocol with substance abuse …

An Impact Study Of The Youth And Families With Promise Mentoring Program On Parent And Family Outcomes, Janet H. Cox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the effects of the Youth and Families with Promise mentoring program on family relationships; specifically, whether aspects of the youth's relationship with parents and siblings changed while he/she was involved in the mentoring program, and whether parent functioning and behavior became more effective and positive. Family systems theory and the social systems model of family stress provided the theoretical frameworks for the analysis.

Several aspects of the mentoring relationship were examined to understand their impact on family outcomes. These factors included the intensity of the mentoring experience, family involvement in program activities, and the unique aspects of …

Female Adolescent Role Models And Body Image, Tracy L. Funk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study primarily examined the relationship between role model choices and body image of female adolescents. More specifically this study sought to examine the relationship between the reasons that adolescent females give for choosing a role model and body image. Because body image dissatisfaction has been found to be associated with self-esteem and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, these variables also were investigated. Body image was examined by using two measures of the body image construct· the Figure Rating Scale and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Both were used in order to capture a greater portion …

Religious Activity And Mortality In The Elderly: The Cache County Study, Andrea D. Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

No study, to date, has systematically examined the interplay of social contact, depression, functional disability, and cardiovascular health when examining the relation between religious activity and all -cause mortality. This study used Cox regression models as well as a series of structural equation models to elucidate these relations and resultant mortality over a 5-year period. This sample included 3,607 persons, age 65 and older, who participated in the Cache County Study on Memory in Aging, and who were not demented. Results indicate that when using Cox regression modeling, after controlling for other variables related to mortality, both religious activity and …

Therapeutic Benefits Of A Wilderness Therapy Program And A Therapeutic Community Program For Troubled Adolescents, Kreg J. Edgmon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wilderness therapy is increasingly seen as a viable treatment alternative for troubled youth, yet there is a noticeable dearth of research comparing the effectiveness of wilderness therapy with more traditional treatment programs. To help address this research need, this study conducted an exploratory analysis of the therapeutic benefits of a wilderness therapy program, Wilderness Quest (WQ), compared to a therapeutic community program, Life-Line (LL). The WQ and LL programs both are based on a 12- step recovery philosophy and emphasize the integral role of the family in adolescent treatment.

The study employed a qualitative methodology, beginning with an extended period …

Use And Implications Of Bovinesomatotropin For The Wisconsin Dairy Sector In The 1990s, B. Barham, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Moon

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Seven years have passed since the U.S. government approved the commercial use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a synthetic relative of a naturally-occurring growth hormone that stimulates milk production in cows. Prior to approval, national controversy over rBST, more popularly known as BGH (bovine growth hormone), raged for almost a decade (Barham, 1996). Opponents and proponents alike envisioned rBST as a juggernaut technology, one that would change the dairy industry in dramatic ways, first and foremost by substantially raising herd productivity and overall milk production and then perhaps by driving away consumers from dairy products. With these concerns in mind, …

The Roles Of Womenon Wisconsin Dairy Farms At The Turn Of The 21st Century, J. Vogt, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, M. Ostrom, S. Lezberg

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nurturing Thenext Generation Of Wisconsin’S Dairy Farmers, B. Barham, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Stevenson, J. Taylor

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

A strong dairy economy has both economic and social benefits for Wisconsin. While support for beginning dairy farmers is not the only way to sustain and increase dairy productivity, it is an important strategy that can renew the dairy industry with new farmers. There are many challenges in attracting new people to the dairy business. New dairy farmers often face high start-up costs for land, equipment, and facilities. Volatile milk prices, long hours, and hard work reduce the appeal of a career in dairy farming. In the 1990s, prospective dairy farmers could readily find off-farm jobs that often paid better …

Smart Growth And Wisconsin Agriculture, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Relatively low and volatile agricultural commodity prices have placed increasing pressure on the state’s farm sector in the 1990s. At the same time, an unusually robust non-farm economy has generated significant demand for rural housing and recreational land development. The result has been a dramatic acceleration in the rate of farmland conversion to non- farm uses over the last 15 years. Non-farm growth pressures have affected many other aspects of Wisconsin’s urban and rural landscape as well. To help communities grapple with these new challenges, the state legislature passed a new “Smart Growth” law in the fall of 1999 (1999 …