Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hiv Risk-Reduction In Nonmarital Sexual Behavior Among Young Maldivian Males, Mohamed Elmunir Ahmed Safieldin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low HIV prevalence in Maldives coupled with low HIV comprehensive knowledge presents a challenge to the consistency of the hypothesized HIV knowledge-prevention paradigm. Researchers had not explained why HIV prevalence in Maldives is low despite the low levels of HIV knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate factors beyond HIV knowledge that contribute to the low HIV prevalence among Maldivian male youth. The research questions focused on the risk-reduction factors in the nonmarital sexual behavior of young Maldivian males that contribute to protecting them from contracting HIV and the predictors of safe and unsafe nonmarital …

Service Delivery Agents' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Panhandling Policy In Virginia, Nancy Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Panhandling (also called begging and mendicancy) has been a problem for lawmakers. Although current crime control measures (based on the broken windows theory) have identified a perceived link between disorders (i.e., panhandling) and crime, previous attempts to ban panhandling were deemed unconstitutional. The purpose of this work was to investigate the impact of the latest attempt to curb panhandling in Hampton Roads, Virginia, known as the Public Education Campaign. This phenomenological inquiry examined the perceptions and work-related experiences of service delivery agents to explore the impact of the panhandling policy on panhandling and policy enforcement. Purposive sampling was used to …

Egyptian Diaspora Explains The Meaning Of Its Political Engagement In Washington, Dc, Sameh Hasan Elnaggar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Available literature showed that the Egyptian diaspora (e.g., emigrants who share a common situations and work for the same cause) has been developing and engaging politically in the United States during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The diasporas’ role was of interest to researchers and policymakers; however, the literature concerning diasporas has underexamined the Egyptian diaspora regarding its proliferation and active political engagement. Using the conflict and climate theories of Truman, and Cigler and Loomis in conjunction with the political engagement factors theory of Jang as the theoretical foundation of the study, the purpose was to explore how members of the …

An Analysis Of Junior Enlisted Personnel Attrition In The U.S. Army, Posey Grier, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Junior enlisted personnel are the workforce of the U.S. Army and a recruiting pool for Warrant and Officer Candidate School training programs. Before fulfilling their initial obligation of 8 years, 25 to 30 percent of enlistees receive separation orders from the Army. Consequently, attrition in this group has created a substantial problem in maintaining a trained and ready Army. The purpose of this correlational study was to understand what factors contribute to unfilled service of enlisted personnel. Specifically, this study focused on the number of years of service before departure, the cause of the early separations, and the subcategories as …

Role Of Spiritual Intelligence In Public Policy In The African American Pentecostal Church, James B. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although many U.S. faith-based organizations have become partners to the government, the African American Pentecostal Church (AAPC), which holds spirituality as a means of serving humanity as its theological framework, has remained a silent partner in public policy engagement. With the framework of spiritual intelligence, this qualitative case study addressed the perceptions of African American Pentecostal leaders regarding how the church’s theology may have an impact on the public policy engagement of its parishioners. Twelve African American Pentecostal Bishops were interviewed, and data were coded and analyzed to identify themes. Results revealed that participants use their spirituality to connect with …

African American Sibling Relationships When Caring For An Alzheimer’S Parent, Cynthia M. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most commonly occurring form of dementia that affects African Americans at 2 to 3 times higher rate than other ethnic or racial groups in the United States. As the number of older African Americans with AD grows rapidly so will the need for daily supports; therefore, informal caregivers, such as an adult offspring, often assume the role of filial caregiver. Focusing on the unique patterns of caregiving among African Americans, this generic qualitative study may help explain the adult offspring’s perspective on sibling relationships as they function in the role of primary filial caregiver. Equity …

Policy Diffusion Assistance In The Amelioration Of Homelessness On The Island Of O`Ahu, Hawai`I, Anita Tanner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of homelessness is one that many cities and states in the United States have to contend with; however, the issue of homelessness on an island can be even more difficult to find viable solutions. The homeless problem on the island of O`ahu is one that affects not only residents but also tourists. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to reveal the perceptions of policy makers on the island of O`ahu, Hawai`i if diffusing public policy from Salt Lake City, Utah, would help ameliorate homelessness on the island. The theoretical framework was the diffusion theory and diffusions …

Partner-Objectification And Relationship Satisfaction In Gay Male Relationships, Kerry Sue Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Objectification theory explains how media-driven ideals can be internalized and lead to the development of eating disorders, poor body image, depression, anxiety, a desire to achieve a thin ideal, and lowered rates of relationship satisfaction. Research on objectification theory, until recently, has focused primarily on a female population and heterosexual couples. As nontraditional sexual identities have become more accepted in society, media influences have begun to impact other populations, including the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of these media-driven ideals on a gay male population and determine how objectification may …

Grievance Group Index, State Legitimacy Index, External Intervention Index, And Global Terrorism, Hassan Hmoud Elkatawneh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to obtain a more accurate diagnosis of the factors that incite terrorism through examining the extent to which independent variables (the Group Grievance Index (GGI), the Legitimate State Index (LSI), and the External Intervention Index (EII)) can predict the dependent variable (the level of global terrorism (GTI)) for the period between 2006-2017. The study included data from the 162 member states of the United Nations, covering 99.7% of the world's population. Game theory and the political process theory provided the theoretical frameworks for the study. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to …

Experience Of Resilience Among African American Women Who Left Abusive Relationships, Audrey L. French

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of DV for AA women is higher than other groups and often more severe; however, some AA women are successful in leaving the violence for good. Researchers continue to examine how victims move beyond their former life and into an abuse free environment by directing more attention on positive dynamics of victims of DV. One area is the study of resilience; however, little is known about the lived experience of resilience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of resilience in AA women who successfully abandoned an abusive relationship. The interview questions were …

Employer Perceptions When Applying Criminal History Information To The Hiring Process, Karen S. Levy Mccanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, the state of Illinois has joined the "ban the box" movement which typically prohibits employers from inquiring about a prospective employee's criminal history until it has been determined whether the candidate meets the core qualifications for the position. Little, however, is known whether this legislative change has impacted how private employers use criminal history information and to what extent knowledge of criminal history impacts final hiring decisions. Using Kingdon's policy streams concept as a guide, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to understand whether implementation of "ban the box" principles impacts final hiring decisions. Data …

Foster Care Workers' Roles In Developing Resiliency In Foster Children, Linda Ann Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maltreated children are at risk for placement disruption, mental health and substance issues, delinquent behaviors, and poverty issues. When children in foster care experience these risks, they decrease the likelihood of leaving foster care successfully. Resiliency is a critical component in increasing positive outcomes for foster children despite these risk factors. The purpose of this action research was to understand the role foster care workers have in developing resiliency in foster children. The theory of attachment and resiliency provided the conceptual framework for the study. Two focus groups were used to collect data from 5 foster care social workers in …

Financial Accountability In U.S. Nonprofit Organizations, Evangeline Asafor Ngwashi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial accountability is a pressing issue in United States NPOs because there is a demand, by donors and the public they serve, to implement clear accountability practices. The purpose of this study was to explore and document the financial oversight and accountability policies and procedures that successful NPOs employ to maintain clear financial accountability practices. The theoretical framework underlining this qualitative phenomenological study was a combination of social construction theory and institutional rational choice theory. The research question was focused on understanding essential financial oversight and accountability policies and procedures that should be designed for NPOs to create and maintain …

Relationship Between Spirituality And Perceived Social Support With Success In Alcoholics Anonymous, Mala Sita Hosmane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure in treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) leads to continued addiction, but practitioners need to learn which factors predict better outcomes in AA to make better referrals. Here, the predictive relationship between spirituality and perceived social support with success in AA was examined based on Frankl's theory on meaning in life. A quantitative, correlational design was used to determine whether there was a statistically significant predictive relationship between spirituality, as measured by the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments, and perceived social support, as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, with success in AA, as measured by …

A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Hand-Hygiene Standards In An Intensive Care Unit, Lyndon Augustine, Walter Mccollum, Richard Brown, Phoenix Mourning-Star

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that occur in patients during their time of care in a hospital. Considerable emphasis is currently placed on reducing HAIs through improving hand-hygiene (HH) compliance among healthcare professionals because HAIs are a critical challenge to public health in the United States. By focusing on meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HH standards, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how noncompliance with these standards and lack of technology usage affect HAIs in the intensive care unit. Additionally, the goal of this research was to explore behavioral factors and best practices that influence …

Impact Of Ehr Technology Implementation On Physicians' Job Satisfaction, Navneet Kaur Bajwa, Harjot Singh, Kalyan Kumar De

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The concept of an electronic health record (EHR) has been the solicitous subject of researchers’ discussion in recent times. The impact that a successful implementation of EHRs can have on physicians cannot be overstated. Factors which are critical to successful implementation of EHR systems are commonly known as crucial technology implementation factors (CTIFs). The present study investigates the CTIFs of EHR systems and also their impact on physicians’ job satisfaction and characteristics in North Indian multispecialty hospitals. The questionnaire has been distributed to physicians of 12 hospitals that have been using EHR technology. It has been concluded that five CTIFs—organizational …

Best Practice Suicide Screening/Assessment Tools For The Emergency Department, Katheryn M. Spirito

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) often suffer from more than physical ailments when seeking care and treatment. Some of these patients have emotional ailments and suicidal ideation when they come to the local ED. The lack of recognition of at-risk patients by health care providers can lead to poor patient outcomes and death. The focus of this project was to understand which valid and reliable suicide assessment tools described in the literature were considered the best evidence-based instruments to identify ED patients who were at risk for suicide. Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations guided this project. A systematic …

The Relationship Between Methods Of Calculating The Ahi And Daytime Sleepiness, Severity Of Sleep Apnea, And Cpap Pressure Settings, Kathryn J. Kane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sleep apnea impacts one's mental and physical health, and has social consequences which affect all of society. Not only is there is a weak correlation between the severity of sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness as reported on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), but there is also a weak correlation between the severity of sleep apnea and prescribed treatment as indicated by 95th percentile pressure on a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This poses difficulty for providers as well as patients throughout screening and treatment. The purpose of this study was to use a biopsychosocial approach to perform a within-subjects …

Hiring Individuals With Ambulatory Disabilities: An Employer's Perspective, Lindsay Aslan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Statistics show that approximately 30.6 million individuals in the United States had an ambulatory disability (AD), the most prevalent disability in the country. In 2010, 17.5% of the disabled population was employed, and only 5% of that employed population had an AD. The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand the decision-making process of small businesses owners in New Jersey when deciding on whether to hire those with AD. Ajzen's theory of planned behavior was utilized in this study to make predictions and explain why individuals engage in a behavior. Interviews were conducted with 16 participants and 22 …

Adhd And Self-Regulation In The Workplace, Kristine Lynne Barnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed during childhood can continue into adulthood, but most research on the topic has been done on children and adolescents. This research focus has thus often left out the population of adults with this disorder. In particular, there is little research on the role that self-regulation plays in the lives of adults on several life domains, especially in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the role that self-regulation plays in the occupational functioning of adults with ADHD. Self-regulation theory provided the tenets that were used to examine how adults with ADHD …

Physical Activity, Healthcare Use, And Medication Use In Diabetes Patients, Julie Kwon Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical Activity, Healthcare Use, and Medication Use in Diabetes Patients

by

Julie Kwon Evans

MS, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2013

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

November 2019

Race As A Predictor Of Recidivism Risk: An Epidemiological Analysis, Femi Folorunsho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prisoner recidivism is a problem of great social importance, as recidivism represents a failure of the rehabilitative goal of incarceration. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of accurate estimates of race as a predictor of recidivism risk in the United States, after taking demographics and criminal variables into account. Applying the life-course theory of recidivism, the purpose of this archival, epidemiological study was to calculate whether recidivism risk varied based on race, across different seriousness levels of commitment offense and number of prior arrests, among a sample of male federal prisoners released from custody. A Cox proportional …

Career Pathway And Leadership Attributes Of Academic Administrators At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dyanne Mitchell-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic administrators at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are faced with multiple challenges regarding retention of students, funding, and maintaining status as an HBCU, yet little is understood about how and why leaders choose a particular career pathway. This lack of understanding creates opportunities for failure related to turnover in leadership, funding discrepancies, and lower rates of retention and persistence for students. Using Maslow's needs theory as the foundation, the purpose of this descriptive study was to better understand the career pathways of established executive level leaders atin HBCUs in order to determine attributes of success among leaders with …

Factors Influencing Success In Day Treatment Programs For Children Ages 5 To 10, Leah Morken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improving the success rates of children in mental health treatment is an important step to bettering lives. Day treatment programs are intermediate level treatment modalities that help children who are struggling with their mental health. Success rates differ for children in day treatment programs and several studies have been done evaluating various factors. This research addressed whether a child who had been exposed to trauma showed as much success in a program as a child that had not been exposed to trauma. Other variables were to determine if children have different levels of success based on their diagnosis. The study …

Wellness Paradigms In Predicting Stress And Burnout Among Beginning Expatriate Teachers, Kimala Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that the current teacher shortage is in part due to stress and burnout. A topic that has not been examined is beginning expatriate English medium teachers (EMTs) with 5 years or less of teaching experience in the United Arab Emirates and the relationship between using individualized, self-initiated wellness paradigms and stress, job burnout, and intent to leave the teaching profession. The transactional model of stress and coping, Maslach's multidimensional theory of burnout, and the health promotion model were used to evaluate the moderating effects of the EMTs' burnout and stress levels on their wellness and intent to leave. …

Probabilistic Algorithms, Lean Methodology Techniques, And Cell Optimization Results, Michael Mccurrey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a significant technology deficiency within the U.S. manufacturing industry compared to other countries. To adequately compete in the global market, lean manufacturing organizations in the United States need to look beyond their traditional methods of evaluating their processes to optimize their assembly cells for efficiency. Utilizing the task-technology fit theory this quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among software using probabilistic algorithms, lean methodology techniques, and manufacturer cell optimization results. Participants consisted of individuals performing the role of the systems analyst within a manufacturing organization using lean methodologies in the Southwestern United States. Data were collected from 118 …

Meanings Of Preconception Health To Overweight Women In An Economically Depressed County, Valeria Ninette Balogh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention-behavior gap between receiving professional health information and transitioning to improved health behaviors prior to conception is not well understood. In order to improve preconception health across the board, a more integrative understanding of the problem must present itself. This study combined elements from the theory of planned behavior, self-determination theory, and the bioecological model of human development as it's foundation. Qualitative phenomenology and semistructured face-to-face interviews were used to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which nine overweight and obese women described preconception intentions and beliefs and the bioecological experiences leading to those beliefs. Interpretation of …

Lived Experiences Of African American Involved With An Incarcerated Intimate Partner, Sharon V. Alston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) accumulates annual data from state department of corrections. The information that the BJS accumulates annually is relevant to this study because it shows the possibility of the many African American women as well as other women in need of assistance while their loved one is incarcerated. The purpose of this study was to explore lived experiences of African American women involved with an incarcerated spouse, partner, or mate. The focal point of interest was how lived experiences affect African American women's physical and psychological well-being. The theoretical framework for this study comprised both the …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Perceived Social Support Among Virtual Workers, Shanna Csikortos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated whether the percentage of time that weekly employees spend in virtual workspaces is related to job satisfaction (JS), organizational commitment (OC), perceived supervisor support (PSS) and perceived coworker support (PCS). One hundred thirty-five virtual workers employed by 1 of 5 large, privately owned companies reported the percentage of their work time spent performing virtual work and completed 4 instruments to measure JS, OC, PSS, and PCS. Data were analyzed using multivariate linear regression, multivariate multiple regression, and multivariate analysis of variance. Results showed that virtual workers who spent 75% or more of their time engaged in virtual …

Peer Taught Sex Education's Influence On Adolescent Sexual Decisions And Hookups, Sarah Kathleen Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Teen Prevention Education Program (PEP) utilizes different methods, mainly peer teaching via skits and small groups, to help influence adolescents to make informed sexual decisions. The purpose of this study is to find how Teen PEP can have an effect on an adolescent's decision on whether to or not hookup. This study utilized interviews with participants of the program asking them about their views on hooking up and how they view how Teen PEP aided in their decision-making whether to or not hook up. While transcribing the interviews and looking for keywords related to the research questions, the analysis …