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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Decreasing Physical Inactivity Among Adolescents, Anthony W. Ware Jan 2022

Decreasing Physical Inactivity Among Adolescents, Anthony W. Ware

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescents in the United States have become complacent about being involved in an adequate amount of physical activity and consuming a healthy diet. This has led to adolescents having health issues such as overweight status and obesity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made recommendations for adolescents to maintain an adequate level of physical activity and to consume a healthy diet. In this study I hypothesized that students who were surveyed in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey who practiced both physical activity and healthy diet recommendations together would have a lower …


Developing Shared Leadership And Trust Within School-Community Partnerships Serving Concentrated Poverty Communities, Tatiana Wells Jan 2022

Developing Shared Leadership And Trust Within School-Community Partnerships Serving Concentrated Poverty Communities, Tatiana Wells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School-community partnerships are critical for children and families in concentrated poverty neighborhoods. This basic qualitative study aimed to understand the dual leadership roles that are inclusive of the school and community leaders’ collective voice for building trustworthy relationships and equitable leadership to support families and children from communities with high poverty concentrations. The conceptual framework included elements from transformative leadership theory, the family interagency collaboration model, and the Ubuntu philosophy of humanism. Four community-based leaders and four school leaders with at least 5 years of experience in an eastern U.S. state addressed the research questions by describing how they foster …


Childhood Anxiety And Roles Of Parents, Educators, And Pediatric Healthcare Providers In Addressing Protective Factors, Gabriela Zamora-Ahlstrom Jan 2022

Childhood Anxiety And Roles Of Parents, Educators, And Pediatric Healthcare Providers In Addressing Protective Factors, Gabriela Zamora-Ahlstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildhood anxiety affects over 32% of youth in the United States, and when left untreated, contributes to poor school performance, social difficulties, truancy, school dropout rates, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and family and community difficulties. Preventing childhood anxiety by implementing effective protective factors for children can eliminate many of these outcomes. Using the biopsychosocial theory and social work systems theories, this study involved exploring the beliefs and attitudes of parents, educators, and pediatric healthcare providers in an affluent suburban community of Detroit (Rochester/Rochester Hills, MI), regarding their roles in providing protective factors against childhood anxiety. A generic qualitative research design …


Perceptions Of Contraceptive Practice Among Arab American Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Linda Humaidan-Zayed Jan 2022

Perceptions Of Contraceptive Practice Among Arab American Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Linda Humaidan-Zayed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been limited research on Arab Americans as they are an unidentified minority population. The specific research problem addressed through this study is that there is little research pertaining to the role of intimate partner violence (IPV) in poor contraceptive practice among Arab Americans, contributing to the larger problem of unwanted pregnancies, reproductive coercion, and other aspects of reproductive health. The problem with a high prevalence rate of IPV among Arab American women is that they are more susceptible to becoming pregnant and not accessing the reproductive health services that they may need. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative …


The Experience Of Meditation And Healing In Practitioners Of The Wim Hof Method, Chad David Mckinney Jan 2022

The Experience Of Meditation And Healing In Practitioners Of The Wim Hof Method, Chad David Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice of meditation for the purpose of increasing mental clarity, health, and healing has grown steadily over the past 50 years or more. While meta-analyses and literature reviews of hundreds of studies have shown that individuals who meditate improve neuro-biopsychosocial functions and recover from illness, few studies have examined these benefits within specific systems of practice. This qualitative study explored the experience of meditation and healing in adults who have trained in the Wim Hof Method (WHM). Transpersonal psychology and placebo theory served as the conceptual framework of this research. Narrative analysis was used to guide data collection and …


Stories Of Adults Experiencing Overweight Or Obesity With Histories Of Childhood Adversities, Megan Propps Jan 2022

Stories Of Adults Experiencing Overweight Or Obesity With Histories Of Childhood Adversities, Megan Propps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half the population in and outside of the United States experience childhood adversity, which is associated with the risk of developing obesity and overweight problems across the life span. In the United States, overweight affects 73.6% of adults, obesity affects 42.5% of adults, and both are considered a major public health concern. With this qualitative study, 18 adults with early life adversities were explored as to how experience weight loss treatment within their primary care. This narrative inquiry was designed to answer the research questions intended to explore physical health, mental health, and socio-environmental aspects of their stories, …


Impact Of Exercise On Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents With Complex Trauma Living In Residential Treatment Centers, Candace Snodgrass Jan 2022

Impact Of Exercise On Depression And Anxiety In Adolescents With Complex Trauma Living In Residential Treatment Centers, Candace Snodgrass

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression and anxiety disorders are two of the most frequently reported mental healthproblems for adolescents entering Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs). Many adolescents in RTCs also have a higher rate of traumatic experiences than their peers. Traumatized children frequently develop mental illness disorders of depression and anxiety. Based on the theoretical foundations provided by attachment theory and social cognitive theory, this pilot study, using secondary data, observed the relationship between exercise participation, depression, trauma, and anxiety for 11 youth in an upper Midwest RTC. Adolescents with higher initial depression and anxiety scores tended to exercise less during RTC than those with …


African American Men’S Experiences With Reentry Programs With Employment And Wraparound Services, Trelles Evans Jan 2022

African American Men’S Experiences With Reentry Programs With Employment And Wraparound Services, Trelles Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed in this study is the high cost that communities pay when African American men returning home from prison do not receive proper resources to prepare them for returning to the community and then end up reincarcerated due to criminal behavior and violations of parole or probation. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the daily lived experiences of African American men between the ages of 30 and 50 who receive real-life transitional employment with wrap-around service opportunities through reentry programs. No research was found that explored the daily experiences of those individuals …


Teachers’ Attitudes Toward The Impact Inclusion Classrooms Have On Nondisabled Students’ Social, Emotional, And Academic Well-Being, Kristee Nicole Knouse Jan 2022

Teachers’ Attitudes Toward The Impact Inclusion Classrooms Have On Nondisabled Students’ Social, Emotional, And Academic Well-Being, Kristee Nicole Knouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusive educational settings were developed in the United States to help encourage and facilitate grade-level and appropriate social, emotional, and academic interactions for all students with the assistance of their teachers regardless of aptitude, skill, or disability. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward the impact inclusion classrooms have on the nondisabled students’ social, emotional, and academic well-being compared to students with special educational needs (SEN) and special education needs and disability (SEND) students. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior was used to guide the study to determine whether there is a relationship between the …


The Beliefs And Practices Of Black Single Mothers Who Promoted College Completion Among Their Offspring, Michelle Arlene Akere-Azeez Jan 2022

The Beliefs And Practices Of Black Single Mothers Who Promoted College Completion Among Their Offspring, Michelle Arlene Akere-Azeez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the number of single mothers among Blacks has steadily increased over time, with single motherhood being associated with a higher level of poverty and other social problems. Unfortunately, these adverse effects have led to a low rate of college completion among children of low-income Black single mothers, which has resulted in a cycle of generational poverty. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify the beliefs and practices of low-income Black single mothers who influenced successful college completion among their offspring. Data were collected using semi structured interviews of eight low-income Black single mothers …


The Correlation Between Laura’S Law And The Incarceration Of The Mentally Ill In A Southwestern State, Aaron Alarcon-Bowen Jan 2022

The Correlation Between Laura’S Law And The Incarceration Of The Mentally Ill In A Southwestern State, Aaron Alarcon-Bowen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assisted outpatient treatment and involuntary outpatient treatment laws refer to the power of the court system to order community-based treatment without hospitalization to individuals with a mental illness diagnosis. Studies have linked these laws to a decrease in the use of incarceration among this population. The effectiveness of the assisted outpatient treatment law in a Southwestern state, known as Laura’s Law, has not been studied. With a theoretical foundation based on the social contract and multiple streams analysis theories, a quantitative, casual, comparative study using an independent t test was centered on determining whether the mean numbers of incarcerated individuals …


Strategies That Weekly Print Newspapers Use In The Digital Age, Mia Alexander-Davis Jan 2022

Strategies That Weekly Print Newspapers Use In The Digital Age, Mia Alexander-Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The development of Web 2.0 transformed the distribution of information in the United States and challenged the print newspaper business model to develop an online presence. As a result, some weekly print newspaper managers were forced to develop digital strategies to maintain the viability of their organizations in a changing market. Grounded in Kotter’s change management model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies weekly print newspaper managers used to create an online presence. The data sources were semistructured interviews with three weekly print newspaper managers and publicly available documents, including company archives, website data, …


Left Behind: Intersectional Stigma Experiences Of African American College Women With Adhd, Angela Lynnette Anderson-Elahi Jan 2022

Left Behind: Intersectional Stigma Experiences Of African American College Women With Adhd, Angela Lynnette Anderson-Elahi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American college women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can experience intersectional stigmas based on race, gender, and learning disability. Intersectional stigmas affect African American college women in self-esteem, social acceptance, and academic progress. The scholarly community has not published literature regarding intersectional stigma experienced by African American college women with ADHD. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American college women who had encountered intersectional stigma based on race, gender, and ADHD. Goffman’s social stigma theory and Crenshaw’s intersectional stigma theory served as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks to explore how African …


Social Support Needs Of African American Single Parent Women Residing In Atlanta, Tyneisha Douglas Jan 2022

Social Support Needs Of African American Single Parent Women Residing In Atlanta, Tyneisha Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers may serve marginalized groups of people such as single parents who may face challenges and barriers to raising a healthy family. African American mothers are more likely to have adverse experiences with parenting without a partner or additional supportive primary caregiver than women in other racial groups. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the mental health challenges that impact African American women who are single parents. Social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from individual interviews with ten parents from daycare centers in the metropolitan Atlanta area that …


Perceived College Retention Factors Affecting Postsecondary Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders With Internalizing Behaviors, Kathleen Geddes Jay Jan 2022

Perceived College Retention Factors Affecting Postsecondary Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders With Internalizing Behaviors, Kathleen Geddes Jay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College persistence rates for students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) are lower than same age peers. College students with EBD manifesting internalizing behaviors who graduated from one independent northeastern therapeutic high school (INTHS) had low first-year college retention rates despite high college admission rates. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceived factors that may affect first-year college retention rates for the students from one INTHS who have EBD with internalizing behaviors. The theories that grounded this study were Tinto’s model of institutional departure, with Braxton et al.’s later modifications, and Forber-Pratt and Zape’s disability identity …


Educators’ Perspectives On The Use Of Restorative Practices In Urban High Schools, Janora Michelle Holmes Jan 2022

Educators’ Perspectives On The Use Of Restorative Practices In Urban High Schools, Janora Michelle Holmes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American youth are suspended and expelled at a higher rate than their nonminority (White) counterparts. Punitive processes such as zero-tolerance policies result in suspensions and expulsions, removing African American youth out of the classroom, and increasing the risk of dropping out and diminishing opportunities for academic success. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of restorative practices in urban high schools through the perspectives of urban educators. For the purpose of this study, the term urban was defined as predominantly African American. The theoretical foundation of this basic qualitative research was Canter and Canter’s assertive behavior …


Experiences Of Women Of Color In Leadership Paths At Predominately White Institutions, Philomena Marie Johnson Jan 2022

Experiences Of Women Of Color In Leadership Paths At Predominately White Institutions, Philomena Marie Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch shows that the experiences of women of color in leadership paths at predominately White institutions (PWIs) have impacted their advancements and route to the presidency. However, there is limited research on the positive aspects of their leadership contributions or on the intersection of race and gender and mentoring in their leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of women of color in leadership paths at PWIs. Black feminist thought and intersectionality were the conceptual framework used to understand those experiences. Thirteen women of color in leadership roles at PWIs in the United States …


Job Demands That Influence Organizational Commitment Of Public Safety Telecommunicators, Andre Jones Jan 2022

Job Demands That Influence Organizational Commitment Of Public Safety Telecommunicators, Andre Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High job demands mean high turnover for public safety telecommunicators (also known as “9-1-1 call operators” or “emergency dispatch”). Personnel turnover place 9-1-1 call centers in an understaffed situation, which reduces operational effectiveness and increases risk to communities. Though public safety telecommunicators experience work-related stress due to job demands, organizational commitment, and operational impacts, the impact of job demands and its influence on organizational commitment is under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand job demands and the resources that influence organizational commitment of public safety telecommunicators. The classical organizational theory of scientific management, or Taylorism, was theoretical …


Mindfulness, Race-Related Stress, And Relationship Satisfaction Among African American/Black Couples, Leshai Hunt Jan 2022

Mindfulness, Race-Related Stress, And Relationship Satisfaction Among African American/Black Couples, Leshai Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicated positive correlations between relationship satisfaction and mindfulness among White couples. However, researchers had not examined the relationship between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction among African Americans/Blacks who had experienced race-related stress. Race-related stress affects African Americans/Blacks in their daily lives and relationships. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to investigate the relationship between mindfulness, race-related stress, and relationship satisfaction among African Americans/Blacks. Mindfulness relationship theory and Africana womanism were used to guide the study. Survey data were collected from 51 African Americans/Black participants. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that mindfulness was a statistically significant predictor of …


Juvenile Recidivism Risk Factors From The Juvenile Justice Professional Perspective, Fotini Stamidis Jan 2022

Juvenile Recidivism Risk Factors From The Juvenile Justice Professional Perspective, Fotini Stamidis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile crime and recidivism have devastated Baltimore City, Maryland, especially in the quality of life and social bond, producing fear in the city’s communities. The current situation is increasing the need to promote a better understanding of juvenile recidivism and delinquency of the risk factors causing juveniles to re-offend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to add to the knowledge base on juvenile recidivism risk factors from the perspectives of juvenile justice professionals. Hirschi’s social bond theory was used to explore juvenile justice professionals’ experiences and perspectives on recidivism risk factors. Research questions focused on the perceptions of …


Media And Body Image Discrepancy Among African American Women, Jacqueline M. Allen Jan 2022

Media And Body Image Discrepancy Among African American Women, Jacqueline M. Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exposure to thin images in mass media is associated with body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders. However, there is insufficient information on the effect of the media on body image discrepancy among African American women. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the role of media exposure, including Facebook, in body image discrepancy among African American women. Self-discrepancy theory, the self-objectification theory, and the social comparison theory helped to guide this study. Two hundred and twenty-four African American women ages 18-29 years residing in the United States were surveyed through convenience sampling and multiple regression and descriptive …


Organizational Barriers To Effective University Student Mental Health Services, Felicia Evans-Edwards Jan 2022

Organizational Barriers To Effective University Student Mental Health Services, Felicia Evans-Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on organizational barriers to effective university student mental health services access in the department of student resources (DSR) at a for-profit university in the northeastern United States. Once such barriers are addressed, faculty may be more successful in reaching out to students needing mental health services who are not self-identifying as needing these services. The Baldrige excellence framework guided this descriptive case study to examine the organizational barriers that prevent university leadership from creating clear policies and procedures for faculty to refer students to mental health services. Data sources included interviews with the behavioral health leader …


Exploration Of The Cultural Perspectives Of Caregivers Of African American And African Children With Delayed Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deirdre Marie Johnson-Taylor Jan 2022

Exploration Of The Cultural Perspectives Of Caregivers Of African American And African Children With Delayed Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deirdre Marie Johnson-Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThrough the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory, the purpose of the study was to explore African American and African caregivers’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), child development knowledge, religious/traditional beliefs, and fear of stigma within the context of their culture. African and African American children with ASD are identified at later ages than Caucasian children by 1 1/2 to 2 years. Disparities in educational and social outcomes of African and African American children with ASD may be related to this identification delay. Current literature regarding African and African American caregivers’ perceptions of children with ASD is sparse. An ethnographic …


Understanding Police Decision-Making With Firearms: From Training To Real-Life Deployment, Alex S. Kondos Jan 2022

Understanding Police Decision-Making With Firearms: From Training To Real-Life Deployment, Alex S. Kondos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Modern efforts involving police reform have created a need for police administrators and policymakers to address various elements of policing. Administrative and punitive policy reforms have had little effect on decreasing police shootings. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of officers who have been involved in deadly force encounters in order to identify where their past training methods led to success or failures in real-life situations. The theoretical framework for this study was Janis and Mann’s conflict model of decision-making. This study involved answering the question: From the perspectives of police officers involved in shootings, …


Meaning Of Interpersonal Interaction And Content Mastery In Online Adult Education, Barbara Green Mcwhite Jan 2022

Meaning Of Interpersonal Interaction And Content Mastery In Online Adult Education, Barbara Green Mcwhite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Working adult students may have difficulty mastering complex concepts when taking courses online. Researchers have argued there is a need for in-person, peer-teacher interaction available in traditional classrooms that is lacking online. The purpose of this dual-focus phenomenological study was to explore the meaning of purposeful interpersonal interaction and the experience of content mastery among undergraduate working students taking online psychology courses. Constructivism and adult learning theory guided the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 working adults with experience taking online psychology courses within the last 2 years. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’s guidelines. Results indicated that participants experienced …


Fractal Dimension As A Predictor Of Organizational Change Success, Thomas Anthony Seitz Jan 2022

Fractal Dimension As A Predictor Of Organizational Change Success, Thomas Anthony Seitz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As many as two thirds of organizational change (OC) initiatives fail to achieve their outcome objectives. Researchers have demonstrated that successful change requires alignment among all levels of an organization. However, contemporary OC models do not quantify the degree of hierarchical alignment during the change process. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine whether the fractal dimension of hierarchical alignment (predictor variable) was associated with OC success (criterion variable) as described by the self-organizing fractal theory (SOFT). The research question addressed the association between the fractal dimension related to the alignment of OC beliefs and behavioral intentions …


Postsecondary Faculty Perceptions Of Social And Emotional Learning Professional Development On Instructional Practice, Kurt Victor Spady Jan 2022

Postsecondary Faculty Perceptions Of Social And Emotional Learning Professional Development On Instructional Practice, Kurt Victor Spady

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health distress for students is prevalent on postsecondary campuses, which negatively affects students’ psychological well-being and academic success. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the influence that social and emotional learning (SEL) professional development focused on respect had on the instructional practice of full-time faculty at a community college in Western Canada. Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. The research question explored faculty perceptions of the influence of Respect-focused training on their instructional practice. This study used purposeful sampling of 12 full-time faculty members who had taken the …


Mental Health In The Military, Amy Jean Grasse Jan 2022

Mental Health In The Military, Amy Jean Grasse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current qualitative research project explored the lived experiences of senior leaders who have worked with service members known to seek mental health treatment. Despite a large amount of research on the effects mental health has on military members, the scholarly community does not know the experiences individuals face when employing active-duty personnel with known psychological limitations. This phenomenological study aimed to identify senior leadership’s lived experiences to identify the barriers and facilitators they faced when employing service members known to have sought mental health treatment. The attribution theory and modified labeling theory were the theoretical frameworks chosen for this …


The Perceived Influence Of Value-Added Metrics On Urban Middle School Teachers’ Job Satisfaction And Motivation, Angela Jones Jan 2022

The Perceived Influence Of Value-Added Metrics On Urban Middle School Teachers’ Job Satisfaction And Motivation, Angela Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Value-added metrics or models (VAMs) are an important component of the teacher evaluation process that evaluators use to determine the value teachers add to their students’ academic achievement. VAMs are used to arrive at a score that is derived from the number of the teachers’ students who pass and/or fail a standardized assessment. While prior research has focused on VAMs with respect to impact on student success and performance, little is known about how teachers experience the implementation of these metrics and how those experiences may influence teachers’ job satisfaction and motivation. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was …


Relationship Between Police Officers’ Sleep Quality, Burnout From Shift Work, And Intention To Leave Law Enforcement, Misty Ladd Jan 2022

Relationship Between Police Officers’ Sleep Quality, Burnout From Shift Work, And Intention To Leave Law Enforcement, Misty Ladd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Occupational stressors in police work are abundant, and high rates of attrition make the recruiting and maintaining of a qualified force challenging. The increased risks that overnight officers face with regard to their mental and/or physical health warrant further research to ensure that burnout does not interfere with officers’ well-being or performance. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine whether sleep quality for police officers involved in shift work leads to burnout or the intention to leave law enforcement. Shift work theory and Kundi’s destabilization theory provided the framework for the study. Archival data from 212 police …