Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Lived Experiences Of African American Females With Breast Cancer Treatment Access, Tamika Chantey Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant condition that can result in devastating outcomes without treatment. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore barriers to health care disparities among young African American females. The findings of this study may help to address gaps in knowledge, obtain insights in treatments, and comprehend lived experiences with BC. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 10 African American women ages 20 to 40. Data were then transcribed and coded. The findings of the study indicated that women required treatment plans, informative …

Social-Emotional Support As A Mediator Of Household Structure And Mental Distress In Women, Trisha Jeanine Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness affects more women than men in the United States. Poor mental health in reproductive-age women has negative implications on population health. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between household structure and frequency of mental distress, with consideration of the mediation social-emotional support provides for reproductive-age women. The social ecological model was the theoretical framework for this research, in which frequency of mental distress related to the individual-level of the human-environment interaction construct. Household structure and social-emotional support were examined at the relationship-level. Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to conduct …

Simulated Clinical Experience: An Investigation Of Emotion Understanding And Management, Neena White Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many investigators have documented that lack of emotional intelligence (EI) in professional nursing correlates with patient dissatisfaction, negative patient outcomes, and litigation. However, much less information is available to nurse educators for an effective instructional strategy to increase EI skills, specifically emotion understanding and management (the most influential branches of EI) in nursing students. Grounded in the theory of EI and the theory of simulation, the purpose of this quantitative quasi experimental study was to introduce educational technology as a useful strategy for influencing EI in a convenience sample of 88 second semester students in a baccalaureate program. Research questions …

Natural Environment Associations With Mental Health And Obesity Status, Adam Edwin London

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health and obesity were ranked among the health priorities of the 2014 and 2017 Community Health Needs Assessments in Kent County, Michigan. Exposure to nature is correlated to improved health outcomes across a variety of morbidities including poor mental health and obesity. This cross-sectional study set within the frameworks of attention restoration theory, environmental health, and pathways to health benefits from nature assessed county survey data including self-reported nature exposures/interactions separated into 3 domain areas: access to nature, attitudes about nature, and physical activity in nature or in nature-based activities. Binary logistic regression analyses of the 653 respondents found …

The Role Of Glucose Level On The Performance Of The Framingham Risk Score, Uohna June Thiessen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for more deaths than any other disease, continue to threaten the quality of life for many, and is a major burden to the health care system. The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) identified the major CVD risk factors that became essential to effective CVD screening strategies and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), is used to assess CVD risk. Based on the concepts of the health behavior model and CVD as a cardiometabolic disorder, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and a CHD event, and to determine …

A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The average age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer is 55% and 56% higher in Kentucky than the national averages in the United States, respectively. Populations with low income and educational attainment, and those who live close to the mining regions across Kentucky are more affected by the high prevalence and resulting mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer. This study was conducted because of the high incidence of lung and bronchus cancer and resulting mortality rates in the state of Kentucky that may not be caused solely by social and demographic factors. The theoretical foundation for …

Associations Between Healthcare Utilization Factors And Diabetic Retinopathy Among Adult African Americans, Olusina Adesanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes mellitus (DM) and complications that include diabetic retinopathy and its disease and socioeconomic burdens. This study examined the relationships between diabetic retinopathy and health care utilization factors, such as gender, DM comorbidities of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and health care access, among sampled African Americans with DM in the United States. The Andersen health care utilization model was the framework for the study. In this correlational cross-sectional study, data from the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets were analyzed. Results of complex samples logistic regression showed that there were no significant associations …

Caregiver Review Of Nonpharmacological Interventions For Behavioral Symptoms Associated With Dementia, Karla Chaney Ballew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects an individual’s overall cognitive function, including orientation, memory, and executive function. Most AD patients in the United States reside in residential care facilities or private homes under the care of individuals with little education on the challenges of the AD patient. Among the challenges faced by caregivers are behavioral and psychological symptoms related to dementia (BPSD). Education has been shown to improve caregivers’ treatment of BPSD in AD patients and to improve caregiver retention. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based education module guided by …

Effects Of Pregnancy-Related Depression On Low Birth Weight Infants, Kimberly J. Bauer-Schaub

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal depression during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the developing child. Numerous studies have focused on postpartum depression and the influences on infant outcomes; however, there are limited data on pregnancy-related depression. The problem addressed in this study was the inadequacy and insufficiency of depression screening during the pregnancy period and access to quality-related health services for women. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to test social cognitive theory on low birth weight and prenatal care adherence to pregnancy-related depression in women residing in Colorado. This research measured an association between pregnancy-related depression and both low …

Yoga As A Women’S Population Health Intervention, Lisa Ann Clow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women’s mortality rate in the United States has increased in almost every age group in the past several years. However, more women in the United States are choosing yoga as a complementary health approach to improve general well-being. Thus, research on yoga and other factors that affect women’s health in the United States may inform public health initiatives to address the health disparities in women’s mortality rates. Grounded in the health belief model, the purpose of this study was to explore whether the factors of practicing the components of yoga, doctor’s recommendation for increased physical activity, body mass index (BMI) …

Improving Disaster Preparedness And Planning For Chronic Disease Populations, Gladys N. Gichomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significant rise of both chronic diseases and disasters in the last 20 years and the healthcare outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases during and in the aftermath of disasters have raised concerns among public health practitioners, healthcare providers, the U.S government, and the general public. Researchers have indicated that during disasters, the health outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases are significantly unfavorable compared to the general public. However, there is inadequate information on the management of chronic diseases, quality of care, and resource identification and allocation by disaster responders. This qualitative, grounded theory study, explored how the study participants …

Patient Awareness And Knowledge Of Medically Induced Radiation Exposure, Travis L. Mann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The level of knowledge and awareness among patients about the concepts and implications of medical radiation is unknown. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to explore patients' awareness and knowledge of information regarding this topic from their perspectives. The health belief model provided the framework for the study. A total of 20 individuals were recruited using purposive sampling. All participants were above the age of 18 in central North Carolina and had undergone or are currently undergoing medical radiation exams. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin's 5-phased cycle, which involved compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, …

Reducing Cost Of Healthcare Facilities By Decreasing Nursing Turnover, Valour Akia Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Registered Nurse (RN) turnover is costly for hospitals and healthcare facilities. The problem that healthcare administrators face today is their inability to retain nurses for long periods of time and the detrimental effects that come from the lack of retention. The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis is to explore the relationship between the retention of RNs and the geographic regions in which they work. The theoretical framework for this study was Barney's concept of viewing people as resources. Deidentified secondary data of RNs was utilized from the Healthforce Center at the University of California San Francisco to probe …

Health Awareness On High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, And Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Innocent Bibi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for 25% of the annual deaths in the United States and represents a major public health burden, as patients often require screening and lifestyle changes related to multiple risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if there was a statistically significant association between high blood pressure and high cholesterol awareness (prevention and management) and cardiovascular health outcomes (angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, and heart attack). The theoretical framework that guided this study was the health belief model. Data from adults over the …

Embracing Ujima: A Grounded Theory Of African Americans Choosing The Counseling Profession, Rashida Karriem Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial and ethnic diverse populations experience discrimination in educational and career attainment and remain underrepresented in the counseling profession. The current literature provides limited guidance for the counseling profession and academic institutions for successfully recruiting racial and ethnic minority students in a master's level counselor training program. Social Constructivist theory and Adlerian/ Individual Psychology are the theoretical foundations of the study. This constructivist grounded theory study sought to understand the career decision-making process of African Americans choosing to enter in the counseling profession and the influence of racial and ethnic identity on this decision-making process. Utilizing semistructured interviews via video-conferencing; …

The Impact Of Hiv Prevention Education In School On Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Michael Edward Tachet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sex education through the public school system has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an excellent vehicle by which HIV prevention education can be presented to students, thereby decreasing the rate of HIV infection among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). However, YMSM continue to be at high risk for HIV infection in the United States despite educational efforts to prevent infection. The purpose of this qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was to explore what impact school-based HIV prevention education had on YMSM in the past, and what effect that education has …

Risk Factors That Predict Asthma Among Adult, Foreign-Born African Americans In California, Alphajor Umaru Barrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine possible risk factors that predict asthma among adult, foreign-born African Americans in California. A total of 794 foreign-born African Americans (87 asthma cases) were included from the 2017-2018 California Health Interview Survey database. Data analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistical methods including chi-square analysis and multiple logistic regression techniques. The socioeclogical model was used to help understand and interpret the findings. The dependent variable was asthma status and the independent variables were the risk factors (tobacco smoking, alcohol use, health insurance, income level, and education level). Confounders included in the …

African American Women's Experiences And Understanding Of Secondary Infertility, Claudelle Parchment

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American women with secondary infertility, defined as an inability to conceive or carry a baby to term after a previous conception. Research on secondary infertility has ignored the prevalence of the condition in African American women. The implications of secondary infertility in African American women have immediate and far-reaching health and psychosocial consequences. African American women rely on interconnectedness and social networks; therefore, social networks and social support served as the key concepts underwriting the study's conceptual framework. Social networks and social support underscore the connection …

A Comparison Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Three Medical Abortion Protocols, Dhammika Perera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unsafe abortions pose serious threats to women's health. Medical abortion provides safer abortion access to many. The lengthy interval between misoprostol and mifepristone creates multiple barriers for women and providers.

A paucity of research exists about medical abortion protocols that allow single day procedures. The efficacy and the safety of 3 medical abortion protocols of varying lengths were explored in this study.

A secondary data set of over 55,000 patients from the United Kingdom was retrospectively analyzed using binomial logistic regression. Efficacy results showed no significant difference between the conventional and the simultaneous protocols; when compared to those, the 6- …

Living Arrangements, Referral Source And Young Adult Admissions To Drug Treatment, Daniel Samaila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse of painkiller drugs and non-medical use of drugs among young adults continues to be a public health crisis in the United States. Living arrangements and source of treatment referral were considered as the social context that could contribute to increased admissions to treatment for drug abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between, independent living arrangement, the principal source of referral, and abuse of opioid, heroin, and cocaine. Steered by the conceptual framework of the biopsychosocial model, this study used the data from the 2015 Treatment Episode Data Set: Admissions managed by the Substance Abuse …