Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

College Age Female Smokers And The Efficacy Of Smoking Cessation On College Campuses, Gretchen Suzanne Strobel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Young females are smoking on campuses in increasing rates in the last two decades. This thesis is secondary data analysis of a primary study with data from 472 female respondents, ages 18 to 24, enrolled or registered for classes at Minnesota State University, Mankato in the Spring, Summer and Fall semester of 2011. This sample included current smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers. This research study will discuss the relationship between the age one starts smoking and any association with participation in unprotected intercourse and the concomitant use of estrogen containing oral contraceptives. Among the respondents a majority started smoking between …

Access And Barriers To Diabetic Self Care Education And Support Groups In A Rural Southern Minnesota Community, Elizabeth Waters

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Diabetic education and support groups promote self care, improve health outcomes, and decrease health care costs. Self care, an important aspect of diabetes care, can be promoted through diabetes education and support groups. Few studies have been done to explore rural population's access to and attendance of diabetes self care education and support groups. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if residents of a rural southern Minnesota community have access to diabetes education and support groups and what barriers they face to attending the groups. The understanding gained through this study will help to develop nursing interventions …

Mothers' Health And Health Behaviors That Influence Childhod Obesity Maternal Bmi And Infant Feeding Methods, Mohamed Abdullah Alammari

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The rate of childhood obesity in America continues to climb. Many medical experts believe that childhood obesity can develop as early as prenatal development in the uterus, and infancy. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between mothers' health and health behaviors (maternal BMI and infant feeding methods) and childhood obesity. We conducted and analyzed a sample of 307 mothers and their children (307) to examine each mother's maternal BMI and her child or children's BMI. We also examined mothers' feeding methods (bottle vs. breastfeeding).The result of this research did not match with the review of literature. …

The Relationship Between Disordered Eating Behaviors And Exercise Addiction Among Selected University Students At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Haley Wasko

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

College students are faced with many difficult decisions as they begin to gain independence and adjust to new responsibilities. Some of these decisions may include changes in eating behaviors and exercise patterns. Such changes may lead to unhealthy weight control behaviors such as disordered eating or excessive exercise. The combination of controlling eating and exercise behaviors may be especially detrimental and prevalent in college students. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not there was a relationship between disordered eating and exercise addiction among university students at Minnesota State University, Mankato. A 50-item survey was used to …

Assessment Of Selected University Students' Knowledge Of Blood Donation And The Relationship With Intent To Donate Blood, Jeffrey Allerson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The lack of blood donors in the United States is a problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between blood donation knowledge and blood donation intentions among students at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU), and examine blood donation attitude and confidence levels among the respondents. A researcher-constructed electronic survey was sent to 3, 944 MNSU students, with a total of 376 responses (n = 364; adjusted response rate = 9.23%). Analyses included descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, frequency counts, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient tests. The mean intention scores of current blood donors were higher than …

Effective Pedometer Programs: Determining The Motivational Factors Primarily Responsible For The Physical Activity Increases Being Made By Participants, Britne Engelking

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem: Adults continue to get inadequate amounts of physical activity (Flegal et al., 2010; WCRF/AICR, 2009). Pedometer programs being implemented have effectively motivated the participants to increase their physical activity outputs; however, researchers have been unable to determine the features responsible for the physical activity increases. Procedures: Participants were given pedometers to measure their physical activity outputs. The participants collected baseline data for one week. The experimental group was administered three competitive incentive interventions. Their data was compared to their baseline step data and step data collected from a control group. The data analysis was done using …

Workers Die From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning,employers should:

• Train supervisors and employees to recognize symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
• Provide first aid training, including what to do if exposed to carbon monoxide
• Review carbon monoxide prevention tips with their employees

Employees should:

• Report unusual behavior
• Know how to treat co-workers for carbon monoxide poisoning
• Carry a carbon monoxide detector to mobile sites Recognize signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Of Providers And Key Opinion Leaders On Emergency Contraception In India, M.E. Khan, Deepthi S. Varma, Isha Bhatnagar, Anvita Dixit, Martha Brady

Reproductive Health

The Population Council undertook this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception (ECP) among providers in public and private facilities and pharmacies in India. The objectives of the study were to: assess providers' knowledge of ECP's biological mechanism; understand providers' knowledge and attitudes about ECP's safety, effectiveness, and availability as an OTC drug; and identify providers' definitions of “repeated use” and profiling women who are “repeated users” of ECP. This study's findings show that most providers, including doctors and some KOLs, were incorrectly informed about ECP's mechanism of action. Service guidelines are necessary for accurate and …

Providers' And Key Opinion Leaders' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In Nigeria, Babatunde A.O. Ahonsi, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Araoyinbo Idowu, Ayodeji Oginni

Reproductive Health

Despite significant progress in product development, procurement, and distribution in the past few decades, emergency contraception’s (EC) capacity to benefit many women in countries such as Nigeria is hampered by a number of potential barriers, that are not well understood. The Population Council, with support from the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception, documented EC-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among providers in Nigeria as well as perceptions of key opinion leaders who help shape the policy environment for EC and family planning in general. Findings suggest significant gaps in Nigeria, potentially necessitating continuous training and re-training to help dispel misperceptions and …

Introduction To Health Research Methods, Kathryn H. Jacobsen

Health Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction to Health Research Methods is required for all students enrolled in a master of public health (M.P.H.) or master of science (M.S.) program in public health at a large public university with a diverse student body, including a high proportion of international students. The M.P.H. and M.S. programs cater to students who work full-time, so each class meets for a 3-hour block one evening each week during a 15-week semester. This course is the third of a three-course research methods sequence; students are expected to have completed a biostatistics and an epidemiology course prior to enrolling in research methods.

Relationship Between Physical Activity And Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents, Joshua Ganz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem: Low levels of physical activity levels may have a relationship with depressive characteristics. Understanding if there is a relationship between physical activity and depressive traits in the adolescent population may contribute to effective ways to reduce depressive traits and increase physical activity. Procedure: Survey research was used to collect data about adolescents' demographic characteristics, physical activity levels, and depressive characteristics. Participants were selected from the adolescent school population. The sample was taken from a Minnesota public high school by using an entire tenth-grade population from a local school. Of the 75 students being used for sample …

Household Survey To Evaluate The Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative: Baseline Report, Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative

HIV and AIDS

With an estimated HIV prevalence of 14.3 percent among men and women age 15–49, Zambia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries most affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The Zambia-led Prevention Initiative Program (ZPI) was developed by a consortium led by FHI360, with the Population Council as the evaluation partner. This study determined baseline levels of key indicators related to HIV, gender-based violence, and reproductive health. Additionally, the baseline findings provide critical insights into key areas for interventions in Zambia and highlights variability in the populations across provinces and between males and females that provide valuable guidance for …

Taiwanese Preferences And Cultural Factors Influencing Visuals In Taiwanese Health Pamphlets, Lucas Keola Baclayon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study aims to discover what preferences Taiwanese people have for visuals in health documents, with the research question being, "What are Taiwanese preferences for visuals and visual elements in health documents?" Research is conducted through a mixed-methods approach with a comparative analysis of a collection of American and Taiwanese health pamphlets, surveys conducted with Taiwanese people inquiring about preferences concerning visuals in health documents, and interviews conducted with doctors educated and practicing in Taiwan. In this way, the study moves from what visuals are currently being used, to what kinds of visuals Taiwanese people prefer, to how health professionals …

Identifying Patient's Reasons Or Rationales For Choosing To Skip Or Shorten Hemodialysis, Linda Marie Lindberg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Missed dialysis treatment time has potential to increase morbidity and mortality and reduce life expectancy for people with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) who are dependent on hemodialysis (HD) to live. The purpose of this study was to identify some of the reasons that hemodialysis patients provide when explaining their decision to skip or shorten their prescribed HD treatment time by providing ESRD patients with the opportunity to give voice to their perspectives. A secondary purpose of this project was to increase the health care provider's understanding of the HD patient's perspectives and reasons for choosing to skip or shorten …

Health Care Providers' Intention To Provide Culturally Competent Health Care To Somali Based Upon The Indirect Measures Of The Integrated Behavioral Model, Amanda Kaye Ciesinski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess health care providers' intention to provide culturally competent health care to Somali based upon the constructs of the Integrated Behavioral Model by indirect measures. Using ZoomerangTM data collection systems, data were collected on a non-random and purposive sample. Every physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant in a non-administrative role at a rural primary care clinic located in Minnesota was recruited by email. A sample of thirty-one health care providers was used in this study. The survey was divided into four main scales based on the constructs of the Integrated Behavioral Model. …

Ethnicity And Gender As Predictors Of Physical Activity And Social Cognitive Determinants, Amber Luana Bridges-Arzaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine ethnicity and gender as predictors of physical activity (PA) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs related to physical activity among college students. Specifically, the study examined differences in PA between Hispanic college students and their non-Hispanic White counterparts. The study also examined differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants in SCT constructs regarding PA, such as social support, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and self-regulation. Additionally, the study assessed differences between male and female college students in relation to PA and SCT constructs. Finally, the study explored meditational effects of SCT constructs on …

Coping As A Mediator Between Proximity To Violence In Juarez, And Ptsd Symptoms Among College Students Attending A University On The Texas - Mexico Border, Francis Javier Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study directly examined whether proximity to ongoing violence might lead to symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a sample of students attending a border university less than a mile from the US Mexico border. Exposure to violence is a common cause of PTSD symptomology. Prior research in the region suggests that ongoing traumatic stress due to the violence in Juarez is associated with increased PTSD symptomology. Because coping skills are thought to protect individuals from PTSD the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) guided the study. The purpose of this study was to …

The Effectiveness Of An Incentivized Program To Increase Daily Fruit And Vegetable Dietary Intake By Low Income, Middle-Aged Women, Rebecca White

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Little is known about the effectiveness of the SagePlus' Smart Choices Fruits and Vegetables Program's influence on behavior change and the effects of that behavior change on the cardiovascular health of the participants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SagePlus Smart Choices Fruits and Vegetables Program at increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in participants' diets and decreasing their cardiovascular disease risk factors. A nonexperimental, descriptive correlational design was used in this study. The Minnesota Department of Health provided data from 327 SagePlus participants that had re-enrolled in the SagePlus Smart Choices Fruits …

Study Of International Students' Definations Of, And Perceptions About, Domestic Violence Against Women, Sarbinaz Zamirovna Bekmuratova

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare definitions of, and perceptions about, domestic violence of international students enrolled in spring semester, 2012 at Minnesota State University, Mankato. These definitions and perceptions were compared according to the presence of domestic violence policies in the international students’ countries of origin as well as their gender and the length of residence in the United States. A quantitative cross-sectional online survey was conducted to collect data regarding participants’ definitions of different types of domestic violence, appropriateness of hitting and yelling in the relationship, and their perceptions about domestic violence. International students …

Providers' And Key Opinion Leaders' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In India: Final Survey Report, M.E. Khan, Deepthi S. Varma, Isha Bhatnagar, Anvita Dixit, Martha Brady

Reproductive Health

The Population Council undertook this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception (ECPs) among providers in public and private facilities and pharmacies in India. This study’s objectives were: 1) to assess providers’ knowledge of ECP’s biological mechanism; 2) to understand providers’ knowledge and attitudes about ECP’s safety, effectiveness, and availability as an over-the-counter drug; and 3) to identify providers’ definitions of “repeated use” and profiling of women who are “repeated users” of ECP. The study recommends intervention programs and advocacy strategies to increase knowledge and access to ECP.