Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents: An Educational Intervention, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

Correlates Of Depressive Symptoms In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer, Melissa Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Purpose: The impact of cancer in childhood among adult survivors needs to be studied to see how being diagnosed with cancer in childhood is associated with mental health in adulthood. Specifically this study will examine depressive symptoms. If there are negative effects such as depressive symptoms, it is important to know what may help reduce them such as support and counseling. Methods: This is a quantitative study where 49 adult survivors of childhood cancer participated in an online survey. They were recruited from forums for cancer survivors and with snowball sampling.

Results: Through correlation analyses and ANCOVA, it was found …

The Relationship Between Adolescent Sense Of Purpose, Poster Quality, And Intentional Self-Regulation, Lauren Nazareth Gama

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This paper investigates the relationship between sense of purpose, the quality of work related to a youth character education (CE) program, and intentional self-regulation (ISR) for adolescents participating in the Inspire>Aspire: Global Citizens in the Making (I>A) Values Poster program. Relational developmental systems (RDS) meta-theory posits that individuals have the capacity to shape their own development and that positive development can be reached when individual assets are aligned with assets in the environment (Lerner, Lerner, von Eye, Bowers, & Lewin-Bizan, 2011). This agentic control over development is often referred to as ISR, which can be operationalized by the …

College Students' Attitude Toward Single Mothers In Poverty, Rocco Placenti

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Poverty in the United States is a huge problem, and it becomes bigger each year, as millions of single mothers are the ones who are suffering the most. The debate on how to solve poverty has continued for a very long time. It has been fixed temporarily, but not completely remedied.

Literature: Attitudes are forecasters of how and why individuals take action in specific ways. Some people believe in social attributions (e.g., societal responsibility); others have confidence in individualistic attributions (e.g., a single person’s responsibility); and others rely on fatalistic attributions (e.g., luck). Individuals’ attitudes towards single mothers in poverty …

Into The Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Of Acculturation, Stress, And Refugee Family Functioning, Kieu Anh T. Do

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Every day, new waves of refugees result from increasing social, political and environmental instabilities around the world. Numerous studies have detailed the various stressors and adjustment issues that refugees face when resettled in a new host society. The majority of these studies focus on individual-level variables and not on the family as a whole. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how refugee families adjust in the resettlement context in order to promote positive outcomes. Studies that have examined family-level functioning often focus on how acculturative differences increase stress in refugee families, contributing to higher levels of familial tension and …

Hooking Up, Romantic Relationship Self-Efficacy, And Attitudes Toward Marriage, Jacqueline Bible

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This quantitative study sought to describe general and penetrative hookup behavior among college attending emerging adults aged 18-22, and to understand the relationships between hookup behavior, romantic relationship self-efficacy, and intent to marry. Cognitive behavioral theory viewed through a feminist lens grounded the study. The convenience sample consisted of 38 respondents (32 females, 6 males) from a midsized northeastern university. Respondents were asked to answer an online survey that asked about hookup behaviors, partner types, emotional experiences, feelings of romantic relationship self-efficacy, and intent to marry. Frequencies revealed that respondents prefer to engage in hookups with partners they know and …

Lived Experience Of Young Widowed Individuals, Eunicia Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young widowhood is a unique experience that has received little in-depth attention in research and clinical settings. Their experiences may differ from other types of losses, particularly from losses that are typically expected to happen later in life. The present study treated the lived experiences of young men and women who have experiences the loss of a spouse. Eleven men and women between the ages of 18 and 49 were interviewed about their experiences post-loss using phenomenological methods. After coding for similarities and differences between the experiences, five themes emerged in all eleven interviews: (1) relationship, (2) first reactions, (3) …

Perceived Alzheimer's Disease Threat As A Predictor Of Behavior Change To Lower Disease Risk: The Gray Matters Study, Christine Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health concern with an estimated five million Americans currently afflicted. That number is projected to triple by 2050 as the baby boomer generation approaches age 65, the most common age where people begin to show symptoms of cognitive decline stemming from changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure or preventive pharmacological treatment, AD prevention research is now recognized as an important enterprise. Modifiable lifestyle factors that can reduce AD risk or delay its onset have been identified as reasonable targets for behavioral intervention, including increased physical activity, healthier …

The Role Of Sexual Communication In Committed Relationships, Adam C. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this Master's thesis, I describe a study to understand the role that sexual communication plays within committed couple relationships. I used data from a sample of 142 couples who completed an online survey consisting of a battery of quantitative assessments measuring relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, communication processes, and sexual communication.

Through path analysis, a statistical tool that tests relationships between variables, I observed the impact that sexual communication has within couple relationships. In my findings, I highlight the differences between the "what" and "how" behind couples' communications about sex. I examined these findings by gender and found important differences …

Alternatives Unlimited Inc. Property Service Application, Jalpa Dave, Pennie Nataliya, Neelakshi Bali

School of Professional Studies

The purpose of this project is to propose Property service application to be enforced for documenting and managing the work orders raised throughout the residencies. The company is looking into an application that would facilitate to track and monitor the maintenance request received in a systematic order and ensuring priority work request is resolved within the set time frame. The project is to enhance the property service's work more efficiently as this will provide a high level of charge for the occupants by providing quicker response to their requests. The Objectives set to achieve for this project are realistic and …

Growing Up Before Their Time: The Early Adultification Experiences Of Homeless Young People, Rachel M. Schmitz, Kimberly A. Tyler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper explores the experiences of early adultification among 40 homeless youth aged 19 to 21. Findings from semistructured, face-to-face interviews revealed the experiences of early adultification among homeless young people. We used both initial and focused coding and the final qualitative themes emerged naturally from the data. Early adultification encompassed the following processes, which were closely tied to prominent descriptions of family conflict and caregiver neglect: premature caregiving, early independence, and parenthood. Premature caregiving burdened participants with familial responsibility such as caring for younger siblings prior to their leaving home. Early independence occurred when young people provided for their …

Vocational Implications Of Cult Involvement, Melissa Dawn Jones Wilkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the majority of studies published on cult membership have been quantitative and have focused primarily on theories and trends about cult membership. These studies have been insufficient in shedding light on the individual’s experience. Qualitative studies are necessary to explore the individual’s accounts of their experiences with past cult involvement and the impact these experiences have on employment. Because of the potential vocational impacts of cult involvement, it is valuable to explore the psychoSocial aspects of work. A qualitative methodology informed by phenomenology was utilized to investigate the unique experience of individuals obtaining employment after leaving a cult. Seven …

Married To Nursing School: How Stress Affects Marital Satisfaction Of Nursing Students, Krysta Af Laabs

Honors Theses

In this paper, the lived experience of married nursing students and their stress during nursing school was explored. This project aimed to answer the questions: 1) what is the lived experience of married nursing student during one semester of their nursing program and 2) what is the students’ combined experience of nursing school stress and marital stress or satisfaction? The research design was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The participants of the study consisted of 7 volunteer, married nursing students attending the BSN program at the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Park campus during the fall 2015 semester. The participants were …

Love On - The Life Of A Suicide Survivor: A Performance Autoethnographic Study, Patricia R. Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide touches the lives of millions of people each year in this country alone, yet conversations about suicide loss and survival after a loss remain taboo and often do not happen. The story I performed for this performance autoethnographic study centers on my life as a survivor of suicide. It provides a starting point for dialog regarding trauma, grief, and suicide loss. The narrative was constructed directly following the sudden death of my father, which had a direct effect on my ability to produce artistic work. The development, staging and performance of the story were altered to account for the …

Women And Healthcare In Appalachia: Impeding Circumstance And The Role Of Technology, Ashley Cano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, healthcare access and quality in central and southern Appalachia have trailed the rest of the country. Entrenched poverty and low educational attainment compound healthcare problems. This study examines the healthcare obstacles women encounter in southern and central Appalachia and analyzes how technology use, such as Internet searching and social media affect women’s healthcare decisions. Data were analyzed from four focus groups conducted with women from the region. Results indicate that seeing a physician or not did not influence women’s propensity to search the Internet for health-related information or to seek support through social media sites. Additionally, women reported …

Problem Analysis In Community Violence Assessments: Reavealing Early Childhood Trauma As A Driver Of Youth And Gang Violence, Laurie Ross Phd, Samantha Arsenault, Sergeant Miguel Lopez

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Problem analysis conducted by a university-based research partner can provide communities with data-driven options to address the local drivers of serious youth and gang violence. Situated in Worcester, Massachusetts, this article describes how after early childhood trauma was identified as a potential driver of adolescent and young adult violence, problem analysis using local data confirmed that being the victim or witness of a traumatic incident before the age of 12 was significantly correlated with involvement in violence in adolescence or young adulthood. While there is a robust literature on the relationship between early childhood trauma and later delinquency, local decision-makers …

Can Social Media Reduce Discrimination And Ignorance Towards Patients With Long Term Conditions? A Chronic Kidney Disease Example In The Uk And More Widely, Shahid N. Muhammad, Amy J. Zahra, Howard J. Leicester, Heather Davis, Stephen Davis

Patient Experience Journal

Long Term Conditions (LTCs) are increasing in prevalence and cost in Western healthcare. Patients with such conditions are often classed as “disabled”, because of impacts of self-care on “activities of daily life” or secondary consequences of conditions (impairments) affecting factors such as mobility, concentration and communications. Disability needs are often ignored in the design of services and treatment of individuals. It manifests as services which some find difficult to use and lack of personal respect (discrimination) often based on lack of understanding by the healthcare profession itself (ignorance). This paper explores how Social Media (SM), an example “Assistive Technology” in …

Unmarried Midlife Adults And Economic Well-Being, Katie Finch

Honors Projects

Much research has been conducted on how married older adults fare in comparison to unmarried older adults. Since the amount of unmarried older adults is increasing, I found it important to see how these unmarried groups (early divorcees, gray divorcees, never-marrieds, and widoweds) stacked up against each other in terms of economic well-being. Using the 2012 Health and Retirement Study, I looked at how demographic factors and economic well-being indicators were correlated to another. The demographic factors examined included gender, marital status, race, and educational attainment. Income, poverty level, and assets were used to assess economic well-being. Similar to previous …

"Do You Kiss Your Mother With That Mouth?": Profanity In Popular Pg-13 Movies, Jason Eldredge, Stephen M. Trotter, Kirt Haynie, Melissa Littlefield

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Exposure to profanity in the media is a concern shared by many. Profanity is often portrayed as humorous and/or innocent. A content analysis of popular PG-13 movies from the 1990s to the present shows the use of profanity is regularly portrayed as having no consequence. The overall amount of profanity in PG-13 movies has decreased since the 1990s.

Enriching Or Discouraging? Competing Pictures Of Aging And Paid Work In Later Life, Rebecca Casey, Ellie Berger

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

The picture and experience of work and retirement are continuously changing in Canada and will likely continue to change into the future with the aging of the population. There are two pictures of work in older age presented in the literature: a positive and enriching picture and a picture that highlights the challenges facing some older workers. The positive and enriching picture focuses on the experiences of older individuals who are able to continue working if they want to work and are able to work; those who continue working because they are motivated by work rather than pay or new …