Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gordon-Lennox's "Crafting Meaningful Wedding Rituals: A Practical Guide" (Book Review), Elizabeth A. Nolan

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Dura-Vila And Levis' "Me And My Pda: A Guide To Pathological Demand Avoidance For Young People" (Book Review), Esther Lang

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

What Are The Patterns Of Shared Viewpoints, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Opinions Of Full-Time Grandparent Caregivers About Their Experiences? A Q Methodological Study, Korrin Denee Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Objective: Millions of grandparents in the United States provide full-time care to grandchildren. Although their actions are largely altruistic, they do not come without sacrifice. Often these sacrifices are associated with major consequences. Little is known about how grandparents prioritize their sacrifices. An improved understanding of how grandparents prioritize their sacrifices could facilitate better awareness, more specialized care, and improved policies for this population. Method: I used Q methodology to investigate grandparents’ perspectives on the sacrifices that they make to raise their grandchildren. Thirteen participants were recruited using snowball and purposive sampling. To create the Q-set, I used 26 statements …

"It's Personal": A Case Study Analysis Of The Strategic Management Of Resources In A Historically Black University Athletic Department., Brigitte M. Burpo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative case study examination of the strategic management of critical resources in an HBCU athletic program. It begins with a historical overview of HBCUs and HBCU athletic departments focusing on the systemic and societal influences that contributed to the current state of HBCU athletic programs. This dissertation later discusses the influence of a lack of financial resources on HBCU athletic departments further depletes the ability to operate with a competitive advantage. Chapter One focuses on the historic background of HBCUs and their formation as well as the societal influences that depleted critical resources. Chapter Two covers …

Risks Of Indirect Trauma Among Direct Support Professionals Who Work With Adults With Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities: Impact On Organizational, Staff And Client Outcomes., Daniel A. Boamah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a wide range of support services to persons with ID/DD to ensure their safety and welfare, development of independent living skills and integrate into their community. Existing literature has shown that as frontline workers, DSPs face various occupational hazards such as burnout, yet very little is known about prevalence of secondary trauma stress (STS) among DSPs.

The present study examines the prevalence of STS and the predictive factors of STS and burnout among DSPs who work with adults with ID/DD. In addition, the study looked at the relationships between burnout and STS on organization-related outcomes, …

Fandom From Afar: Identification, Attachment, And Consumption Behaviors Among United States Based Fans Of English Premier League Soccer Clubs., Adam R. Cocco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents to organizational identification among U.S.-based EPL fans and examine the relationship between these antecedents and various forms of sport consumption behavior. Specifically, this study examined the extent to which points of attachment explained variances in organizational identification and three types of sport consumption behavior – broadcast media consumption, social media consumption, and team-related merchandise purchases. Additionally, this study examined differences in points of attachment between fans of successful EPL organizations, known as the “Big Six” EPL clubs, and fans of unsuccessful EPL organizations. In contrast to most existing sport fan …

Food Insecuity In Historically Disenfranchised Parts Of Jefferson County, Ky., Kaitlyn Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to investigate the availability of fresh and nutritious foods in Louisville’s West End communities. This study operates under the assumption that residents in Jefferson County have unequal access to food. This study also addresses the question of how residents and local non-profits feel about strategies that build community through food. This study is significant because across Louisville, more than 120,000 people are living with food insecurity, meaning they don't have reliable access to healthy, affordable food (Dare to Care 2019). Multiple reports that have been commissioned by local non-profits and metro departments in the …

The Intersection Of Mindfulness And Gratitude: Examining The Roles Of Gratitude And Mindfulness Practices Within A 4-Week Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Depressive Symptoms In Undergraduates., Allison Rodgers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The practice and research of mindfulness has increased exponentially in recent decades; however, the study of gratitude maintains modest growth. While the overlap between gratitude and mindfulness may be intuitive, empirical investigation is lacking. The present study sought to investigate the relative and combined influence of mindfulness and gratitude with symptoms of depression in undergraduates. The current study explored these constructs in the context of a mindfulness-based intervention known as Koru. One hundred undergraduate participants provided self-report measures of demographics, mindfulness, gratitude, and symptoms of depression prior to the intervention and again immediately following. Participants were required to complete electronic …

Depressive Symptoms And Survival Among Lung Cancer Patients: Biomarkers And Potential Benefits Of An Ipod- And Mindfulness-Based Intervention., Chelsea J. Siwik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer patients experience high levels of distress, which commonly manifests as depressive symptoms. Importantly, depressive symptoms have demonstrated prognostic significance in cancer contexts, although the biological pathways by which depressive symptoms lead to poorer survival remain unclear and warrant greater attention. In addition to understanding the biological pathways by which depressive symptoms accelerate disease, identification of efficacious and effective psychological treatments for depressive symptoms are needed to improve both quality and quantity of life for cancer patients. Interventions that reduce depressive symptoms and improve downstream clinical outcomes are certainty needed; however, because many cancer patients face considerable burden, interventions …

Sample Size Calculations For Longitudinal Mediation Analysis With Continuous-Time Markov Chain Variables, Abigail Christine Sedory

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Mediation is a type of analysis used to determine the causal mechanism linking a predictor and an outcome through a mediator variable. Various research has examined the inclusion of different variable types for the predictor, mediator, and outcome. However, no studies include the presence of a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) as any of the components in a mediating model. If researchers wanted to design a study with a CTMC in the mediating process, one of the first steps would be to determine the minimum number of subjects or observations needed to detect a significant mediating effect. Therefore, in this study, …

Nudging Quality Improvement In Cancer Care: Influence Of A Clinical Decision Support System To Nudge Adherance To Evidence Based Guidelines In Adult Cancers, Debra Patt

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cancer care is changing rapidly. Understanding of the increasing subtypes of cancer and exponentially increasing therapeutic interventions are unprecedented due to the rapid pace of scientific discovery and clinical innovation. This immense change within the field, lends itself to quality control initiatives, especially among general oncology providers who see a wide array of cancer types as general oncologists will see many different tumor types, and most of which have several potential treatment choices that have grown over time. Evidence-based pathways are an effective way to nudge quality control by presenting choice architecture at the point of care to facilitate guideline …

Development Of A Culinary Nutrition-Based Training For Dietitians And A Clinic-Based Nutrition Intervention To Improve Health Outcomes Among Low-Income Minority Patients, John Wesley Mcwhorter

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Substantial evidence demonstrates the relations between a healthy dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and a lower risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Despite well supported studies, programs, and public health campaigns presenting the health benefits of consuming a healthy dietary pattern, most Americans fall far short of the recommendations. Further, the compounding effects of food insecurity and the consumption of energy-dense and nutrient-deficient foods disproportionately affect low income minority populations. Culinary medicine (CM) and food prescription programs are gaining popularity as tools for (1) decreasing food insecurity; (2) increasing personal agency; (3) promoting healthy …

Exploring Community-Based Weight Loss Initiatives, Retention, And Motivation, Miriam Martinez

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Obesity puts individuals at risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Traditionally obesity was primarily perceived as a personal disorder requiring treatment at the individual level. Strategies to prevent obesity have shifted to an ecological approach. Organizations such as the World Health Organization recommend population based community approaches that connect people, families, schools, and municipalities. Community programs to facilitate weight loss are an effective strategy to reach large populations. The overall goal of this study is to assess community programs, factors associated with retention, and motivation for completing a community weight-loss initiative. A systematic review was conducted to characterize …

Using Technology To Reduce Barriers In Community Health: An Intersection Between Broadband Access, Ehr & Telehealth Adoption In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Renita Madu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

While Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide affordable, high quality, accessible and cost–effective primary health care to all individuals regardless of their inability to pay, patients continue to have difficulty accessing affordable primary care as well as broader specialty services that other patients may receive living near larger health systems and hospitals. Health information technology (HIT) serves as a cost-effective means to overcome barriers related to accessing care, particularly for individuals living in rural and remote areas. We examined if the key influencers of an FQHC’s structure, broadband access and/ or state and federal policies impacted the utilization of telehealth …

Statistical Methods For Functional Annotation-Based Rare Variant Association Analysis, Yiding Ma

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Despite ongoing large-scale population-based whole-genome sequencing (WGS) projects such as the TOPMed program, WGS-based association analysis of complex traits remains a tremendous challenge. External biological knowledge, such as functional annotations based on the ENCODE, Epigenomics Roadmap and GTEx projects, may be helpful in distinguishing causal rare variants from neutral ones; however, each functional annotation can only provide certain aspects of the biological functions. Our knowledge for selecting informative annotations a priori is limited and incorporating non-informative annotations will introduce noise and lose power. In the first part of this dissertation, we propose FunSPU, a versatile and adaptive test that incorporates …

Personalized Estimation And Causal Inference Via Deep Learning Algorithms, Yuanyuan Liu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Personalized approaches have shown great potential to transform modern medicine. As challenging as it may sound, we are making tremendous progress with the help of data sciences and machine learning. Two fundamental tasks in data sciences are prediction and inference. In this dissertation, I proposed to address these two tasks using deep learning approaches in the setting of personalized medicine. First, I developed a novel framework to estimate individualized treatment effects (ITE), which quantified the variation in response to the same treatment among patients with heterogeneous profiles. The ITE estimation has the potential to replace the one-size-fits-all average treatment effects …

Pediatric Wound Care: What Can We Learn From A Systematic Review Of The Literature? Using A Systematic Review And A Clinical Consensus Group To Assess The Quality And Content Of Systematic Reviews Focusing On Pediatric Wound Care. Then Providing And Analytical Outline For Creation Of Pediatric Wound Care Guidelines For Evidence Based Clinical Practice, Ryan Krasnosky

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background: Wound care practices for neonatal and pediatric patients including the category of products, specific products within each category, and length of application of the products have created lack of standardized evidence-based guidelines for treatments in clinical practices. This dissertation addresses this concern by encompassing three crucial steps in developing evidence-based clinical guidelines for wound care specialists. Using a three-paper method, an expert consensus group was formed, a systematic review of reviews completed and a process for creating clinical decision trees created. Methods: Criteria for selection of the consensus group members included: 1) Research graduate active in Pediatric Wound Care …

The Influence Of Brand Equity On Prescriber Behaviour In A Multisource Drug Market, Wanjiku Kariuki

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

When a patent expires, innovator (brand-name) drugs lose their monopoly status and new generic competitors are free to enter the market. Theoretically, free market entry and exit should lead to a drop in the price of the innovator drug as per the tenets of perfect competition. Yet instead of prices decreasing, innovator drug prices are often minimally impacted by generic competition and the innovator continues to maintain both market power and market share – a phenomenon labelled the generic competitor paradox (Scherer, 1993) That the expected supply and demand dynamic is less pronounced in multisource drug markets, suggests that non-price …

A Geospatial Examination Of The Association Between Geographic Food Access And Food Insecurity In Central Texas: The Role Of Race/Ethnicity And Urbanicity, Kathryn Janda

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Food insecurity is a public health issue that affects one in ten Americans, one in seven Central Texans, and is associated with malnutrition, chronic disease, and obesity. Geographic food access is the most intervened upon aspect of food insecurity and is often measured objectively through mapping software, such as ArcGIS. Yet when geographic food access is only measured in terms of distance to food retail, analyses do not full capture the nuances of community context. Thus, other sources of data, like survey data, and demographic indicators, such as race/ethnicity and urbanicity, should be incorporated into the research exploring the association …

Estimating Means And Distributions Of Count Data From Surveys Invoking Complex Sampling Designs: Application To Measuring Cross-Sectional And Lifetime Alcohol Intake From Nhanes And Nlsy, Elysia A. Garcia

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

It is often of interest to measure the distribution (i.e. mean and percentiles) of count outcomes from national survey data to assess population consumption and guide public health efforts for substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and other illicit or licit drugs. Currently available methods for estimating the distribution of dietary intakes do not immediately lend themselves to estimating the consumption of substances measured as counts, nor do they accommodate the complex design elements – strata, cluster, and weight – characteristic of national surveys. We introduce an accurate methodology, called the Survey Adjusted Count (SAC) method, and an associated SAS …

Consider Us: Analysis Of National Mammography Screening Recommendations On African American Women, Gayla M. Ferguson

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death in women in the United States with one in eight women expected to develop the disease in their lifetime. Unfortunately, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death among African American women. African American women are four times more likely to die from breast cancer that Caucasian women. Mammography screenings are the most effective method of reducing breast cancer mortality in African American women. This study aimed to determine if the changes made to the mammography screening recommendations put forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task …

Physician Hospital Arrangement Influence On Nonprofit Hospital Quality,Financial Performance And Community Benefit Expenditures, Andrea Cervin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Federal policy has encouraged hospitals to provide certain quality outcomes and cost containment. Hospitals have responded by forming physician hospital organizations in attempts to achieve quality outcomes and capture reimbursements. At the same time, federal policy has awarded hospitals with nonprofit status with the requirement to provide community benefits in exchange for the tax exemption they receive. With the formation of physician hospital organizations, there remains the question of whether hospitals are achieving desired quality metrics and whether hospitals are financially viable. There is also public and media interest recently regarding whether nonprofit hospitals fulfill their obligations for community benefit …

Exploration Of Breastfeeding As A Protective Factor For Breast Cancer In South African Women: A Nested Case-Control Study, Booker S. Quiera

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background. South African’s (SA) breast cancer incidence rate is continually increasing (39 per 100,000 (2012) versus 46.2 per 100,000 (2018) with trends towards later-stage diagnosis. In previous literature, breastfeeding has been assessed as a protective factor for breast cancer; however, the SA population experiences inconsistent breastfeeding trends, rates, and support services. Therefore, this study will evaluate the inverse association between breast cancer and breastfeeding history. Methods. Cases (breast cancer) and controls (mastalgia) were matched 1:1 on clinical visit from May-August 2019 at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Breastfeeding history, breast carcinoma diagnosis, and clinically …

The Influence Of Sodium And Potassium On Blood Pressure Genetics In The Population Architecture Using Genomics And Epidemiology Study, Cynthia S. Bell

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Multiple polymorphisms have shown associations with blood pressure (BP) levels and hypertension status, but the overall genetic effect on BP has been small and accounts for only a small fraction of the variation in population-wide BP characteristics. These weak associations of BP with genotype may not be attributable to the examining the “wrong” single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) but may instead be the result of noisy BP phenotypes based on mmHg alone. Adding information from the underlying mechanisms of nutritional intake, reuptake, and excretion on BP may produce more informative BP phenotypes to study. To explore this complex relationship between diet, …

Determining The Drivers Of Quality Of Life In Hiv Patints Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Subsaharan Africa, Oubote Sangbana

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

During the last decade, HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has shifted from a fatal disease to a chronic condition thanks to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART). As a result, the focus of care has transitioned from survival to quality of life (QoL), and the latter has become a significant outcome measure during patient follow up. Yet, the determinants of QoL among HIV patients in western and central Africa are not well known. The objective of this dissertation was to determine the main factors associated with QoL among ART-treated HIV adult patients in western and central Africa to ensure healthcare providers …

Statistical Evaluation Of An Extension Of Linear Discriminant Analysis In Multiclass Settings With An Application For Detection Of Cervical Neoplasia, Frances A. Brito

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Although a pathologists’ review of Papanicolaou smear cell samples has been successful in decreasing cervical cancer incidence, it is often costly and time-consuming. Quantitative cytology is a promising semi-automated method that measures cell features for further analysis or classification. There have been several advancements in classification algorithms, but many do not account for the nested data structure seen in quantitative cytology. Further, histologic diagnoses are separated into five or more classes, yet, multiclass classification has not been investigated. Here, we compare the predictive performance of macrolevel discriminant analysis (MDA) to traditional discriminant analysis methods in multi-class settings on cervical quantitative …

Raft-Versus-Host Disease Occurrence Among Cord Blood Transplantation Recipients In Relation To Human Leukocyte Antigen Match Grade, Sarah Chowdhury

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation has been consistently found to have low rates of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), high rates of engraftment, and faster turnaround times in terms of finding suitable donors. In addition, it serves as a viable option for individuals with no matched donor options especially due to its flexible human leukocyte antigen matching criteria. Despite its advantages, there has been an overall decrease in UCB transplantation. However, its advantages emphasize the need for further research and investment in resources such as cord blood banking especially since pediatric populations are most likely to benefit from continued research due to …

Utility Of Plasma Biomarkers In The Validation Of Reported Loc & Pta For Gcs 13-15 Patients: A Track-Tbi Pilot Study, Jeffrey Brennan

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Depending on a brain injury patient to accurately report their duration of unconsciousness and amnesia is clearly flawed. We constructed biomarker-based models to validate these self-reported measurements using a GCS 13-15 subset of participants from TRACK-TBI, a multi-institutional study on traumatic brain injury. Potential covariates were assessed for significant interactions with biomarker level. We report that the predictions of LOC and PTA failed. GFAP exhibited the most consistent serum level increase between categories of both LOC and PTA. Given a number of issues with the study sample, we recommend continued investigation on the prediction of LOC and PTA using a …

Exploration Of Breastfeeding As A Protective Factor For Breast Cancer In South African Women: A Nested Case-Control Study, Quiera S. Booker

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

South African’s (SA) breast cancer incidence rate is continually increasing (39 per 100,000 (2012) versus 46.2 per 100,000 (2018) with trends towards later-stage diagnosis. In previous literature, breastfeeding has been assessed as a protective factor for breast cancer; however, the SA population experiences inconsistent breastfeeding trends, rates, and support services. Therefore, this study will evaluate the inverse association between breast cancer and breastfeeding history. Methods. Cases (breast cancer) and controls (mastalgia) were matched 1:1 on clinical visit from May-August 2019 at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Breastfeeding history, breast carcinoma diagnosis, and clinically relevant …

The Health And Wellness Characteristics Of Food And Beverage Service Industry Workers In Austin, Texas: A Participatory Cross-Sectional Survey, Alexandria Abbott

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Food and beverage service industry workers are prone to tobacco use, alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and mental health conditions. These workers are also highly likely to not have health insurance. Despite the poor health outcomes that stem from these conditions, little to no empirical evidence currently exists to explain the factors that contribute to the poor health condition of the service industry workforce. This study used a cross-sectional online survey to gather preliminary information on the health and wellness condition of service industry workers over the age of 18 in Austin, Texas. Survey respondents revealed high rates of alcohol …