Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: homelessness
- All Subjects: Mentorship
- Creators: Stevens, Carol
Description
Obesity in Hispanic youth has reached alarmingly high levels, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In Mexican American children ages 6-11 years, 41.7% are overweight and obese, 24.7% are obese and 19.6% have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 97th percentile. While personal, behavioral, and environmental factors contribute to these high rates, emerging literature suggests acculturation, self-efficacy and social support are key influences. The one-group, pre- and post-test, quasi-experimental design used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) method to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the 8-week intervention. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) was used to guide the design. Measurements included an analysis of recruitment, retention, participant satisfaction, observation of intervention sessions, paired t-tests, effect sizes, and bivariate correlations between study variables (acculturation, nutrition and physical activity [PA] knowledge, attitude and behaviors, perceived confidence and social support) and outcome variables (BMI z-score, waist circumference and BP percentile) Findings showed the SSLN program was feasible and acceptable. Participants (n = 16) reported that the curriculum was fun and they learned about nutrition and PA. The retention rate was 94%. The preliminary effects on adolescent nutrition and PA behaviors showed mixed results with small-to-medium effect sizes for nutrition knowledge and attitude, PA and sedentary behavior. Correlation analysis among acculturation and study variables was not significant. Positive associations were found between perceived confidence in eating and nutrition attitude (r = .61, p < .05) and nutrition behavior (r = .62, p < .05), perceived confidence in exercise and nutrition behavior (r = .66, p < .05), social support from family for exercise and PA behavior (r = .67, p < .01) and social support from friends for exercise and PA behavior (r = .56, p < .05). These findings suggest a culturally specific healthy eating and activity program for adolescents was feasible and acceptable and warrants further investigation, since it may fill a gap in existing obesity programs designed for Hispanic youth. The positive correlations suggest further testing of the theoretical model.
ContributorsStevens, Carol (Author) / Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie (Thesis advisor) / Komnenich, Pauline (Committee member) / Shaibi, Gabriel (Committee member) / Arcoleo, Kimberly (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Mentorship is important to learning because it provides a frame of reference and the guidance necessary to succeed for those who are inexperienced. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a one-semester mentorship program for freshman Barrett nursing students. Specifically, it was hypothesized that freshman Barrett nursing students (mentees) would experience higher levels of confidence as they enter their second year. With improved confidence and better preparation in handling stress, freshman Barrett students are more likely to stay in the Barrett program throughout their time at a university in the southwestern United States. The mentorship program included freshman Barrett students pursuing a degree in nursing as the mentees and Term 8 (senior) Barrett Nursing students as the mentors. The mentorship program supported freshman students in reaching out to their mentors for study tips, class advice, homework help, and use them as a general resource throughout the application process. Quantitative data was collected in a pre- and post-survey in order to analyze the confidence scores of mentors and mentees. The survey asked participants questions regarding their level of self-confidence and asked them to rank their responses on a Likert scale with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The results showed that confidence levels based on the quantitative data either stayed the same or was improved in every participant. Specifically, there were multiple statistically significant findings based on the paired t-tests that were run. Findings suggest the mentorship program improved the confidence levels in both freshman Barrett students and their Senior mentors.
ContributorsZurbriggen, Abigail Marie (Author) / Quillman, Jill (Thesis director) / Stevens, Carol (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Homelessness has a history of existing as a misunderstood condition involving stereotypes, stigmas and assumptions. In fact, the combination of acute-care medical professionals with patients of chronic illness and chronic homelessness can lead to incongruity of attitudes. These mindsets have the potential to affect the care homeless individuals receive in the emergency department (ED) and impact their intentions to seek medical help in the future (Ugarriza & Fallon, 1994, pp. 26). Furthermore, homeless individuals account for 54.5% of all ED visits in the United States (Kushel et al., 2002). The author conducted a qualitative descriptive study of 10 in-person interviews with homeless individuals in the downtown Phoenix, AZ area. The objective was to determine homeless individuals' perceptions of welcomeness and unwelcomeness by emergency department staff. Findings support significantly unwelcome experiences in the ED and negative perceptions of ED staff through repeating concepts of dehumanization, dismissal, stereotypes and discrimination. Further research is needed to create interventions for improving perceptions of ED staff, promoting health and preventing illness in the homeless population, and reducing ED visits by homeless individuals.
ContributorsLeander, Lauren (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Committee member) / Kleinlein, Shirley (Committee member) / McNulty, Julie (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2014-05