Matching Items (10)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

157006-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Late preterm infants (LPIs), born between 34 and 37 weeks gestation, are at risk for a myriad of health conditions related to neuro-muscular and physiologic immaturity. However, relative stability allow many of these infants to avoid care in specialty nurseries and discharge home with their mothers after birth. Due to

Late preterm infants (LPIs), born between 34 and 37 weeks gestation, are at risk for a myriad of health conditions related to neuro-muscular and physiologic immaturity. However, relative stability allow many of these infants to avoid care in specialty nurseries and discharge home with their mothers after birth. Due to underlying immaturity, feeding difficulty is the most common issue LPIs experience, resulting in early breastfeeding cessation, increased risk for secondary diagnoses, and hospital readmission. The purpose of this study was to assess early breastfeeding behavior of LPIs, including testing inter-rater reliability of an assessment tool and the feeding patterns of infants over time. An extensive review of breastfeeding assessment tools resulted in the selection of the Premature Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale (PIBBS) based on its reliability and validity in the preterm infant population. A convenience sample of LPI dyads was recruited and used to conduct inter-rater reliability testing of PIBBS. A longitudinal one-group non-experimental study was used for observational follow-up. A strong statistical agreement of PIBBS scores occurred between mothers and a healthcare professional (Cohen’s kappa values of items ranged from .776 to 1.000, p = <.001). Participants continued using the PIBBS tool after hospital discharge until their infants expected due dates (40 weeks adjusted age). T-test analyses were conducted to examine changes in scores over time indicating increase in item scores (p = .003 - .193). PIBBS appears to be a valid and reliable tool to assess breastfeeding among LPI dyads. Incorporation of PIBBS into a comprehensive plan of care could better support and protect breastfeeding among the LPI population.
ContributorsLober, Angela (Author) / Komnenich, Pauline (Thesis advisor) / Kelly, Lesly (Thesis advisor) / Dodgson, Joan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
136374-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was created in 1991 with the goal to provide support and education to mothers on breastfeeding in order to increase the rate and duration of breastfeeding across the world. Despite being around for over 20 years, it has only been successfully incorporated into 245

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was created in 1991 with the goal to provide support and education to mothers on breastfeeding in order to increase the rate and duration of breastfeeding across the world. Despite being around for over 20 years, it has only been successfully incorporated into 245 hospitals in the United States as of 2015. Due to the many benefits this initiative brings to mothers, infants, and the hospitals themselves as well as being shown to increase the incidence, duration, and exclusivity of breastfeeding, the goal of this project was to create a mother friendly brochure sharing this. The brochure was created in order to spread the word of the BFHI to expecting mothers so that they are informed and able to use this information to not only improve their own child-birthing experience but also push for implementation in their delivering facilities. The brochure covers additional topics such as breastfeeding benefits and tips, lactation resources, and steps to incorporate into their own hospital stay if outside of a BFHI facility in order to get a few of the benefits that the Baby Friendly Initiative provides. The brochure was tested for clarity, effectiveness, and for overall reactions in a study conducted at a local women's clinic surveying expectant mothers through the use of a short survey. These results were used to make minor improvements to the brochure before moving on to plans of how to disseminate the brochure to more clinics within the Phoenix area. The dissemination of this brochure will share this important information with women of childbearing age and hopefully lead to greater knowledge and progress towards improved maternal and neonatal outcomes.
ContributorsGunnare, Chrystina Jean (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis director) / Bever, Jennie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
134280-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
As of today, there does not exist a cheap diagnostic for lactate for use in trauma centers. $671 billion are spent on trauma accidents and emergency rooms, with money focused on treatments such as YSI and ELISA, costing $1500 and $200, respectively. Gold disk electrodes were used to immobilize lactate

As of today, there does not exist a cheap diagnostic for lactate for use in trauma centers. $671 billion are spent on trauma accidents and emergency rooms, with money focused on treatments such as YSI and ELISA, costing $1500 and $200, respectively. Gold disk electrodes were used to immobilize lactate dehydrogenase and glucose oxidase, with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) used as the method for detection. Two lactate experimental runs were completed with data detailing a linear model and positive correlation for imaginary impedance and concentration, and one glucose experimental run was completed proving that a continuous system can be completed accounting for reaction and consumption using EIS, a process previously not done before.
ContributorsEltohamy, Omar Khaled (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Lin, Chi-En (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
155161-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding and the provision of human milk in the United States is suboptimal. In the absence of adequate banked donor human milk for distribution to all infants in need, many families choose to engage in the practice of Private Arrangement Milk Sharing (PAMS), partially facilitated through

Exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding and the provision of human milk in the United States is suboptimal. In the absence of adequate banked donor human milk for distribution to all infants in need, many families choose to engage in the practice of Private Arrangement Milk Sharing (PAMS), partially facilitated through social media, to procure human milk for their infants. Evidence regarding the participant and infant characteristics and risk abatement practices is incomplete. This dissertation describes and explores the characteristics of recipient participants and infants, family constellation, donor screening practices, and related risk abatement strategies. Data was collected via on-line survey as a sub-group of a larger data set including donor participants and international participants. Binary logistic regression modeling of factors that contribute to consistent screening and risk abatement practices and important antecedents to engaging in PAMS was conducted. Results are contextualized within a tailored socioecological framework of factors affecting infant feeding practices. Tailoring was accomplished via qualitative descriptive analysis of participant responses applied to an existing breastfeeding framework. Participants in this sample were predominantly white, married, with a mean age of 32.9 years, with at least some college education and above median income. Risk abatement and screening practices were influenced by support of a healthcare provider during decision-making, college education, infant age and health status, having lactation support, birth type and birth attendant, and the duration and sources sought for learning about milk sharing.
ContributorsBond, Angela Bowen (Author) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth G. (Thesis advisor) / Keller, Colleen (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
135696-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Many stressors today are psychological rather than physical and are influenced by the brain's perception of the stressor. The peripartum period is a particularly volatile time that is susceptible to new and stronger stressors. This current study investigates the relationship between self-reported perceived stress levels and physiological cortisol reactivity levels

Many stressors today are psychological rather than physical and are influenced by the brain's perception of the stressor. The peripartum period is a particularly volatile time that is susceptible to new and stronger stressors. This current study investigates the relationship between self-reported perceived stress levels and physiological cortisol reactivity levels in new mothers at the 12-week postpartum time point. In addition, it examines the relationship between the mother and infants' physiological cortisol reactivity levels at 12-weeks postpartum. This current study is part of a longitudinal study and assessed these two correlations for 181 mother-infant dyads from a low income Mexican American population. The self-reported stress levels were assessed using the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the cortisol reactivity data was gathered using four salivary cortisol samples taken from both mother and infant surrounding 5 interaction tasks and analyzed using Area Under the Curve with respect to ground (AUCg). Unexpectedly, the results found no correlation between perceived and physiological stress levels in the mothers, with a Pearson correlation of 0.114 and a p-value of 0.129. However, there was a positive correlation between mother and infant cortisol reactivity, with a correlation of 0.632 and a p-value less than 0.0001. This early postpartum period plays a significant role in developing HPA axis regulation for infants and developing productive mother-infant interactions. The physiological and psychological risks of chronically elevated stress for both mothers and children were addressed in this study as well, with implications for means to address and mitigate potential cortisol dysregulation.
ContributorsRegan, Emily Nicole (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Crnic, Keith (Committee member) / Hanna, Mariam (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135595-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
2015 marks the deadline for the UN Millennium Development Goal 5 to reduce global maternal mortality rate (MMR) by 75% since 1990. As of 2015, MMR has only been reduced by 45%. Many international organizations claim that more medically trained midwives can meet global maternal health care needs. This study

2015 marks the deadline for the UN Millennium Development Goal 5 to reduce global maternal mortality rate (MMR) by 75% since 1990. As of 2015, MMR has only been reduced by 45%. Many international organizations claim that more medically trained midwives can meet global maternal health care needs. This study investigates two major questions. What is the role of midwives in diverse international maternal healthcare contexts? How do midwives in these different contexts define their roles and the barriers to providing the best care for women? From May to August 2015, I conducted over 70 interviews with midwives in Netherlands, Sweden, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Australia and Guatemala, interviewing between 6 and 13 midwives from each country. The majority of midwives defined their roles as supporting women's individual capacities and power through normal birth, and knowing when to refer when high-risk complications arise. Although thematic barriers vary by country, midwives in all countries believed that maternal healthcare can be improved by increased collaboration between midwives and other health care professionals, better access to culturally appropriate services, and greater public awareness of the role of midwives.
ContributorsCarson, Anna Elizabeth (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Maupin, Jonathan (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description

Managing a work-home balance is a daunting task for any parent. It is often difficult to take leave from work to care for one’s family due to financial barriers, which simultaneously poses a threat to family development. Although many countries have parental leave policies in place to account for this,

Managing a work-home balance is a daunting task for any parent. It is often difficult to take leave from work to care for one’s family due to financial barriers, which simultaneously poses a threat to family development. Although many countries have parental leave policies in place to account for this, effectiveness of these policies vary by country. This study aims to find to what extent parental leave has an impact on the quality of life. In this study, quality of life was investigated by the rank of the country on the Happiness Index and through the lens of achieving sustainable family development, which was subsequently described to be reflected by a country’s governmental resources provided during parental leave, as well as the country’s Gender Inequality Index. Through a cross-cultural review of literature, it was found that there seems to be an indirect, complex correlation of parental leave to the quality of life, and external factors such as sociocultural ideals, gender inequality, and varying workplace practices have greater significance on quality of life.

ContributorsAlam, Ramisa Fariha (Co-author) / Mota, Urmi (Co-author) / SturtzSreetharan, Cindi (Thesis director) / Ruth, Alissa (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
154044-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Despite the widely recognized health benefits of breastfeeding and its endorsement by leading health organizations, as a preventative public health intervention, inadequate breastfeeding knowledge and lactation management skills among healthcare providers continues to be a major barrier for women who choose to initiate breastfeeding. Breastfeeding competencies are not standardized

Despite the widely recognized health benefits of breastfeeding and its endorsement by leading health organizations, as a preventative public health intervention, inadequate breastfeeding knowledge and lactation management skills among healthcare providers continues to be a major barrier for women who choose to initiate breastfeeding. Breastfeeding competencies are not standardized in healthcare education for any of the health professions. To address this gap, a few continuing education and professional development programs have been implemented, but paucity in research regarding the efficacy of these programs exists. The purpose of this study was to explore the changes in healthcare providers’ learning outcomes related to breastfeeding support and promotion.

A non-experimental pre-posttest self-report survey design was used to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online breastfeeding educational intervention for healthcare providers. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provided the framework for exploring the participants’ psychological and behavioral outcomes. The research questions were: (1) What is the feasibility of an online breastfeeding course for healthcare providers? (2) What are healthcare providers’ psychological and behavioral changes occurring after completion of an online course? (3) How do the post-intervention psychological and behavioral outcomes of the online format compare with those of the previous format (hybrid) of this breastfeeding course?

Although participants’ favorably assessed the feasibility (i.e., acceptability) of the 45-hour course, several factors contributed to participants’ satisfaction level: Previous online learning experience, connectedness with others, and the degree of structural support. Significant positive changes occurring in participants were increases in their knowledge and beliefs about breastfeeding; attitudes toward formula feeding; perceived behavioral control; perceptions about being able to perform breastfeeding supportive behaviors; and intentions to perform actions that are consistent with evidence-based breastfeeding supportive behaviors. Significant changes in the beliefs about formula feeding were not in the expected direction raising conceptual and pedagogical issues. Participants had negative perceptions about being able to implement what they learned in their workplaces or to affect policy. Findings support the use of online breastfeeding education programs for healthcare providers; changes at both individual and institutional levels are necessary to change provider practices.
ContributorsWatkins, Amanda L (Author) / Dodgson, Joan E (Thesis advisor) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth G. (Committee member) / McClain, Darya (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
154385-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Low income, pregnant adolescents have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, delivery of low birth weight babies and excessive gestational weight gain that increases the risk of postpartum overweight and obesity. Inadequate dietary intake is a modifiable risk factor that may differentially impact maternal health

Low income, pregnant adolescents have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, delivery of low birth weight babies and excessive gestational weight gain that increases the risk of postpartum overweight and obesity. Inadequate dietary intake is a modifiable risk factor that may differentially impact maternal health and fetal outcomes for pregnant adults and adolescents. To evaluate the effectiveness of a social media intervention on improving prenatal health knowledge and dietary intake, 22 racially diverse pregnant women (59% Black and 36% White) were recruited and adolescent (n=10) outcomes compared to those of adults (n=12) across the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention nutrition knowledge questionnaires and diet recalls were completed to assess nutrition knowledge and dietary intake. When assessing dietary change across the intervention, significant decreases in fat (pre vs. post, 97.9 ± 0.2 g vs. 90.2 ± 0.2 g, P=0.047) and folate intake (pre vs. post, 537.6 ± 0.3 μg vs. 531.2 ± 0.2 μg, P=0.041) were observed while significant increases in carbohydrate (pre vs. post, 318.9 ± 0.2 g vs. 335.9 ± 0.2 g, P<0.001), calcium (pre vs. post, 851.3 ± 0.3 mg vs. 893.5 ± 0.2 mg, P<0.001) and magnesium intakes (pre vs. post, 212.9 ± 0.2 mg vs. 227.8 ± 0.2 mg, P<0.001) occurred. These time effects occurred independent of group (adolescents vs. adults) as time*group interactions were not significant (p>0.05) with the exception of sugar intake. Increases in sugar intake across the intervention were greater among the adolescent group (adolescent vs. adult, 7.9 ± 0.2 g vs. 6.0 ± 0.2 g, P=0.023). Overall nutrition knowledge was limited and confusion regarding MyPlate recommendations persisted. The inadequate dietary behaviors observed suggest that future interventions should focus education on specific dietary nutrients such as added sugars and fiber to improve dietary intakes. The best way to actively engage pregnant adolescents is unknown: however, social media has the potential to reach teens and low-income women with education that may be key in allowing interventions to change dietary habits and behaviors.
ContributorsEllis, Megan (Author) / Whisner, Corrie M (Thesis advisor) / Bruening, Meg (Committee member) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
164757-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Refugee women face many challenges to obtaining maternal, reproductive, and sexual health post-resettlement including the language barrier, navigating the healthcare system, finding childcare to attend appointments, and cultural mismatches between their beliefs and practices around the prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum periods and that of the healthcare system in which they

Refugee women face many challenges to obtaining maternal, reproductive, and sexual health post-resettlement including the language barrier, navigating the healthcare system, finding childcare to attend appointments, and cultural mismatches between their beliefs and practices around the prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum periods and that of the healthcare system in which they resettle into. This cultural barrier poses a challenge to healthcare providers as well as it necessitates that they respect their patients’ cultural beliefs while still providing them with the highest standard of care. Cultural competency training has been used to assist providers in understanding and responding to cultural differences, but gaps still exist when it comes to navigating specific scenarios. The objective of this research was to conduct a literature review of studies pertaining to refugee maternal, reproductive, and sexual healthcare post-resettlement to investigate the following questions: how tensions between biomedically accepted best practices and cultural norms present themselves in these healthcare fields, how healthcare providers take into consideration their patients’ cultural beliefs and norms when providing maternal, reproductive, and sexual healthcare to refugee women, and what can be done to continue to improve the provision of culturally appropriate care to refugee women. Findings from twenty different studies that focused primarily on eight cultural groups identified that Cesarean sections, inductions, and certain family planning methods are significant points of contention regarding cultural norms for refugee women and that they prefer certain foods, birthing positions, and other cultural practices during the delivery. Healthcare providers consider their refugee patients’ cultural beliefs by creating relationships with them built on trust, utilizing community liaisons, and through attempts to accommodate cultural practices when possible. Some potential improvements offered to improve cultural competency were improved cultural competency training that focused on how healthcare providers ask questions and interact with their patients, increased partnership with refugee communities, and an emphasis on patient education surrounding interventions and procedures related to maternal and reproductive health that could cause hesitations. The results of this literature review accentuated the importance of relationships within the field of refugee women’s healthcare, between both refugee patients and their providers and refugee communities and the healthcare systems. Providing refugee women access to more culturally competent healthcare can increase their trust in the healthcare systems of the countries they resettle in and healthcare utilization that can contribute to improved health outcomes for refugee women and their children.

ContributorsMcDaniel, Anne (Author) / Schuster, Roseanne (Thesis director) / Johnson-Agbakwu, Crista (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor)
Created2022-05