Matching Items (275)
Description
Breastfeeding has been shown to dramatically improve health outcomes for both infants and mothers. Despite recommendations by almost all world and national health organizations to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and to continue breastfeeding for one year, this goal is not met by the majority of women in the United States for multiple reasons. Health professionals, including physicians and nurses, can play a major role in educating and influencing mothers about breastfeeding, especially for women with comorbidities, taking medications, or undergoing medical procedures. An online survey was created to evaluate healthcare professionals' breastfeeding knowledge and opinions at a large hospital in Phoenix, Arizona using QuestionPro software. This survey was distributed for three weeks to the nursing and physician departments at the hospital in primarily the obstetric and post partum units. Of the seventy-nine individuals who completed the survey, the respondents were primarily female obstetric nurses. Respondents recognized the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and infant, believed health professionals can influence the decision to breastfeed, and found a lack of support was the number one reason women discontinue breastfeeding. Despite this information, it is apparent from this survey, and similar studies in the past, that there are significant gaps in knowledge especially when it comes to contraindications to breastfeeding, medications used while breastfeeding, fluid intake during breastfeeding, and foods that can be consumed while breastfeeding. Additionally, the majority of the nurses who completed this survey did not believe their schooling adequately trained them in breastfeeding education and hands-on practice. This information could be used in future studies to guide breastfeeding education for nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals at the stated hospital and other facilities across the nation.
ContributorsConstenius, Lindsey Bowes (Author) / Bever, Jennie (Thesis director) / Kelly, Lesly (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
DescriptionThe goal of this study is to explore the relationship between breastfeeding, postpartum depression and postpartum weight at 1 and 6 months.
ContributorsFlowers, Jenna (Author) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Bever, Jennie (Committee member) / Moramarco, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of the study was to determine the level and type of public policy involvement among registered nurses (RN) who are members of the Arizona Nurses Association (AzNA). Furthermore, the aim of the study was to identify the knowledge base and motivation of nurses and their involvement in public policy as well as the barriers and benefits. A 20- item survey was sent to all of the members of AzNA. There were 39 responses used in the analysis. The highest reported public policy activities in which the nurses had participated were: voted (90%), contacted a public official (51%), and gave money to a campaign or for a public policy concern (46%). Lack of time was the most frequently reported barrier to involvement and improving the health of the public was the most frequently reported benefit to involvement. The number of public policy education/information sources and the highest level of education positively correlate to the nurses' total number of public policy activities (r = .627 p <0.05; r = .504, p <0.05). Based on the results of stepwise linear regression analysis, the participants' age, number of education/information sources, and efficacy expectation predict 68.8% of involvement in public policy activities. The greater the number of education/information sources, the greater the number of public policy activities nurses report having participated in.
ContributorsHartman, Mykaila Corrine (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Thesis director) / Munoz, Aliria (Committee member) / Link, Denise (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
Objectives: To explore the feasibility and effects of using a meditation mobile app 10-minutes a day for 4-weeks to reduce burnout (primary outcome), improve mindfulness, reduce stress, and depression in physician assistant (PA) students compared to a wait-list control.
Methods: This study was a randomized, wait-list, control trial with assessments at baseline and post-intervention (week 4). Participants were asked to meditate using Calm for 10 minutes per day. A p value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The majority of participants (n=19) stated using Calm helped them cope with the stress of PA school. The intervention group participated in meditation for an average of 76 minutes/week. There were significant differences in all outcomes for the intervention group (all p ≤0.06). There was a significant interaction between group and time factors in emotional exhaustion (p=.016) and depersonalization (p=.025).
Conclusions: Calm is a feasible way to reduce burnout in PA students. Our findings provide information that can be applied to the design of future studies.
Methods: This study was a randomized, wait-list, control trial with assessments at baseline and post-intervention (week 4). Participants were asked to meditate using Calm for 10 minutes per day. A p value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The majority of participants (n=19) stated using Calm helped them cope with the stress of PA school. The intervention group participated in meditation for an average of 76 minutes/week. There were significant differences in all outcomes for the intervention group (all p ≤0.06). There was a significant interaction between group and time factors in emotional exhaustion (p=.016) and depersonalization (p=.025).
Conclusions: Calm is a feasible way to reduce burnout in PA students. Our findings provide information that can be applied to the design of future studies.
ContributorsWorth, Taylor Nicole (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Will, Kristen (Committee member) / Puzia, Megan (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder that can affect individuals at nearly every stage of life. Women are especially vulnerable to MDD in part, from ovarian hormone level fluctuations. In this thesis, I focused on MDD using a rat model in middle-age to explore potential sex differences in response to a corticosterone (CORT) – induced depressive-like state. Estradiol (E2), a naturally occurring steroid sex hormone in humans and rats, is implicated in mood changes, which is especially prominent during the menopause transition. CORT, a stress hormone, was used to create a depressive-like state in middle-aged female (F) and male (M) rats with their gonads surgically removed. This produced the following independent treatment groups: Sex (F, M), CORT (vehicle = V ml/kg, C 40mg/kg), E2 (V 0.1 ml, E 0.3µg/0.1ml). CORT and E2 injections were injected daily, s.c) for 7 days before behavioral testing began and continued throughout the study when behavior was assessed. For my honor’s thesis, I focused on the social interaction test and elevated plus maze to investigate whether CORT enhanced social avoidance and anxiety, and whether E2 mitigated the CORT effects. In the social interaction test, three new behaviors were assessed (interacting, grooming, and immobility) to better understand exploratory and anxiety profiles of the rats, and these behaviors were quantified over two 5-minute periods in the 10-minute trial. These new quantifications showed that for the female rats, C+E and V+V enhanced the interaction with the novel rat significantly more than an inanimate object, which was not observed in the females given CORT only or E2 only. The males in all conditions showed a significant preference for side with the novel rat compared to the object, however no treatment differences were observed. In both sexes, the overall time spent interacting decreased in the second five minutes of quantification compared to the first five minutes. No effects were observed with grooming or immobility, in part from the high variability across rats. For EPM, female rats treated with CORT and E2 exhibited a lower anxiety index than compared to female rats given CORT only, indicating that E2 mitigated the depressive-like effects of CORT. Males showed no CORT or E2 effects. The result in part supported my hypothesis, as the CORT-treated females exhibited reduced socialization and E2 improved socialization in CORT-treated females, as this was seen in the F-C-E group. Interestingly, CORT failed to produce a depressive-like effect in males in both behavioral tests, which was an unexpected outcome. These results suggest that administration of E2 with CORT mitigated the depressive-like state created by CORT in female rats, however failed to produce these outcomes in males. The outcome of this work will give us insight into the potential mechanisms that may contribute to sex differences with MDD.
ContributorsSladkova, Sara (Author) / Conrad, Cheryl (Thesis director) / Amdam, Gro (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05