Matching Items (44)
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Description
Background
Weight gain during the childbearing years and failure to lose pregnancy weight after birth contribute to the development of obesity in postpartum Latinas.
Methods
Madres para la Salud [Mothers for Health] was a 12-month, randomized controlled trial exploring a social support intervention with moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) seeking to effect changes in

Background
Weight gain during the childbearing years and failure to lose pregnancy weight after birth contribute to the development of obesity in postpartum Latinas.
Methods
Madres para la Salud [Mothers for Health] was a 12-month, randomized controlled trial exploring a social support intervention with moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) seeking to effect changes in body fat, fat tissue inflammation, and depression symptoms in sedentary postpartum Latinas. This report describes the efficacy of the Madres intervention.
Results
The results show that while social support increased during the active intervention delivery, it declined to pre-intervention levels by the end of the intervention. There were significant achievements in aerobic and total steps across the 12 months of the intervention, and declines in body adiposity assessed with bioelectric impedance.
Conclusions
Social support from family and friends mediated increases in aerobic PA resulting in decrease in percent body fat.
Created2014-09-19
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Description
Despite their low cost and high nutrient density, the contribution of eggs to nutrient intake and dietary quality among Mexican-American postpartum women has not been evaluated. Nutrient intake and dietary quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010), were measured in habitually sedentary overweight/obese (body mass index (BMI)

Despite their low cost and high nutrient density, the contribution of eggs to nutrient intake and dietary quality among Mexican-American postpartum women has not been evaluated. Nutrient intake and dietary quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010), were measured in habitually sedentary overweight/obese (body mass index (BMI) = 29.7 ± 3.5 kg/m[superscript 2]) Mexican-American postpartum women (28 ± 6 years) and compared between egg consumers (n = 82; any egg intake reported in at least one of three 24-h dietary recalls) and non-consumers (n = 57). Egg consumers had greater intake of energy (+808 kJ (193 kcal) or 14%; p = 0.033), protein (+9 g or 17%; p = 0.031), total fat (+9 g or 19%; p = 0.039), monounsaturated fat (+4 g or 24%; p = 0.020), and several micronutrients than non-consumers. Regarding HEI-2010 scores, egg consumers had a greater total protein foods score than non-consumers (4.7 ± 0.7 vs. 4.3 ± 1.0; p = 0.004), and trends for greater total fruit (2.4 ± 1.8 vs. 1.9 ± 1.7; p = 0.070) and the total composite HEI-2010 score (56.4 ± 12.6 vs. 52.3 ± 14.4; p = 0.082). Findings suggest that egg intake could contribute to greater nutrient intake and improved dietary quality among postpartum Mexican-American women. Because of greater energy intake among egg consumers, recommendations for overweight/obese individuals should include avoiding excessive energy intake and incorporating eggs to a nutrient-dense, fiber-rich dietary pattern.
Created2015-10-02
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Description
There is an enormous unmet need for services, education, and outreach to improve women’s breast health. Healthcare systems and insurance systems vary widely around the world, and this may play an important role in understanding variability in women’s breast health knowledge and behavior globally. The goal of this study is

There is an enormous unmet need for services, education, and outreach to improve women’s breast health. Healthcare systems and insurance systems vary widely around the world, and this may play an important role in understanding variability in women’s breast health knowledge and behavior globally. The goal of this study is to determine how varying healthcare systems in three countries (Japan, Paraguay, US) affect a woman’s likelihood of seeing a physician in regard to their breasts. For example, Japan is a clear example of a region that provides universal health insurance to its citizens. The government takes responsibility in giving accessible and equitable healthcare to its entire population (Zhang & Oyama, 2016). On the other hand, a country such as Paraguay is composed of both public and private sectors. In order for citizens to gain insurance, one would have to either be formally employed or choose to pay out-of-pocket for hospital visits (“Paraguay”, 2017). A country such as the United States does not have universal health insurance. However, it does have a mix of public and private sectors, meaning there is little to no coverage for its citizens. To accommodate for this, the United States came up with the Affordable Care Act, which extends coverage to the uninsured. Although the United States might be a country that spends more on healthcare than any other nation, there are residents that still lack healthcare (De Lew, Greenberg & Kinchen, 1992). This study, then, compares women’s breast health knowledge and behavior in Japan, Paraguay, and the US. Other variables, which are also considered in this study, that might affect this include wealth level, education, having general awareness of breast cancer, having regular health checks, and having some breast education. Using statistical analysis of breast check rates of women in Japan, Paraguay, and the United States, this research found that women sampled in Asunción, Paraguay check their breasts more often than either women sampled from Scottsdale, U.S. or Osaka, Japan. It was also found that women sampled from Paraguay were more confident in detecting changes in their breast compared to women sampled from the Japan or the US. Finally, it was noted that women sampled from Japan were least likely to partake in seeing a doctor in concern of changes in their breasts compared to women sampled from the other two research locations. These findings have relevance for the implementation of advocacy and public education about breast health.
ContributorsKumar, Navneet Surjit (Co-author) / Kumar, Navneet (Co-author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis director) / Brewis, Alexandra (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, triggering widespread catastrophic damage to the island. Aside from the extensive physical devastation that Hurricane Maria wielded, it also exacerbated larger underlying economic instabilities and public health challenges that the island has faced. Among these were compromised access to

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, triggering widespread catastrophic damage to the island. Aside from the extensive physical devastation that Hurricane Maria wielded, it also exacerbated larger underlying economic instabilities and public health challenges that the island has faced. Among these were compromised access to safe, clean drinking water and nutritious foods. While studies have primarily focused on the mortality count, health and food-behaviors post-Hurricane Maria have been rarely investigated. Documenting what Puerto Ricans drank following the natural disaster is necessary to identify changes in their consumption patterns as well as to understand how weather-related shocks influence these changes. The aim of this study was to examine sociodemographic factors associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and fruit juice among a sample of Puerto Rican adults after Hurricane Maria. The data analyzed for this thesis project was derived from a larger, multi-year, academic research project known as the Global Ethnohydrology Study (GES). An improved understanding of SSB and fruit juice consumption patterns can inform effective public health interventions to reduce consumption across the island. Collecting valid, descriptive post-Hurricane Maria data would greatly help identify areas of public health need in addition to promote further studies on the risk factors to chronic diseases within the island’s context by comparing the health status situation before and after Hurricane Maria (Mattei et al., 2018). Thus, gaining insight into Puerto Ricans’ beverage consumption patterns in relation to sociodemographic and behavioral factors serves as a promising line of research with potential to help public health officials mitigate post-disaster situations and take clinically relevant action.
ContributorsLedesma, Daniela (Author) / Brewis, Alexandra (Thesis director) / Wutich, Amber (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Research has been conducted analyzing factors that affect mental health in regions that suffer from water insecurity and water scarcity. Amber Wutich and Alexandra Brewis (2019) explain the effects that water scarcity has on mental health and how chronic worry can trigger depression, stress, anxiety and in extreme cases this

Research has been conducted analyzing factors that affect mental health in regions that suffer from water insecurity and water scarcity. Amber Wutich and Alexandra Brewis (2019) explain the effects that water scarcity has on mental health and how chronic worry can trigger depression, stress, anxiety and in extreme cases this can lead to suicidal thoughts. Bina Agarwal (2000) analyzes gender roles in relation to water insecurity where women express more signs of anxiety and worry due to the limited options they have when seeking water outside their household. There are limited studies done on water insecurity at a household level which limit an understanding of possible coping mechanisms along with additional factors that affect mental health. In this study, surveys are conducted in the city of San Juan Del Rio, Queretaro in Mexico where residents have been affected by massive flooding’s. Additionally, residents in Mexico not only suffer from water scarcity but also from poor water infrastructure, constant water outages, shortages, and contaminated water supply. Respondents answers (n=23) regarding the amount of worry, household size, being head of household, and gender was used to conduct paired sample statistical tests where associations were determined. Associations relating to the amount of worry resulted in the idea that residents in San Juan Del Rio because they consistently struggle with water shortages, have developed a coping strategy to deal with water outages and therefore, show fewer signs of worry when faced with a household water situation. In consideration, surveys conducted in surrounding towns and in a rural setting can provide additional information regarding how poverty is related to mental health and water scarcity along with a deeper understanding of possible coping strategies at a household level.
ContributorsRamirez Arellanes, Andrea (Author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis director) / Brewis, Alexandra (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Almost sixty percent of adults within the United States are in a married or committed, cohabiting relationship. This study sought to examine the trajectory of relationship satisfaction over 14 consecutive days employing an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method. Daily reports of relationship satisfaction were collected via a smartphone application developed

Almost sixty percent of adults within the United States are in a married or committed, cohabiting relationship. This study sought to examine the trajectory of relationship satisfaction over 14 consecutive days employing an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method. Daily reports of relationship satisfaction were collected via a smartphone application developed from the LifeData platform. Phone-based interview questions posed one week after the 14-day EMA period afforded evaluation of usability and acceptability, in preparation for a much larger study of couples coping with cancer. Twenty-seven adults in a married or committed, cohabitating relationship served as participants, recruited from researchmatch.org. (These individuals were not coping with cancer.) Participants received a smartphone notification between 7:30pm and 8:30pm each day, with 45 minutes to begin recording their responses. A single item from the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (item #31) was used to assess relationship satisfaction. Findings revealed a marginally significant increase in satisfaction over the course of 14 days (b = 0.04, t = 1.85, p = .077). In addition, an intraclass correlation (ICC) value of 0.59 indicated larger between-person variability than within-person variability, suggesting that satisfaction varies more from one individual to another than it does within individuals over time. Finally, plots of mean relationship satisfaction by the standard deviation of relationship satisfaction showed lower variability in day-to-day satisfaction among those who were on average more satisfied with their relationship compared to those who were on average less satisfied. Feedback regarding convenience and ease of the application indicated favorable attitudes towards smartphone-based data collection.
ContributorsHagan, Rachel Claire (Author) / Langer, Shelby (Thesis director) / Randall, Ashley (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The purpose of the study was to explore students' writing abilities throughout the online RN-BSN program at a large urban university in the Southwest. The aims of the study were: 1) explore how students' writing abilities, confidence in writing, and ability to locate resources change throughout the online RN-BSN program,

The purpose of the study was to explore students' writing abilities throughout the online RN-BSN program at a large urban university in the Southwest. The aims of the study were: 1) explore how students' writing abilities, confidence in writing, and ability to locate resources change throughout the online RN-BSN program, 2) identify which aspects of writing students consider to be their strengths and/or challenges, and 3) explore which factors predict how well students write, their confidence in writing, and their ability to locate resources. After obtaining IRB approval, an invitation to participate in the study was sent to students enrolled in four different courses within the RN-BSN program. Students who chose to participate completed a 16-item questionnaire in which they rated their writing abilities, confidences, and skills, indicated strengths and challenges in their writing, and skills in locating evidence-based resources. An improvement was noted in students' self-rated academic writing confidence, professional writing confidence, internet reference skills, and library reference skills. The number of years as a registered nurse predicted overall writing ability and academic writing confidence.
ContributorsCoons, Janae (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Thesis director) / Sanborn, Heidi (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Physician's cultural competence is important in healthcare because it helps improve quality of care as well as address healthcare disparities among minorities. Additionally, it positively correlates with patient satisfaction, which has been shown to increase treatment adherence and improve medical outcomes. This study investigated the effect of physician's cultural competence

Physician's cultural competence is important in healthcare because it helps improve quality of care as well as address healthcare disparities among minorities. Additionally, it positively correlates with patient satisfaction, which has been shown to increase treatment adherence and improve medical outcomes. This study investigated the effect of physician's cultural competence on patient satisfaction in a Latino population and how these compared to a European-American population. Physician's Cultural Competence for Patient Satisfaction (PCCPS) scale developed by Dr. Ahmed was utilized in this study. The PCCPS scale deconstructed physician's cultural competence into five subcategories: Macro-cultural, Proxemics/Chronemics, Language, Patient-centered Cultural Competence, and Patient Satisfaction. This scale and various demographic questions were incorporated into a survey that was distributed amongst participating patients. Gathered data was analyzed to determine which demographic factors and subcategories of physician's cultural competence were more relevant or important when interacting with patients that have distinct cultural backgrounds, such as Latino and European-American. Findings from this study will add to building a foundation of evidence in health care that advocates for a more holistic approach to medicine and incorporates cultural competence as an important determinant to predicting health care outcomes.
ContributorsAragon-Sierra, Ana Maria (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Thesis director) / O'Haver, Judy (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine perceptions of medical-surgical nurses of alcohol-abusing patients admitted to an acute care facility Background: Studies report that many nurses have negative feelings about substance-abusing patients (Neville & Roan, 2014). It has been found nurses report a lack of knowledge about substance

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine perceptions of medical-surgical nurses of alcohol-abusing patients admitted to an acute care facility Background: Studies report that many nurses have negative feelings about substance-abusing patients (Neville & Roan, 2014). It has been found nurses report a lack of knowledge about substance abuse disorders, as well as a view that substance abusing patients are more emotionally challenging and dangerous, often leading to decreased motivation and lower levels of job satisfaction (van Boekel, Brouwers, van Weeghel & Garrestsen, 2013). However, studies have found that additional education can positively impact nurses' perceptions (Arthur, 2001). Methods/Approach: This study is a descriptive design using a 17-question 2-part survey. The first part of the survey includes seven demographic questions pertaining to the participants' characteristics and experiences. The second part of the survey is adapted from the Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ), a valid and reliable instrument used to assess healthcare providers' attitudes toward working with alcohol-abusing patients. Results: Eighty four medical-surgical nurses participated in the study. Over half reported having four hours or less of continuing education on alcohol abuse disorder. Regression analyses identified positive relationships between factors, particularly continuing education, on perceptions of alcohol-abusing patients. Conclusions/Implications: Results of this study can be used to determine what factors contribute to nurses' perceptions of alcohol-abusing patients in the medical-surgical unit, therefore aiding in identifying and developing effective policies, protocols, and interventions aimed at improving quality of patient care in this specific patient population.
ContributorsScalise, Bailey Nicole (Author) / Hosley, Brenda (Thesis director) / Baumhover, Nancy (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description

Background

The transition from the home to college is a phase in which emerging adults shift toward more unhealthy eating and physical activity patterns, higher body mass indices, thus increasing risk of overweight/obesity. Currently, little is understood about how changing friendship networks shape weight gain behaviors. This paper describes the

Background

The transition from the home to college is a phase in which emerging adults shift toward more unhealthy eating and physical activity patterns, higher body mass indices, thus increasing risk of overweight/obesity. Currently, little is understood about how changing friendship networks shape weight gain behaviors. This paper describes the recruitment, data collection, and data analytic protocols for the SPARC (Social impact of Physical Activity and nutRition in College) study, a longitudinal examination of the mechanisms by which friends and friendship networks influence nutrition and physical activity behaviors and weight gain in the transition to college life.

Methods

The SPARC study aims to follow 1450 university freshmen from a large university over an academic year, collecting data on multiple aspects of friends and friendship networks. Integrating multiple types of data related to student lives, ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) are administered via a cell phone application, devilSPARC. EMAs collected in four 1-week periods (a total of 4 EMA waves) are integrated with linked data from web-based surveys and anthropometric measurements conducted at four times points (for a total of eight data collection periods including EMAs, separated by ~1 month). University databases will provide student card data, allowing integration of both time-dated data on food purchasing, use of physical activity venues, and geographical information system (GIS) locations of these activities relative to other students in their social networks.

Discussion

Findings are intended to guide the development of more effective interventions to enhance behaviors among college students that protect against weight gain during college.

ContributorsBruening, Meg (Author) / Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam (Author) / Brewis, Alexandra (Author) / Laska, Melissa (Author) / Todd, Michael (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Author) / Schaefer, David (Author) / Whisner, Corrie M (Author) / Dunton, Genevieve (Author)
Created2016-08-30