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- Creators: College of Health Solutions
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
Physical therapy modalities are passive tools that are used in physical therapy clinics, beside the exercise program and manual therapy, that promote blood flow, decrease inflammation, and improve range of motion and function. Electrical stimulation, ultrasound, ice, and heat were analyzed in this review. The purpose of this quantitative review is to use the research that has been conducted over the past 30 years to determine if physical therapy modalities are effective at decreasing inflammation, increasing range of motion and function, decreasing pain, and to draw a conclusion about whether or not they should still be used on patients today. Systematic reviews and meta analysis were analyzed and compared to qualitative surveys and patient/therapist surveys conducted in this study to determine if ultrasound, electrical stimulation, ice, and heat were effective. The results showed that both electrical stimulation and ultrasound were effective for decreasing pain, increasing functionality, and decreasing inflammation (Ashrafi, 2017; Bistolfi, 2018; Ferronato, 2017; Fuentes, 2010; Haile, 2021; Yu, 2015). However, the types of injuries, frequency, and duration of the modalities used still need to be further researched to understand how to maximize the effectiveness of these modalities. Ice therapy was significantly effective at decreasing inflammation, while heat therapy was significantly effective at decreasing pain, both in the short term (Wang et al., 2021).
ContributorsMillon, Victoria (Author) / Hollingsworth, Rachel (Thesis director) / Cataldo, Donna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2021-12
Description
For most women, pregnancy is the period in which they will have more interaction with the healthcare field than any other period in their lives. The quality and accessibility of obstetric care varies greatly throughout the United States, and health disparities in this field have the largest impact on African American women. Black mothers in the U.S. are three to four times more likely than white mothers to die as a result of pregnancy related complications. The increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality seen in the African American population is largely due to preventable causes. This thesis project includes three case studies which analyze the most prevalent and preventable sources of health disparity affecting Black mothers: preeclampsia, hemorrhage, and cesarean section. Possible solutions to each of these disparities are explored on an individual, institutional, and societal scale.
ContributorsLopez, Sarah (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Young, Alexander (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor)
Created2021-12
Description
Research regarding typical English language development in children who are bilingual is of interest for speech-language pathologists, but often this information is not available to them. As a result, many individuals find themselves believing false stereotypes about children who are bilingual, such as the idea that bilingualism causes developmental delay or disorders. For example, individuals do not realize the differences in past tense development for bilingual children versus monolingual children, a form that is often difficult for monolingual English-speaking children with developmental language delays. By focusing on a specific aspect of language development, such as English past tense acquisition of children who are bilingual, and observing changes in MLU and grammaticality that accompany acquisition, this study seeks to increase the existing knowledge on bilingualism and language development. Specifically, we will answer the following questions: a) At which grade level do Spanish-English bilingual children master English past tense after they enter English-only schooling in preschool? b) What types of errors do the children make with regular past tense? c) what types of errors do they make with irregular past tense? and d) What is the level of English grammaticality and MLUw at each grade level in English after children enter preschool? This study examined past-tense accuracy, MLU, and grammaticality development over a period of 5 years, in 13 children who were participants in a larger project called the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC). Children were followed from preschool to third grade. They provided a yearly language sample by retelling one of the wordless Marianna Meyer and Mercer Meyer frog books, such as Frog on His Own or A Boy a Dog a Frog and a Friend. The language samples were then transcribed, coded, and analyzed using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software. Results indicate that children progressively improved over the years, with children reaching over 80% accuracy with past tense by year 3 or first grade; they demonstrated the most improvement in MLU between years 2 to 3 and years 3 to 4; and they showed a gradual improvement in grammaticality each year, with the exception of no increase between years 4 to 5. Findings from the study indicate that there is leveling in all three areas after 2nd grade. These results contribute to our understanding of normal English language development in bilingual children and may improve assessment when we evaluate their performance in English as a second language.
ContributorsEdem, Stephanie (Author) / Restrepo, M. Adelaida (Thesis director) / Weinhold, Juliet (Committee member) / Pierce, Melissa (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor, Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
The aim of this paper is to investigate the B-casein fractions in Scandinavian and Icelandic milk for evidence to either support or refute the claim that the A1 variant of B-casein is diabetogenic in adolescent populations. Based on the theory that differences in milk protein composition explain a lower incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in Iceland when compared to surrounding Nordic countries, an informative poster was created so that a more educated decision can be made by those wishing to take preventative measures against the incidence of the disease. This paper includes a basic background behind the epidemiology of T1D and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Next, comparison between milk protein composition and consumption in Iceland against the other Nordic countries is performed through an in-depth literature review. The review was conducted using PubMed databases until December of 2018. Key findings of this investigation raise concerns regarding the decision between optimizing milk producing rates or breeding for milk devoid of diabetogenic proteins. The current literature on the impact of cattle genetics on the protein composition of milk sheds light on the safety of Icelandic dairy and the resulting health of their population. Icelandic dairy has been evidenced to contain lower levels of A1 b-casein and is considered less diabetogenic. For these reasons, this author would recommend the consumption of Icelandic dairy products over those from other regions.
ContributorsThunberg, Carly Marie (Author) / Morse, Lisa (Thesis director) / Grgich, Traci (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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
Many high school students demonstrate an overall lack of interest in science. Traditional teaching methodologies seem to be unsuccessful at engaging students \u2014 one explanation is that students often interpret what they learn in school as irrelevant to their personal lives. Active learning and case based learning methodologies seem to be more effective at promoting interest and understanding of scientific principles. The purpose of our research was to implement a lab with updated teaching methodologies that included an active learning and case based curriculum. The lab was implemented in two high school honors biology classes with the specific goals of: significantly increasing students' interest in science and its related fields; increasing students' self-efficacy in their ability to understand and interpret the traditional process of the scientific method; and increasing this traditional process of objectively understanding the scientific method. Our results indicated that interest in science and its related fields (p = .011), students' self-efficacy in understanding the scientific method (p = .000), and students' objective understanding of the scientific method (p = .000) statistically significantly increased after the lab was administered; however, our results may not be as meaningful as the p-values imply due to the scale of our assessment.
ContributorsCotten, Kathryn (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Stout, Valerie (Committee member) / Lynskey, Jim (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Introduction: This research examined the prevalence of Chinese older adults’ risk factors (perceived racial discrimination, fear of COVID-19), protective factors (resilience, community support), and mental health status (depression, PTSD) in Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the relationships between risk and protective factors and their mental health outcomes were explored.
Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis using the anonymous survey data collected by a research team. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distributions of the variables; and hierarchical multiple regression models were conducted to examine their relationships.
Results: The sample included 90 Chinese older adults in the United States. The participants demonstrated a moderate level of fear of COVID-19 (M= 21.55, SD = 4.75; range 10-33). The participants scored on the lower end of the perceived discrimination scale (M = .40, SD = 1.44 before COVID-19; M = .77, SD = 1.54 during COVID-19; range 0-7). Resilience (M = 29.02, SD = 5.78 on a scale of 0-40) demonstrated a moderate to moderately high level of resilience. As for community support, 40.3% of participants reported receiving assistance or information regarding COVID-19 from local Asian organizations, indicating a moderate level of community support. The participants reported a relatively low score for PTSD (M = 0.75 SD = 1.17 on a scale from 0 to 5) or depression (M = 2.76 SD = 2.72 on a scale from 0 to 27). Consistent with hypotheses, findings of hierarchical regression models suggested that the risk factors fear of COVID-19 and perceived racial discrimination were positively associated with PTSD symptoms while resilience was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms. Differently, none of the risk factors were significantly associated with depression symptoms while resilience showed a negative relationship with depression symptoms.
Conclusion: The findings of this research will help public health officials better understand the needs of minority and aging communities to best support them during crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ContributorsMang, David (Author) / Chia-Chen Chen, Angela (Thesis director) / Li, Wei (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
As patients sustain injuries that hinder their independence, occupational therapists help them regain their independence by improving overall health and happiness. However, it is common for patients to face issues throughout their rehabilitation experiences. In this thesis, I interviewed Caroline Jasper, a pediatric occupational therapist, and Colette Brogan, an adult occupational therapist. Questions included common patient barriers, potential solutions, and advice to provide insight into their respective populations.
ContributorsLowenthal, Rachel (Author) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Miossi, Lindsey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This project is a policy analysis of Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP). There is a serious lack of civil legal help for low income individuals in America. One way to address this issue is incorporating legal care into medical care through an MLP, which provides free legal help to address patients’ Social Determinants of Health. This thesis advocates for the incorporation of MLPs into healthcare, as well as more research into the health benefits if an MLP.
ContributorsBrock, Riley (Author) / Kizer, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Helitzer, Deborah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
In recent years, diversity and inclusion has become the focus of every company and business in the world due to the rising societal pressure of avoiding being “canceled”. In America, the unfortunate truth is that healthcare is a business, and it is not exempt from feeling these societal pressures, and although strides are being made in a positive direction, racism is a systemic issue that spans far beyond a change in company culture. Being that skin tone is a pertinent element of racism, one can see how the study of skin, known as dermatology, can easily be influenced by racial discrimination. Throughout this thesis paper, I want to discuss not only the racial disparities in healthcare, but I want to also explore how these disparities impact the patient and provider alike.
ContributorsShamsid-Deen, Reeasah (Author) / Barca, Lisa (Thesis director) / Medcalf, Rollin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor)
Created2024-05