Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-56).

Dissertation (Ph. D.) -- Lewis & Clark College, 2010. / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 111-117).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-71).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-71).

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2006. / Charles A. Gallaghe, committee chair; Kirk W. Elifson, Mindy Stombler, committee members. Electronic text (142 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 28, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 21-133).

One of the most common health complications related to diabetes is the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies addressing the association between adherence to diabetes management regimens and the risk of CVD among minority populations are limited. This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the association between diabetes management regimens and risk of CVD among African American men. The health belief model was used to frame the study. Data were collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database for the states of Missouri and Ohio. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between adherence to diabetes management regimens and the risk of CVD in diabetic African American men in the 2 states. Results indicated that adherence to recommended checkup frequencies and insulin therapies were not significantly associated with the risk of CVD. Participants who attended college or technical school had a lower risk of diagnosis of CVD compared to those who did not attend. Participants in the top income bracket had a lower risk of diagnosis of CVD compared to those in the bottom income bracket. Social change implications include consideration of socioeconomic factors such as educational status and income when planning and implementing diabetes management regimens to reduce the risk of CVD among diabetic African American men.

Researchers have found that African American men have a history of difficulty in maintaining family cohesion. Researchers have also found that, in comparison to European American men, African American men are more likely to populate the penal systems, are more abusive to their partners, are less supportive of their children, and are less likely to have stable cohesive relationships. Evidence suggests that African American men draw strength from spirituality and hope, which are the core values of their culture. Drawing from these previous findings, as well as the stages of faith theory, hope theory, and the circumflex model of marital and family systems, this quantitative, non-experimental study examined the roles of spirituality and hope on family cohesion among African American men. The INSPIRIT, the hope scale, and the family cohesion scale were administered to 110 African American men. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that hope mediated a significant relationship between spirituality and family cohesion (p < .05). These findings may inform family-centered programs that facilitate cohesion.

Researchers have identified higher incidence rates and mortality rates among African American men (AAM) diagnosed with prostate cancer than they have among urban African American men. This quantitative descriptive study was conducted to measure the association between advanced stage and grade of prostate cancer, demographic location, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels over a 5-year period in AAM and European American men (EAM) in rural versus urban communities. This study addressed 4 research questions concerning cancer grade, cancer stage, age, geographic location, PSA level, and the impact that each of these variables had on prostate cancer diagnosis in AAM in the United States. Social cognitive theory was used as a conceptual framework, which was to focus on AAM, and their behavior with prostate cancer diagnosis, in rural versus urban communities. The sample was derived from data collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. The population sample size was greater than 20,000. These data were categorically analyzed using a Chi-square test and a t test. Overall, the results of the study showed that there was a statistical difference in rural versus urban populations between AAM and EAM diagnosed with prostate cancer over a 5-year period, and when comparing AAM with EAM in urban versus rural communities over a 5 year period, there was a significant difference in men diagnosed with prostate cancers as well as a significant change among men annually diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer. Information provided may have implications for positive social change affecting both rural and urban AAM in reducing fear and promoting prostate cancer awareness. This awareness may reduce advanced stage or grade diagnosis in AAM in both rural and urban communities.

Researchers have found that African American men are one of the most marginalized, targeted, and disenfranchised groups of people. In the past, African American men were less likely to attend psychotherapy compared to other ethnicities. Barriers to treatment includes the following: distrust in the mental health system, self-reliant behaviors, religious ideologies, cultural stigmas, and the ideology of what it means to be a man and an African American man in America. This study addressed the lack of qualitative studies on the experiences of African American men who attend psychotherapy by exploring the lived experiences of 10 African American men who voluntary attended psychotherapy 2 or more times in their adult lives. Sites of resilience, a theoretical framework for this study, provided an understanding of African American men's resilience and a clinical model for engaging African American men in mental health services. Handcoding was used to organize data by developing categories and later establishing common themes expressed during semistructured interviewing. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) stigmatization, (b) self-awareness, (c) self-realization, (d) emotions, and (e) transition between prepsychotherapy and postpsychotherapy experiences. The understanding of experiences of African American men who have chosen psychotherapy contributes to positive social change by identifying appropriate therapeutic strategies, including emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills. Furthermore, the lived experiences provided by this study's participants can provide direction for additional research to improve the experiences of African American men and mental health services.

African American men experience impediments when entering the field of Information Technology (IT), which may portend the disappearance of this ethnic group from the technology-driven work force of the future. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the socioeconomic factors faced by African American men from their own viewpoints. With this goal in mind, three research questions were studied focusing on the availably of IT resources; the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based education; and existing hiring practices within the IT industry. The conceptual framework for this study was the critical theory perspective, which provided an understanding of real and perceived problems of African American men attempting to enter the field of IT. To facilitate the collection of data for this study, a Web questionnaire program was used. The data analysis process was a 3-phase coding method which included open, axial, and selective coding in order to identify emergent themes such as: racial discrimination, economic hardships, employment opportunity, interpretations from job seeking experiences, the effects of unfulfilled needs, and inadequate access to IT. The data analysis strategy used for this research was the homogeneous sampling method, which made it possible to choose a target population of African American men enrolled in the City Colleges of Chicago who have sought employment in the IT field. The findings from this study have implications for social change by illuminating the experiences of previously-underrepresented African American men in the IT industry.