<p> Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem that can lead to adverse health conditions. In several rural Pennsylvania communities, over one third of elementary students are characterized as overweight, having a body mass index above the 85^th percentile. The purpose of the study was to investigate educational stakeholders' perspectives about school-based obesity-prevention programs. The conceptual framework focused on cognitive theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the trans-theoretical model of health behavior change, which postulates that an individual's readiness to change is the most important factor of intervention programs. Qualitative interview data were gathered from 18 educational stakeholders. Inductive code-based analysis led to categories and themes. Key findings revealed a variety of barriers that limited and prevented effective student-wellness initiatives: students' physical activity; family dynamics, schedules, and socioeconomic factors; lack of transportation limiting children's participation in physical activities; parental engagement and input on obesity-prevention initiatives; and cafeteria environment and meal offerings. Findings informed the development of a policy recommendation for a research-based nutrition education program for schools and a strategy to communicate students' cafeteria habits to parents. Recommendations include a heightened awareness on factors contributing to obesity, as well as better educator-led planning to make improvements to school-based programs. Implications for positive social change may be the potential to increase awareness of healthy behaviors and improved student health through obesity-prevention methods, exercise patterns, and dietary habits of youth. These healthy habits may reduce adverse health effects in adulthood, which could hold the potential to improve the health of the next generation.</p>

<p> The role pharmacists play on the healthcare team is important to the health of the nation and society. Pharmacists are the medication experts whose role is to optimize their patient's health. Today's student pharmacists are prepared through pharmacy education to play this role on the healthcare team. This requires pharmacy schools to identify the appropriate students to enroll in professional Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) programs. The purpose of this research is to examine healthcare related experience as a factor used to predict admission as well as success (academic and clinical performance) in the first and second professional year of the Pharm.D. curriculum. </p><p> The study sample consisted of the Pharm.D. applicant pool for the 2010-2011 application cycle, which included 12,288 complete applications. A subset of this sample was combined with success markers (cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in the first and second year, and Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) GPA for the first and second year (P1 and P2 years)) for a second sample that included 389 applicants. The methodology used for this research was binary logistic and multiple regression analysis. </p><p> Statistically significant study findings showed that healthcare related extracurricular experience is a predictor of admission, but not of academic or clinical performance in the first or second year of the Pharm.D. curriculum. The study findings held practical significance for prospective applicants through explanation of the variables as predictors of admission, in order for prospective applicants to properly prepare for the pharmacy school admissions process. The findings are also relevant for admissions officers and will inform their admission processes. Limitations include confounding variables that impact cumulative and IPPE P1 and P2 GPAs, generalizability to all pharmacy schools, as well as a lack of variance in the outcomes measures. Future studies should be conducted at the institutional level and in other health professions to evaluate these admission characteristics in terms of student performance and success at the institution level and in other health professions programs. Future studies should also explore other holistic admission factors (e.g. leadership, community service, etc.) to see if they contribute to appropriate success markers in the pharmacy curriculum.</p>

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1937.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1937.

Recently there has been a call for the enhancement of environmental health content in undergraduate curricula to help nurses become more familiar with environmental hazards which place their clients at risk. This survey was conducted among the 478 National League for Nursing (NLN) accredited undergraduate programs in the United States. This non-experimental, descriptive, and exploratory research was conducted to determine the following with respect to environmental health: (1) current and ideal emphasis, (2) faculty preparation, (3) competencies expected of graduates, (4) didactic and clinical contact hours allocated, (5) barriers and incentives to greater emphasis, and (6) differences among type of institution with respect to education in this topic. A mailed self-administered questionnaire was sent to the Deans of these programs. The response rate was 81.4%. Data analysis indicated that ideally 94% of respondents believed environmental health should be given moderate to substantial emphasis while only 73.4% actually provided this emphasis. As actual and ideal emphasis increased, the respondents' perception of faculty willingness to modify the curriculum to include environmental health content, faculty preparation to teach or provide clinical supervision in environmental health, and expected program graduates competencies also increased (p = 0.001). Most significant barriers to increased emphasis were an already overburdened curriculum, lack of qualified faculty to teach this topic, and lack of emphasis on the NCLEX. Factors likely to increase the emphasis were nursing faculty with expertise in environmental health, greater emphasis on environmental health on the NCLEX, and "other", most often the need for faculty development in this area. No evidence of any relationship between research questions and institutional type or size was found (p =.05). Findings contribute to nursing education by providing an assessment of the status of environmental health content in nursing education and clarify some of the complex reasons for the present neglect of environmental health in the education of professional nurses.

The delivery system of health care to Americans is in crisis. As costs continue to escalate, and as access to services deteriorates, an increasing number of individuals in need of physical and mental health care are experiencing difficulty accessing the necessary services. Changes in economic resources have resulted in quantitative shifts in mental health service delivery. A greater number of individuals seek mental health services as a result of the stress and anxiety created from a threatened or actual loss of financial stability. This increase in demand for service comes at a time when mental health programs are experiencing a decrease in resources which has resulted in reduced access to services. The emergency mental health service utilization patterns and client characteristics have changed during the same period of time that the overall mental health care delivery system has undergone transformation. However, the changes in mental health care have not necessarily evolved out of careful rational planning, but rather as a response to chaotic shifts in the mental health system at large. The purpose of this study was to gather data about access to these mental health outpatient services as they related to client diagnostic characteristics, system ability to provide the service needed, and ability of the service to meet the client's perceived need. The implications of the findings are clear. Access to services during a crisis was dependent upon system response, degree of psychopathology and a supportive environment. Any reform effort must include adequate crisis intervention and social services to meet the need of the changing population. Education for the general population and the professional would enhance understanding of the needs of the mentally ill and service availability.

<p> Food allergies are an increasing health concern in the United States, affecting nearly 6 million children under the age of 18 years. Research has suggested that 18% of school-age children will have their first allergic reactions at school. Life-threatening allergic reactions experienced by children in the school setting are on the rise; however, little is known about how schools implement policies and practices in response to this issue. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to narrow the knowledge gap by examining teachers&rsquo; knowledge, ability, and confidence level caring for students with food allergies. Bandura&rsquo;s social cognitive theory, which holds that education and experience influence confidence implementing tasks, served as the framework that guided this research. The electronic survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 300 elementary school teachers; 93 respondents completed it. Eighty completed surveys were used in the analysis. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to analyze the relationships among confidence, education, and training related to food allergies. Results showed that teachers who lacked knowledge of food allergies also lacked confidence implementing food allergy plans. School personnel responsible for planning or revising food allergy response protocols can use these findings. The potential for positive social change includes identifying training opportunities, developing policies to sustain food allergy knowledge, and building the capacity of all school staff to implement life-saving measures when children are experiencing allergic reactions.</p>

<p> This study investigates parental health literacy and parental health seeking behavior for pediatric primary care utilization as a response to childhood obesity among 220 parents from 12 Head Start and Non Head Start preschools in New Castle County, Delaware. Four paper surveys collected data with the Newest Vital Sign, STOFHL-A, a Parent Survey, and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS). Green and Kreuter's 2005 Precede-Proceed model is applied to an original logical model for determining a need for a preschool health literacy intervention to inform better child health outcomes. Results indicate that low-income, minority families, have fewer health books at home, which is associated with lower parental health literacy, higher child BMI, and more health care referrals for managing childhood obesity. Nutritional health literacy scores are lower among Hispanic parents who are Head Start participants. Black parents who are Head Start participants had significantly lower parent functional health literacy. Head Start programs offer more parent health education and twice the rate of referrals for the same level of health seeking behavior as Non Head Start parents. Health seeking behavior was lower overall for Black parents from the Head Start program. Further study should explore cultural notions and family characteristics associated with lower pediatric health care utilization in relation to both health literacy scores and health care referrals. </p><p>

<p> The literature established that online instruction consists of cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Studies on the element of social presence linked text-based delivery of instruction with learners&rsquo; feelings of isolation and disengagement. This research findings prompted this facilitator creation of five-to-seven-minute companion videos that aligned and complemented weekly text-based learning modules to ascertain students&rsquo; perceptions of these videos as a medium for channeling social presence. </p><p> Post-video viewing surveys yielded responses to pragmatic and emotional questions. Pragmatic questions were aimed at the visual impact of professor&rsquo;s delivery of information. Emotional questions gauged the students&rsquo; feelings of connectivity with the facilitator. Triangulated interpretations of student responses showed that students perceived that the videos enhanced social presence by decreasing feelings of isolation in their online course. Key results included the feeling of a real classroom and appreciation of the visuality of the videos. The viewed videos supported affective associations, learner cohesion, interaction intensity, instructor involvement, and active learning. The videos helped draw the students from their inner secluded online environment to the outside world. The research includes recommendation of the use of a larger sample size; online facilitator theatrical training, college budget to include production of video funds for further quality video productions, and video cataloging of facilitator-created subject- specific videos.</p><p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 10, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Advisers: Margaret R. Sutton; Donald R. Warren.