This study seeks to attain understanding of attempted suicide in young women from non-English speaking backgrounds, constructing meaning(s) of attempted suicide and eliciting information about sociocultural influences and guided by philosophical hermeneutics and narrative inquiry using life story methods. Thematic analysis was used to explicate from the text 30 sub-themes, five themes (being in a gap between cultures and creating space for themselves, being traumatised and diminished by abuse, surviving dangerous relationships, suffering psychic pain, expressing the self by attempting suicide), and a meta-theme (paradoxically asserting the indefinite self). Interpretation was predicated on the belief that life stories are statements about self-identity, and represent coming into being through the interaction of coherence (the ability to establish connections between events, unifying themes, frames of reference and goal states), continuity (a longitudinal and sequential perspective on life) and connectedness (intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal relationships). The paradox is that being unable to overcome the uncertainties of incoherence, discontinuity and problematic connectedness, participants were predisposed to act against self as a means of asserting agency. This understanding of attempted suicide represents a hermeneutic narrative reconceptualisation of the phenomenon, which places it outside discourses that sanction the language of psychopathology and provides a basis for developing alternative nursing theory and informing education and practice / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed Feb. 22, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-107).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Vitamin D plays an important role in over-all health. Few data exist on vitamin D deficiency related with intake for a Canadian population. The purpose of this study is to assess vitamin D intake and status in healthy young adults of diverse ancestry during the wintertime.<p> One hundred and seven young healthy adults living in Southern Ontario were recruited during the late winter of 2007. Their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], skin melanin and anthropometric measures were determined. They completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) (twice) and a 7-day food diary. Correlation analyses and t-test were used to validate the FFQ against the 7-day diary and 25(OH)D; one way ANOVA was used to determine ethnic group differences in vitamin D intake and status.<p> The results indicated that the FFQ used in this study was valid. Vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D<50 nmol/L] was widespread and more apparent in the East and South Asian groups than in the European group (P<0.05). The dairy products were the greatest food source of vitamin D for each of the three groups and the European group exhibited higher total vitamin D intake (P<0.05). There was a trend for the European group to have higher consumption of dairy products, especially cow¡¯s milk (0.05<P<0.10). Combining subjects in the three ethnic groups, vitamin D intake but not BMI was closely related with serum 25(OH)D concentrations (r= 0.520, P<0.001; r=-0.018, P>0.05, respectively). The 25(OH)D levels were inversely related with parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (r= -0.273, P= 0.009). With adequate calcium intake (¡Ý1000 mg/d), PTH levels were significantly lower when vitamin D was not deficient (P<0.05).<p> This study provides evidence that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in healthy young adults living in Canada during wintertime, and non-European groups have a higher prevalence of this deficiency. Vitamin D intake varies with ethnicity, and dietary intake plays an important role in maintenance of serum vitamin D in wintertime. Compared with calcium intake, serum vitamin D levels may be a more important factor suppressing PTH levels.

Vitamin D plays an important role in over-all health. Few data exist on vitamin D deficiency related with intake for a Canadian population. The purpose of this study is to assess vitamin D intake and status in healthy young adults of diverse ancestry during the wintertime.<p> One hundred and seven young healthy adults living in Southern Ontario were recruited during the late winter of 2007. Their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], skin melanin and anthropometric measures were determined. They completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) (twice) and a 7-day food diary. Correlation analyses and t-test were used to validate the FFQ against the 7-day diary and 25(OH)D; one way ANOVA was used to determine ethnic group differences in vitamin D intake and status.<p> The results indicated that the FFQ used in this study was valid. Vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D<50 nmol/L] was widespread and more apparent in the East and South Asian groups than in the European group (P<0.05). The dairy products were the greatest food source of vitamin D for each of the three groups and the European group exhibited higher total vitamin D intake (P<0.05). There was a trend for the European group to have higher consumption of dairy products, especially cow¡¯s milk (0.05<P<0.10). Combining subjects in the three ethnic groups, vitamin D intake but not BMI was closely related with serum 25(OH)D concentrations (r= 0.520, P<0.001; r=-0.018, P>0.05, respectively). The 25(OH)D levels were inversely related with parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (r= -0.273, P= 0.009). With adequate calcium intake (¡Ý1000 mg/d), PTH levels were significantly lower when vitamin D was not deficient (P<0.05).<p> This study provides evidence that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in healthy young adults living in Canada during wintertime, and non-European groups have a higher prevalence of this deficiency. Vitamin D intake varies with ethnicity, and dietary intake plays an important role in maintenance of serum vitamin D in wintertime. Compared with calcium intake, serum vitamin D levels may be a more important factor suppressing PTH levels.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 282-291).

Cand. Polit thesis. / Format: PDF. Includes bibliographical references.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2008.

Master's thesis. / Database: Nordic Web Publications. Format: PDF.