Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / An individual’s desire to marry and ideal age of marriage, two elements of the marital horizon theory, are examined in relation to dating violence perpetration, both physical assault and psychological aggression, in the present study using a sample of 611 college students from a large Midwestern university. Looking at the possible predictive power that the marital horizon variables might have on dating violence perpetration, above and beyond other known predictors of dating violence, could reveal an important area of investigation in both the emerging adulthood literature and the dating violence literature. Results indicate that victimization of dating violence accounted for the vast majority of the variance in perpetration of dating violence. Desire to marry emerged as a significant predictor of women’s perpetration of psychological aggression only when the victimization variables were excluded from the regression equation.

A day treatment program is an important component on the continuum of care for young people with moderate to severe mental health issues. The aim of this research was to investigate whether adolescents who participate in a structured day treatment program demonstrate greater mental health gains than adolescents receiving less intensive outpatient treatment. In addition, the research investigated whether mental health gains were related to intake diagnosis and whether parents reported higher levels of mental health gain than the client in their self-report ratings. The setting for the research was The Cottage, an adolescent day treatment program, run by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in the Australian Capital Territory. The program provides intense multi-faceted treatment within a therapeutic milieu environment for clients aged 12-18 years with moderate to severe mental health issues. The study involved a Day Program group of 22 clients from The Cottage and included a comparison group of 20 outpatient clients from CAMHS. Results indicated that individuals in both treatment approaches had statistically significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptomology and improvements in outcome measures, but there were no significant differences between the two treatment groups. The data indicated a statistically significant difference in return to school rates, whereby approximately 82% of individuals in the day treatment program had returned to school/employment, whilst only 30% of individuals in outpatient treatment had returned to school/employment within three months post treatment. The results did not demonstrate that the degree of mental health gain was dependent upon intake diagnosis and although not statistically significant, parents rated their children as more severe in terms of psychopathology than the client.

This survey sought to determine the public perceptions and knowledge of counsellors on the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales. Comprising of two studies, this paper extended on previous research conducted by Rogers and Sharpley (1983), Sharpley, Rogers and Evans (1984), and Sharpley (1986). Study I included a representative sample of 226 members of the general public, plus a sample of 105 medical practitioners. Respondents were asked to complete a 24-item questionnaire regarding their perceptions and knowledge of counsellors. Four questions were designed to investigate whether or not distinctions could be made between counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. An additional seven questions were included for only medical practitioners to answer and sought to determine whether or not, and under what circumstances, medical practitioners would refer to a counsellor. These questions were also concerned with establishing what value medical practitioners would place on having a counsellor working as a team member of their practice.The results of Study I indicated that both the general public and medical practitioners viewed counsellors positively. Results further showed that the confusion and lack of knowledge reported by respondents from the last Australian study conducted by Sharpley (1986), was no longer evident. Study II was designed to assess the validity of the reported sources that respondents from Study I indicated that they would utilise in order to access a counsellor. Three samples were involved in Study II. The first sample comprised of 60 medical receptionists, the second sample included 25 counsellors listed in the yellow pages telephone directory, while the third sample involved 6 community centres listed in the yellow pages telephone directory. However, the results of Study II showed that counsellors were not as readily accessible from these sources as was perceived by respondents from Study I. Hence, it could be concluded that counsellors need to involve themselves with promotion and education if they are to maintain the positive regard indicated by the respondents of this study.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Anatomy and Physiology / Thomas J. Barstow / The overall aim of this dissertation is to better understand the dynamic matching between O2 delivery and uptake following the onset of exercise. The first study of this dissertation (Chapter 2) revealed that: i) the dynamics of muscle oxygenation were determined primarily by the QO2–VO2 interaction during the initial phase of QO2 response (first 15-20 s); and ii) absolute values in the steady state used to calculate blood flow from VO2 and O2 extraction did not affect the dynamics of blood flow response. Consistent with these predictions, using pulmonary gas exchange and near-infrared spectroscopy in humans (Chapter 3) we observed that the estimated kinetics of capillary blood flow (moderate exercise 25.4 ± 9.1 s and heavy exercise 25.7 ± 7.7 s) were not significantly different from the kinetics of muscle VO2 (moderate exercise 25.5 ± 8.8 s and heavy exercise 25.6 ± 7.2 s). In Chapter 4 we observed that nitric oxide (NO) is essential to maintain microvascular O2 pressure (PO2mv ~ QO2/VO2) of contracting rat muscles. Blockade of NO synthase with L-NAME accelerated the kinetics [ΔMean response time(L-NAME–CONTROL) = -6.5 ± 6.6 s, P< 0.05] and reduced the contracting steady-state PO2mv [ΔPO2mv(L-NAME–CONTROL) = -5.0 ± 1.0 mmHg; P < 0.05] compared to control. In Chapter 5 we focused on the kinetics of bulk limb blood flow (LBF) to show that a low-pass filter (LPFILTER) developed for LBF data improved the confidence of kinetic analysis by decreasing the standard error of the estimate (SEE ~ 95% confidence interval) for all kinetics parameters compared to the Beat-by-Beat method (e.g., time-constant phase 2: Beat-by-Beat = 16 ± 5 s; LPFILTER = 1.1 ± 0.5 s). In conclusion, the early increase in QO2 is the main determinant of muscle oxygenation dynamics and NO is essential to maintain the tight coupling of QO2 and VO2 kinetics during exercise. In this context, application of a LPFILTER to LBF data provides the best confidence for kinetic analysis of bulk QO2 that should facilitate investigations integrating bulk and microvascular QO2/VO2 matching in a variety of settings in health and disease.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Mary L. Higgins / Purpose: Skipped-generation households are increasing both nationally and in Kansas. This qualitative study explored the nutrition-related practices and attitudes of Kansas older skipped-generation caregivers and the children under their care. Design and Methods: Twenty-three Kansas caregivers representing 19 households were interviewed about a range of topics using a semi-structured approach. Interview transcriptions were content analyzed. Results: Nutrition-related practices and attitudes changed over time. Compared to when they were parenting the first time, skipped-generation caregivers reported that they are more nutrition and food safety conscious and have shifted in their parenting style. Their grandchildren appeared to be adversely affected by an on-the-go lifestyle and the use of more electronics. Caregiver sources of child feeding advice are based mostly on tradition. Caregivers believed that nutrition and safe food handling are important; they held beliefs that nutritious food is expensive; and most did not believe they would use population-specific nutrition education materials. The preferred distribution of nutrition education materials was through grandparent support groups. Implications: Research was exploratory in nature with a limited sample size. This population could benefit from education incorporating topics on infant, child, adolescent, and sports nutrition; healthful recipes and snack ideas; quick and inexpensive healthful meals that are low in fat, sugar, and salt; healthful fast food and packaged food options; the importance of checking the internal temperatures of meat when cooking; ways to feed "picky eaters;" benefits of eating together as a family; tips to limit children's sedentary time; and intergenerational gardening and cooking.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Craig A. Harms / The overall aim of this dissertation was to ascertain the influences of lifestyle factors on airway health in children and young adults. In Study 1 (Chapter 2) the effect of a high-fat meal on airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness was examined. Results revealed a post-prandial increase (p<0.05) in total cholesterol (~4%), triglycerides (~93%), and exhaled nitric oxide (a marker of airway inflammation, ~19%) two-hours following a high-fat meal (74.2±4.1g fat). These novel findings suggest that a high-fat meal may contribute to impaired airway function. In study 2 (Chapter 3) we assessed the role of body fat and physical activity (PA) on airway health in prepubescent children. This study revealed that children with higher-body-fat levels (>21%), who were not meeting current PA recommendations, experienced greater (p<0.05) amounts of post-exercise airway narrowing (FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1-second, ~11%), as compared to children with lower-body-fat (<21%), who were meeting PA guidelines. These findings suggest that elevated adiposity and low PA levels may place children at risk for development of asthma and asthma-like symptoms. In study 3 (Chapter 4), based on study 2 results, we assessed the impact of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training on airway health in children who were not meeting PA guidelines. We determined that high-intensity training significantly increased V02max (~24%), and decreased total cholesterol (~11%) and LDL cholesterol (~35%). Additionally, we found improvements (p<0.05) in ∆FEV1 both post-exercise (pre: -7.6±2.2%, post: -1.3±1.8%) and post-eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (pre: -6.7±2.2%, post: -1.4±1.5%) with training. Further, Lower-body-fat and higher V02max subjects experienced significantly greater improvement in ∆FEV1 following training than higher-body-fat and lower V02max subjects (r=-0.80, r=0.73, respectively). These results suggest that in children, high-intensity training can ameliorate the negative health consequences of inactivity. However, increased body fat, and low V02max levels may constrain these improvements. This series of studies underscores the importance of dietary habits, body composition, and PA for airway health in children and young adults. These findings may be useful in determining policies and practices impacting children’s health, and could facilitate protocol development for prevention of asthma-like symptoms.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Denis M. Medeiros / Copper deficiency has been linked with many health problems, among them cardiac hypertrophy. Because of its potential for causing oxidative damage, copper within the cell must be bound to chaperone proteins. In this thesis, we examined the role of dietary copper deficiency in the regulation of select copper chaperone proteins in cardiac tissue of rats. Sixteen weanling male Long-Evans rats were randomized into treatment groups, one group receiving a copper deficient diet (< 1 mg Cu/kg diet) and one group receiving a diet containing adequate copper (6 mg Cu/kg diet) for 5 weeks. Rats were sacrificed and a small blood sample was removed to determine hematocrit. Also, heart and liver tissues were removed for subsequent analysis. Rats fed the copper deficient diet had lower body weights but greater heart weights and heart:body weight. Hematocrit levels and liver copper concentrations were markedly decreased in copper deficient rats. These variables indicated that the copper deficient diet did in fact induce a copper deficiency in these animals. Non-myofibrillar proteins from the hearts were removed and separated by SDS-PAGE. Western Blotting was used to determine the concentrations of CTR1, CCS, Cox17, SCO1, Cox1 and Cox4. No changes were observed in the concentrations of CTR1 and Cox17. CCS and SCO1 were up-regulated as a result of copper deficiency, while Cox1 and Cox4 were both down-regulated. However, use of another antibody against Cox subunits suggested that only the nuclear encoded subunits including subunit IV were decreased, but not subunits I and II. These data provide new insight into the cardiac hypertrophy observed in copper deficiency, which suggests that select chaperone proteins may be up-regulated by a dietary copper deficiency.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Candyce S. Russell / Despite multiple interventions and the increase of consumer spending on weight management, weight loss maintenance continues to allude most people. This study explores women’s narratives and the ways they made meaning of their weight loss and weight loss maintenance experiences. Examining the processes occurring within the individual and the family context, this study investigated the potential differences between weight loss and weight loss maintenance processes. A grounded theory approach guided the study design, transcription coding, and data analysis. The results revealed four categories (cycles and patterns, fluctuations and thresholds, defining self, and contextual connections) emerging from the research participants’ narratives describing their weight loss and weight loss maintenance experiences. An analytical framework, consisting of the examination of clustered categories using a multifocal lens and a toggling procedure, facilitated the development of multidimensional descriptions of the women’s experiences and guided the process of analysis. The process of analysis was isomorphic to the process the women used to formulate their narratives. The women incorporated multiple dimensions of their experiences to create narratives that described and informed their weight loss and weight loss maintenance efforts. The analysis also revealed that weight loss and weight loss maintenance are multi-dimensional processes. The dimensions reflect both similarities and differences between the processes. Some women used heroic while others used integrative efforts to lose weight. Their efforts impacted the amount of overlap they experienced between the weight loss and weight loss maintenance processes. Implications for further studies are presented for using the analytical framework to understand the meaning-making processes occurring with weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Potential clinical implications for addressing weight loss and weight loss maintenance within family and relational contexts are explained.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / Although American expatriation is becoming increasingly more prevalent, research has yet to keep up. The purpose of this report is to explore expatriation transition models, common mental health needs, challenges that accompany international living, clinical implications of such complexities, and the need for mental health services for American expatriates. A case study will be employed to illustrate such challenges. Social learning, symbolic interaction, and systems theories will be used to conceptualize these difficulties. With the large movement of Americans overseas, there is an increase need for mental health therapists available to them. This report acknowledges that an increase of expatriate research will lead to resources that will help therapists more effectively and more efficiently treat expatriate mental health issues.

Attendance at Neonatal Follow-up (NFU) programs is crucial for parents to gain access to timely diagnostic expertise, psychosocial support, and referral to needed services for their infants. Although NFU programs are considered beneficial, up to 50% of parents do not attend these programs with their infants. Non-attending infants have poorer outcomes (e.g., higher rates of disabilities and less access to required services) as compared to attenders. The purpose was to determine factors that predicted attendance at NFU. Naturally occurring attendance was monitored and maternal-infant factors including predisposing, enabling, and needs factors were investigated, guided by the Socio-Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. A prospective two-phase multi-site descriptive cohort study was conducted in 3 Canadian Neonatal Intensive Care Units that refer to 2 NFU programs. In Phase 1, standardized questionnaires were completed by 357 mothers (66% response rate) prior to their infant’s (N= 400 infants) NICU discharge. In Phase 2, attendance patterns at NFU were followed for 12 months. Higher maternal stress at the time of the infant’s NICU hospitalization was predictive of attendance at NFU. Parenting alone, more worry about maternal alcohol or drug use, and greater distance to NFU were predictive of non-attendance at NFU. Attendance at NFU decreased over time from 84% at the first appointment to 74% by 12 months. Two distinct attendance patterns emerged: no or minimal attendance (18.5%) and attendance at all or the majority of scheduled appointments (81.5%). The most frequent point of withdrawal from NFU occurred between NICU discharge and the first scheduled appointment; followed by drop-out following the first NFU appointment. These results provide new insight into patterns of attendance and the maternal-infant factors that characterize attenders/non-attenders at NFU and serve as the critical first step in developing interventions targeted at improving attendance, infant outcomes, and reporting of developmental sequelae.