Students' motivation generally declines during the middle school years, a period of time when important foundations for further studies are laid. There is a move in many countries to improve science education, especially science literacy that is inadequate according to international research (Halldorsson, Olafsson, and Bjornsson, 2007, 2013). The subject of this dissertation is the translation and validation of the MUSICSM Model of Academic Motivation Inventory (MMAMI; Jones, 2012) from English into Icelandic. The purpose for the translation is to provide Icelandic educators with a tool to assess students' motivation in the science classroom. Motivation in the classroom is a complex issue in which both cognitive and contextual factors are involved. The information gained from the inventory responses could be used to guide the development or modification of the classroom strategies employed. The inventory measures students' perceptions of the five components of the MUSICSM Model of Academic Motivation: eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest and Caring, components that have been found to be influential to student motivation (Jones, 2009). The model is based on a thorough analysis of motivation theories and research. The inventory was developed for middle school students in science classes, although it can easily be modified to fit any subject. Back-translation followed by expert meetings was used to gain semantic equivalence. Participants were 458 middle school students in science classes in five public schools in Iceland. To obtain translation invariance in the first version of the translation, I used an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on one data set, using Principal Axis Factoring with Promax Rotation, to examine the translated items. Subsequently, I implemented a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on a second data set to test for model fit. The results replicated the findings obtained with the original version and confirmed the five-factor structure of the MMAMI. All factor loadings were significant. The reliability analysis, using Cronbach's alpha, also replicated the good and acceptable alpha ratings of the original instrument. These findings provide validity evidence for the scores produced by using the Icelandic version of the MMAMI with middle school Icelandic students in science classes / Ph. D.

Hypertension presents a significant health risk to both developed and developing countries, affecting approximately 78 million Americans of various ethnic backgrounds. Though a great deal of research about hypertension and minority groups has been published, few studies have examined hypertension in the Armenian American population in the Los Angeles area, one of the most concentrated Armenian American communities in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in health promotion behavior between hypertensive and normotensive Armenian Americans. The theoretical basis for this study was Pender's health promotion model and the health promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP-II), which is used to measure 6 different subscales of health promotion behavior. A quantitative approach was used to examine the relationship between hypertensive status and health promotion behavior. With a sample size of 204, this study found that while there was no significant difference in overall HPLP-II scores, the normotensive group scored higher on physical activity (p = 0.001) and stress management (p = 0.004). These differences remained significant even when controlling for body mass index (BMI). Additionally, the study found high smoking rates and elevated BMI across both samples. These results suggest that interventions that target stress management and physical activity and use the cultural strengths of interpersonal relationships and spiritual growth may be the most effective. This information may be used as a foundation in future interventional studies and may create significant social change by decreasing hypertension among the Armenian American population and increasing awareness of risk factors and prevention.

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Rising health care costs place increased burden on patients, health care personnel, administrators and policymakers. Decisions in health care are influenced by data which can be transferred into valuable information and knowledge. Data sets that facilitate data collection, information management and knowledge building are needed by nurse managers to support administrative decision- making. The Nursing Management Minimum Data Set (NMMDS,,¦) offers a standardized method to capture core data that can be collected in information systems, shared and reused for multiple purposes to support safe and cost-effective care. The purpose of this descriptive study was to adapt to Iceland and clinically test the NMMDS-ICE in all adult inpatient care units in the country of Iceland (excluding psychiatry). The aims of the study were to 1) translate the NMMDS from source language (English) to target language (Icelandic); 2) to validate the translated instrument; and 3) to describe the environment, nursing care resources, and financial resources across acute adult inpatient care units in Iceland. Instrument development consisted of translation, expert validation, and psychometric testing. The target population was all adult acute care units in hospitals in Iceland, and the nurse managers (n=38) representing these units. Data collection included a mailed survey. The sample equaled the population. Furthermore, 134 staff nurses on these units (excluding staff nurses at Landspitali) completed a job satisfaction survey. Return rate was 74% for nurse managers and 71% for staff nurses. Semantic and content equivalence of the NMMDS-ICE was established. Five of seven subscales of the instrument received Cronbach¡¦s alpha score of 0.70 or higher. Results indicated that it was feasible to collect the NMMDS-ICE in hospitals in Iceland, albeit, there was an issue with time commitment to do so. The specialty services that best described the patient population were medical-, surgical services, birthing, and geriatrics. Furthermore, nurse managers seem to perceive good control on their units, and both nurse managers and staff nurses are satisfied with their job. A positive correlation was found between autonomy and satisfaction with nursing management, nursing administration, and own level of autonomy. Statistical differences were identified in environmental and staffing resources between hospitals.