The role of agriculture in the economy and society remains relevant as the industry provides 11% of employment and affordable access to healthy food which promote health and wellbeing. However, without adequate agricultural literacy, individuals may not be able to make safe and healthy food choices. To explore the level of agricultural literacy of college students, a 43-item questionnaire was developed and will be administered at a Liberal Arts University in the Southeastern United States. The aim of the study is to determine agricultural literacy scores and the importance of agricultural practices among college students who are not and will not be enrolled in agricultural courses and who do not plan to pursue a career in agriculture. Data collected will be examined to determine whether agricultural literacy is related to the importance of agricultural practices and whether relationships between demographic characteristics and agricultural literacy scores are present

Financial decisions among college students can be influenced by experiences with credit and debt services. Some college students may use alternative financial services (AFS; e.g., payday loans and check cashing services) to manage their personal finances to maintain a desired level of financial wellness. Fears about credit card usage may prompt the use AFS or overdraft on accounts due to a limited funds. Thus, some financial decisions, and ultimately, wellbeing may be influenced by financial knowledge, access to financial resources and attitudes towards financial services among college students. This study aims to explore factors (i.e., financial abilities, compulsive buying, materialism, knowledge, credit card, and AFS usage) that contribute to the financial wellbeing of college students. Initial findings from a stepwise regression show increased usage of credit cards (β = -0.08) and AFS (β = -0.08) decreases financial wellbeing while lower materialistic (β = 0.27) attitudes increases financial wellbeing.

The current study sought to answer the question: Does reported family coherence and adaptability differ between parents who completed private, public, and international adoptions? The desired population was adoptive parents in the United States. The survey utilized two existing measures, the Family Sense of Coherence (FSOC) and the Family Adaptation Scales (FAS). Results of a one-way independent ANOVA showed that adoption type (i.e. private, public, international) had no significant effect on FSOC and FAS sum scores. Future research should recruit a larger and more representative sample of adoptive parents in the United States, so that findings can be used to tailor educational programming with adoptive parents.

Can being satisfied in a relationship create the confidence to exercise? Some research suggests a positive relationship between exercise and positive relationship events for both partners (Johnson et al., 2018), yet there may be important mediators between relationships and exercise, that have not been tested. Research has found that higher relationship satisfaction is associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms (Whisman, Uebelacker, & Weinstock, 2004). Another important mechanism linked with exercise is self-efficacy—or the confidence to carry out a behavior (i.e., exercise; Jackson, Tucker, & Herman, 2007). Self-efficacy and mental health are also significantly related (Bandura, 1997), as is exercise and mental health (Chekroud et al., 2018). The question remains then, how is relationship satisfaction and exercise self-efficacy linked? Utilizing dyadic data from 234 heterosexual couples, the purpose of the current study was to determine the association between relationship satisfaction and exercise self-efficacy mediated through mental health.

This study investigates how race-related stress affects mental health, specifically anxiety, in African Americans. Participants are 18-25 year old African American college students attending a Historically Black College in the Deep South. Race-related stress will be assessed by questionnaires measuring African Americans’ experiences of macro- and microaggressions. Participants will also complete a mental health survey to assess symptoms of anxiety. Data collection began in late October 2019 and we currently have over 350 participants. Questionnaire data will be entered into SPSS beginning in January 2020. We anticipate finding African Americans’ experiences of macro- and microaggressions will predict anxiety.

Due to the health and relational benefits associated with mindfulness, interest has increased in researching the topic. Typically, samples have been more homogeneous with no attention given to variations in mindfulness levels that may exist based on individuals’ characteristics. Therefore, this study assessed levels of three facets of mindfulness – non-reactivity, awareness, and non-judgement - with 1796 diverse individuals. Results indicate differences in mean level of non-reactivity based on sex, education level, income, and relationship status, with higher levels, on average, for males, individuals without a high school degree, individuals with an annual salary of $75,000+, and married individuals; differences in mean level of awareness based on sex and race, with higher levels, on average, for females and white individuals; and differences in mean level of non-judgement based on income, with higher levels, on average, for low income individuals. Findings highlight the value of considering social address in mindfulness studies.

<p>The increased recognition of chronic disease (CD) has been accompanied by an era of medical technology, intended to better treat and manage CDs such as type 1 diabetes. Since the discovery of insulin in 1921, the treatment and management of type 1 diabetes has significantly improved, and witnessed innovations such as the insulin pump. Yet, as the population ages within a technological society, the implications of advancements in diabetes care and its relationship with older adults is of great concern. How do older adults identify and make use of these new technologies? How do technological advances challenge traditional life course models or expected transitions of growing old? How do older adults continue to cope and manage with a CD in their advanced years? The objective of this study was to explore how older adults with type 1 diabetes relate to management devices used in their daily routines. Five open-ended and semi-structured interviews were conducted with older adults living with type 1 diabetes (recruited through the Canadian Diabetes Association [CDA] and the Hamilton Health Sciences [HHS] Diabetes Care and Research Program [DCRP], Hamilton, Ontario). Interviews were transcribed and analyzed drawing on analytic techniques of grounded theory. Open, axial and selective coding was used in accordance to the constant comparative approach. Themes included living longer with type 1 diabetes, how type 1 diabetes challenges traditional models of aging and the lifecourse perspective, and older adults welcoming the use of technology. Overall findings suggested technology used for the daily treatment and management of type 1 diabetes may permit increases in one’s quality of life (QOL), yet challenge policies and practices within healthcare settings to ensure older adults maintain independent self-management strategies.</p> <p>Keywords: aging, chronic disease, technology, treatment, type 1 diabetes, older adult, diabetes community</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

<p>In the Canadian context, little is known of the ways in which immigrants’ life course (s) are “mastering of transitions and coordinating life” across geographical space and in differing historical, political, economic and social contexts in their home countries and in their new country unfold (Matthias 2011, p2-3). In order to address this gap in the literature, this qualitative study is focused on the narratives of ten Salvadorian immigrants to examine the different factors that have affected their retirement planning decisions in their new country, Canada. The research study was guided by the Life Course theoretical perspective and considered the role that education, work, and family played in their planning for retirement. Ten Canadian Salvadorian men and women were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. These participants were in the age ranges of mid to later life and included individuals who were not yet retired and individuals who were already retired. As well, this study captured the intersection between structural forces and life courses at the micro level in the pre-migration and post migration experiences of these individuals. Findings show that the effects of historical changes and socioeconomic status were carried over to Canada and that these constrained or produced opportunities that had varying implications for retirement planning. As a consequence, the majority of individuals prioritize their needs to here and now rather than to here and tomorrow.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

<p>In this study I situate socio-historically the adoption of the term <em>ekklēsia</em> as a permanent collective identity by early Christ-followers, particularly Pauline ones. I contribute to at least four areas of <em>ekklēsia</em> research. First, my examination of almost 1900 inscriptional occurrences of the word <em>ekklēsia</em> indicates a lack of evidence for a non-civic association self-identifying collectively as an <em>ekklēsia</em>. Second, I develop the preliminary observation by Runesson, Binder, and Olsson (2008) that <em>ekklēsia</em> can refer either to a gathering of Jews or to the self-designation of a Jewish community, i.e., that <em>ekklēsia</em> is one among several terms that can be translated into English as “synagogue.” This problematizes, from an institutional perspective, suggestions common in scholarship that Paul was “parting ways” with Judaism(s), ‘Jewishness,’ or Jewish organizational forms. Third, given both that non-Jewish Christ-followers could not be designated using the ethno-religious term “Israel” and that <em>ekklēsia</em> is a Jewish synagogue term, Paul’s designation of his multi-ethnic communities as <em>ekklēsiai</em> allowed gentiles qua gentiles to share with Torah observant Jews qua Jews in God’s salvation history with Israel. <em>Ekklēsia</em>, thus, does not indicate an inherently supersessionist identity for communities designated by this term. Fourth, Paul’s adoption of a political identity (civic <em>ekklēsia</em>) for his communities need not imply his promotion of counter-imperial civic ideology. Greek literary (e.g., Plutarch) and inscriptional evidence suggests that if an Imperial period non-civic group (e.g., voluntary association) self-designated as an <em>ekklēsia</em>, it could have been perceived as a positive, rather than as an anti-Roman, participant in society.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Educational institutions offer transformative opportunities for veterans transitioning from military service. Veteran-specific cultural supports in educational environments offer participation in occupations and development of skills needed to complete educational goals. However, veterans experience complex life circumstances atypical from traditional student culture which influences use of available environmental supports. Currently, the student veteran population is growing following fifteen years of combat and with systematic downsizing of the military. Therefore, rehabilitation professionals and educators must understand the unique experiences which shape veteran life flow during the transition process. This dissertation contains three studies investigating veteran experiences transitioning to postsecondary education. The first study surveyed the attitudes and beliefs of veterans coping with the transition to postsecondary education. Results identified veterans’ preference to using skills learned in the military for solving problems in the transition and reported limited use of university supports made available. A second study examined lived experiences of veterans transitioning and their interactions with traditional students and university supports. Results identified veterans emerge in college culture following a transactive process of sorting through military experiences, building on military skills, and developing new relationships for civilian identity. The final constructivist grounded theory study investigated the individual and collective constructions of veteran transitioning experiences in relation to culture and context. Twelve veterans were theoretically sampled and developed Kawa (River) metaphorical diagrams of their transition experiences. Intensive interviews discussed the meaning ascribed to veterans’ diagrams. Interview data was analyzed with the constant comparison technique until theoretical saturation was achieved. The emergent theory explained student veteran life flow by two major theoretical concepts: seeking understanding and gaining stability to shape life flow in transition from military to student culture. Veterans shared understanding in each cultural environment by socially interacting with others perceived to be reaching out and connecting with veterans. Veterans also performed autonomous actions of gaining stability by using their skills, pinpointing useful resources, and cultivating the growth and expression of personal skills. Both theoretical processes simultaneously, enhanced veteran’s transition to postsecondary education and promoted harmony within veteran life flow over time.