In recent decades, research on family life and religion has been conducted. Much of the research done on religion and well-being has shown beneficial effects of religion or religious practices on well-being (Bonner, Koven, & Patrick, 2003; Loser, Klein, Hill, & Dollahite, 2008). Using data from the Flourishing Families Project (N = 359 adolescents), the relationship between religious variables (family religious practices, family religious importance and religiosity), family climate measures (family connectedness and parent conflict) and adolescent depressive symptoms was examined. Results indicate no significant relationship between religious variables and adolescent depressive symptoms, but a positive relationship between parent conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms and a negative relationship between family connectedness and adolescent depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that while family climate is important to adolescent depressive symptoms, religious activity as measured by family practices is not protective.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant differences in students based of education demographics and what factors contributed to the successful completion of online courses for postsecondary education students. Specifically, this study sought to determine if there was a significant difference between certain educational demographics (gender, race, classification, course, and professor) and grade; a significant relationship between specific online course features (availability of chat, videos, discussion boards, and video conferences) and grade; a significant relationship between certain student behaviors (location of access, time to complete assignments, interaction with content, frequency of access, interaction with instructor, and interaction with students) and grade; and students’ perception and grades. A Kruskal-Wallis analysis was conducted to analyze differences within and between groups by educational demographics. Spearman Rho’s Correlations were computed to examine if a significant relationship existed between the aforementioned independent variables and the dependent variable of students’ grades. After the data were collected and analyzed, the findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences among students who completed online courses. There was no statistically significant relationships between the independent variables and students’ grades.

Background: Small enterprises are critical to the Swedish and European economies accounting for a significant portion of job creation and overall employment. However, the understanding of how innovation and development are carried out within small enterprise contexts remains limited. By examining the furniture-manufacturing industry this study aims to shed light on the practices and strategies employed by SMEs to foster innovation and development   Purpose: This master's thesis investigates and explores how small enterprises in the furniture-manufacturing industry in Sweden manage their innovation and development. The study addresses the research gap by answering the following research question:                                   How do small enterprises within the furniture-manufacturing industry in Sweden manage their innovation and development?   Method: This study employed a qualitative research design, using semi-structured interviews with owners/managers of small enterprises in the furniture-manufacturing industry in Sweden. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. The collected data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach to identify patterns and themes related to innovation and development management in small enterprises.   Conclusion: This study examined how small enterprises within the furniture industry in Sweden manage innovation and development practices across three stages: ideation, testing and refinement, and production. The study's results show that the designer and CEO are always involved. Furthermore, management practices were found to vary depending on the stage of the product development process. The study highlighted the importance of environmental and sustainable considerations in the ideation stage. In the testing and refinement stage, the management practices were more informal but efficient and involved

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / The first 1000 days, is the most crucial period not only for survival but also for thriving. What happens in the early days has an immense impact on long-term development with the potential to transform a next generation and society. Research suggests that if parents are nurturing, responsive and have a strong attachment with their baby in the first 1000 days, they will develop positively but parents need to be well to do this. The research on nurturing parenting and the mental health of parents is very limited in South Africa. The study aimed to assess the association between parental mental health (mental well-being) and parental perceptions of nurturing care in the first 1000 days. A quantitative research approach was used with a crosssectional correlational research design. A non-probability purposive sample was selected in Cape Town, Western Cape. The sample consisted of 147 parents who are either pregnant or has children aged between 0 and 2 years old. The data for this study was obtained through selfreport questionnaires which consisted of demographics, Parenting (PASCQ), Nurturing Care (Parent child attachment and PAI), responsive parenting and parental mental health (DASS 21). Questionnaires were in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v27. Data was interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study suggest that for parents with children in the first 1000 days, there is a significant positive relationship between parental mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) and negative parenting approaches and vice versa. The assumptions of the study were confirmed that there is a relati / 2024

Rationale: The study aimed to explore the practices of South African speech-language therapists in providing psychosocial care to people with aphasia. People with aphasia are at risk of adverse psychosocial disruptions and access to appropriate support may be particularly challenging for individuals with compromised communication abilities. The study was the first of its kind in the unique multilingual and multicultural context. By understanding current practices, direction for improved psychosocial care to people with aphasia, as well as support to speech-language therapists delivering this care may be provided. Method: A 20-item previously published online survey was completed by 56 South African speech-language therapists. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants for the study. A mixed-methods design was adopted. Descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as qualitative content analysis, were used. Results: Respondents recognised addressing psychosocial wellbeing to be very important. A variety of psychosocial approaches were used in practice. However, 67.9% of the sample felt ill-equipped to provide psychosocial care to people with aphasia. Further barriers included: time/caseload pressures (60.7%) and feeling out of their depth (48.2%). Enablers were access to more training opportunities (89.3%), adequate time (62.5%), and ongoing support from skilled professionals (55.4%). The majority of respondents also perceived mental health professionals to have limited expertise in working with people with aphasia, making onward referral challenging. Conclusions: Respondents aimed to support people with aphasia’s psychosocial wellbeing by working collaboratively, including family and setting person centred goals. However, many challenges to the provision of psychosocial care to people with aphasia were identified. In order to improve services, more training, role definition and interprofessional collaboration is required. / Dissertation (MA (Speech-Language Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MA (Speech-Language Pathology) / Restricted

Magister Curationis - MCur / Research reported that it is very challenging for mental health care users to quit smoking and the risk of relapsing after quitting is high. However, tobacco dependence treatment is possible and potentially lifesaving for people. The delivery of tobacco dependence treatment by nurses is influenced by a variety of factors, including lack of knowledge and skills, limited professional leadership, and smoking within the profession. There is a strong link between mental illness and smoking-related diseases, including cancer, respiratory diseases and heart diseases that are linked with depression. There is a high incidence of cancer in people with bipolar mood disorder and schizophrenia due to smoking. In spite of this, smoking is regarded as part of the culture of psychiatric institutions and tobacco is seen as “necessary self- medication for the mentally ill”. Historically, cigarettes have been used for behavioural reinforcement within the psychiatric setting. Mental health nurses also have the highest rate of smoking behaviour, which is coupled with permissive attitudes towards smoking among Mental health care users. It is also reported that nurses lack knowledge regarding the interaction of tobacco dependence with treatment of mental disorders. Nurses are also regarded as role models and therefore, nurses’ beliefs and attitudes regarding the smoking behaviour of mental health care users have an influence on any smoking cessation interventions. The psychiatric institution where the researcher was employed had recently implemented a smoke-free policy in the wards. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practices of mental health nurses related to tobacco dependence among MHCUs in a psychiatric institution in the Western Cape. The researcher used a descriptive survey design to carry out this study at a selected government-funded tertiary psychiatric hospital in theWestern Cape, South Africa. The target population comprised all mental health nurses permanently employed at this institution (169) and all-inclusive sampling was used. Data was analysed using SPSS Statistics version 24. The findings of the study reveal mental health nurses had good knowledge on tobacco dependence among MHCUs and that they had positive attitudes regarding the need to combat tobacco dependence among MHCUs. This is revealed through their knowledge on the dangers of smoking to MHCUs. The quality of training influences knowledge, which in turn cultivates a positive attitude regarding the need to combat tobacco and smoking addiction among MHCUs. There is also difference between the attitudes of non-smokers and those of smokers regarding the treatment of nicotine and tobacco dependence in MHCUs. For instance, mental health nurses who smoke perceive smoking as a necessary element for creating relationships with their patients, and therefore they tend to have a relaxed attitude towards treating smoking addiction among patients. Those who do not smoke tend to perceive combating nicotine dependence as essential. A recommendation is that some form of training for mental health nurses is needed to cultivate positive attitudes towards strategies meant to curb smoking addiction.

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The diets of Mongolia infants are deficient in vitamins and minerals and complementary foods are introduced too early. Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants until 6 months of age. A survey of 50 Mongolian mothers with children under the age of 5 in the town of Sainshand, Dornogobi, was conducted in July 2011. Mongolian infants are among the highest percent of infants in the world who are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their lives, thus providing them with excellent nutrition. However, complementary feedings and supplements are not appropriately used or understood. Therefore, the diets of Mongolian infants are still lacking key nutrients and they are exposed to complementary foods too soon. By obtaining more information on the feeding practices of Mongolian mothers, better education materials and seminars on infant nutrition can be developed, which will improve the overall nutrition and health of the children of Mongolia.

America has no majority race in the population of five-year-olds and younger (Wazwaz, 2015). Our society struggles to manage the changing face of America as seen in riots, protests, racially-motivated comments, and bullying to name a few examples. Students also face great difficulty reading and discerning what is factual and determining credible sources in the digital age. Critical literacy has the potential to teach students about their changing world, tolerance and acceptance of others, and how to read critically through literature with controversial topics. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods research examined 156 East Tennessee early childhood teachers’ (ECED) perceptions, knowledge, practices, and resources of critical literacy, differences between ECED majors and elementary education majors, and lower ECED (Pre-K-1) and higher ECED (2nd-3rd grade) teachers in their perceptions, knowledge, practices, and resources of critical literacy.. A four-point Likert scale survey was emailed to early childhood teachers in six upper East Tennessee school districts to collect quantitative data. Comparisons were made between the ECED and elementary education majors and the lower and higher ECED groups using MANOVAS, ANOVAS, and t tests. No statistically significant differences were found. The survey was followed by qualitative interviews with 5 volunteers from the quantitative study who answered specific protocol questions regarding critical literacy. Grounded theory also determined emergent themes of environment, parent support, ranking of topics, personal beliefs, and contradictions. This research found that although some teachers are unfamiliar with critical literacy, there is a desire to implement some of its practices. However, more book resources are needed as well as support from parents and administration. Teachers in this sample demonstrated that they are not comfortable with disrupting the commonplace thinking which includes topics such as same-sex relationships. Suggestions for future research, potential training, and professional development are included.