abstract: Individuals in urban low-income areas often do not have easy access to large grocery stores and supermarkets, and regularly shop at nearby small/corner stores. These stores stock an abundance of processed, energy-dense, nutrient poor foods, combined with few nutrient-dense products. A high concentration of small/corner stores is associated with poor diets by nearby residents. Interventions that target small food stores for increasing the availability and sale of healthy foods have been launched in many communities, and validated survey instruments have been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. However, in-store surveys can take up to thirty minutes to conduct and require individual visits from investigators. Many projects assess the food environment in a large number of stores spread across broad geographical areas, making in-person evaluations infeasible and resource-prohibitive. The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and feasible short survey that could be used in-store or over the phone to capture the healthfulness of corner stores. An adapted version of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Corner Stores (NEMS-CS) was used to conduct store audits of 230 corner stores in four New Jersey cities. Audit results were used in exploratory factor analysis and item response theory to develop a seven-item survey. The short survey was highly correlated with the full survey (r=0.79), and the short survey's classification of stores as healthy (top 20% of scores) versus unhealthy (bottom 80% of stores) matched NEMS-CS categorizations in 88% of cases. A second round of audits was conducted in 100 corner stores to confirm the validity of the seven-item survey and to test its feasibility as a phone audit tool. Complete phone responses were obtained from 86% of stores. Response matches indicated that store owners did not distinguish between 2% and low-fat milk, and tended to round up the fruit and vegetable count to five if they had fewer varieties. The seven-item short survey discriminates between healthy and unhealthy stores and is feasible for use as a phone audit tool. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness 2015

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (The WIC Program), began in 1974, and has not seen any major changes to its food packages since then. In 2009, the WIC Program began implementing changes that mandated the inclusion of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy, among other changes. These changes aim to better align the food package benefits of the WIC Program with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Child Feeding Recommendations. The objective of this research was to develop a culturally appropriate original questionnaire for The Texas WIC Program, which aimed to assess the dietary/feeding behaviors of Texas WIC participants both before and after the new WIC food package was implemented. The present study aims to present the methodology of how said survey was developed including pilot study and literature review. A mixed methods, biphasic approach was used to draft, edit and finalize the survey. The first phase consisted of item development, which involved literature review, and expert panel (n= 14) review to refine the instrument prior to piloting. Phase 2 of this research included recruitment of participants, a timed classroom administration of the survey, data collection, analysis and substantive reasoning based on the results of items to be included in the final survey. Quantitative data from survey piloting at two WIC local agency offices was used. Participants (n=54) completed two survey versions during piloting. The final questionnaire included measures of behaviors, attitudes and self-efficacy. Results from piloting showed that the "bubble" survey format had fewer errors and was more easily understood by participants. Incorporating relevant and recent scientific literature as related to survey design within a diverse population with social behavioral theory and mixed methods study design yielded a psychometrically sound instrument that has been used on a large scale and provided relevant data.

The goal of this dissertation was to develop a relatively comprehensive and culturally de-centered measure of worldview assumptions, basic beliefs that humans have about the world and reality. A pool of 179 items was compiled from a selective review of the literature and submitted to Exploratory Factor Analysis in a US sample. The emergent 6-factor structure was submitted to increasingly stringent tests of invariance in samples from Lebanon, Singapore, and India and met the standards for factorial invariance. The 6-factors showed a diverse set of relationships with measures of the potential functions of worldview: subjective well-being, meaning in life, and tolerance for inequality.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Ted C. Schroeder / Considerable risk is present in today’s ranching world; especially price and production risk. A producer who can tolerate more risk, and is knowledgeable about how to effectively manage price and production risk, may have opportunity to increase profitability relative to a highly risk averse producer. The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions and sources of risk, identify how risk management is conducted, assess price and production risks, and view differences between producers’ perceptions versus their attitudes towards risk and factors that affect risk. In order to investigate cow-calf producers’ perceptions of risk, an instrument was created to survey beef cow-calf producers in the Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA). Respondents provided information on their production practices, marketing methods, operating decisions and risk related to their cow-calf operations. A risk preference score for individual producers was developed from specific survey questions to determine three objectives: to classify producers’ risk preferences related to their operating decisions; determine operating decisions that affect risk preferences; and identify what production and marketing practices in which producers were willing to risk for a chance to increase the net returns to their operations. A bi-directional causality between risk aversion and operation characteristics was illustrated between how operating decisions are related to risk aversion, and risk aversion is related to operating decisions. Factors that were found to influence risk aversion were socioeconomic factors such as age, off-farm income, debt-to-asset ratio, farm size, and number of cows owned, as well as comparative advantages of producer’s: use and analysis of new technology, business planning skills and marketing skills. Models showing how risk aversion was related to production management focused on producer’s financial soundness, production practices and marketing methods, specific to retained ownership. Producers who would participate in value-added programs to increase returns to their operation have a comparative advantage in marketing skills, own more cattle, and are less diversified in terms of their farm enterprise incomes.

DEVELOPMENT OF A DENTAL ACCESS SURVEY INSTRUMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERSBy Roy H. Rogers, B.A., B.S., D.D.S.A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University.Virginia Commonwealth University, June 2003Thesis Director: Frank H. Farrington, D.D.S., M.S.Department of Pediatric DentistryPurpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a survey instrument or questionnaire to evaluate access to dental care for children with autism spectrum disorders.Methods: The research methods of this study were conducted in a 16-step process. Survey questions were evaluated based on analysis of response frequencies and item non-response (missing data), the content of open-ended responses on the questionnaire, the researcher's judgment regarding how well the question worked within the questionnaire design construct, redundancy across questions, and whether or not the question met the project's proposed analytical goal (purpose): to evaluate access to dental care for children with autism spectrum disorders. Judgment-based evaluation of each question was tabulated using Excel spreadsheet format.Results: The overall response rate for the pilot test mailing was 46.8% (22/47). The overall sample size was reduced from n=50 to n=47 due to one undeliverable survey instrument/questionnaire and two survey instrument/questionnaires returned because neither respondent had any children with autism spectrum disorders. The mean age of children sampled was 7.1 years with a standard deviation of 3.6 years. 68.2% (15/22) of the children were male and 31. 8% (7/22) were female. 22.7% (5/22) found it difficult to locate a dentist to treat their child. 54.5% (12/22) of children were treated by a pediatric dentist. 52.9% (9/17) required the use of restraints when being treated by a dentist. 52.4% (11/22) described their child's behavior as uncooperative requiring either nitrous oxide, oral sedatives, or general anesthesia in order to be treated. 81.8% (18/22) of respondents indicated that their child had some form of dental/medical health care coverage including but not limited to private health insurance. Survey questions 9, 10, 14, 15, 20, 25, and 51 were revised, questions 2, 4, 5, 28, and 38 were omitted, and one question was added (question number 4) in the final survey instrument.

The focus of this study is the development and implementation of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model for use as part of an English curriculum reform project at a four-year university in Japan. Three questions were addressed in this study: (a) what model components were necessary for use in a Japanese university setting; (b) what survey instruments would work with such a model; and (c) what needs would the stakeholders in the project report? The site for the study was a mid-sized private, four-year university in Japan. Set as an instrumental case study (Stake, 1998), multiple methods and sources were employed. Stakeholders in the project included university students (n = 1533), teaching staff (n = 33), university administrators and staff (n = 5), and domain experts (n = 7). Data collection included the use of questionnaires, unstructured and semi-structured interviews, and systems and materials analyses. Questionnaires were developed and analyzed using Rasch analysis. The Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model was assessed using a modified version of the Checklist for Judging the Adequacy of an Evaluation Design (Sanders & Nafziger, 1985). Implementation of a full iteration of the Model indicated that use of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model could guide the development and evaluation of the English language program. As part of the study, valid survey instruments that can continue to aid the assessment of needs for and evaluation of the courses were developed. Data from multiple sources indicated a difference in the perception of needs between stakeholders. The processes followed through the development and application of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model served to incorporate these different perceptions into a cohesive language program curriculum. / CITE/Language Arts

The research objective for this dissertation study was to build a preliminary survey that would, in its final form, allow educators and administrators to establish baseline information on individuals’ global competence characteristics prior to instruction, cross-cultural experience, international study or collaboration. A secondary aim concerned length: The intent was to keep the eventual final survey at 15 minutes or less to make it adaptable to a variety of settings. The researcher extracted terms and phrases from existing global competence definitions (e.g., Boix-Mansilla, Jackson, Asia Society & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2011; Hunter, 2005), related literature (e.g., Lambert, 1994), and previous research (Todd, 2013) to develop a definition and theoretical framework for this competence. Central to the developed definition and framework were the disposition/affective realm, knowledge, skill, and action elements, and a clear connection to cosmopolitanism (e.g., Appiah, 2006). Currently, a global competence definition and survey tied directly to cosmopolitanism do not exist. The learning theories of Vygotsky (1986), Bandura (1977), Lave (1993), and Kolb (Kolb, Boyatzis, & Mainemelis, 1999) also provided insight into global competence development for measurement purposes. The four-step study method included building a draft survey from the developed global competence definition, field testing the draft survey with a purposive sample (e.g., Babbie, 2007b; Teddlie & Yu, 2007) in order to make initial revisions to the instrument, conducting a Delphi review (e.g., Cyphert & Gant, 1970; Fogo, 2014; Helmer, 1967) of the revised draft survey to further refine the instrument, and describing the field-test sample using data from items retained in the resulting survey from the Delphi review. The outcome of each of the four steps constituted the findings for this research. Future research could involve adding new items and then field-testing the survey once again to examine the statistical structure of the developing instrument.

No description available.

<div> <div> <div> <p>This dissertation is a three study format. In this dissertation, I used an explanatory sequential mixed method design. Study 1 develops a measurement scale to capture first-generation college students’ agency using the constructs of intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflectiveness. Study 2 used structural equation modeling to establish a relationship between personal agency, disciplinary role identities, and students’ desire to enact engineering agency. Study 3 was a narrative analysis of how Kitatoi, a Latina, first-generation college student, authored her identity as an engineer. Data for study 1 and 2 came from a survey administered in the Fall of 2017 of 3,711 first-year engineering students across 32 ABET universities. </p> </div> </div> </div>

Recruitment and retention of public child welfare workforce is in crisis due to turnover caused by 1) dissatisfaction with job; 2) excessive stress and burnout, including vicarious trauma; and 3) a lack of support from supervisors and organizations. No instrument was found to evaluate the impact of supervisory support and the use of organizational and professional strategies. The Supervisory and Organizational Support (SOS) survey instrument was created in response to the need for reliable and valid instruments to measure issues related to child welfare workforce turnover. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the SOS survey instrument and was designed to address the following research questions: 1) Does the instrument have demonstrated content validity? 2) Does the instrument have demonstrated construct validity as developed through factor analysis techniques? 3) Does the instrument have demonstrated reliability? 4) To what extent do the instrument and its' subscales correlate with measures of theoretically related and unrelated variables? The results of this study with a sample of 387 employees in 18 Virginia Department of Social Services agencies provide good beginning evidence of content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, and reliability of the SOS survey instrument. As such, the SOS survey can be used in studies of social services workforce turnover/ retention. However, to increase confidence in this recommendation, further research should address the implications and limitations of the current study and provide replication of the results with a different sample using confirmatory factor analysis. Finally, the SOS survey instrument may serve to assist in the evaluation of practice and policy efforts aimed at increasing worker retention. / Ph. D.