Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego Sate University, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-121).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-180). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-180). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 5, 2010). Advisor: Jacob Barkley. Keywords: Peer Influence; children; physical activity; overweight. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-108).

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Laurie Grubbs, Florida State University, School of Nursing. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed 6/16/04). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Social Work." Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-134).

The population of cancer survivors is rapidly expanding, and promotion of health and quality of life for these individuals is a priority. Exercise confers numerous general and cancer–specific benefits, yet many cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Research on perceived exercise barriers in cancer survivors has been limited by methodological and conceptual problems. Recent research suggests barriers may be multi–dimensional, and different types of barriers may be salient depending on whether or not a person intends to engage in a given behavior. Global (i.e., abstract) barriers may be negatively associated with intention, while practical (i.e., concrete) barriers may be positively associated with intention. The present study aimed to examine the utility of a multi–dimensional conceptualization of exercise barriers in cancer survivors and to develop an exercise barriers scale for this population. Participants were 170 breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors (mean age = 60 years, 67% female) who had completed treatment 6–36 months before the study. The study was conducted online in a survey that included measures assessing current exercise behavior, perceived exercise benefits, exercise intention, and exercise barriers. Factor analysis of the exercise barriers measure revealed five factors, which were further condensed into global, practical, and health factors. Total barriers and global barriers negatively predicted exercise intention (ρs < 0.001); practical and health barriers did not predict intention (ρs > 0.05). Accounting for relevant demographic variables and current exercise behavior, total barriers and global barriers contributed significant amounts of unique variance in exercise intention (4% and 7% respectively); however, when perceived benefits were included, only global barriers remained significant. These findings suggest that multi–dimensional conceptualizations of health behavior barriers are worthy of further study and that global barriers may be an important target for interventions designed to increase intention.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Introduction: Influenza illness is considered to be associated with high mortality, morbidity and economic loss. Numerous studies and mathematical simulations are conducted to understand the disease pattern, transmission dynamics, and psychosocial response of the population; however, little is known about the health seeking behavior of patients after the onset of respiratory infection symptoms. Respiratory infections exert substantial burden on the health care system of Hong Kong, therefore in addition to detecting the disease early, it is necessary to understand health care utilization behavior of the population. This information will not only benefit to formulate public health policies, it will also improve the preparedness plan to deal with future pandemics. Objective: To examine the influence of factors such as gender, age, education and occupation on the health seeking behavior of Hong Kong citizens and to understand the magnitude of health care utilization by the patients with respiratory infections. Method: This study is based on the data from a large randomized controlled trial of 703 households comprising of 2,586 individuals. Bi-weekly telephone contact was established with these households to assess the health seeking behavioral response of the individuals with respiratory infection episodes separately for laboratory confirmed influenza, and two other clinically defined infection episodes that are influenza like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infection (ARI) episodes. Descriptive analyses were performed to assess the health care utilization within various health care delivery institutions. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to determine the association of demographic factors with the health seeking behavior of individuals with respiratory infection episodes. Fischer exact test was used to analyze the association of promptness of health care contact with ARI and ILI episodes. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of demographic factors of ILI patients with early health care contact. Results: The results showed that seeking health care varied by the severity of illness and characteristics of the patients/ parents. As compared with the patients of ARI (non-ILI) episodes, higher proportion of ILI patients sought medical care and among all the health care delivery systems, private health care delivery system was attended by majority of the patients. Individuals with ILI episodes more likely to seek health care were male patients by 66% (Crude OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.01-2.77), and children below 10 years by 219% (Crude OR 3.19; 95% CI 1.30-7.79). Within the group of laboratory confirmed influenza patients, adjusted odds ratio showed male patients 243% more likely to seek health care (Adjusted OR 3.43; 95% CI 1.01-11.63). Unemployed ILI adult patients were less likely to seek medical care (Crude OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.15-0.98), and employed ARI (non-ILI) patients were 52% more likely to attend medical care (Crude OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.10-2.08). Health care contact within 24 hours of onset of symptoms was significantly associated with ILI patients (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.33-2.59; p-value 0.0003) showing that patients with febrile ARI were more likely to seek early health care rather than patients with afebrile ARI. Conclusion: The differences in the health seeking behavior demonstrated in this study indicate inequalities in the health care services utilization. Higher and earlier utilization of health care services by patients with ILI episodes during low influenza activity period might result in the overburdening of the health care system. In order to address these issues, policy makers should have a clear understanding of populations’ preventive and enabling factors to seek health care, perceptions of the risk of disease, self-care behaviors and health education levels. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

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