<p> This phenomenological study examines the work&ndash;life balance of Nigerian women leaders who are instrumental in visioning and shaping the future of Nigeria&rsquo;s public education. The research delves into the past, present, and future of Nigerian public education based on the perception and life course of key Nigerian women educational leaders located in Nigeria and in the diaspora. Further, the study explores the work&ndash;life balance of these women leaders and their vision for public education in Nigeria. This study also explores the experiences; relational style, drive, and motivation, identity, and adaptive style that shape the life course and impact the decisions in these women&rsquo;s life course. The study was prompted by the perceived change in the state of the Nigerian public educational system from pre-independence to post-independence. Public education is essential to offering hope and equity to all, including the poor. Education is a fundamental good rooted in the concept of human capital. Human capital is concerned with the human skills factor of production in the development process. The development process depends on quality education that determines one&rsquo;s earnings in market economies. </p><p> The study goes into the archives of public education in Nigeria to examine the experiences, past and present, of the sample of Nigerian women leaders and their impact on&mdash;and vision for&mdash;the future of Nigerian education. The data examine how the Nigerian government embraced the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how the women played the dual roles of leaders and managers of their households. To better understand the dual roles of women, it was essential to review the decentralization and privatization of education in Nigeria as it related to the politicization of education expenditures. </p>

<p> Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have typically experienced poor outcomes as they have transitioned from school to adult life. Quality school-based transition planning has been found to improve outcomes for youth with disabilities in general. This mixed-methods study was designed to examine the effects of a family- centered transition planning project on the transition Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) of youth with ASD. Thirty-nine youth with ASD and their families were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or control group. Pre- and post-intervention IEPs were collected for each youth. The IEPs were analyzed to determine differences in changes to the quality of both the overall transition IEPs and the integrated employment goals. The IEPs were also compared in an effort to determine if the change in number of IEPs with goals related to integrated employment, postsecondary education, community living and adults services were significantly different for the two groups. To further explore the contextual factors that may have contributed to differences in the effect of the intervention on IEPs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents of four youth from the intervention group, including two who&rsquo;s transition IEPs improved and two who&rsquo;s transition IEPs did not. Both participation in the family-centered intervention and occupational status predicted improvements in the overall quality of IEPs but not in the integrated employment domain. The intervention was not found to be differentially effective for youth with varying levels of parent occupational status, self-determination, or adaptive behavior. Adult services was the only domain in which the intervention group had IEPs that improved significantly more than the control group. Although the intervention had a positive effect on the overall quality of transition IEPs, there were a number of youth in the intervention group with IEPs that did not improve or that improved only minimally. The interviews revealed a number possible contextual factors related to the families&rsquo; experiences with the overall transition process that may have contributed to the differential effectiveness of the intervention. They included the quality of the school/family relationship, the quality of school-based transition services, the flexibility and responsiveness of the school, families&rsquo; perceptions about their ability to affect change, and student membership in the school community. The limitations of this research were identified as well as recommendations for future research.</p>

<p> Biomedical and behavioral interventions can virtually eliminate the risk of vertical (i.e., mother-to-child) HIV transmission. Pregnant and breastfeeding women&rsquo;s adherence to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions, however, remains a challenge across sub-Saharan Africa. Using a concurrent mixed methods approach, including a survey and semi-structured interviews, I test whether a relationship exists between women&rsquo;s low power within married couples (based on domains from the Theory of Gender and Power) and adherence across the PMTCT cascade of care, including drug adherence during and after pregnancy, safe infant feeding practices, and pediatric HIV testing. The results of this study indicate that intimate partner violence is particularly detrimental to PMTCT adherence. Certain PMTCT protocols are also affected by partner controlling behaviors, participation in household decisions, and economic dependence, but not to the same extent as violence. Women with low power cite a lack of partner support and an unwillingness to disclose their HIV status to the husband due to fear of violence or abandonment as reasons for low PMTCT adherence. Conversely, women with high power cite partner support and the ability to prioritize PMTCT, sometimes even over the marriage, as enabling adherence. Based on these results, augmented efforts to address gender power dynamics both in society and within the home are recommended to promote the health of HIV-positive women and their families.</p>

<p> In this study, I used <i>testimonio</i> as Methodology to conduct and analyze interviews with 11 undergraduate Mexicana undocumented students. Utilizing and expanding upon Latina/o Critical Theory and Chicana Feminisms as the overarching theoretical frameworks, my analysis revealed that participants drew on cultural assets they obtained in their homes to resist institutional barriers and Racist Nativist Microaggressions&mdash;both rooted in Institutional Racism&mdash;they faced in K-16 academic institutions.</p><p> Students developed strategies to access and navigate higher education despite institutional barriers by drawing on what I coin "Mother-Daughter Pedagogies of Resistance" learned within their homes. Moreover, I developed the term "Grounding Counterspaces" to illustrate how students' homes were spaces that allowed them to challenge, resist, and heal from Racist Nativist Microaggressions. These findings serve as tools to improve assets-based institutional support for undocumented students and to advocate for a comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes the humanity of undocumented students, families, and communities.</p>

<p> <b>Purpose:</b> This study aimed to assess the impact that various maternal influences have on disordered eating behaviors and attitudes in a sample of young women. </p><p> <b>Methods:</b> Self-report data were collected from 172 young women, from a mid-sized, public, Midwestern university (mean age = 19.61; 64% Caucasian). The maternal influences examined were weight-related maternal criticism, weight-related maternal modeling, and weight-related maternal teasing. </p><p> <b>Results:</b> Fourteen percent of participants reported experiencing a high level of distress regarding dieting, body weight, and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that when examined together, body mass index (BMI), maternal criticism, maternal modeling, and maternal teasing significantly accounted for 26% of the variance in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. After controlling for BMI, maternal criticism, maternal modeling, and maternal teasing accounted for 23% of the variance in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. In that model, only maternal criticism and maternal modeling were significant predictors. </p><p> <b>Conclusion:</b> This study has implications for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The results suggest that health care providers should focus on educating parents about the potential damaging effects of weight-related criticism, teasing, and modeling.</p>

<p> Background: A significant number of children in the US are placed in the child welfare system every year. Among the multiple negative outcomes associated with being in the foster care system is a wide academic achievement gap between foster students and the general population, as well as other disadvantaged groups (e.g. low income). Low academic achievement is particularly pronounced in college. The government and higher education institutions are recognizing these educational gaps and developing specialized programs to address the unique needs of foster students; however, the effectiveness of these programs remains unclear. This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of one program, the Transition to Independence Program (TIP), in improving academic outcomes for foster students at Wayne State University (WSU) during the first 2 years of the program initiation (2012-2014). Methods: patterns of TIP service utilization (mentoring; financial aid; contact with campus coach and community partners) among 120 individuals who had been wards of the court, and its association with academic outcomes were examined on the following variables: GPA, academic probation status, first year retention, remedial classes, being on track for graduation, and graduation status. Further, TIP students&rsquo; performance on those same academic variables was compared to two groups: (1) 120 low income, non-foster care youth, and (2) 26 former foster care youth who did not receive TIP services. Results: 73% of TIP students used at least one service and students who used any program services were 5.7 times more likely to be retained than those who had not. Additionally, TIP students performed better than foster, non-TIP students on the academic variables, and the academic gap with low-income students was reduced. Discussion: TIP is effective in improving academic outcomes for students from the child welfare system. Implications and future directions are discussed.</p>

<p> Major depression disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is classified as a type of affective disorder (also called mood disorder) that goes beyond the day's ordinary ups and downs. It is a serious medical condition and important health concern. In the US there is an estimated 16.1 million people living and suffering from major depressive disorder in a given year, the majority of whom may not adequately respond to initial antidepressant treatment and psychotherapy. OC Ketamine Therapy will introduce a new form of treatment for individuals suffering from major depression to the Orange County (OC) region. Ketamine infusion therapy is known to be effective and efficient in dramatically reducing symptoms of major depression. Our OC Ketamine Therapy practice will provide ketamine infusion along with nutritional guidance and psychotherapy (&ldquo;talk&rdquo; therapy) to care for our patients. Our an innovative approach to treatment for depression will empower individuals to make informed healthcare decision while offering a unique treatment option. Our goal will be to care for the whole individual throughout their journey with us in receiving treatment. Our dedicated staff of nurses, receptionist, marriage family therapist or psychologist, nutritionist and anesthesiologist will work together to serve our patients and their families.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to discover the meaning of school body mass index (BMI) screening and referral to parents. The goal of school BMI screening and referral is to provide information to compel parents to change their child&rsquo;s diet and activity levels when overweight and obesity are identified. Measuring BMI in schools and alerting parents to findings above what is considered normal is one intervention to reduce overweight and obesity that has been utilized since 2001 in Florida. </p><p> To determine the meaning of BMI screening and referral to parents a mixed methods approach was utilized. Voluntary interviews of 20 parents who had received BMI referrals for their children were conducted. Analysis of the interviews was guided by phenomenology, as delineated by van Manen (1997). A cross sectional survey developed by Ruggieri (2012), was distributed to measure parent beliefs and opinions regarding the BMI screening and their reaction to referrals.</p><p> Findings from interviews indicated that parents ascribe different meaning to school BMI screening and referral. Overarching themes of changing and reflecting were discovered. The themes were manifested as dichotomies; some parents reflected on their role as parent and were more satisfied with the process; they reported change of diet and activity for their families upon receipt of a BMI referral. Others reflected on the role of the school in their child&rsquo;s life. They were more dissatisfied with the school screening and recommended changes in the screening and referral process. Suggested changes for school screening and referrals included subthemes: sensitivity, accuracy, privacy, and notification. </p><p> Parents responded in the survey that they would change diet and activity for their families if they were told by the school that their child had a weight issue. Actions taken upon receipt of a BMI referral were not limited to changing diet and activity levels but also included discussing weight with their child and others. Parents denied they would be offended by a BMI referral. School BMI screening and referral is a valuable and effective intervention to address child overweight and obesity, especially if the process is accomplished with characteristics that parents deem caring.</p>

Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen Myers-Bowman / As we pass the decade mark of the Global War on Terrorism, the hidden causalities, such as the long-term impact of multiple deployments on marriages, become more apparent. Military couples experiencing repeated combat-related deployments are at an increased risk for marital distress, especially relationships that exhibit negative interaction patterns. Marriage and relationship education programs have the potential to equip military couples with conflict management skills, such as positive reframing and open communication, to increase marital satisfaction. This content analysis examined three relevant marriage and relationship education resources – PREP for Strong Bonds, ScreamFree Marriage, and Marriage LINKS - presently utilized by military couples. Each marriage and relationship education program reviewed utilized similar themes found in the research literature. Results of the analysis indicate a combination of their skill sets, accompanied by a concentration on specific challenges unique to military marriages, would be more effective in improving marital satisfaction than the models as they currently stand.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / The current study was conducted with women survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) about their experiences of resilience in the context of interpersonal and sexually intimate relationships. Six women between the ages of 18 and 55, who self-identified as resilient on the pre-screening form, were invited to participate in the study. Qualitative methods with a phenomenological lens were employed. One-on-one interviews were conducted with participants. The results revealed the perspective and focus the survivors have regarding resilience and sexuality in interpersonal relationships. The participants had very similar thought patterns, which supports the idea that women survivors who self-identify as resilient have very similar experiences when it comes to resilience, relationship functioning and the view of themselves as sexual beings. Some of the main themes that emerged included but were not limited to bouncing back, moving forward, determination, confidence, use of voice, safe, loving relationships, empowered, church, God, religion, etc. Although each woman’s experience is not exactly the same, their views regarding their mental, emotional, and physical experiences as survivors of CSA were very similar.