<p> The number of those seeking a kidney donation in the United States continues to increase while the number of donors is not growing at the same rate (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services USDHHS, 2010). The lack of donations is more prevalent in low health literate communities which suffer from misinformation and ultimately negative beliefs toward organ donation. Thus, it is important to understand how marketing efforts can effectively change individuals&rsquo; beliefs about organ donation. </p><p> Drawing on the Self-Determination Theory and Schema Theory, I proposed that the effectiveness of health education programs, which is to motivate individuals to be involved with organ donation, can be increased by creating interventions that engage individuals&rsquo; senses. I used the term sensory activation to capture the number of senses being activated (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). I proposed that sensory activation is related to message recall and motivation. According to Schema Theory, sensory cues are batches of information that can be stored in memory, thus affecting recall. The more senses involved in an experience, the more nodes of information available for recall, and the higher the likelihood that recall will affect motivation structures. Thus, I hypothesized that the relationship between sensory activation and motivation is positive, and, yet, mediated by recall. </p><p> In addition, research findings in sensory marketing suggest that the relationship between sensory strength and recall should be stronger for individuals with low, rather than high, health literacy. Low health literate individuals lack the cognitive ability to understand and interpret the information provided, hence, sensorial information allows them to recall the message. For high health literate individuals, understanding the message is relatively easier, hence, the addition of sensorial cues may lead to disinterest. That is, high health literate individuals may disregard additional sensorial information due to redundancy. Therefore, I hypothesized that the relationship between sensory activation, recall, and beliefs will be stronger for low, rather than for high, literacy individuals. </p><p> Lastly, Schema Theory suggests that individuals tend to simplify multiple information cues and form abstract knowledge structures. Instead of storing (and recalling) multiple information cues independently, individuals convert multiple pieces of information into abstract concepts. This abstraction process increases over time because it is easier to remember concepts rather than multiple batches of detailed information. Thus, I hypothesized that, in the long term, recall of specific information will be higher for individuals with high, rather than low, health literacy. High health literacy individuals can incorporate specific information into existing knowledge structures. Low health literacy individuals lack knowledge structures to further develop. Accordingly, low health literacy individuals will create an abstract representation of the experience. That is, low health literacy individuals will not remember specific information, but will remember the event in broad terms (abstractly). Consequently, overtime, the motivation will be stronger for high, rather than for low, health literacy individuals. </p><p> I tested my hypotheses by conducting a 3 (Sensory Strength: sight, sight + hearing, sight + hearing + touch) &times; 2 (Literacy: low, high), between-subjects factorial design. Sensory activation was manipulated, while health literacy was measured. I conducted the study in three phases. Phase 1 included a questionnaire of health information, motivation, beliefs, learning styles, and psychological measures prior to the experiment. Phase 2 included the manipulation of sensory activation and a questionnaire including manipulation checks and dependent variables. Phase 3 included a follow-up questionnaire two weeks later. </p><p> This dissertation, although having non-significant findings, adds to marketing literature by involving information processing and testing the role of sensory cues in message recall and motivation. Also, this work sheds light on the interplay between individual differences and the cognitive processing of sensory cues. To practitioners, this study provides normative recommendations regarding the design health interventions. Specifically, it is suggested that interventions should activate several sensory cues in order to enable short-term recall among low health literate consumers. Similarly, trends in the data suggest that health educators increase health literacy, as health literacy is a predictor for long-term recall and behavior modification. Finally, this work informs advertising professionals on how to apply sensory marketing in health promotion.</p><p>

The transition from hospital to home can be complicated, leaving family caregivers in stressful situations that they may not know how to handle. The burden that is placed on these individuals has led researchers to focus on the public health implications of caregiving in hopes of identifying at-risk caregivers. This quantitative analysis identified what relationships exist between caregiver compassion fatigue among family caregivers and training or education received per the Caregiver Advise Record and Enable (CARE) Act and if education influences readmission rates. A purposive sample of 385 family caregivers participated in this study. The Care Transitions Measure (CTM-15), the Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS), and the LACE (length of stay, acuity of admission, comorbidities, and emergency department visits) index were used to explore the relationship between caregiver education received, caregiver compassion fatigue, and rates of readmission. The results of this study did not support a significant relationship between the education that caregivers receive according to the CARE Act and readmission rates of the care receiver when utilizing the CTM-15 and the LACE index but it did support a relationship between the caregiver's compassion fatigue and the amount of training the caregivers receive from the CARE Act in some areas of the CRS. While research continues to identify flaws in the caregiver transition, the CRS and CTM-15 show a significant relationship in some areas of the CRS, identifying some caregivers are better educated prior to leaving the hospital and with a potential reduction in compassion fatigue.

No description available.

Obesity remains a public health concern among persons with mental illness resulting from the interaction of a combination of factors such as genetic, medication, effects of their symptoms, social, and environmental factors. Obesity complications account for increased mortality and morbidity, reduced life expectancy, and quality of life in persons with mental illness. The management of obesity is challenging and predicting the ability of mental health professionals to advise patients on weight management behavior is important to improve patients' overall well-being. The social cognitive theory constructs knowledge, expectations, situational perception, self-efficacy, and goal setting were utilized in predicting Weight Management Advice Behavior (WMAB) among psychiatry professionals. WMAB described the ability of professionals to effectively offer advice on managing weight. A cross-sectional study design was used, in which data were collected using a validated instrument. A sample size of 134 was used and the collected data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression, logistic regression and MANOVA. Self-efficacy, goal setting, knowledge, and situational perception were found to have a significant association with WMAB individually. Only self-efficacy (p < .001), goal setting (p < .001), knowledge (p < .001), and situational perception (p < .05) were independent predictors of WMAB among psychiatry healthcare professionals. There were significant differences among the professional groups with regards to knowledge, self-efficacy, goal setting, situational perception, and expectations. The study findings will bring about positive social change by informing the advice of professionals, reducing obesity and alleviating its burden among people with mental illness.

In 2013, approximately 232,340 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and an estimated 39,620 women would die as a result of breast cancer. Stage I breast cancer can often be treated, but Stage IV breast cancer presents more difficulties in treatment, as it spreads to the bones, liver, or other areas of the body. Consequently, women with Stage IV breast cancer have very low 18 month and 5-year survival rates. According to some statistics, 79.5% of the United States population claim to be Christian. Much of this segment of the population uses faith to guide most aspects of their lives, including issues pertaining to their health. The purpose of this study was to explore how women integrated faith into their lived experience of combating cancer. This mixed method phenomenological study examined the perceived attributions for survival among a group of 32 breast cancer survivors of various ages and cancer stages in the tristate area of Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Faith related attributions for survival were more commonly reported among women who also reported affiliation to Christianity than women who did not express religious affiliation; however, faith related attributions often also incorporated the restorative effects of standard medical procedures. The implications for positive social change in this study includes the potential inclusion of faith in developing culturally appropriate strategies for treatment and recovery of many illnesses, including cancer.

The Special Supplemental Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is one of many United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food subsidy programs that serves 8.6 million participants, deemed nutritionally at risk. WIC is designed to influence nutritional and health behaviors to a population least capable of functioning. The purpose of this study was to identify if participation in WIC's nutrition education activities and restricted use of food subsidy benefits had a post-factorial effect on their nutritional behaviors. This study provides data on Bronfenbrenner's social ecological influences and how it impacts on long-term behavioral change. A quantitative causal-comparative design utilizing a convenience sampling method compared responses to a survey on nutritional habits of women shoppers at a Walmart retailer in an urban southeastern metropolitan city. The study population included women aged 18-50 years with one or more child who had or were currently receiving WIC (n = 63) compared with controls (n = 32) who also met the aforementioned criteria, yet did not receive WIC. Analyses of a Wilcoxon signed rank test supported an association between participation in WIC and an influence on participants' food purchase habits, while evidence from a linear equation for repeated measures between groups did not support a common variable for what influenced purchases between cases and controls. This study provides insight for future study regarding WIC's effectiveness to promote long-term health for its participants. It may also lend to discussion by USDA officials to consider programmatic review and change of other food subsidy programs which conceivably could impact the diets of more than 49 million Americans.

Advances in lung cancer treatment among older adults require a risk-benefit analysis for health professionals, patients, and family members to assess increased survival and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of lung cancer treatment with surgery or tumor ablation on HRQL domains. A lung cancer quality of life model guided the study. The research design was a quantitative ancillary study in which 70 participants were recruited from those who had already consented to undergo a randomized clinical trial of lung cancer treatment. Data consisted of repeated administrations (baseline, 1- and 3-months) of the lung cancer symptom scale. Participants indicated their physical function, symptomatic distress, and overall quality of life experience on an analogue response card. Although randomization in a clinical trial ensures equal groups at baseline, self-selection and loss to follow-up in this comparative survey led to significant differences between the 2 treatment groups in age (p = .049) and average symptomatic distress (p = .007). Statistical analyses were performed using generalized estimating equations assuming a negative binomial distribution. There were no significant effects from treatment with surgery or tumor ablation on HRQL (physical symptoms, symptomatic distress, and overall quality of life experience) at 1-month (p = .7794, p = .6395, p = .9318) and 3-months (p = .2616, p = .1345, p = .5217) based on Holm-Bonferroni correction (p = .016). The findings indicate that among older adults with lung cancer there is no advantage in selecting surgery or tumor ablation in terms of effect on HRQL. The study may contribute to positive social change by providing lung cancer treatment-specific risk-benefit information affecting patient HRQL, which may be useful to providers, patients, and family members.

Through the creation of the Indian Health Service in 1955, the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) has improved; however, AI/AN women of reproductive age still have some of the poorest health outcomes of all populations. This study aimed to examine effective interventions that seek to improve the health of AI/AN women during pregnancy, and immediately postpartum (up to 12 months post delivery). This study addressed the research question: What effect does parental competence have on early parenting and/or infant/toddler outcomes? The life course conceptual framework was used to demonstrate how life experiences impact current health. The methodology followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement. A literature review from 1993-2015 using derivatives for race and pregnancy was conducted. Inclusion and eligibility were determined using a priori criteria and application of the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design(s) approach. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and an expert review panel. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the impact of parental competence through parenting knowledge and self-efficacy. The findings of this study suggest that evidence based interventions focused on: reducing multiple risky maternal health behaviors, through education and treatment options (creating positive social change at the individual, family, and societal levels); increasing access to prenatal care early in pregnancy, through community based participatory research (creating change at the societal level); and supporting parental competence, through training (creating change at the organizational level), will promote positive birth outcomes in AI/AN women.

Improving maternal health has been a challenge for developing nations with very high rates of maternal mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, has some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. In an attempt to improve on this, the Sierra Leonean government enacted free maternal healthcare services in 2010. The Sierra Leone Free Healthcare Initiative (SLFHCI) provides free healthcare for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under 5 years old. This research explored the impact of the free healthcare on hospital deliveries. The determinant of health model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the SLFHCI program, and a quantitative study design was used to analyze 1,200 samples of secondary data. Five research questions aimed to determine how the pre and postimplementation periods of the SLFHCI program impacted the rate of antenatal services usage, hospital deliveries, low birth weight deliveries, very low birth weight deliveries, and preterm deliveries. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to analyze data. The results indicated improvements in antenatal visits, hospital deliveries, low birth weight deliveries, and preterm deliveries after adjusting for covariates. The results suggest that the SLFCHI program is an effective strategy for preventing low birth weight and preterm deliveries and for improving antenatal visits and hospital deliveries. The knowledge gained from this research could provide a roadmap for improving overall maternal care in Sierra Leone and other affected countries. Strategies to improve the quality of the SLFHCI intervention are worthy of further investigation

No description available.