Graduation date: 2006 / Previous research has revealed gender differences that impact females’ willingness to adopt software features in end users’ programming environments. Since these features have separately been shown to help end users problem solve, it is important to female end users’ productivity that we find ways to make these features more acceptable to females. This thesis draws from our ongoing work with users to help inform our design of theory-based methods for encouraging effective feature usage by both genders. This design effort is the first to begin addressing the gender differences in the ways that people go about problem solving in end-user programming situations.

The effects of attitudes and perceived constraints on behavior and the choices females make about involvement in recreational sports, exercise, and other physical recreation activities are important to consider if females physical, social, and emotional quality of life is to be enhanced. The main aim of this study was to explore the perception held by female undergraduate students at UWC regarding the physical and socio-cultural constraints that influence their participation in recreation sport.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes, perceptions, and coping skills of college Hispanic women who have witnessed domestic violence committed against a family member, a close friend, or have experienced it personally. An interview was conducted to examine the women's attitudes toward the culture's role in the occurence of domestic violence.

The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between age at menarche and the development of behavior problems. The research was designed to determine if there is any significance to the hypothesis that early maturing girls engage in more problematic behaviors than their on-time or later maturing peer.

The purpose of this study was to examine sociocultural and psychological correlates of bulimic symptomatology and drive for thinness in a sample of nonclinical female adolescents.

This research addressed the challenges faced by women in today's society during the transition to motherhood, and explored the possible benefits of an online natural helping network of blogging peers. Given the content of the literature describing the transition to motherhood and the many hardships that pose possible obstacles for an ideal transition, this research attempted to uncover the reasons why mothers blog and what benefit, if any, they experience as a result of blogging. This study explored the following questions: Why do women blog during the transition to motherhood? What is the relationship among the seven identified variables: blogging intensity, authentic self-disclosure, perceived general social support, perceived social support from blogging, current depression, stress, and parenting competence? This dissertation employed a cross-sectional research design using a web-based survey. The data were trimmed to limit the participants to residents/citizens of the United States and mothers of preschool aged (0-5) children who lived with them four or more days per week. The data were further limited to include only those participants (N = 501) who completed the survey in its entirety. New mothers experienced benefits as a result of their authentic participation in blogging and reported key reasons that they participated including: to share their experiences with others, to preserve their memories, to interact with a like-minded audience, and to feel understood. There were significant positive correlations between authentic self-disclosure and perceived social support, and sense of parenting competency, and a negative relationship between authentic self-disclosure and maternal depression and perceived stress. Multiple regression analysis indicated that social support was the strongest predictor of current depression. Social support was also a predictor of stress and of perceived parenting competence. Additionally, social support significantly predicted authentic self-disclosure. With a growing reliance on technology and social media, social work has an obligation to identify and utilize the beneficial aspects of this medium.

Female breast cancer patients are often confused, frustrated, and devastated by changes occurring in their bodies and the treatment process. Many women express frustration and concern with the inability to know what the next phases of their life will bring. Previous research also states that many women struggle to communicate with others about treatment as well as side effects. This research examined how woman are use metaphors to describe their experience with breast cancer, specifically throughout the treatment period related to body image struggles. I qualitatively conducted interviews with women who were either currently in treatment or just finishing. My interview questions related to their uncertainties, as well as the changes occurring to their bodies. After conducting the interviews I transcribed the conversations and coded for specific metaphors. The results were consistent with previous research, in that that the interviewees used at least four major metaphors to describe what they are going through. The four most prominent metaphors were (1) journey, (2) game, (3) struggle/fight, (4) grasping. The findings could benefit patients, nurses, physicians as well as family and friends to reduce stress and help with coping. The findings may also help female patients struggling with identity issues due to lumpectomies or mastectomies. Understanding how patients comprehend the disease can ultimately help others to understand and hopefully reduce some of the concerns of all those involved in such situations.

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This research examined the relationship between beliefs about physical activity, physical activity levels, age and the promotional practices for physical activity employed by Air Force squadron commanders. Additionally, differences in levels of promotional practice were evaluated based on group, MAJCOM and rank of the commander. Web based surveys were completed by 178 commanders at bases world-wide.Positive correlations were observed between physical activity and both personal benefit beliefs and organizational benefit beliefs (417 and .298, p <.001, respectively). Using a step-wise linear regression, only age and personal benefit beliefs had small predictive value for promotion practices score (R2 = .063 for age and personal benefit beliefs combined, p < .001). The difference in mean promotion practices score between some MAJCOMs was significant. Open-ended responses provided insight into practices and beliefs. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

O final do século XIX, com a inserção maciça da mulher no mercado de trabalho, se deu início a um processo de fusão e, mútua ocupação, do espaço doméstico (privado) e do público. Nesse cenário, percebe-se mudanças significativas, nas suas trajetórias econômica, profissional e familiar. Tomando essa cartografia como contexto, este trabalho consistiu analisar, as múltiplas atividades desenvolvidas pela mulher (nos âmbitos domésticos e profissionais) e as possíveis ressonâncias sobre a saúde. Participaram desse estudo, sete mulheres residentes na Região Metropolitana do Recife, e com rotina diária, de duas ou mais, jornadas de trabalho. Suas idades, variaram entre 30 e 49 anos. No que se refere à profissão, uma era taxista; duas professoras do estado, locadas em área de risco; duas policiais militares; e uma segurança armada. Realizamos entrevistas semidirigidas, no local de melhor conveniência das participantes. Posteriormente, elegeu-se como procedimento de organização, descrição e análise das falas das entrevistadas, a análise temática de conteúdo. Identificaram-se três unidades de sentido, a saber: sobrecarga das múltiplas atividades; identificação com a profissão; e repercussões sobre a saúde e estratégias de enfrentamento. Neste contexto, identificamos a presença de uma grande satisfação e realização nas tarefas e nos compromissos assumidos por essas mulheres, contudo, alguns impactos negativos foram notados. O preço pelo alto desempenho e, elevadas cobranças, culminaram em diversas formas de sofrimento e sobrecarrega emocional. Entre os quais, destacamos: presença de alguns sintomas depressivos e de ansiedade, assim como, pressão alta, insônia, excesso de peso, estresse e dores de cabeça. A busca por redes de apoio familiar e social, se configurou como o mais importante fator de proteção ao risco e manutenção da saúde no grupo estudado. Essas parcerias assumiram lugar fundamental, na tessitura das estratégias de enfrentamento para o grupo estudado. O estudo da interação, entre as múltiplas atividades desenvolvidas pela mulher e, as ressonâncias sobre a saúde permitiram fornecer informações e recursos para o desenvolvimento de intervenções clínicas, como também, de subsídios para o fortalecimento de políticas públicas, que visem o atendimento e proteção das necessidades da mulher no exercício de suas variadas funções / The Final of the XIX century, with the massif (salid) insercion of woman into the market of work, has given origin to a process of fusion and mutual occupation of the domestic (private) space and of the public one. In this scenery, we can perceive meaninful changes in her economical, profissional and familiar trajectories. Using, employing this cartography as a certain context, this work has consisted os analysing the multiple activities developed by woman (in her domestic and profissional fields of action) and the possible resonanges upon her healthiness. Seven women from the Metropolitan Region of Recife, having in their daily work routine, two or more days labor. Their ages varied from 30 to 49 years old . Relating to profession, one of them was a taxical driver; two of them were teachers from state of pernambucos official schools, locates in risking areas; two of them from women military police, and one from armed-weaponed safety. We had perfomed, accomplished semidirect interviews in the participants better convenience place. Later on, we have elected, chosen, as the inverviwed persons speeches organization, description and analysis proceeding, content thematic analysis. We have identified meaning three units of senses, multiple activities overload; identification with profession and resonanges upon healthiness and confronting strategies-fieds a great satisfaction presence and fruition in their tasks and in the commitments assumed by these women. However, notwith-standing, we have found out some negative impacts. Price for high fulfillment and high changes, exigences on demands have reached their clímax, their highest point in suffering several ways and emotional overload wchich we can emphasize: some depressive syntoms and anxiety syntoms presence, as well as high pressure, sleeplesness, height excess, stress and headaches. The supporting nets search -the familiar and social ones - has taken shape has (configurated itself) as the most important factor of protection to healthiness risk and maintenance in this studied group. These partnerships have assumed, have developed a fundamental locus- place in these women confronting strategies texture. The interaction study among the multiples activities accomplished, developed by women and their resonance upon their healthiness has allowed, permitted providing (informations and ressonances for clinical interventions development, as well as subsidies for public politics furnishing that aim at the women needs attendances and protection in their several and varied functions exercise