Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Education, Health

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Sexuality Education, Sexual Communication, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Sexual Assault Experience among Deaf and Hard of Hearing College Students
    (2009) Francavillo, Gwendolyn Suzanne Roberts; Sawyer, Robin G; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Deaf and Hard of Hearing college students are at an increased risk of sexual assault in comparison to their hearing peers. Previous studies demonstrate that although sexual assault rates among college students are high, among the Deaf community, these rates are nearly double. Data suggest that between 50% and 83% of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, with Deaf and Hard of Hearing women more likely to experience sexual assault than Deaf and Hard of Hearing men. There exists only a small amount of published research regarding Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and sexuality, and an even smaller amount of research has been conducted with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals on the subject of sexual assault. The high sexual assault rates among Deaf and Hard of Hearing students may be partially attributed to their limited sexuality education and knowledge, most often as a result of communication, language, and cultural barriers. The purpose of this study was to 1) examine a possible relationship between levels of sexuality education, sexual communication, rape myth acceptance, and sexual assault experience, along with demographic variables, among Deaf and Hard of Hearing college students; and 2) examine differences between students previously educated in schools for the Deaf versus mainstream schools, with regard to their levels of sexuality education, sexual communication, rape myth acceptance, and sexual assault experience. The instrument was developed incorporating the Sexual Communication Survey (SCS), Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMAS), Sexual Experiences Survey (SES), sexuality education and sexual activity components. Two sets of hypotheses were examined via linear regression to ascertain significant relationships among the variables, with Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs being used as the theoretical foundation of the study. Seven analyses were found to be statistically significant, with sexual communication, gender, and consensual sexual activity predictor variables explaining the outcome variable, sexual assault experience, at high percentages. The findings from this research have provided a greater baseline of data for future studies to investigate the factors influencing sexual assault among Deaf and Hard of Hearing college students.
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    Instrument Development For Continuing Medical Education Evaluation
    (2007-08-28) Tian, Jing; Atkinson, Nancy L; Portnoy, Barry; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to develop a valid, reliable and adaptable CME evaluation instrument to facilitate the future CME evaluation effort as well as contribute to the literature of CME evaluation studies. A generic instrument template was first developed addressing variables in the second evaluation level based on the TPB, i.e. attitude, behavioral belief, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention. The instrument was then adapted to a CME-related conference, Preoperative Therapy in Invasive Breast Cancer: Reviewing the State of the Science and Exploring New Research Directions. Data were collected at the conference. A total of 134 physicians returned their questionnaires. Principle axis factoring with oblique rotation was used to examine the underlying structure of the data and reduced the items in the instrument to six subscales: positive beliefs, negative beliefs, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention. Factor loadings supported the existence of six valid scales. The consistency between the a priori subscales and the factors emerged served as evidence for content validity of the instrument. Overall, all the subscales had sufficient reliability (alpha>= 0.70) for early stage instrument development showing the unidimensionality of the subscales. Scale modifications based on item analyses were conducted. The problematic items were eliminated, and the analyses were rerun. A 22-item instrument and a revised generic instrument template were finally developed. This study determined the adaptability of the theory based instrument template to the NCI CME conference and the feasibility of developing a content specific, valid and reliable CME evaluation instrument from the template assessing the changes in the concepts listed in the second evaluation level. The established and validated instrument could further be used to evaluate the effectiveness of other CME activities having the template adapted to different clinical domains addressed by each individual CME activity.
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    Field Notes from the Light: An Ethnographic Study of the Meaning and Significance of "Near-Death Experiences"
    (2007-08-03) Gordon, Laura Suzanne; Caughey, John L; American Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This dissertation is based on a comprehensive study which investigated the meaning and social significance of "near-death experiences" (NDEs) by situating 50 experiencers (NDErs) as the "inside" experts on these profound, subjective experiences and their real-world impact. I used a phenomenological, "person-centered" ethnographic approach, new to Near-Death Studies, to make experiencers' lives the orienting framework for my study. Informed by "reformist" qualitative-research ethics and health-education-and-counseling values, I analyzed study-participants' life-history narratives against medical-scientific Near-Death Studies explanatory models, an NDE-Integration-Trajectory (NDE IT) patterns model, and social construction and identity-alternation theory. My findings were, first, that study participants' descriptions of NDE impact and aftereffects, which matched previous findings, were adequately explained by neither social construction nor medical-scientific theory. Second, participants in this and previous studies described significant NDE interpretation and integration problems, in which I recognized a previously unidentified, health-education-and-counseling-related, pattern of unmet NDE integration needs. Third, my findings supported the previous NDE IT findings and model; and also recognized the importance of individuals' multiple cultural meaning systems in shaping their NDE integration patterns.. Fourth, 29 of 50 study participants had not sought out and did not identify Near-Death Studies as a useful NDE integration context or resource; and they described it negatively if they mentioned it at all. Moreover, the 21 participants who had sought a connection with Near-Death Studies expressed similar dissatisfactions. My findings speak to the need for development of a research agenda and model(s) designed to assess and address the education and counseling needs of tens of millions of NDErs, and their health care providers. My analysis addresses the potential social-wellness value, as well as the needs, of a community of 13 million adult NDErs, in the U.S. alone. It situates its analysis within a context of escalating social and ecological crises and an in-progress paradigm-shift away from the still-official Newtonian/Cartesian material world view of Western culture. It recognizes the potential social value of NDErs' collective visibility as agents, among many others of a (re)emergent sacred worldview; one that is linked to the world views of diverse indigenous knowledge systems as well as of quantum physics.
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    Peer influence contexts of alcohol use among first-year college students: Investigating the roles of race, ethnicity, and gender through multigroup measured variable structural equation modeling
    (2006-12-18) Snyder, Kathryn Renee Baird; Komives, Susan R.; Hancock, Gregory R.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The study purpose was to examine the contributions of peer context variables to the explanation of alcohol use of first-year college students by racial-ethnic group and by gender. Social norms theory and the theories of planned behavior, social identity/self-categorization, and status/status construction contributed constructs. Construct-related scores from sample survey responses demonstrated strong reliabilities ranging from .70 to .97. The following constructs provided measures for the study: Normative perception, subjective norm, affective attitude, cognitive attitude, social identity/self-categorization, status value, perceived behavioral control, intention and alcohol use. Normative perception and subjective norm were combined to create a single scale with stronger reliability than either had separately. Both cognitive and affective attitude were combined to create a single scale. Normative perception and attitude were measured the summer prior to college and in the fall; alcohol use was measured in the fall and in the spring. All other model variables were measured in the fall. Survey data were collected online in three waves and were from a representative sample (N=837) at a large state research institution with a predominantly White (65%) undergraduate student body. Rates of self-reported past month alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking of participants were comparable to those of similar samples in national and in-state studies. Applying multigroup measured variable structural equation modeling, the model explained between 60% of the variance in spring term alcohol use for Asian Pacific American students and 92% for African American/Black students. Data-model fit was acceptable (NFI, CFI > .95, SRMR < .08) for all groups in both analyses. Direct, indirect, and total effects of model variables were identified for each of five racial-ethnic groups in the study (African American/Black, Asian Pacific American, Latino/Latina American, White American, and Multiracial/Biracial American) and by gender for White men and White women. Tests of invariance demonstrated where specific paths in the model were significantly non-invariant (differed) and for which groups. Findings suggest the importance of pre-college intervention, the risk of increased alcohol misuse for first-year students, and the conditional effects of racial-ethnic group and gender.
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    Development of a scale to measure adolescents' drug use resistance self-efficacy
    (2006-04-27) Carpenter, Carrie; Howard , Donna; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Drug use resistance self-efficacy (RSE) refers to one's beliefs about her or his capability to resist drug offers. Previous research suggests that RSE beliefs play an important role in preventing, delaying and curbing drug use among adolescents. Despite the potential impact of RSE beliefs on drug use, few carefully tested instruments are currently available to assess this construct among young adolescents. The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate the underlying structure and initial psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument, the Drug Use Resistance Self-Efficacy (DURSE) scale. Development and testing of the instrument occurred in four research phases: 1) a literature review; 2) expert review (n=10) and adolescent focus groups (n=15); 3) pilot testing of preliminary items (n=46); and 4) final scale administration (n=283) to examine main research questions (n=283). Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the factor structure of the DURSE scale and examine whether the DURSE scale captured aspects of RSE beliefs that differed from existing measures. Initial psychometric properties of the DURSE scale were evaluated. Factor analysis demonstrated that many of the DURSE items loaded on two drug-specific dimensions of RSE beliefs though justification for separate subscales was not warranted. DURSE items measured a unique construct when compared with related scales. Initial psychometric properties of the DURSE scale, including internal consistency reliability and construct validity, were satisfactory. As predicted, students who reported higher RSE beliefs reported significantly higher academic grades (r = .147, p < .05) and lower self-reported intentions to use drugs (r = -.329, p < .01). Higher RSE beliefs were negatively associated with reported family drug use (r = -.060) though the relationship was not significant. DURSE scores were significantly correlated with scores on the Social Desirability scale (r = .197, p < .01) indicating that students may have answered certain DURSE items in a socially desirable way. The initial development of the DURSE instrument offers a promising first step in the scale development process. It is left to future research to refine the DURSE scale and establish its factor structure and psychometric properties in a larger, more representative sample.
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    EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN TO DEET AND OTHER TOPICALLY APPLIED INSECT REPELLENTS
    (2005-05-02) Menon, Kalapurakkal Sunil; Schiraldi, Glenn R; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Use of topical repellents on children is common. Anecdotal reports suggest repellents may be applied inappropriately, but no studies characterizing the actual usage patterns and exposure of children have been reported. In summer 2002, a cross-sectional survey on the use patterns of repellents on children and possible associated effects was conducted in Maryland campgrounds. Information requested included products used, details of applications, post-application practices, and parents' decision-making process. The study yielded 301 respondents. Deet was the most commonly used active ingredient (83.4%); aerosols were the most common formulation (42.5%). Over a third of subjects (38.9%) treated their children's clothing as well as their skin. Over half of the children did not remove the repellent before going to bed. More than a third of parents failed to read or follow label directions. This study provides documentation of practices leading to undesirable exposure. Educational outreach to change parents' usage patterns is required.
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    THE EFFECT OF TWO DEATH EDUCATION PROGRAMS ON EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS
    (2004-03-29) Smith-Cumberland, Tracy Lynne; FELDMAN, ROBERT H.L.; Public and Community Health
    This study examined the changes in behavioral intent of EMTs in six EMS agencies in Wisconsin after exposure to 1 of 2 death education programs. The effectiveness of the programs was evaluated by a comparison of pretest and posttest scores on behavioral intent of on-scene death-related behaviors using non-equivalent control group design. One intervention group participated in a 2 day workshop using the Emergency Death Education and Crisis Trainingsm (EDECTsm) curriculum. A second intervention group participated in a 2 hour didactic Continuing Medical Education (CME) session on making death notifications. A third group served as a control group and participated in a 2 hour CME session not related to death. Prior to this research, no formal evaluations existed on the impact of these two programs. Ajzen's (1985) Theory of Planned Behavior was used to predict participant's death-related behavioral intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control towards a behavior. Evaluation included comparisons on multiple measures, which stemmed from the goals of the programs. Study results indicated that the majority of EMTs intend to change their behaviors at the scene of a death after receiving either training program. Changes were greatest for the group exposed to the EDECTsm curriculum. In addition to testing the hypothesis, several questions explored EMTs' attitudes toward their role on-scene and their previous death-related training. Analysis of these questions show that most EMTs feel that death notifications and helping bereft families are part of their roles as an EMT. The need for death-related programs to help emergency responders manage bereaved families and the lack of methodologically rigorous evaluation studies of such programs were the principal factors that led to this study. Although there were limitations suggesting caution when interpreting the results, the evaluation showed these programs to be effective in changing the behavioral intent of EMTs. The effectiveness of these programs on EMTs and other emergency providers warrants further study.