College of Education

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Health Sciences, Public Health

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Creating Persuasive Health Messages: Consideration of Future Consequences and Intention to Pursue Vaccination Against Human Papillomavirus
    (2007-12-14) Costar, Holly; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study examined the responses of traditional aged college women to health messages about human papillomavirus (HPV) and the new preventative HPV vaccine, Gardasil. These health messages were temporally framed and it was hypothesized that response (i.e. intention to get vaccinated, information-seeking, and thoughts following the message) would be connected with a woman's level of consideration of future consequences (CFC) and the type of temporal frame to which she was exposed. The possible role of attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control, as defined by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Reasoned Action, as mediating factors between CFC and intention to get vaccinated was also examined. The temporal frame of a message was not found to moderate the effect of CFC on the dependent variables. While attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control did not mediate between CFC and intention to get vaccinated, these variables did significantly contribute to intention, providing support for the Theory of Planned Behavior and Reasoned Action as a useful model for predicting college women's response to health messages about the HPV vaccine. Additional analyses concerning demographic information, risk factors, knowledge about HPV and the vaccine, and responses to qualitative questions were also conducted.
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    Older Gardeners as Keepers of the Earth: A Phenomenological Study
    (2007-04-26) Collins, Carole Staley; Hultgren, Francine H; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study explores what the lived experience of gardening is like for older, community-dwelling gardeners as it is uncovered through conversations, garden visits, and written notes from seven older gardeners. Over a two-year sequence, multiple in-depth individual conversations at the homes of the co-researcher participants unearth themes reflective of their gardening lives. Drawn forward by the methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology, the rich text of our dialogue mingles like compost and becomes something newly created that shows their passion for interacting with plants and living habitats. Using the existentials of lived place, lived body, lived time and lived relation we dig into how gardening is lived. Home and volunteer places for gardening keep these older adults curious and creatively engaged-characteristics of healthy agers. Their worn body parts go unnoticed in the presence of beauty they co-create, suggesting knowing the Earth through the senses is a source of tranquility and wakefulness that brings a renewed appreciation for the wonder of nearby nature. With interpretive literature, poetry, and cultural understandings of the gardeners' lives, we relate to metaphors surrounding gardening; the seasons and the circle of life are ever-present. Autobiographical stories of sustained volunteerism, land trusts, and conservancies for future generations reveal their caring for the planet and spiritual aspects of this physical activity, which they love. Reaching out beyond their gardens to share their bounty and wisdom about their relationship with living earth, the gardeners model a vision of respect for the planet and an ecological consciousness. Witnessing nearby nature, they blossom in the Fall of their lives. As a community health professional, my task is to educate and raise awareness about nature for human health and well-being; thereby building on current initiatives to foster accessible nearby nature. The study also sheds light on the value of environmental activism through autobiographical notions. In supporting a gardening life for older gardeners, we advocate the importance of interacting with nearby nature that we long to preserve. Our planet needs more earth keepers like these to bring us back into balance.
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    The Development of Maternal Confidence for Labor Among Nulliparous Pregnant Women
    (2003-11-14) Kish, Julia Ann; Sawyer, Robin G.; Human Development
    Certain levels of fear and anxiety about childbirth are expected, especially among first-time mothers. However, problems arise when these feelings negatively impact a woman's decisions and perceptions about the birth process. Although millions of women give birth each year, there are limited data to document the development of maternal confidence for labor and fear of labor throughout the period of gestation. Applying Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, current research on maternal confidence for labor suggests women with increased childbirth self-efficacy experience decreased levels of perceived pain and increased levels of satisfaction with birth. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, multi-time series research study was to examine the development of maternal confidence for labor among nulliparous pregnant women throughout gestation. The following primary research question was addressed: Does maternal confidence for labor actually increase (i.e., fear decrease) as pregnancy progresses? Other research variables indicated in the literature to have an impact on maternal confidence were examined including prenatal care provider (physicians and midwives), attendance at a childbirth class, perceived childbirth knowledge, emotional support and importance of a medicine-free birth. A convenience sample of 46 nulliparous women completed three mail questionnaires (one at 8-12 weeks of gestation, 28 weeks, and 37 weeks) and a postpartum telephone interview. All three mail questionnaires were similar in content and contained two scales, the Maternal Confidence scale and the Fear of Childbirth scale. Data was collected from August, 2001 through June, 2003. A significant inverse relationship between maternal confidence for labor and fear of childbirth was found throughout gestation. Other major findings of this study included: 1) a significant positive relationship between perceived knowledge and maternal confidence, and 2) increased fear among women who initially seek midwifery-based prenatal care at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy. The type of prenatal care a woman obtains (midwifery-care or physician-based care) did not significantly impact her confidence for delivery or fear of childbirth. It is recommended future studies examine the role of self-efficacy with regard to childbirth in greater depth for nulliparous women throughout gestation or prior to pregnancy.