Search Results

open access

Effect of Age on Likelihood to Test for Hiv

Description: HIV/AIDS can affect individuals of any age. Efforts to educate those considered to be most at-risk, based on the age at which the most individuals are infected, are ongoing and public. Less work and mainstream education outreach, however, is being directed at an older population, who can be more likely to contract HIV, is more susceptible to the effects of HIV, and more likely to develop AIDS, than younger persons. Guided by the Health Belief Model theory, research was conducted to determine wh… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Dreyer, Katherine
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Proposed Therapeutic Art to Diminish Agitation in Elder Care

Description: This research study examines the decreased agitation level utilizing nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions in dementia patients, age 65 and older. The study examined the following question: Will a therapeutic art program diminish agitated behaviors in persons diagnosed with dementia, aged 65 and older? In this quasi-experimental research design, the sample consisted of 19 participants in 3 groups, selected using these criteria: must be receiving services from a long term care facility, b… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Curington, Bonnie Dearen
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Relative Effectiveness of Anti-poverty Nonprofit Organizations in Assisting a Below Poverty Population in Dallas County and Tarrant County: Recipients of Faith-based and Non Faith-based Organizations

Description: Recent orders from the executive branch of the United States’ government have encouraged participation from faith-based organizations in providing human services because they are more effective in aiding impoverished citizens. This study examined the effectiveness of faith-based and non faith-based anti-poverty nonprofit organizations to find if one organization type is more effective in providing social services. the data for this study were collected through a survey-questionnaire which was a… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Gregory, Callie
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Social Vulnerability and Faith in Disasters: an Investigation Into the Role of Religion in New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina

Description: Disasters are an ever increasing phenomena in our society, resulting in many people being adversely affected. the social vulnerability paradigm explores the social, economic and political factors which contribute to certain populations being disproportionately affected by disasters. However, the paradigm has not yet begun to investigate the cultural or religious ideologies which may affect a population's behavior in disaster. This study is an exploratory investigation into whether religious ide… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Herring, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

“What Are You?”: Racial Ambiguity and the Social Construction of Race in the Us

Description: This dissertation is a qualitative study of racially ambiguous people and their life experiences. Racially ambiguous people are individuals who are frequently misidentified racially by others because they do not resemble the phenotype associated with the racial group to which they belong or because they belong to racial/ethnic groups originating in different parts of the world that resemble each other. the racial/ethnic population of the United States is constantly changing because of variation… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Smith, Starita
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Caregiver Perceptions of Wandering Behavior in the Adrd (Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias) Patient

Description: The dissertation examined family caregivers’ perceptions of wandering behavior after their loved one has been diagnosed with ADRD (Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias). Semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews of a convenience sample of 22 caregivers in the Dallas metropolitan area were conducted. Responses were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The use of qualitative methods facilitated the study of how caregivers of a loved one with ADRD understood and explained in t… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Dickson, Patricia
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Factors Influencing Psychological Empowerment of Nurse Aides in Nursing Homes

Description: The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of psychological empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Five structural factors (information exchange, decentralization of resources, co-worker support, supervisor support, and availability of training) and four control factors (age, sex, level of education, and race) are analyzed using multivariate linear regression to examine their effects on psychological empowerment. Two of the five structural factors, decentralization of resour… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Steinberg, Jonathan J.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Social Capital and Health Among Older Adults in China: a Multi-level Analysis

Description: Health and well-being of older adults has become a worldwide public health concern and has been attracting increasing attention from scholars across the globe. But little is known about the health of the Chinese elderly. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) --Pilot, a pilot survey in 2008 in two provinces of China, Gansu and Zhejiang, this dissertation examines the association between social capital at both the individual- and community- levels and three h… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Shen, Yuying
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Working Baby Boomers’ Knowledge of Retiree Health Benefits and Costs

Description: This study was exploratory in nature, with the purpose of examining the relationships between working Baby Boomers’ knowledge of retirement health benefits and health costs and actions they have taken to prepare for retirement. An online survey was completed by 209 Baby Boomers who are employed by three city governments in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The research showed that health benefits knowledge does not predict retirement preparation but that Baby Boomers who demonstrate higher level… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Henning, Janet L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Behavioral Aspects of Latino Familialism: a Three Study Analysis

Description: The existing research on Latino familialism draws a distinction between the attitudes associated with familialism and familialism-based action. Because attitudes tend to be more stable when considering variables such as immigration generation status, etc., social science researchers tend to employ measures based on attitudinal aspects of familialism, rather than action or behavior. Because of this preference, there is a lack of studies that examine familialism-based action and behaviors. This d… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Comeau, Joseph Adrien
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Exploratory Study of the Comprehension, Retention and Action of the Denton County Older Population in Regards to Disaster Preparedness Education

Description: The purpose of this exploratory study was to operationalize the responses from a sample of the community dwelling older population from Denton County, Texas on disaster preparedness education given by Denton County Health Department (DCHD) personnel. The goals and objectives were drawn from the Texas Public Health and Medical Emergency Management 5-Year Strategic Plan 2012-2016. It was hypothesized that after the disaster preparedness education was received, then comprehension, retention, and … more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Knight, Rebekah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The "Good" Mother: Ideology, Identity, and Performance

Description: The purpose of this study is to understand the power and influence of the institution of motherhood and how it is shaped by culture. More specifically this research explores the ideology that shapes our understanding of the good mother in the contemporary United States; how this ideology affects the way mothers view their identity; and how both the ideology and identity shape actions and performance. Twenty women were interviewed in North Texas and the results were: first, this group of mothers… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Vigil, Jennifer M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Impacts of Postmodernity Factors on the Association Between Maternal Distress and Children's Delinquency Among Low-income Families

Description: This study investigates the effects of postmodern factors on the relationship between maternal distress and children's delinquency. It seeks to understand the factors associated with distress levels of mothers whose children exhibit delinquency in order to potentially decrease the cost associated with mental health problems especially in mothers. Another goal of this study is to contribute to the sociological analysis of mental health problems which seem to be the reserved domain of the discipl… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Bessa, Yawo
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Predictors of Quality of Life (Qol): Comparing Baby Boomers, Older Adults, and Younger Adults Using Data From the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

Description: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict quality of life (QOL) for aging adults and to examine and compare Baby Boomers', Older Adults' and Younger Adults' responses to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey/QOL Functioning and Disability. Significant findings included several significant values based on the multivariate regression to estimate a model to predict QOL. In particular, being male, four ethnicities other than white, being older than Boomer, age in 10 years, … more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Bryce, Helen Roult
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Slogans and Opposition Political Culture: Online Discourse in Iran's Green Movement

Description: In this study I investigate the Iranian Green Movement supporters' use of slogans as political discourse on the Persian-language opposition website www.kaleme.com. Data was collected from the website's Kaleme section in the form of 22 articles and 3,500 user comments. A coding scheme was constructed to measure the presence of categories and themes in the site's comments section. Findings support the propositions of narrative theorists (e.g. Franzosi, 1998; Benford, 1993) that frequent use of sl… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Ryan, Trent
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Structural Determinants of Americans' Justice Perceptions Toward Inequality in the U.S.

Description: In accordance with structural theory and distributive justice theory, this study investigates if Americans' personal encounters with the opportunity structure and their existing reward conditions will influence their perceptions toward distribution outcomes in the U.S. I argue that higher-status individuals possessing various "attributes of structural privilege" will exhibit less support for regulating income inequality in society than lower-status individuals. Upward mobility should also be ne… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Ong, Corinne
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Determinants of the Applications to the Institutional Care in Turkey: Darulaceze Example

Description: Although institutional care has started to be outmoded in the developed countries with development of different models of care, it still has a considerable place in the developing countries such as Turkey. This is because, changes in the demographic structure, extended family, and urban development of Turkey has brought about several aging problems leading older adults to end up in institutions. Loneliness was one of the significant reasons given in the Social Inquiry Survey of Applicants of … more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Esendemir, Serif
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effect of Group Status on Moral Relativism and the Stigmatization of Mental Illness: a Social Dominance Theoretical Model

Description: This dissertation created a model to explore the effect of dominant group status on stigmatization of mental illness and on moral relativism and the interactive effect of dominant group status on stigmatization of mental illness through moral relativism. The model was conceptualized according to social dominance theory. Latent variables were created to measure moral relativism and stigmatization of mental illness. The latent measures were conceptualized according to current theories in the fiel… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Cincotta, Julie Passmore
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Evaluation of Law Enforcement and the Court System in Texas: Perspectives of Adult Protective Services Case Managers

Description: The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) case managers (CM) in regard to their relationships with the law enforcement community and area courts. The sample consisted of 138 Texas APS CMs. The survey measured respondents' perceived strengths and weaknesses of their relationships with both the law enforcement community and with area courts. Items also included respondents' interest in receiving additional training and their perceptions of level… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Weaver, Matthew S.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Homeless Predictors in the Older Adult Population

Description: This secondary research study uses data from two convenience samples of homeless persons in Central Arkansas collected during 2004 and 2011 Point in Time Counts. The prevalence of predictors of homelessness are compared across years, and also compared by age (<50 and > 50) controlling for year of survey. The number of older adults increased significantly between 2004 and 2011 surveys, and reporting serious mental illness and veteran status significantly decreased from 2004 to 2011. Age differe… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Lewallen, Jina P.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Female Adolescents and Death: a Qualitative Analysis

Description: The purpose of this research design is to explore the meaning of death for the female adolescent. A qualitative design was used as the method of research. Twelve participants were selected from a snowball sample ten females and two males. Four participants reported witnessing the death of an individual, five reported a moderated death experience in which they were not present but were told after the fact and three reported no significant experience with death. The study indicated relationships … more
Date: August 2013
Creator: Jackson, Wendy L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Internet Health Information and Patient-health Professional Relationship

Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate patient use and presentation of Internet health information and its effect on patient-health professional relationship from a sample of residents at active adult communities in Texas. Five sites were used to recruit the 260 participants between November 2012 and January 2013. The data were received using a self-administered survey. Using Cronbach’s alpha, logistic regression and regression analysis through SAS, the data revealed that older respond… more
Date: August 2013
Creator: Williams, TimMarie Chloe’ Uvonne
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in Chicago, 1988 to 1992: a Modified General Strain Theory Approach

Description: Using data from the Chicago Homicide Dataset for years 1988-1992 and the Chicago Community Area Demographics, multiple regression and mediation analysis are used to examine various community level factors’ impact on Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH) rates per Chicago community area. The relationship between the percentage of non-white and IPH rate per Chicago community area is significant and positive, but disappears once economic strain is taken into account, as well as when family disruption i… more
Date: August 2013
Creator: Johnson, Natalie Jo
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

American Indian Worldviews, Risk Perceptions and Disaster Planning: an Exploratory Study

Description: It is commonly assumed that when confronted with an imminent hazard that people will react rationally, and prepare for, or at least attempt to avoid, danger from pending disasters. However, this conventional wisdom is not as evident as it appears. People prepare for, react to, or take social action to avoid hazards when they perceive the risk of danger to be threatening enough to warrant action, providing one has the will, insight and resources to do so. However, not all people perceive risk… more
Date: December 2013
Creator: Bales, Rodney A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
Back to Top of Screen