The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for enhanced outbreak preparedness against viruses. Key elements to this preparedness are robust disease surveillance systems and effective interventions to minimize disease transmission. While individual clinical testing is the conventional disease surveillance approach, environmental…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges particularly among group homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) given the close interactions and living arrangements of residents. Thus, the purpose of this project was to determine if an educational intervention focused on COVID-19 and COVID-19…

In recent times, the world has witnessed an unprecedented global crisis with the outbreak of COVID-19. This pandemic has not only brought about a paradigm shift in our daily lives but has also significantly impacted various sectors of society, including the education system. K-12 schools are a major concern for viral transmission due to the close…

Hope has a powerful influence on individuals, especially those battling critical illness. The problem is the Make-A-Wish wish-granting experience was never designed to improve the health care of children being granted a wish; thus, hope was a mere by-product of the wish experience. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to…

The public health problem of ensuring that teens and preteens receive the HPV vaccination series justified this study, using a convenience sample (N=122) of parents, 68 of whom were English-speaking parents (ESP) and 54 were Spanish-speaking parents (SSP). Among ESP, 94.1% (n=64) were females and 5.9% (n=4) were males. Among SSP, 98.1% (n=53) were…

Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that increases the risk for recurrent painful episodes. Parents' knowledge regarding SCD management is poor, leading to poor symptom management and lower Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in children with SCD. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a parent…

In many control systems changes in the dynamics occur unexpectedly or are applied by a controller as needed. The time at which a controller implements changes is not necessarily known a priori. For example, many manufacturing systems and flight operations have complicated control systems, and changes in the control systems may be automatically…

A self-perpetuating cycle of poor health literacy and poor oral health knowledge and behavior affects approximately 90 million people in the United States, most especially those from low-income groups and other at-risk populations such as those with addiction. Poor oral health can result from lack of access to regular preventive dental…

Although there have been great advancements in the Electronic Health Record (EHR), there is a dearth of rigorous research that examines the relationship between the use of electronic documentation to capture nursing process components and the impact of consistent documentation on patient outcomes (Daly, Buckwalter & Maas, 2002; Gugerty, 2006;…

Foreign-born residents face significant challenges accessing and receiving quality healthcare in the U.S. These obstacles include a lack of information on how to access care, fear, as well as communication and cultural barriers (Portes, Fernandez-Kelly & Light, 2012). Increasing healthcare providers' knowledge regarding a patient's…

College students are at high risk of experiencing serious problems related to physical and social health issues that include binge drinking, sexual assault, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Despite research reporting that many of these incidents co-occur on campuses, university prevention programs have failed to present the…

The purpose of this research project was to understand, explore and describe the digital divide and the relationship between technology utilization and health outcomes. Diabetes and diabetic eye disease was used as the real-life context for understanding change and exploring the digital divide. As an investigational framework, a telemedicine…

The aim of this dissertation is to present the procedure and proceedings of an instructional research into the teaching and learning among Luo women of Western Kenya. The purposes of the research are threefold. First, it seeks to document a system of indigenous adult education that has proved sustainable among Luo women from generation to…

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are disproportionally burdened by high rates of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy, heightening their need for sexual health interventions that are aligned to their unique culture and social context. Media technologies, including the Internet, cell phones, and video games, offer new…