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Title: ADOLESCENT AND CAREGIVER IDENTITY DISTRESS, IDENTITY STATUS, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT.
Creator: Wiley, Rachel, Berman, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The present study addresses identity distress and identity status in adolescents with clinical diagnoses, and their caregivers. There were 88 adolescent participants (43.2% female) ranging in age from 11 to 20 (mean =14.96; SD =1.85) who were recruited from community mental health centers in Volusia and Orange Counties. The 63 caregiver participants included mothers (82.5%), fathers (7.9%), grandmothers (7.9%), and grandfathers (1.6%), ranging in age from 28-70 (mean = 40.24; SD = 9.16). A...
Show moreThe present study addresses identity distress and identity status in adolescents with clinical diagnoses, and their caregivers. There were 88 adolescent participants (43.2% female) ranging in age from 11 to 20 (mean =14.96; SD =1.85) who were recruited from community mental health centers in Volusia and Orange Counties. The 63 caregiver participants included mothers (82.5%), fathers (7.9%), grandmothers (7.9%), and grandfathers (1.6%), ranging in age from 28-70 (mean = 40.24; SD = 9.16). A significant proportion of adolescents (22.7%) met criteria for Identity Problem in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and 9.5% of the adolescents' caregivers met criteria for Identity Problem. Regarding identity status, 68.2% of adolescents and 27.0% of caregivers reported being in the diffused status. Additionally, 25.0% of adolescents and 54.0% of caregivers met criteria for the foreclosed status. Significant associations were found among adolescent and caregiver psychological symptoms and identity variables. Further examination of the psychological symptom variables found that obsessive-compulsive and paranoid ideation symptoms significantly predicted identity distress. In addition, caregiver identity commitment significantly predicted adolescent identity distress over and above the adolescents' identity variables. These findings and implications are discussed in further detail.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002743, ucf:48181
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002743

Title: EFFECTS OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON QUALITY OF CARE AND PATIENT SAFETY IN US ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS.
Creator: Seblega, Binyam, Zhang, Ning, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The adoption of healthcare information technology (HIT) has been advocated by various groups as critical in addressing the growing crisis in the healthcare industry. Despite the plethora of evidence on the benefits of HIT, however, the healthcare industry lags behind many other economic sectors in the adoption of information technology. A significant number of healthcare providers still keep patient information on paper. With the recent trends of reimbursement reduction and rapid...
Show moreThe adoption of healthcare information technology (HIT) has been advocated by various groups as critical in addressing the growing crisis in the healthcare industry. Despite the plethora of evidence on the benefits of HIT, however, the healthcare industry lags behind many other economic sectors in the adoption of information technology. A significant number of healthcare providers still keep patient information on paper. With the recent trends of reimbursement reduction and rapid technological advances, therefore, it would be critical to understand differences in structural characteristics and healthcare performance between providers that do and that do not adopt HIT. This is accomplished in this research, first by identifying organizational and contextual factors associated with the adoption of HIT in US acute care hospitals and second by examining the relationships between the adoption of HIT and two important healthcare outcomes: patient safety and quality of care. After conducting literature a review, the structure-process-outcome model and diffusion of innovations theory were used to develop a conceptual framework. Hypotheses were developed and variables were selected based on the conceptual framework. Publicly available secondary data were obtained from the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases. The information technologies were grouped into three clusters: clinical, administrative, and strategic decision making ITs. After the data from the three sources were cleaned and merged, regression models were built to identify organizational and contextual factors that affect HIT adoption and to determine the effects of HIT adoption on patient safety and quality of care. Most prior studies on HIT were restricted in scope as they primarily focused on a limited number of technologies, single healthcare outcomes, individual healthcare institutions, limited geographic locations, and/or small market segments. This limits the generalizability of the findings and makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. The new contribution of the present study lies in the fact that it uses nationally representative latest available data and it incorporates a large number of technologies and two risk adjusted healthcare outcomes. Large size and urban location were found to be the most influential hospital characteristics that positively affect information technology adoption. However, the adoption of HIT was not found to significantly affect hospitalsÃ‚Â' performance in terms of patient safety and quality of care measures. Perhaps a remarkable finding of this study is the better quality of care performance of hospitals in the Midwest, South, and West compared to hospitals in the Northeast despite the fact that the latter reported higher HIT adoption rates. In terms of theoretical implications, this study confirms that organizational and contextual factors (structure) affect adoption of information technology (process) which in turn affects healthcare outcomes (outcome), though not consistently, validating Avedis DonabedianÃ‚Â's structure-process-outcome model. In addition, diffusion of innovations theory links factors associated with resource abundance, access to information, and prestige with adoption of information technology. The present findings also confirm that hospitals with these attributes adopted more technologies. The methodological implication of this study is that the lack of a single common variable and uniformity of data among the data sources imply the need for standardization in data collection and preparation. In terms of policy implication, the findings in this study indicate that a significant number of hospitals are still reluctant to use clinical HIT. Thus, even though the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was a good stimulus, a more aggressive policy intervention from the government is warranted in order to direct the healthcare industry towards a better adoption of clinical HIT.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003327, ucf:48445
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003327

Title: DIGITAL RESEARCH CYCLES: HOW ATTITUDES TOWARD CONTENT, CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFECT WEB DEVELOPMENT.
Creator: Scott, Edward, Saper, Craig, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: It has been estimated that one third of the world's population does not have access to "adequate" health care. Some 1.6 billion people live in countries experiencing "concentrated" acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemics. Many countries in Africa -- and other low-income countries -- are in dire need of help providing adequate health care services to their citizens. They require more hands-on care from Western health workers -- and training so more African health workers can...
Show moreIt has been estimated that one third of the world's population does not have access to "adequate" health care. Some 1.6 billion people live in countries experiencing "concentrated" acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemics. Many countries in Africa -- and other low-income countries -- are in dire need of help providing adequate health care services to their citizens. They require more hands-on care from Western health workers -- and training so more African health workers can eventually care for their own citizens. But these countries also need assistance acquiring and implementing both texts -- the body of medical information potentially available to them -- and technology -- the means by which that information can be conveyed. This dissertation looks at these issues and others from a multi-faceted approach. It combines a survey of the developers of Web sites designed for use by health workers in low-income countries and a proposal for a novel approach to communication theory, which could help improve health communication and other social marketing practices. It also includes an extensive review of literature regarding a number of topics related to these issues. To improve healthcare services in low-income countries, several things should occur. First, more health workers -- and others -- could visit African countries and other places to provide free, hands-on medical care, as this researcher's group did in Uganda. Such trips are ideal occasions for studying the cultural differences between "mzungu" (white man) and the Ugandan people. A number of useful medical texts have been written for health workers in low-income countries. Others will be published as new health information becomes available. But on what medium will they be published? Computers? Personal digital assistants? During the past 10 years the Internet became an ideal venue for conveying information. Unfortunately, people in target countries such as Uganda encounter cultural differences when such new technologies are diffused. This dissertation looks at cultural and technological difficulties encountered by people in low-income countries who attempt to diffuse information and communication technologies (ICT). Once a technology has been successfully adopted, someone will look for ways to use it to help others. There are hundreds of sites on the Internet -- built by Web developers in Western countries -- that are designed for use by health workers in low-income countries. However, these Web developers also experience cultural and technological differences, based on their knowledge of and attitudes toward best practices in their field. This research includes a survey of Web developers which determined their attitudes toward best practices in their field and tested this researcher's hypothesis that there is no significant difference among the developers' attitudes toward the content on their sites, their audience's cultural needs and the various technological needs their audience has. It was found that the Web developers agree with 17 of 18 perceived best practices and that there is a significant difference between Web developers' attitudes toward their audience's technological needs and their attitudes toward quality content and the audience's cultural needs. Creation of the survey herein resulted in this researcher generating a new way of thinking about communication theory -- called digital research cycles. The survey was based on a review of literature and is rooted in the belief that any successful communication of a computer-mediated message in the information age is a behavior which is influenced by the senders' and receivers' attitudes and knowledge about textual style, the audience, technology and the subject matter to which the message pertains.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002637, ucf:48218
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002637

Title: HAVE YOU HEARD? PREDICTORS OF HPV AWARENESS AMONG A RANDOM SAMPLE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: Arrastia, Meagan, Rivera, Fernando, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: College students have been identified as at high risk for contracting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) due to engaging in risky behaviors, such as binge drinking and unprotected sex. Before preventative measures like vaccination and condom usage can be promoted, awareness must be evaluated. A random sample of 438 college students was surveyed on their awareness of HPV using both paper and online surveying methods. Using binary logistic regression, HPV awareness was predicted using demographic...
Show moreCollege students have been identified as at high risk for contracting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) due to engaging in risky behaviors, such as binge drinking and unprotected sex. Before preventative measures like vaccination and condom usage can be promoted, awareness must be evaluated. A random sample of 438 college students was surveyed on their awareness of HPV using both paper and online surveying methods. Using binary logistic regression, HPV awareness was predicted using demographic measures. The majority of the sample reported having heard of HPV before. Sexually active respondents and females were significantly more likely to report awareness. Non-whites and first-generation college students were also more likely to report awareness. These demographic predictors will help identify groups needing educational and HPV intervention programs. Implications and further research is discussed.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002640, ucf:48208
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002640

Title: THE EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS PROVIDING COMFORT FOR NURSING HOME PATIENTS AT THE END OF LIFE.
Creator: Baker, Herma, Rash, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Research shows that healthcare providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared to provide comfort care for patients who are at the end of life. Since the 1990s, numerous legislative, research, and clinical initiatives have addressed concerns about improving care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of HCPs providing comfort for patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. This study focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and nurses...
Show moreResearch shows that healthcare providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared to provide comfort care for patients who are at the end of life. Since the 1990s, numerous legislative, research, and clinical initiatives have addressed concerns about improving care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of HCPs providing comfort for patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. This study focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and nursesÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â‚ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â' aides at a central Florida nursing home. A descriptive qualitative design was done utilizing a focus group discussion, individual interviews, and a self-administered questionnaire. The findings indicated that a lack of facility support, inadequate staffing, inadequate end of life care education, family and patient denial of prognosis, as well as decreased primary care physician involvement affect the delivery of comfort care for patients at the end of life in the nursing home. This study supports the need for end of life education to HCPs and the need for adjustments in staffing to meet the complex needs of patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. A new finding of this study reflects the use of an angel cart to aid in the provision of comfort care for patients at the end of life. Recommendations for future research were made based on study results
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003305, ucf:48505
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003305

Title: STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING FOR DAMAGE DETECTION USING WIRED AND WIRELESS SENSOR CLUSTERS.
Creator: Terrell, Thomas, Catbas, Necati, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Sensing and analysis of a structure for the purpose of detecting, tracking, and evaluating damage and deterioration, during both regular operation and extreme events, is referred to as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). SHM is a multi-disciplinary field, with a complete system incorporating sensing technology, hardware, signal processing, networking, data analysis, and management for interpretation and decision making. However, many of these processes and subsequent integration into a...
Show moreSensing and analysis of a structure for the purpose of detecting, tracking, and evaluating damage and deterioration, during both regular operation and extreme events, is referred to as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). SHM is a multi-disciplinary field, with a complete system incorporating sensing technology, hardware, signal processing, networking, data analysis, and management for interpretation and decision making. However, many of these processes and subsequent integration into a practical SHM framework are in need of development. In this study, various components of an SHM system will be investigated. A particular focus is paid to the investigation of a previously developed damage detection methodology for global condition assessment of a laboratory structure with a decking system. First, a review of some of the current SHM applications, which relate to a current UCF Structures SHM study monitoring a full-scale movable bridge, will be presented in conjunction with a summary of the critical components for that project. Studies for structural condition assessment of a 4-span bridge-type steel structure using the SHM data collected from laboratory based experiments will then be presented. For this purpose, a time series analysis method using ARX models (Auto-Regressive models with eXogeneous input) for damage detection with free response vibration data will be expanded upon using both wired and wireless acceleration data. Analysis using wireless accelerometers will implement a sensor roaming technique to maintain a dense sensor field, yet require fewer sensors. Using both data types, this ARX based time series analysis method was shown to be effective for damage detection and localization for this relatively complex laboratory structure. Finally, application of the proposed methodologies on a real-life structure will be discussed, along with conclusions and recommendations for future work.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003694, ucf:48837
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003694

Title: Dairy calcium advertising awareness, attitudes and behavior : a survey of 13-17 year-old females.
Creator: Cooper, Michele, Davis, Robert H., Arts and Sciences
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Arts and Sciences Thesis; In April 1984, at a conference convened by the National Institutes of Health, a panel of experts issued a statement listing calcium as a "mainstay in the prevention and management of osteoporosis." Osteoporosis, or "brittle bone disease," affects one out of every four American women over 5 0 and is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. In January 1985, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board began...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Arts and Sciences Thesis; In April 1984, at a conference convened by the National Institutes of Health, a panel of experts issued a statement listing calcium as a "mainstay in the prevention and management of osteoporosis." Osteoporosis, or "brittle bone disease," affects one out of every four American women over 5 0 and is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. In January 1985, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board began emphasizing dietary calcium in the promotion of milk and dairy products. Television commercials and print advertising were developed which focused on the calcium contained in dairy products and stressed the importance of this nutrient to a woman's diet. Recent consumer research conducted by Market Facts, Inc. of Chicago indicates that this positive calcium message designed to increase dairy product intake may not be effectively reaching the 13-24 year old female. The study shows that subjects in this age group report that they are doing less about their calcium deficiencies than subjects who were studied prior to the time that the dietary calcium advertising began. In addition, the research indicates that those women who are taking steps to increase calcium intake are less likely to use dairy products. Teenage females offer the dairy industry a challenging opportunity. While average male milk consumption jumps dramatically during the ages of 13-19, average female milk consumption experiences only a slight increase. Reaching this audience at this habit-forming age end changing their attitudes and behavior could provide lifelong use of dairy products. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of past dairy calcium advertising messages in affecting the health attitudes and dietary behavior of 13-17 year old women in Florida.
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Date Issued: 1987
Identifier: CFR0004326, ucf:52991
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0004326

Title: The Impact of Mobbing and Job-related Stress on Burnout and Health-related Quality of Life: The Case of Turkish Territorial State Representatives.
Creator: Yesilbas, Mehmet, Wan, Thomas, Dziegielewski, Sophia, Steen, Julie, Zhang, Ning, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Job-related stress occurs as one of the most serious issues in modern era in developed nations. It has direct and negative effects on employees' productivity and it may have negative impacts on employees' health. One of the potential results of prolonged stressors at work place is burnout and this response may lead to physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion that can occur at both individual and organizational levels. Burnout is a job related threat that provokes social stress and...
Show moreJob-related stress occurs as one of the most serious issues in modern era in developed nations. It has direct and negative effects on employees' productivity and it may have negative impacts on employees' health. One of the potential results of prolonged stressors at work place is burnout and this response may lead to physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion that can occur at both individual and organizational levels. Burnout is a job related threat that provokes social stress and can directly affect an individual's health. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is commonly used to measure an individual's overall/global health and quality of life. Another serious issue, mobbing, usually leads to some individual and organizational complications. It affects the organizational commitment, motivation and efficiency of staff, job satisfaction of employee, and may lead to potential burnout of the employees. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether stress and mobbing are directly related to burnout; and, whether burnout leads to an adverse effect on the HRQoL of Turkish territorial state representatives (TSRs). This study examines four specific research questions: 1) Whether and to what extent do the levels of perceived job related stress and mobbing affect the level of perceived burnout syndrome of TSRs? 2) Whether and to what extent is the level of perceived burnout syndrome associated with HRQoL of TSRs? 3) To what extent does the level of perceived burnout mediate the effects of job-related stress on HRQoL of TSRs? 4) What are the mediating factors between job burnout and HRQoL? This study is expected to offer valuable and insightful information about the role of job burnout factors influencing the variability in TSRs' HRQoL.The study utilized two statistical analyses, which were descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which allows for the assessment of the relationships specified in the hypotheses and the SEM was used to validate the theoretically driven model. The findings of the study supported the hypotheses of the study, which asserted that there were correlations between job-related stress and burnout, mobbing and burnout, and burnout and HRQoL. The CFA results established that job-related stress was positively and significantly associated with the burnout of TSRs, while perceived mobbing was positively and significantly related to the burnout of TSRs. Moreover, perceived HRQoL of TSRs was negatively associated with the burnout of TSRs. Further, the findings indicated that the relationship between job-related stress and burnout and the relationship between burnout and HRQoL of TSRs were statistically significant. Thus the variable had a positive effect on burnout and a negative effect on the HRQoL of TSRs. In summary, the findings of the study showed that results and propositions of the theoretical frameworks of the study and literature were consistent with one another.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006236, ucf:51071
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006236

Title: Probation Officer Productivity: Using the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model.
Creator: Presley, Brandon, Lynxwiler, John, Rivera, Fernando, Gay, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which workplace efforts and rewards are associated with probation officer stress, overcommitment, health, and productivity. This research uses the effort-reward imbalance model, which is an indicator of job stress, on a group of criminal justice probation officers. The probation officers completed questionnaires regarding their perceptions of health, perceived reward, perceived effort, perceptions of overcommitment, and perceived...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which workplace efforts and rewards are associated with probation officer stress, overcommitment, health, and productivity. This research uses the effort-reward imbalance model, which is an indicator of job stress, on a group of criminal justice probation officers. The probation officers completed questionnaires regarding their perceptions of health, perceived reward, perceived effort, perceptions of overcommitment, and perceived productivity. Afterward, the responses were collected, and analyses were conducted using correlation and multiple regression to determine the extent to which perceptions of effort, reward, and overcommitment effect probation officer productivity and health. A sample of 207 probation officers from Central Florida selected probation agencies are used in the study, with an individual response rate of approximately 90%. The results suggest that perceptions of reward have a limited effect on perceived productivity. Furthermore, the study found a significant relationship between effort-reward imbalance and perceptions of overcommitment. The study also found a significant relationship between perceptions of overcommitment and perceptions of reduced health. Finally, the study found that the interaction of effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment are correlated with negative perceptions of health. The results of the study demonstrate the ubiquity of perceptions among probation officers that they are overworked and under compensated. The results also suggest the need for improvements in organizational practice, so that efficiency and effectiveness of probation officers can be maximized.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006643, ucf:51239
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006643

Title: Investigation of Damage Detection Methodologies For Structural Health Monitoring of Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels.
Creator: Modesto, Arturo, Catbas, Necati, Chopra, Manoj, Zaurin, Ricardo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: There is a need in exploring structural health monitoring technologies for the composite structures particularly aged Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) for the current and future implementation of COPVs for space missions. In this study, the research was conducted in collaboration with NASA Kennedy Space Center and also NASA Marshall Space and Flight Center engineers. COPVs have been used to store inert gases like helium (for propulsion) and nitrogen (for life support) under...
Show moreThere is a need in exploring structural health monitoring technologies for the composite structures particularly aged Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) for the current and future implementation of COPVs for space missions. In this study, the research was conducted in collaboration with NASA Kennedy Space Center and also NASA Marshall Space and Flight Center engineers. COPVs have been used to store inert gases like helium (for propulsion) and nitrogen (for life support) under varying degrees of pressure onboard the orbiter since the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program. After the Columbia accident, the COPVs were re-examined and different studies (e.g. Laser profilometry inspection, NDE utilizing Raman Spectroscopy) have been conducted and can be found in the literature. To explore some of the unique in-house developed hardware and algorithms for monitoring COPVs, this project is carried out with the following general objectives:1) Investigate the obtaining indices/features related to the performance and/or condition of pressure vessels2) Explore different sensing technologies and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems3) Explore different types of data analysis methodologies to detect damage with particular emphasis on statistical analysis, cross-correlation analysis and Auto Regressive model with eXogeneous input (ARX) models4) Compare differences in various types of pressure vesselsFirst an introduction to theoretical pressure vessels, which are used to compare to actual test specimens, is presented. Next, a background review of the test specimens including their applications and importance is discussed. Subsequently, a review of related SHM applications to this study is presented. The theoretical background of the data analysis methodologies used to detect damage in this study are provided and these methodologies are applied in the laboratory using Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) to determine the effectiveness of these techniques. Next another study on the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Tank that is carried out in collaboration with NASA KSC and NASA MSFC is presented with preliminary results. Finally the results and interpretations of both studies are summarized and discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005978, ucf:50770
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005978

Title: Political, Economic, and Health Determinants of Tuberculosis Incidence.
Creator: Rutherford, Ashley, Unruh, Lynn, Rohde, Kyle, Wan, Thomas, Nobles, Matt, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The epidemiologic transition has shifted major causes of mortality from infectious disease to chronic disease; however, infectious diseases are again re-emerging as a major global concern (Diamond, 1997; Karlen, 1995; McNeil, 1976). This research aimed to identify potential areas of infectious disease influence that are not health-related in order to help governments and policymakers establish new policies, correct current policies, or further address these issues in order to effectively...
Show moreThe epidemiologic transition has shifted major causes of mortality from infectious disease to chronic disease; however, infectious diseases are again re-emerging as a major global concern (Diamond, 1997; Karlen, 1995; McNeil, 1976). This research aimed to identify potential areas of infectious disease influence that are not health-related in order to help governments and policymakers establish new policies, correct current policies, or further address these issues in order to effectively prevent and combat infectious disease. This study employed a retrospective, cross-sectional, non-experimental design via structural equation modeling (SEM) and examined tuberculosis incidence rates at the country-level. Secondary data from open-source, international databases like World Bank's World Development Indicators, World Governance Indicators, and World Health Organization for the year 2014 was utilized. Results revealed that the latent constructs of political stability, health system indicators, and detection policies directly affected tuberculosis incidence rates; they also exhibited an indirect effect due to covariation. Economic stability did not direct affect tuberculosis incidence, but it indirectly influenced incidence through the covariation of political stability, health system indicators, and detection policies. As a country's political stability increased, tuberculosis incidence decreased. As positive health system indicators increased, tuberculosis incidence decreased. Countries with more Xpert detection policies in place experienced an apparent increase in tuberculosis incidence.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006842, ucf:51798
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006842

Title: Health Behaviors in Military Veterans with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Creator: Kitsmiller, Emily, Neer, Sandra, Beidel, Deborah, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A link between posttraumatic stress disorder and health behaviors, such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether veterans with combat-related PTSD differ from combat veterans without PTSD and whether health behaviors change over the course of exposure therapy for PTSD or differ based on PTSD severity. This study examined the relationship between health behaviors and PTSD. More specifically, combat veterans with and without PTSD were...
Show moreA link between posttraumatic stress disorder and health behaviors, such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether veterans with combat-related PTSD differ from combat veterans without PTSD and whether health behaviors change over the course of exposure therapy for PTSD or differ based on PTSD severity. This study examined the relationship between health behaviors and PTSD. More specifically, combat veterans with and without PTSD were compared across self-reported levels of alcohol use, smoking, exercise, and caffeine. Health behaviors of combat veterans with PTSD were compared before and after a 17-week treatment for PTSD. Results showed a significant number of participants decreased alcohol use at post-treatment by an average of eight drinks over 30 days, regardless of their PTSD severity level or amount of improvement in PTSD symptoms. No significant differences were found for other health behaviors.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006891, ucf:51711
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006891

Title: An investigation of the influence of cyber-sexual assault on the experience of emotional dysregulation, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and trauma guilt.
Creator: Holladay, Kelley, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, Butler, S. Kent, Barden, Sejal, Boote, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Over the past decade, cyber-sexual assault (also known as (")nonconsensual pornography(") or (")revenge porn(")) has gained the attention of legal experts, the media, and most recently, the counseling profession. Whereas this nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit images online, through social medial, or other forms of technology has been demonstrated to have significant impacts on victims, researchers have focused heavily upon the legality of these actions (i.e. should there be...
Show moreOver the past decade, cyber-sexual assault (also known as (")nonconsensual pornography(") or (")revenge porn(")) has gained the attention of legal experts, the media, and most recently, the counseling profession. Whereas this nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit images online, through social medial, or other forms of technology has been demonstrated to have significant impacts on victims, researchers have focused heavily upon the legality of these actions (i.e. should there be consequences for posting nude/semi-nude photos of non-consenting adults to the internet), but there has been a lack of attention to the mental health consequences of cyber-sexual assault on victims. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical support to how the psychological aftermath of cyber-sexual assault mirrors that of sexual assault and thus should be taken as seriously as sexual assault (clinically and legally).This study was conducted to investigate the direction and strength of relationships among latent variables associated with trauma symptomology (i.e., emotional dysregulation, trauma guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression) in a sample of survivors of cyber-sexual assault. This investigation specifically tested whether modeling latent variables emotional dysregulation as measured by the Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS-16] (Bjureberg et al., 2015) or trauma guilt as measured by the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory [TRGI] (Kubany et al., 1996) as the independent variable, where the remaining latent variables of post-traumatic stress disorder as measured by the Impact of Events Scale Revised [IES-R] (Weiss (&) Marmar, 1996) and depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised [CESD-R] (Eaton et al., 2004) were modeled as dependent variables, was a good fit for data collected from cyber-sexual assault survivors. Furthermore, the secondary analysis investigated whether modeling the latent variables of emotional dysregulation and trauma guilt as mediating variables on the direction and strength of relationship on the dependent variables of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression was a good fit for data collected from cyber-sexual assault survivors.To test the hypotheses that cyber-sexual assault survivors would show increased trauma symptomology similar to physical sexual assault survivors a structural equation model was developed. The results of the structural equation model (SEM) analyses identified trauma guilt contributed to 14% of the variance of emotional dysregulation; which then served to mediate the outcome variables most significantly. In fact, Emotional Dysregulation contributed to 67% of the variance in the levels of PTSD symptomology, and 44% of the variance in the levels of Depression.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006462, ucf:51417
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006462

Title: Alcohol Consumption, Frailty, and the Mediating Role of C-Reactive Protein in Older Adults.
Creator: Shah, Mona, Paulson, Daniel, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Frailty is a well-established indicator of late-life decline and is accompanied by higher rates of comorbidity and disability. Meanwhile, an estimated 41% of adults over the age of 65 report consuming alcohol (-) an identified health risk and protective factor depending on dosage. Given that the demographic group of older Americans is projected to double by the year 2050, identification of frailty risk and protective factors is imperative. The goals of this thesis are to: (1) identify how...
Show moreFrailty is a well-established indicator of late-life decline and is accompanied by higher rates of comorbidity and disability. Meanwhile, an estimated 41% of adults over the age of 65 report consuming alcohol (-) an identified health risk and protective factor depending on dosage. Given that the demographic group of older Americans is projected to double by the year 2050, identification of frailty risk and protective factors is imperative. The goals of this thesis are to: (1) identify how varying levels of alcohol consumption relate to frailty, and (2) elucidate a possible mechanism that accounts for the relationship between alcohol consumption and frailty. A sample of stroke-free participants over the age of 65 was identified from the Health and Retirement Study. Study 1 utilized stepwise logistic regression models to identify predictors of prevalent frailty at baseline (2000), and of incident frailty 4, 8, and 12 years later. For both males and females, significant predictors of frailty at all years included age, depressive symptomatology, and medical burden score. In addition, BMI was a significant predictor of frailty for females at all years. With respect to alcohol use, results revealed that drinking 1-7 drinks per week had a protective effect for females at baseline (OR=0.50) and 12 years later (OR=0.75); however, no such protective effects were found for males. Given that extant research has identified CRP as a mediator between the relationship of moderate alcohol use and cardiovascular health benefits, Study 2 used a cross-sectional sample from the 2008 wave to examine the potential mediating role of CRP between moderate alcohol use and reduced frailty risk. Results from structural equation modeling support the hypothesized model that moderate alcohol is associated with less frailty, and that this relationship is partially mediated by CRP levels. Overall findings suggest that moderate alcohol use confers health benefits for females by reducing frailty risk and that CRP is one mechanism by which alcohol use may confer protective effects for frailty. These results provide a starting place in an effort to better understand the protective effects of moderate alcohol use and can assist in improving prevention and treatment efforts for older adults by preventing or prolonging the onset of age-related diseases. Future research should further examine the relationship between alcohol use and frailty and determine if CRP mediates the relationship between moderate alcohol use and other beneficial health outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006000, ucf:51027
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006000

Title: Computer Vision Based Structural Identification Framework for Bridge Health Mornitoring.
Creator: Khuc, Tung, Catbas, Necati, Oloufa, Amr, Mackie, Kevin, Zaurin, Ricardo, Shah, Mubarak, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The objective of this dissertation is to develop a comprehensive Structural Identification (St-Id) framework with damage for bridge type structures by using cameras and computer vision technologies. The traditional St-Id frameworks rely on using conventional sensors. In this study, the collected input and output data employed in the St-Id system are acquired by series of vision-based measurements. The following novelties are proposed, developed and demonstrated in this project: a) vehicle...
Show moreThe objective of this dissertation is to develop a comprehensive Structural Identification (St-Id) framework with damage for bridge type structures by using cameras and computer vision technologies. The traditional St-Id frameworks rely on using conventional sensors. In this study, the collected input and output data employed in the St-Id system are acquired by series of vision-based measurements. The following novelties are proposed, developed and demonstrated in this project: a) vehicle load (input) modeling using computer vision, b) bridge response (output) using full non-contact approach using video/image processing, c) image-based structural identification using input-output measurements and new damage indicators. The input (loading) data due vehicles such as vehicle weights and vehicle locations on the bridges, are estimated by employing computer vision algorithms (detection, classification, and localization of objects) based on the video images of vehicles. Meanwhile, the output data as structural displacements are also obtained by defining and tracking image key-points of measurement locations. Subsequently, the input and output data sets are analyzed to construct novel types of damage indicators, named Unit Influence Surface (UIS). Finally, the new damage detection and localization framework is introduced that does not require a network of sensors, but much less number of sensors.The main research significance is the first time development of algorithms that transform the measured video images into a form that is highly damage-sensitive/change-sensitive for bridge assessment within the context of Structural Identification with input and output characterization. The study exploits the unique attributes of computer vision systems, where the signal is continuous in space. This requires new adaptations and transformations that can handle computer vision data/signals for structural engineering applications. This research will significantly advance current sensor-based structural health monitoring with computer-vision techniques, leading to practical applications for damage detection of complex structures with a novel approach. By using computer vision algorithms and cameras as special sensors for structural health monitoring, this study proposes an advance approach in bridge monitoring through which certain type of data that could not be collected by conventional sensors such as vehicle loads and location, can be obtained practically and accurately.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006127, ucf:51174
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006127

Title: Exploring Relationship Quality as a Dyadic Mediator of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health for Economically Disadvantaged Couples.
Creator: Wheeler, Naomi, Barden, Sejal, Lambie, Glenn, Young, Mark, Carlson, Ryan, Taylor, Dalena, Daire, Andrew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationships between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE; Felitti et al., 1998), relationship quality (as measured by the Relationship Assessment Scale [Hendrick, 1988] and the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale [Wilson, Charker, Lizzio, Halford, (&) Kimlin, 2005]), and health (as measured by the OQ 45.2 [Lambert et al., 2004] and a Brief Medical History Questionnaire [Daire, Wheeler, (&) Liekweg,...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationships between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE; Felitti et al., 1998), relationship quality (as measured by the Relationship Assessment Scale [Hendrick, 1988] and the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale [Wilson, Charker, Lizzio, Halford, (&) Kimlin, 2005]), and health (as measured by the OQ 45.2 [Lambert et al., 2004] and a Brief Medical History Questionnaire [Daire, Wheeler, (&) Liekweg, 2014]) among economically disadvantaged couples. The theorized model included a dyadic structure and mediation of ACE and health by relationship quality using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). The researcher employed structural equation modeling analyses and the APIMeM to investigate the model fit with archival and enrollment data from 503 heterosexual couples in a relationship education program. The majority of participants (76.9%) also identified a racial or ethnic minority background. Final results indicated a good fit for the model to the sample data and explained a significant portion of variance in health (i.e., 82.3% for men [a large effect], 56.5% for women [a large effect]). Significant findings included: (a) ACE exerted an effect on health indirectly through relationship quality (i.e., 98.05% of the male total actor effect, 57.4% of the female total actor effect); (b) ACE exerted a direct effect on health for women; (c) overall ACE, relationship quality, and health were significantly related at the actor-level; and (d) a dyadic influence between male and female reports of ACE, relationship quality, and health contributed to the overall model fit. Discussion of results, implications for practice, recommendations for future research, and study limitations are provided.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006673, ucf:51229
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006673

Title: Is Conflict a Factor in a Population's Quality of Life? A Comparative Study of University Students in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan.
Creator: Asi, Yara, Unruh, Lynn, Ramirez, Bernardo, Liu, Albert/Xinliang, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As nearly one third of the world's population lives in an area that is in some way touched by war, researchers have long been interested in the varied impacts of conflict on civilians. Many indicators, measuring both physical and mental constructs, have been assessed in war-torn populations from around the world, one of which is health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) are one region in which copious research on health indicators has been undertaken...
Show moreAs nearly one third of the world's population lives in an area that is in some way touched by war, researchers have long been interested in the varied impacts of conflict on civilians. Many indicators, measuring both physical and mental constructs, have been assessed in war-torn populations from around the world, one of which is health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) are one region in which copious research on health indicators has been undertaken in an effort to understand how long-term conflict manifests itself in noncombatant populations. However, existing studies focus primarily on indicators within the Palestinian population itself that impact HRQoL, and not on the extent to which the presence of the conflict and its consequences disturb physical and mental health outcomes compared to areas without conflict. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of long-term conflict by comparing HRQoL in the oPt and the neighboring country of Jordan, as well as to assess how demographic factors such as socioeconomic status and household size can moderate or aggravate this impact. The potential mediating factors of insecurity and perceived stress will also be assessed. This study found that the presence of conflict was not the most significant predictor of low HRQoL. The mitigating factor of a traditional foundation of mental resilience in Palestinian culture is addressed as a potential explanation for this result. The implications of this study are wide-ranging, particularly in their ability to contribute to healthcare policy recommendations in war-affected areas, and to bolster our understanding of the health status and needs of those living in these areas.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005574, ucf:50233
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005574

Title: The Effect of Public Information Sources on Satisfaction with Patient Search for a Physician.
Creator: Loyal, Michael, Wan, Thomas, Fottler, Myron, Noblin, Alice, Golden, Adam, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of public information sources on an individual's satisfaction with the search process undertaken to select a physician. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to randomly divide the medical staff of a large central Florida medical group into control and intervention groups of approximately 77 physicians each. The intervention involved insertion of the website address to online physician report cards on to each intervention...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of public information sources on an individual's satisfaction with the search process undertaken to select a physician. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to randomly divide the medical staff of a large central Florida medical group into control and intervention groups of approximately 77 physicians each. The intervention involved insertion of the website address to online physician report cards on to each intervention group physician's profile in the physician directory on the medical group's website. After two months, data were collected consisting of all individuals who had scheduled first-time appointments with one of the medical group's physicians during the two-month intervention period. A random sample of patients was drawn from each group and sample members were mailed a 62-item questionnaire along with a cover letter, summary of the research and postage-paid reply envelope. A total of 706 questionnaires were mailed and 61 completed questionnaires were returned, an 8.64% response rate.Intent-to-treat analysis was conducted using independent-samples t-tests to compare the research study's continuous variables' mean scores for control and intervention group participants. The analysis revealed no significant difference in scores for control and intervention groups with the exceptions that the control group was somewhat more committed to conducting a search and selecting a new physician. The control group said the physician's communications skills influenced their satisfaction with the search and selection of a new physician quite a lot while the intervention group said physician communication skills somewhat influenced their satisfaction with search and selection.Results of the covariance structure analysis demonstrated that information use and level of commitment to search and select a new physician independently predict search satisfaction. As information use and search commitment increase, a patient's satisfaction with the search increases as well. Furthermore, as information use increases, the variety of information sources relied upon or used also increases. The findings support the alternative hypothesis that the positive or direct effect of physician report cards is demonstrated in the time and cost of patient search for a physician for both intervention and control groups. One other alternative hypothesis was partially supported, i.e., the effect of household income is confirmed in patient search and satisfaction in selecting a physician. The alternative hypotheses that proposed that physician report cards are more likely to be used to search for a medical specialist and that physician experience, office location and accepted insurance effect patient search and selection of a physician were not tested. Two other alternative hypotheses were rejected. The research findings also indicated that predictors of health care information search satisfaction vary based upon the environment and contextual factors in which the search is conducted.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005030, ucf:49992
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005030

Title: Advertising Risk: A Comparative Content Analysis of Contraceptive Advertisements Targeting Black and White Women.
Creator: Rogers, Tiffany, Carter, Shannon, Grauerholz, Liz, Broome, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research compared contraceptive advertisements in two top-circulated publications for white and African American female subscribers, Cosmopolitan and Essence. Data consisted of a sample of 172 contraceptive advertisements from the two magazines published between 1992 and 2012. Quantitative analysis focused on the model(s)' race, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status; the type of contraceptive being advertised; and the reason stated in the ad for using the product. This analysis...
Show moreThis research compared contraceptive advertisements in two top-circulated publications for white and African American female subscribers, Cosmopolitan and Essence. Data consisted of a sample of 172 contraceptive advertisements from the two magazines published between 1992 and 2012. Quantitative analysis focused on the model(s)' race, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status; the type of contraceptive being advertised; and the reason stated in the ad for using the product. This analysis determined a disparity in the rate of advertisement of doctor-administered contraceptives for the publications of 25.4 percent in Essence magazine and 9.5 percent in Cosmopolitan magazine. Black women were targeted with long-term, doctor-administered birth control ads more frequently than white women over a twenty-year period, which correlates with findings of previous studies suggesting minority women receive these types of birth control more often than their white counterparts. Qualitative analysis focused on the written messages in the advertisements. This analysis identified the theme of risk as a prominent message of advertisements, appealing to concerns surrounding health, desirability, freedom and pregnancy.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005406, ucf:50408
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005406

Title: Analytical And Experimental Study Of Monitoring For Chain-Like Nonlinear Dynamic Systems.
Creator: Paul, Bryan, Yun, Hae-Bum, Catbas, Fikret, Chopra, Manoj, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Inverse analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems is an important area of research in the ?eld of structural health monitoring for civil engineering structures. Structural damage usually involves localized nonlinear behaviors of dynamic systems that evolve into different classes of nonlinearity as well as change system parameter values. Numerous parametric modal analysis techniques (e.g., eigensystem realization algorithm and subspace identification method) have been developed for system...
Show moreInverse analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems is an important area of research in the ?eld of structural health monitoring for civil engineering structures. Structural damage usually involves localized nonlinear behaviors of dynamic systems that evolve into different classes of nonlinearity as well as change system parameter values. Numerous parametric modal analysis techniques (e.g., eigensystem realization algorithm and subspace identification method) have been developed for system identification of multi-degree-of-freedom dynamic systems. However, those methods are usually limited to linear systems and known for poor sensitivity to localized damage. On the other hand, non-parametric identification methods (e.g., artificial neural networks) are advantageous to identify time-varying nonlinear systems due to unpredictable damage. However, physical interpretation of non-parametric identification results is not as straightforward as those of the parametric methods. In this study, the Multidegree-of-Freedom Restoring Force Method (MRFM) is employed as a semi-parametric nonlinear identification method to take the advantages of both the parametric and non-parametric identification methods.The MRFM is validated using two realistic experimental nonlinear dynamic tests: (i) large-scale shake table tests using building models with different foundation types, and (ii) impact test using wind blades. The large-scale shake table test was conducted at Tongji University using 1:10 scale 12-story reinforced concrete building models tested on three different foundations, including pile, box and fixed foundation. The nonlinear dynamic signatures of the building models collected from the shake table tests were processed using MRFM (i) to investigate the effects of foundation types on nonlinear behavior of the superstructure and (ii) to detect localized damage during the shake table tests. Secondly, the MRFM was applied to investigate the applicability of this method to wind turbine blades. Results are promising, showing a high level of nonlinearity of the system and how the MRFM can be applied to wind-turbine blades. Future studies were planned for the comparison of physical characteristic of this blade with blades created made of other material.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004734, ucf:49818
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004734

health (22)	+ -
mental health (13)	+ -
Structural Health Monitoring (9)	+ -
Damage Detection (5)	+ -
gender (5)	+ -

mHealth (5)	+ -
stress (5)	+ -
Mental Health (4)	+ -
depression (4)	+ -
health care (4)	+ -
health outcomes (4)	+ -
mental illness (4)	+ -
Diabetes (3)	+ -
HPV (3)	+ -
Health (3)	+ -
Structural Identification (3)	+ -
alcohol (3)	+ -
counselor education (3)	+ -
education (3)	+ -
health disparities (3)	+ -
health literacy (3)	+ -
public health (3)	+ -
Abortion (2)	+ -
Adolescent (2)	+ -
Central Florida (2)	+ -
Health Disparities (2)	+ -
Health Insurance (2)	+ -
Public Health (2)	+ -
SF-36 (2)	+ -
SHM (2)	+ -

ETD Collection (124)	+ -
Honors Collection (43)	+ -

University of Central Florida (164)	+ -
Wan, Thomas (18)	+ -
Mishtal, Joanna (9)	+ -
Barden, Sejal (7)	+ -
Carter, Shannon (6)	+ -

Rivera, Fernando (6)	+ -
Zhang, Ning (6)	+ -
Donley, Amy (5)	+ -
Bushy, Angeline (4)	+ -
Gay, David (4)	+ -
Grauerholz, Liz (4)	+ -
Lambie, Glenn (4)	+ -
Liberman, Aaron (4)	+ -
Liu, Albert Xinliang (4)	+ -
Matejowsky, Ty (4)	+ -
Reyes-Foster, Beatriz (4)	+ -
Sivo, Stephen (4)	+ -
Taylor, Dalena (4)	+ -
Unruh, Lynn (4)	+ -
Wright, James (4)	+ -
Boote, David (3)	+ -
Catbas, F. Necati (3)	+ -
Catbas, Fikret (3)	+ -
Catbas, Necati (3)	+ -
Chopra, Manoj (3)	+ -
Dziegielewski, Sophia (3)	+ -
Fottler, Myron (3)	+ -
Hagedorn, W. Bryce (3)	+ -
Hinojosa, Melanie (3)	+ -
Huff-Corzine, Lin (3)	+ -

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