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- Title
- THE IMPACT OF ARTHRITIS ON THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG INDIVIDUALS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Garwood, Ryan E., Saleh, Suha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This purpose of the study is to examine the difference in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between individuals who suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis compared with individuals who do not suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis in a population of university students, faculty, and staff. The study sampled from a population of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Central Florida. Through the implantation of a cross-sectional ecological design, differences between...
Show moreThis purpose of the study is to examine the difference in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between individuals who suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis compared with individuals who do not suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis in a population of university students, faculty, and staff. The study sampled from a population of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Central Florida. Through the implantation of a cross-sectional ecological design, differences between the two groups were measured with a survey that measures health-related quality of life, such as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 questionnaire was distributed to subjects through a campus-wide email system and was administered through Qualtrics, an online survey program. Literature suggests lower SF-36 scores for individuals suffering from arthritis, but is lacking in investigating the effect of arthritis on college-aged students, particularly within the 18-24 age group. The study aims to close this gap in the literature. SPSS software was used to analyze results through tests of association, like ANOVA, which measured differences in the SF-36 scores of subjects with physician-diagnosed arthritis and subjects without physician-diagnosed arthritis. Results showed a significant difference in the HR-QOL scores between individuals with arthritis and individuals without arthritis, as well as age, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of joint pain.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000189, ucf:46013
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000189
- Title
- THE AMBIVALENCE OF SCIENCE FICTION: SCIENCE FICTION, NEO-IMPERIALISM, AND THE IDEOLOGY OF MODERNITY AS PROGRESS.
- Creator
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Hall, Graham, Campbell, James, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis sets out to examine the relationship between science fiction and its conditions of production, specifically interrogating the genre's articulations of the ideology of modernity as progress. Sf has been characterized variously as a characteristically useful critical engagement with the ideologies of its context and as wholly ideological at the level of form, relying on the authority of a scientific episteme in its "cognitive estrangements," while not obligated to operate within the...
Show moreThis thesis sets out to examine the relationship between science fiction and its conditions of production, specifically interrogating the genre's articulations of the ideology of modernity as progress. Sf has been characterized variously as a characteristically useful critical engagement with the ideologies of its context and as wholly ideological at the level of form, relying on the authority of a scientific episteme in its "cognitive estrangements," while not obligated to operate within the boundaries of this episteme. As such, the genre is unparalleled in its capacity to articulate ideologies under the guise of a putatively neutral science and reason. However, this same formal action places the genre in the unique position of being able to utilize the authority of a scientific episteme to re-evaluate the putative neutrality of that very scientific episteme. As a result, this study concludes that while the genre's reliance on the external authority of science in "cognitively" organizing its estrangements may make it particularly conducive to articulating ideological technoscience and the ideology of modernity as progress, the genre is characteristically ambivalent in this respect, both at the level of form and as a result of the incongruities between form and narrative. To support my thesis I engage a number of science fictional texts, focusing on Golden Age sf of the mid-20th century, while also branching out into explorations of a variety of 20th and 21st century sf texts, including texts from the pulp era, New Wave, cyberpunk, and post-singularity sf. I analyze within the effects of the conceptual mapping of society in terms of the natural sciences in sf, as well as the ambivalent presence of the robot as a megatextual motif, exploring the relationship of these to the ideology of modernity as progress and the post-scarcity fantasy of global mass consumption prosperity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004471, ucf:45121
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004471
- 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
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Asi, Yara, Unruh, Lynn, Ramirez, Bernardo, Liu, Albert/Xinliang, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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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.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005574, ucf:50233
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005574
- Title
- TOTAL BODY WATER AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DIAGNOSED OSTEOARTHRITIS.
- Creator
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Hanson, Sara, Valdes, Anna, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study examines a possible relationship between Total Body Water (TBW) levels, osteoarthritic pain and functional performance in a sample of untrained adults. Participants will complete a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire, TBW will be measured using Single-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance (SF-BIA) and strength, balance and physical function will be measured by the completion of seven standardized functional tests. Participants in this study...
Show moreThis study examines a possible relationship between Total Body Water (TBW) levels, osteoarthritic pain and functional performance in a sample of untrained adults. Participants will complete a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire, TBW will be measured using Single-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance (SF-BIA) and strength, balance and physical function will be measured by the completion of seven standardized functional tests. Participants in this study will include adult men and women, age 35 years and older, who have been previously diagnosed with Osteoarthritis (OA) in the hip or knee, or currently score 35 or higher on the WOMAC. This study aims to determine if TBW values, specifically its intracellular compartment (ICW), will have a relationship to WOMAC scores and if TBW and ICW will have a positive correlation to participants' overall performance on balance, strength, and physical function tests. It is hypothesized that the data will show a negative correlation between ICW and WOMAC scores and a positive correlation between ICW and performance on balance, strength and physical function tests. Little research exists on the relationship between TBW and functional performance in older adults; particularly those whose TBW may be affected by inflammatory conditions such as OA. A goal of this study is to contribute to existing research on the relationship between performance and TBW, while providing insight and data on this relationship in an untrained population.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004741, ucf:45363
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004741