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MODERATING EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS
Title
MODERATING EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS
Creator
Kim, Jeong Hye
Date
2016, 2016-07
Description
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and in the United States. Weight loss, which is associated with blood...
Show moreCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and in the United States. Weight loss, which is associated with blood pressure and blood glucose, is widely recommended to modify the CVDs risk factors. Among various methods, mindfulness has been extensively studied in improving psychological and physical health. There is some reported evidence that mindfulness based interventions are effective in improving CVDs risk factors. However, overall results are inconclusive. Therefore, more research examining the facets of mindfulness is necessary to understand the fundamental relationship between mindfulness and CVDs risk factors to clarify the effect of mindfulness. In addition, research into whether the relationship between different risk factors is moderated by mindfulness would provide further support of the independent effect of mindfulness on physical health. The current study hypothesized that higher mindfulness skills would correlate with physical well-being. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that mindfulness will moderate a relationship between BMI and other CVDs risk factors (e.g., individuals with higher BMI classification and higher mindfulness will show lower blood pressure compared to individuals at a similar BMI with lower mindfulness). Results found that body adiposity had an inverse relationship with overall mindfulness, and two of the four facets of mindfulness (Describing and Acting with awareness). In addition, the Describing subscale had a significant moderating effect; however, the relationship between body adiposity and systolic blood pressure was stronger rather than weaker with higher Describing skills.
M.S. in Psychology, July 2016
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POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AMONG HIV-SEROPOSITIVE ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
Title
POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AMONG HIV-SEROPOSITIVE ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
Creator
Niel, Kristin A.
Date
2016, 2016-12
Description
An estimated 1,218,400 individuals in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS in 2014 (CDC, November 2015). In addition, 9,731 youth...
Show moreAn estimated 1,218,400 individuals in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS in 2014 (CDC, November 2015). In addition, 9,731 youth between the ages of 13 and 24 were newly diagnosed with HIV, with 81% of those diagnoses between ages 20 and 24. African-Americans accounted for 44% of new infections, with young gay and bisexual men accounting for 72% of new infections in all persons between 13 and 24. Research has suggested that a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS can be experienced as a trauma (Kelly et al., 1998; Nightingale, Sher, Mattson, Thilges, & Hansen, 2011). Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is characterized by significant, positive transformations that may occur in response to trauma and has been linked to improved mental and physical health among people living with cancer and adults living with HIV (Barskova & Oesterreich, 2009); however, these relations have not been sufficiently explored among youth living with HIV/AIDS. This study examined 71 HIV-seropositive youth at an urban medical clinic. It was hypothesized that (1) some youth would experience their HIV diagnosis as traumatic; (2) some youth would experience PTG; (3) higher levels of PTG would be associated with better health-related quality of life; (4) PTG would be positively associated with medical regimen adherence, and this relation would be mediated by serostatus disclosure; (5) PTG would be positively associated with physiological health, and this relation would be mediated by serostatus disclosure; and (6) the relation between serostatus disclosure and PTG would be moderated by social support satisfaction. Analyses revealed that 73.2% of participants experienced their diagnosis as traumatic, and 71.8% reported some level of PTG. A positive relation existed between PTG and the Social Relationships Domain of quality of life (β= .32, p < .01). Serostatus disclosure did not act as a mediator for the relations between PTG and adherence or health; however, there was a negative relation between disclosure and appointment attendance (β = -.46, p < .05). Finally, social support satisfaction moderated the relation between disclosure and PTG, such that the relation was stronger in those with average or high support satisfaction than those with lower satisfaction. Clinical and future research implications of these findings are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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