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(1 - 3 of 3)
- Title
- MODERATING EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS
- Creator
- Kim, Jeong Hye
- Date
- 2016, 2016-07
- Description
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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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- Title
- POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AMONG HIV-SEROPOSITIVE ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
- Creator
- Niel, Kristin A.
- Date
- 2016, 2016-12
- Description
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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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- Title
- Using population-level data to examine between-group health differences among transgender and cisgender United States military veterans
- Creator
- Woodward, Honor
- Date
- 2021
- Description
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Some subgroups of military veterans, including those with marginalized identities, may be especially vulnerable to poor health. This...
Show moreSome subgroups of military veterans, including those with marginalized identities, may be especially vulnerable to poor health. This hypothesis is supported by the Minority Stress Theory framework, which posits that disparities in health can be attributed to the stress that minority individuals experience as a result of discrimination, prejudice, and oppression (Meyer, 1995; Meyer, 2003). A specific, potentially marginalized group of veterans that is under-explored regarding health is transgender veterans. Using data from the 2019 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the current study hypothesized that transgender U.S. military veterans will report worse health than cisgender U.S. military veterans. Using case control matching, groups of transgender veterans (n = 124) and cisgender veterans (n = 104) were compared on several population-relevant health outcome measures. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to test for significant differences between transgender and cisgender military veterans on the likelihood of experiencing certain health conditions, engaging in certain health behaviors, and utilizing health care services. Independent samples t-tests were used to test continuous health outcomes, such as self-reported mental health, physical health, and access to health care services. Gender identity was significantly associated with only one health outcome variable, with transgender veterans being more likely than cisgender veterans to have received a formal depression diagnosis (p = .01, phi = .17). No significant differences emerged between transgender and cisgender veterans on continuous health outcome variables. This suggests that previous literature on health disparities between transgender and cisgender individuals may not be generalizable to transgender veterans.
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