LAIR: Lenoir-Rhyne Academic Institutional Repository
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Prevalence of Smoking or Tobacco Use in Relation to Cancer Diagnoses
Get PDFThe study explored the research question, “What is the prevalence of smoking or tobacco use related to cancer diagnoses for those at a local acute care facility?” The goal of the study was to examine the prevalence of smoking, or tobacco use in patients with a cancer diagnosis. The retrospective chart review was used to gather the following data: smoking status, age, gender, race, and cancer diagnosis type.
A total of 101 patient charts were used to complete the current study. The findings of the study showed a high prevalence of positive smoking status (61.4%) in the sample patients diagnosed with cancer. There were additional findings with smoking and cancer diagnosis type. These findings showed that diagnoses of lung, bladder and colon were more associated with smoking in this sample. In addition, the study revealed that cervical cancer diagnoses had a higher prevalence of smoking. It was also found that there were more men that were smokers (67.4%) than women (56.4%)
Improving Human Papilloma Vaccination Rates Through Provider Prompted Screening
Get PDFBackground: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant public health concern linked to cervical cancer. HPV is the causative agent for nearly 36,000 cases of cancer in women every year in the United States. Vaccination against HPV can prevent 33,000 of these cancers by preventing the variants that cause them (Kurosawa et al., 2022). The vaccination rate for the age group 18 to 26 in North Carolina is 18.3% compared to the national average of 52.2% (Boersma & Black, 2020). The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an EHR provider screening prompt for HPV vaccination status in young women ages 18 to 36 years and initiate vaccination as indicated. Methods: An EHR prompt was initiated to determine HPV vaccination status for patients during their routine and annual appointments. Based on screening, providers counseled patients on the need for vaccination and offered initial vaccination or completion of the series as indicated. Results: A total of 104 women met inclusion criteria. Screening was documented for 96 women (90.57%) and education related to HPV vaccination was given to 100 women (96.15%). Eleven women received the vaccine (10.58%) during their visit. Pre-implementation retrospective chart reviews revealed that only 2 of 106 women were screened and vaccinated (1.89%). Conclusion: Implementation of a screening prompt was significant as most women post-intervention were screened and received education. Additionally, there was an increase in the number of women who received the vaccine. The data supports that increased screening by the provider improved HPV vaccine acceptance.
Keywords: HPV awareness, HPV vaccination compliance rates in ages 18-36, HPV vaccine screening in primary care, electronic health record (EHR) screening tools for the HPV vaccin
Caregiver Burden Detection in Palliative Care
Get PDFBackground: Caregiver burden that goes undetected negatively impacts both the caregiver and the patient. Undetected caregiver burden can lead to caregiver strain and an increased risk for developing psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress (National Family Caregiver Support Program, 2023). The purpose of this quality improvement project is to facilitate caregiver burden screening at palliative care visits to increase detection of caregiver burden, which will lead to the provision of accessible resources that can alleviate the burden experienced by caregivers.
Methods: A total of 14 palliative care informal caregivers participated in a study aimed at assessing caregiver burden using the ZBI 12-item tool during palliative care admissions and services. The primary objective involved utilizing the ZBI tool to screen for caregiver burden, while the secondary objective involved referral to caregiver support services based on screening scores. Caregiver burden was reevaluated at subsequent provider visits.
Results: The mean age range of participants was 60-69 years, with 64.29% being females and all participants being of Caucasian race. Pre-intervention, all participants exhibited caregiver burden, with scores ranging from 4 to 34. Post-intervention, burden persisted in all participants, with scores ranging from 5 to 31, reflecting a 39-point reduction compared to pre-intervention scores. Despite interventions leading to a 39-point decrease in ZBI scores, indicating an improvement in caregiver burden, the paired samples t-test did not yield statistical significance (t (13) = 2.14, p = .052).
Conclusion: The study indicated the significance of addressing caregiver burden in palliative care to lessen caregiver burnout and enhance the quality of care, despite non-significant statistical findings. Detecting and intervening on caregiver burden remains crucial for improving both caregiver well-being and patient outcomes in palliative care contexts
Community Radon
Get PDFBackground
Radon is a naturally formed gas that comes from the decay of certain types of rocks below thesurface. Radon can go undetected due to it being odorless, invisible, and tasteless therefore it is often in homes built onto these formations. Drawing from data collected by a community survey, this study assesses residents' awareness of radon, comprehension of associated risks, andexperiences with potential side effects.
Methodology
The data collection method used for this study was an anonymous survey, which was sent to potential participants by mail. It was requested that only one resident complete the survey per household and that the person completing was 18 years old or older. Responses were gathered by text message, QR code, and mailbox drop-off. Some responses came back by posted mail. Surveys dropped in or mailed to the post box were entered by QR by the researcher. All responses were downloaded onto an Excel spreadsheet for analysis.
Results
Key findings indicated a strong knowledge of the presence of the radioactive gas, 80 out of 83, while only half of residents chose to mitigate, among the responses received between January 1st and 31st, 2024. Out of the 83 participants, 56 acknowledged that they were aware of radon presence in this particular community. Seventy-eight participants claimed to know the health risks of radon, while only 3 acknowledged having potential symptoms that could be related to
radon exposure, including coughing, wheezing, or chest pain. While still a substantial number of residents have chosen to mitigate, totaling 47%, many fail to take the proper precautions to make sure their equipment is performing correctly through regular maintenance indicating gaps in safety measures which totaled 80.7%.
Conclusions
Overall, this paper underscores the need for community associations and real estate professionals to actively educate homeowners on potential risks and encourage proactive measures. Mitigation and testing are a minimal cost, without which can cost lives. This paper advocates for enhancing public health outcomes in one small community and across the region
Comparison of Length of Time on the Ventilator in Men and Women With a Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between time on mechanical ventilation for men versus women diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The importance of this research was to determine if there was an additional need for interventions or resources for one gender over the other when given the diagnosis of COPD. Also, this research study will help guide healthcare providers in the approach of aggressive treatment for COPD patients with a gender focus.
This study was completed using a retrospective chart review. Data was collected at an acute care facility located in Western North Carolina. The Institutional Review Board of Lenoir-Rhyne University and the acute care facility approved the completion of this research project. The primary investigator completed the Protecting Human Research Participants online training as part of the process of requirements involving human subjects.
The data collected included gender, age, and time spent on mechanical ventilation. Sixty participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty men (50%) and thirty women (50%) created the sample for this research study. The study showed no significant evidence that men or women were on the ventilator longer when they were diagnosed with COPD. The t-test results were t = -1.056 and p = 0.457, which shows that men do not spend longer on the ventilator when compared to women and vice versa. However, the data did show that the average time on the ventilator for women was longer than the time on the ventilator for men. The average length of time for men on the ventilator was 3.167 days (SD = 4.037) while the average time on the ventilator for women was 4.23 days (SD = 3.79)
A Comparison of Soccer Training and Match Global Positioning System Volume between the First and Second Half of the Season: Appropriate Application of the Stimulus-Recovery-Adaptation Process.
Get PDFPURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the stimulus that caused late season increases in GPS match loads and increases in win percentage. METHODS: The season was spilt into two halves (first nine and second nine matches). Several multivariate ANOVAs were used to determine differences in GPS variables between the first and second half of the season. RESULTS: There are statistically significant differences in ETL variables between the first-nine and last nine soccer matches. There are no statistically significant differences in ETL variables between the first-nine and last nine soccer training sessions, Match -1 and Match -2. DISCUSSION: Increases in sport specific movements during match play are a result of previous matches and not practice. In-season practice should be used to develop tactical and technical proficiency and place less emphasis on fitness. As team fitness increased so did the points accumulated from competitions
The Effect of Anxiety on Choice of College Major
Get PDFAnxiety is a prominent issue that is faced by college students. Another important issue that is faced by college students is the decision of college major. Many factors have been found to have an impact on a student’s choice of major including gender, race, and socio-economic status. Anxiety is not a factor that has been studied much in the past in relation to choice of a major. Given the large number of students who have been found to struggle with anxiety, this is a relationship that should be examined. Based on previous literature, it was hypothesized that students with higher levels of trait anxiety would be more likely to choose majors that would offer more career variability. The present study consisted of 42 participants from a convenience sample of college students. Participants completed the HAM-A to examine their levels of trait anxiety and the GAD-7 to examine state anxiety. Participants also noted any major or minor that they were enrolled in. A correlational analysis was performed on the data showing that, although the data was trending in the direction consistent with the hypothesis, it was not statistically significant. Further analysis was done showing that, in this sample, female participants chose more difficult majors than male participants, while male participants had more variability in both major difficulty and major career variability. These findings are important in furthering our understanding of choice of major and how best to guide students in their choice of major
ProQuest One Psychology
Get PDFProQuest One Psychology is an extensive aggregate of multiformat resources in psychology and counseling. The product brings together a wide range of content, source, and material types culled from multiple ProQuest platforms to offer the convenience of a single point of access for research in the discipline from the undergraduate to graduate levels. A hallmark feature of the ProQuest One Psychology is its ability to integrate with APA products, such as APA PsycInfo and APA PsycBooks, to which users have a subscription from ProQuest. Additional features that differentiate the product are the availability of Topic Pages and specialized search filters designed to enhance exploration and discovery of resources. Users will appreciate the intuitive ProQuest platform, along with the company’s proprietary eBook reader and video playback functionality. Institutions will benefit from customized pricing to allow for existing, overlapping ProQuest content in their collection. Limitations in currency of eBook holdings, minimal content in tests and measures, and the requirement to switch to APA products via the ProQuest platform for those with subscriptions on other platforms may detract from the product’s appeal. Those who prefer the APA platform and/or do not require resources outside of APA products may consider PsycNet as an alternative. EBSCO’s Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection may be of consideration for those primarily seeking a full-text journal database, although ProQuest Psychology One offers significantly more holdings of such journals in comparison. While there is much to recommend this product with its truly immense collection of resources, subscribers to ProQuest One Psychology will likely continue to require subscriptions to databases beyond those offered by ProQuest to provide their users with the most comprehensive resources possible
Honey, Why Aren't You Playing with Your Food?
Get PDFBackground: The USDA has reported an insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption among U.S. adults, which is a critical public health problem. By implementing sensory play and nutrition education, the research aims to enhance the appeal of these essential food groups and improve dietary habits, particularly among young adults and low-income populations.
Methods: Participants in this study were fourth-grade students (age 9-10 years old) in the Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Club in Norfolk, VA. Participants (n=11) completed a 13-question written survey administered by the PI. The survey reported their knowledge of nutrition and their feelings about specific vegetables after partaking in hands-on vegetable activities and nutrition lessons
Gender and Myocardial Infarction Treatment
Get PDFDoor to balloon time (DTB) is a measurement of time between entry to the hospital and receiving a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A myocardial infarction is also known as a heart attack and occurs when coronary arteries are blocked causing a decrease in blood flow. By knowing the different signs of a myocardial infarction in men and women, healthcare workers can identify and treat patients faster and more efficiently