Browsing by Subject "African-Americans"
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Item A capabilities approach to understanding health disparities(2018-08) Thurman, Whitney Annetta; Harrison, Tracie C., 1968-; Garcia, Alexandra; Sage, William M; Stuifbergen, Alexa K; Umberson, Debra; Walker, VeronicaHealth disparities are pervasive in the U.S., and three of the greatest risk factors for poor health outcomes are race, rural residence, and disability. Individuals in these groups frequently experience poor health outcomes and social disadvantages. Such disadvantages contradict ethical principles such as respect for equal moral worth of all and social values such as non-discrimination. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore race, disability, rural culture, and disparities experienced by these groups using a social justice lens. Specifically, this dissertation relies upon a social constructionist perspective situated within Sen’s capabilities approach to examine the cultural and social systems that influence the meaning and experience of health, well-being, and disability. The dissertation is comprised of three separate manuscripts; each presents findings from a distinct investigation. The first is an issue brief that answers the research question: how does the capabilities approach compare with the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) in terms of these models’ ability to accommodate the diverse experiences and needs of people with disabilities? The second presents results from a critical analysis of literature related to racial disparities in healthcare utilization and outcomes among veterans in the Veterans’ Healthcare Administration (VHA). This investigation answers the research question: what are the structural determinants that influence disparities in health between African-American veterans and their non-Hispanic white counterparts with osteoarthritis? The third presents findings from a grounded theory study investigating well-being among working-age adults with disabilities living in rural counties in Texas. This investigation of 12 rural-dwelling adults with disabilities answers the research questions: how do working-age adults with disabilities who live in rural Texas define and pursue well-being, and how does the rural environment influence both their definition of and their ability to pursue well-being? The findings from this dissertation underscore the critical notion that individuals are inextricable from their social worlds. It is argued that without a holistic assessment of an individual’s sociocultural and economic circumstances, healthcare providers may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by providing culturally inappropriate care and/or prescribing physically or economically unattainable interventions. Implications for nursing practice, policy, and the delivery of long-term services and supports in rural areas are discussed.Item Black Immigrants in the United States and the “Cultural Narratives" of Ethnicity(Identities, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2004) Pierre, JemimaItem Don’t forget about us : African-American collegiate students’ newfound perspectives on foreign language motivation, foreign language anxiety, and their beliefs about foreign language learning(2013-12) Gatlin, Nicholas Sherrod; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-This study investigates African-American college students’ beliefs about foreign language learning, foreign language anxiety, motivations for language learning, and the extent to which the racial composition of a campus environment plays a role in those factors. 571 students across four universities completed three survey instruments: modified versions of the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (Horwitz, 1986), the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992) respectively, the Foreign Language Classroom Academic Scale (Horwitz et al., 1986), and three open-ended questions on being African-American and learning a foreign language. Findings noted that one of three motivation factors for language learning was significantly different for campus environment. Post-hoc analyses indicated that participants at HBCUs were less likely to be the least motivated by short-term extrinsic goals for learning a foreign language than those at a PWI. African-American participants reported higher levels of foreign language anxiety than mixed groups of participants in previous studies and there were no significant differences in foreign language anxiety regarding campus environment and gender; but, there were significant differences for academic classification and the individual universities. Two of three motivation factors correlated with foreign language anxiety. Long Term Intrinsic: Discovery and Satisfaction—had a positive relationship with anxiety only at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), whereas, Short Term Extrinsic: Minimal Investment had a negative relationship with foreign language anxiety at both PWIs and HBCUs, This factor also had the highest relationship with anxiety. The beliefs analysis indicated that African-American college students across campus environments displayed more similarities in their beliefs about foreign language learning than differences. Findings also noted few differences when compared to prior studies with other language learner groups. The belief category “African-American Expectations,” noted that African-Americans strongly believe that they are capable of learning a foreign language, and that learning a foreign language would benefit them in the future. The open-ended questions provided a wide range of perspectives to several of the beliefs about language learning, as well as motivation and anxiety from African-American college students. One major theme that emerged from the analysis focused on pressures African-American students face in the foreign language classroom.Item Influences of sleep health, psychological stress, and hair cortisol on cardiometabolic health and depressive symptoms(2023-08-07) Woo, Jihun; Steinhardt, Mary; Loukas, Alexandra; Tanaka, Hirofumi; Whittaker, Tiffany AThis dissertation examined the influences of sleep health, psychological stress, and hair cortisol concentration on cardiometabolic health and depressive symptoms among African-American adults with type 2 diabetes. Study 1 examined the association of sleep health with A1C and depressive symptoms. Sleep health was assessed using the RuSATED (regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency) framework which incorporates both self-reported and objectively measured sleep data. Study 1 found that the composite sleep health score was associated with a lower likelihood of having depressive symptoms and there was a negative linear association between the composite sleep health score and depressive symptoms. Additionally, irregular sleep, poor subjective sleep satisfaction, and lower alertness during the day were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of having depressive symptoms. However, A1C was not associated with the composite sleep health score or individual sleep dimensions. Study 1 findings suggest that optimizing multidimensional sleep health may help decrease depressive symptoms among African-Americans adults with type 2 diabetes and longitudinal research is needed to establish the causal association between sleep health and depressive symptoms. Study 2 examined the longitudinal association between psychological stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity and the mediating roles of sleep health and hair cortisol concentration. A parallel mediation model was used to test the direct association between psychological stress (baseline) and MetS severity (12-month follow-up) and indirect associations through sleep health and hair cortisol concentration (6-month follow up). Study 2 found that psychological stress was not associated with MetS severity, sleep health, or hair cortisol concentration. Both sleep health and hair cortisol concentration were not significantly associated with MetS and neither variable mediated the association between psychological stress and MetS severity. Poor subjective sleep satisfaction was positively associated with psychological stress and MetS severity in an unadjusted model, but it did not mediate the association between psychological stress and MetS severity. The non-significant study findings may be attributed to the psychological stress measurement which did not account for chronic psychological stressors including discrimination that may have greater long-term effects on adverse health outcomes among African-Americans. Study 2 findings underscore the importance of further exploration into the complex interplay among different types of psychological stress, different aspects of multiple sleep dimensions, and hair cortisol concentration with respect to long-term cardiometabolic health outcomes. Taken together, both studies address gaps in prior research by employing more comprehensive measurements and valuable insights into the unique experiences of psychological stress, sleep health, hair cortisol concentration, and MetS severity among African-Americans who are often underrepresented in health science research. The dissertation studies highlight the importance of optimizing multiple sleep dimensions in decreasing depressive symptoms and a potential beneficial role of sleep satisfaction in mitigating MetS severity among African-American adults with type 2 diabetes.Item Saleem Shabazz Interview(2021-12-22) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Saleem Shabazz, a retired postal worker and Air Force veteran living in Longview, TX. Saleem tells about his childhood, describing his family dynamics, the places he lived, and being Baptist in his youth. He talks about travel and work in the Air Force and being exposed to different cultures and beliefs. Saleem discusses converting to Islam and his experience of the hajj. He also talks about his engagement with his Muslim communities over the years, including being and imam for a time, and his observations on social and political change in the US.Item Sins of the father shall visit the child(2007-05) Jones, Corey Emanuel, 1976-; Abraham, Lee (Lee E.)This thesis accounts the process of developing and performing my one-man show on the disproportionately high rate of Black male incarceration in America and some of the causes and effects of this social epidemic.Item The value of multicultural marketing : increasing sustainable behaviors among African-Americans with market segmentation(2015-05) Queen, Candace Danielle; Atkinson, Lucinda; Mackert, MichaelIn the communications industry marketers and advertisers are in constant conversation regarding the need for ethnic multicultural marketing. Many brands have forgone the concept, adopting total market strategy methods to reach the changing general market. Others have gone further, promoting cross-cultural tactics. At the same time, childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate in the United States and African-Americans children rank the highest. Despite numerous campaigns there still remains a large disconnect between the African-American community and health specialists trying to reduce the number of obese children. This study highlights why the ability to focus on ethnic segmentation and to develop messages that resonate well within that segment is critical, particularly when the purpose is to incite a strong behavioral change that may conflict with cultural norms. The Social Learning Theory and Health Belief Model serve as the theoretical framework for the research questions outlined in the study.