Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2016, Kinesiology

This thesis discusses privacy rights and university obligations with regard to alleged sex crimes by student-athletes. Sexual assault remains a long-standing problem at universities nationwide, the eradication of which is only just beginning as many schools join the movement to provide safe academic forums for victims to express their experiences. However, we are far from a rape-free collegiate America. When a sex-crime occurs, the treatment by universities of what they must disclose, and to whom, lacks consistency. The problem may be that universities hide behind the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) more than what may be appropriate; it may be a matter of state law or university policy. This thesis maps out the issues, the governing law, where it is clear and where it is gray, and how to amend the gray areas for the sake of protecting students subjected to sex-crimes. The methods used were case analysis and use of a hypothetical for application. While many cases dot the landscape during the analytical process, the student-athlete as he or she relates to FERPA, served as the cornerstone to understanding FERPA's effect on university privacy duties and FERPA's effect on the student body through the student-athlete. The research showed that while FERPA may be ambiguous, universities hide behind FERPA more than what the legislation allows, thus harming school community interests and leaving students vulnerable to potentially dangerous situations, the likelihood of which could be significantly diminished if more universities chose to speak up rather than hide behind FERPA.

Committee: Brian Turner Dr. (Advisor); Donna Pastore Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Education; Education Finance; Education Policy; Higher Education; Kinesiology; Law; Legal Studies; Personal Relationships; Political Science; Public Health; Public Policy; Sports Management; Sports Medicine; Womens Studies

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Health Programs

Routine HIV testing for adults 65 years and older is imperative for prevention and treatment efforts among the vulnerable population. To date, limited research exists that examines associations between sex in HIV testing, HIV risk perception, and HIV risk among adults who are 65 years and older. Certain risk behaviors can lead to missed testing opportunities for some Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older, increasing the likelihood of new HIV transmissions and late-stage diagnoses. A federal mandate requires that Medicare Part B (outpatient insurance) cover annual wellness visits, which allow providers and beneficiaries to develop personalized prevention plans of care. However, Medicare does not offer routine HIV testing to beneficiaries 65 years and older, unless they specifically ask for a test (risk perception) or considered at risk (actual risk). This quantitative, cross-sectional, causal-comparative research design was guided by the health belief model (HBM) and theory of gender and power (TGP). Chi-square tests analyzed secondary data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey, Adult Sample file regarding HIV testing, HIV risk perception and HIV risk among non-institutionalized adults, 65 years and older. The significance of statistical tests was determined at the .05 alpha level. Study findings revealed a significant association between sex and HIV testing prevalence, with men (24.3%) testing more frequently than do women (20.1%). Findings also revealed a significant association between sex and HIV risk. Men (41%), when compared to women (22%), were almost twice as likely to have at least one factor increasing HIV risk. There was no significant association between sex and HIV risk perception. Findings revealed that both men (99.6%) and women (99.6%) equally lacked HIV risk perception.

Committee: Mary Bynum DHA (Committee Chair); Cynthia Smoak DHA (Committee Member); Chenelle Jones PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Gender Studies; Gerontology; Health; Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Education; Public Administration; Public Health; Public Health Education

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Cross-Cultural, International Education

In this paper, the author uses country-level educational enrollment data parceled into primary-, secondary-, and tertiary-attainment, to delineate connections with specific development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. The analyses are conducted using OLS Regression to assess education's impact on total fertility rate, HIV prevalence, under-five mortality rate, life expectancy, GDP per capita growth rate, and the proportion of women in parliament. The author found that the levels of educational attainment have differentiated impacts on the development outcomes tested with secondary attainment having the strongest relationship to the total fertility rate while tertiary attainment has the strongest relationship of the attainment variables to under five mortality rate, HIV prevalence, and life expectancy. These results provide information for policy-makers looking to improve various indicators of wellbeing in their country.

Committee: Sherri Horner Dr. (Advisor); Matthew Lavery Dr. (Committee Member); Shannon Orr Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

MS, Kent State University, 2013, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrition education received and desired by HIV-positive individuals, and the relationship of nutrition education received, quality of life, and nutrition-related symptomologies. HIV-positive individuals (n=76) were recruited at an HIV clinic, support group, and community center to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated participant knowledge of their HIV-related and nutrition-related laboratory values, their quality of life, and present symptoms. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between quality of life sum scores and symptomology scores, as well as the relationship between nutrition topics discussed and topics desired by participants. A regression was used to compare which factors were influenced by symptoms. The data was compiled and analyzed using social sciences software (SPSS, version 13.0). There was a significant, positive correlation between symptoms present and worsening of quality of life scores (p = 0.05). In addition, there was a significant, negative correlation found between nutrition topics discussed and desired (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the regression was significant with a moderate effect size and low beta weights with quality of life being the only significant factor (p < 0.05). Thus, the conclusions drawn from the regression alone was limited. Regardless, participants with more symptoms had poorer quality of life, and those with a high desire of nutrition education received little information. Advocacy is needed to limit this disconnect and enhance the disease management of the HIV-positive community.

Committee: Natalie Caine-Bish (Advisor); Nancy Burzminski (Committee Member); Dianne Kerr (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education; Health Sciences; Immunology; Nutrition

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2011, Health Education

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that significantly influence the attitudes and perceptions of high school health education teachers relative to HIV prevention instruction. Despite a steady decrease in the number of diagnosed cases each year, HIV/AIDS continues to rank as one of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Individuals between the ages of 13 and 19 years are particularly vulnerable for HIV transmission, as evidenced by the steady increase in the number of reported infections in this age group over the past decade. Underlying this trend is a growing lack of awareness, a decreasing perception of vulnerability and a general lack of accurate knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among adolescents and young adults in the United States. The CDC, along with a number of researchers in sexuality education, recommends that education about HIV prevention is most appropriate and effective when executed within the context of a comprehensive school health education program that establishes a foundation for understanding the relationships between personal behavior and health. While the CDC's 2006 School Health Policies and Practices study indicates that 31 states require instruction in HIV prevention, research indicates that there is great variability between states and individual districts in the provision of the requirements for the certification, licensure, and training in sexuality education of the teachers providing that instruction. The population of interest in this study was high school health education teachers in public school systems in the United States. A systematic random sample of 800 high school health education teachers representing states with mandates requiring instruction in HIV prevention and states with no such requirements was selected from a list of public high schools derived from the Common Core of Data (CCD) of the United States Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics database. A (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Susan Telljohann HSD (Advisor); Joseph Dake PhD (Committee Member); James Price PhD (Committee Member); Gregory Stone PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Health Education; Public Health; Public Health Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2011, Telecommunications (Communication)

Makgabaneng is a serial radio soap drama that addresses critical HIV/AIDS awareness and behavior change issues in Botswana. Based on the MARCH strategy (Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS), this drama aims to help change risky behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS through modeling and reinforcement. Specifically, Makgabaneng aims to provide listeners with higher levels of HIV knowledge that will lead towards prevention and less stigmatizing attitudes towards those affected by HIV/AIDS. This study serves as an audience reception analysis of Makgabaneng. Through triangulation methodologies, a better understanding is gained of how citizens of Botswana interpret and make sense of the edutainment series. A survey evaluation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observations contribute to the final conclusions of this study. Accordingly, this audience reception study provides a deeper understanding of how listeners of Makgabaneng construct themselves and their environment through the edutainment media. Results from this analysis demonstrate some areas where the program could improve. Fans believe that the drama is targeted towards youth, excluding Makgabaneng's actual target audience of individuals' aged 10-49 years; participants expressed sentiments of tuning out any message that centers on HIV/AIDS due to message fatigue; the absence of church and religion proved troublesome to many; fidelity and the risks of multiple concurrent partnerships are talked about in the drama more often than the other five recommended PEPFAR themes. The most empowering messages were targeted towards females only, resulting in male fans only seeing negative behavior as the norm in society; discrepancies also exists between the ways in which traditional and modern fans interpret the same storylines. However, fans of the program express sentiments of being generally satisfied with the production of the program; they believe the drama is similar to what real-lif (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rafael Obregon PhD (Committee Chair); Mia Consalvo PhD (Committee Member); Benjamin Bates PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Tufte PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Mass Communications

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2010, Communication Studies (Communication)

Since 1987, the government has produced public service announcements (PSAs) to provide information and education to the public about the nature of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). By 2005, PSAs produced by the government continued, but now include nongovernmental organizations (NGO) that also produce PSAs to help fight HIV/AIDS through ongoing public education. Contained in the government/NGO PSAs is information that explains modes of how HIV/AIDS is contracted (e.g., unprotected sex, needle exchanges during drug use) and strategies to prevent infection of HIV (Gunn-Brooks, Boyer, & Hein, 1988; Kim, Stanton, Li, Dickersin, & Galbraith, 1997; Stanton, Kim, Galbraith, & Parrott, 1996). A content analysis of public service announcements by government and nongovernment organizations was conducted to ascertain the targeted audience, the communication strategies that are portrayed (i.e., identification, identity, face, dialectics, and sexuality) and a comprehensive analytical framework grounded in interpersonal communication theory, principally relational communication theory, based on general systems theory and cybernetics, which treats communication as processual and interactional rather than linear and individual (Beck, 1997). The findings revealed that females are represented as dominant figures in HIV/AIDS PSAs; however, females are still underrepresented compared to males. Next, the findings showed that females have expanded discussions of issues (i.e., HIV testing) and how females are represented, such as experts. Nevertheless, the portrayal of females as qualified or trustworthy had decreased in HIV/AIDS PSAs. Verbal and nonverbal interpersonal communication strategies are incorporated in HIV/AIDS PSAs. This illuminated relational communication strategies of identification, identity, facework and sexuality embedded in HIV/AIDS PSAs. Implications of this study offer practitioners valuable tools to understand and impl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christina Beck PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Jerry Miller PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Mary Tucker PhD (Committee Member); Devika Chawla PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Gender; Health Education; Marketing; Mass Media; Personal Relationships; Public Health; Social Research; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2009, Educational Leadership

This study investigated the causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe as perceived by students and faculty at Africa University, a pan African international private institution situated in Mutare, the third-largest city in Zimbabwe. The main purpose of the study was three-fold; 1) to investigate the perceived causes of the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, the worst affected country in Southern Africa; 2) to examine the role of teacher preparation programs in dealing with the HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe; and 3) to explore the role of sex education in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe.A phenomenological theoretical framework provided the scope and dimension of a qualitative research approach formulated to collect data on the perceived causes of the HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe among students and faculty at Africa University. The case study design chosen used detailed semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary evidence and employed questioning strategies of a “how” and “why” nature. It did not require control over behavioral events and is a commonly used approach among studies focusing on present-day events in their real-life context. The case study design was chosen as a particularly good means of educational investigation because of its ability to explain the causal links in real-life interventions that are too complex for survey or experimental strategies. I observed a total of eight two-hour lessons in a range of classes made up of senior students preparing to be either high school teachers or health educators. All the classes that I observed were large and ranged from forty students to one hundred. In none of the classes that I observed were there HIV/AIDS materials displayed in the classrooms or lecture halls. However, well-illustrated billboards about HIV/AIDS were erected on all the entrances to the university campus. I interviewed eight senior students and eight faculty members. Initial data analysis took place through analyzing responses o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frances Fowler PhD (Advisor); Michael Dantley Ed.D (Committee Member); Richard Quantz PhD (Committee Member); Abdoulaye Saine PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Health Education; Teacher Education