MS, Kent State University, 2020, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

Aim: The purpose of this study was to look at the differences in fat-related diet habits of college students of varying BMI statuses and sex at a large mid-western public University. Sample: It was a quantitative study with cross-sectional design. Convenient sampling was used. Materials: An online survey was conducted via filling out a fat-related diet habits questionnaire. Statistical analysis: Demographic data was summarized and presented in table of distribution frequencies, mean and standard deviations. To test the hypotheses, multifactorial two-way ANOVA was used for the main part of the questionnaire. Any p value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Outcomes: The p-values of the summary scores for sex, and different BMI categories was 0.48 and 0.31 respectively. The scores fell between “often” and “sometimes”. Similar patterns were observed between males and females and varying BMI categories. There were no significant differences found in the fat-related diet habits between sex and varying BMI statuses. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that no differences were observed between fat related diet habits of college students between males and females, and between varying BMI statuses. However, it also provides evidence of improvement in the nutritional status and dietary habits, especially fat consumption of young adults.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Sociology

The concept of hidden injuries was first described by Sennett and Cobb (1972) in reference to minority class statuses, though this concept can be applied to sexual minorities. Although universities are historically spaces where sexual identity issues are explored, identifying as non-heterosexual can impact the lives of college students, inflicting hidden injuries that are not readily apparent, but that have lasting consequences for the targets of heterosexism and homophobia. Sixteen out lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students were asked how they make meaning of incidences of heterosexism and the campus climate. A focus group was conducted with three of the individual interview participants, exploring similar questions. An analysis of the students' responses yielded four general themes. First, the overwhelming majority of students tended to minimize incidences of heterosexism and homophobia in their lives. Second, there was a desire on the part of many respondents to support heteronormativity and develop an identity apart from, rather than integrated with, sexual identity. Third, the campus climate was generally portrayed as positive, though typically in reference to less-supportive milieus. Finally, among some participants, there was the potential for resisting heterosexism, suggesting that the damage done by these hidden injuries can be countered.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Higher Education (Education)

The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to understand the increased number of secondary school age British students considering undergraduate study in the United States. The study included events and experiences that influenced participants' interest and decisions concerning pursuing undergraduate study in the United States. It further explored the role that the various people in the students' lives played in the process: parents, friends, careers advisors, media, etc. The study included a purposeful sample of 12 self-identified British students completing their A-levels education. Additionally, interviews with nine international students completing their A-levels education at a school in the United Kingdom were included. The study also included interviews with three careers advisors and the former head of the U.S./U.K. Fulbright Commission. The interviews took place at three boarding schools in England over a one-week period. The following conclusions were drawn after an in-depth analysis of the transcripts of the individual interviews and biographical questionnaires. The students in the United Kingdom who are considering undergraduate study in the United States are interested in universities in the United States based upon their perception of the quality of education, the ability to delay choosing a major, the opportunity for a liberal arts education and their perception of the availability of scholarships and other financial assistance.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Wittenberg University, 2024, Nursing

Research shows that there is an issue with college students obtaining enough quality sleep, and research also shows that college students are especially sensitive to mental health issues. This study will address the correlation between college student's sleep quality and mental health issues. This research looked strictly at college student's sleep and mental health is limited as a result of numerous studies using the variables besides sleep and mental health in their research. The specific mental health issues addressed are anxiety, depression, difficulty focusing, suicidal thoughts, severe mood swings, and insomnia. Research shows that the aforementioned mental health symptoms are most prevalent for undergraduate students. The PICO question posed is: Do college students who report less than ideal sleep quality tend to suffer more adverse mental health issues than those who report having better quality sleep? Data was collected via an anonymous survey sent to undergraduate students; questions involved rating one's sleep quality, sleep quantity, and mental health quality. The results and analysis of this study suggests that sleep quality does impact mental health of university students in the sample. Students who report lower sleep quality tend to rate their mental health lower than those who report a higher sleep quality. The majority of students do not believe college students get enough sleep; they also believe they could benefit from better sleep. The most pressing mental health issues in this sample are anxiety, difficulty focusing, and depression because those were reported as impacting significantly more than half of the sample. More than 90% of the sample reported that they have peers who struggle with depression or anxiety. The vast majority of students reported that their mental health was worse after getting less sleep. Additionally, the majority also reported that even one good night of sleep impacted their mental health positively. In conclusion, the re (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 1966, Sociology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 1949, Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Cross-Cultural, International Education

Students from refugee backgrounds under the WUSC – Student refugee Program in Canada experience a lot of challenges. The challenges are mostly attributed to their background as refugees. Having been resettled from refugee camps where both the quality of life and standards of education were not admirable, their transitioning to higher education and to a developed country is marred with many challenges. This study documents the experiences of students from refugee backgrounds that were resettled to Canada through the WUSC – Student Refugee Program. The study utilizes a phenomenological approach to focus on a sample of six students from refugee backgrounds under the WUSC – Student Refugee Program that are in Canadian universities. The study utilizes Berry's (1997) acculturation theory. The results show that the program offered them an opportunity to access higher education but also brought with it challenges that they encounter as they navigate higher education in Canada.

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Psychology

The current study analyzed how the developmental components of emerging adulthood in first-year college students are related to medication adherence/nonadherence. It was hypothesized that the newly discovered autonomy during the transition to college would encourage an exploration in identity and provide an opportunity for the “reinvention” of the self that might impact medication taking. Participants were 124 undergraduate first-year students enrolled at a small university in the Midwest. Participants completed an online survey that asked about their medication habits and the potential barriers to their medication adherence. Participants then answered questions regarding their perceived self-esteem, autonomy, identity, and stigma. The results showed that the most common barriers for medication adherence in first-year students were “feeling better” and “forgetfulness.” Additionally, the results revealed that the first-year students who were currently taking mental health medications (MH) demonstrated higher levels of agreement with feelings of perceived stigma and lower levels of agreement with feelings of autonomy and perceived self-esteem than the students taking physical health (PH) medications or no medication (p < .05). These results highlight the importance of how transitional developmental components may have an impact on medication adherence in first-year college students.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, EDU Policy and Leadership

The first objective of this phenomenological research project was to interrogate how fictive kin exists as social capital and functions as a part of the Black collegiate experience at Predominately White Institutions (PWI). The second objective was to demonstrate fictive kin as a sustained African tradition and a phenomenon that continues to occur on the campuses of PWIs (Mutisya & Ross, 2005). The third objective was to illuminate the explicit and implicit connection shared by fictive kin, social capital, and persistence of Black students at PWIs. Coleman's (1988) interpretation of social capital theory was used in partnership with Portes' social capital functions (1998). Additionally, I utilized Asante's (2003) theory of Afrocentricity, which seeks to challenge Eurocentric standards as normative for those of African descent and promotes knowledge and pride in African customs and traditions for Black people throughout the African Diaspora. The research questions that guided this study were: 1) In what way(s) does/have fictive kinships aided in helping African American students remain enrolled at PWIs? 2) What is it like for Black collegians enrolled in a PWI to participate/experience fictive kin? 3) What meaning do Black college students ascribe to fictive kin? Data collection included an in-depth semi-structured interview with a sample of eight participants. Data explicitation included four readings of the data corpus to elicit the essence of the phenomenon. The findings demonstrated that fictive kin acted as social capital in three ways: lack of representation as motivation, community of support, and cultural reproductions in institutional settings. Their experiences were hallmarked by consistent presence, trusted interaction, and their fictive kin members. As a result of their experiences, the significance of fictive kin was captured in African Group Interest and social debt.

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2021, Psychology

Rising rates of mental illness in the college student population are a cause of concern that needs to be addressed to effectively support students. One promising opportunity for intervention is facilitating emotional flexibility and reducing emotional inflexibility among college students. The present study examined the relationships between emotional flexibility and emotional inflexibility, and variables related to well-being and mental illness in a college population. Undergraduate students at Wittenberg University (N = 100) completed a brief online survey measuring emotional flexibility, emotional inflexibility, coping strategies, thriving, anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. Participants were also invited to complete a follow-up survey four weeks after the original study to explore potential changes in these variables over time. Participants higher in emotional flexibility scored lower on anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout and scored higher in problem-focused coping strategies and thriving. Participants who were higher in emotional inflexibility scored higher in anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout and lower in problem-focused coping strategies. Emotional inflexibility was also positively correlated with emotion-focused coping strategies, avoidant-focused coping strategies, and thriving. These findings support a strong positive relationship between emotional flexibility and well-being in this population. Future experimental studies are needed to establish causal relationships, but the results of this study are consistent with the proposed benefits of interventions that promote emotional flexibility in a college student population.

Bachelor of Science, Wittenberg University, 2020, Psychology

The current study investigates several personality characteristics and motivations of college students across different types of institutions, and their relation to the students' decision-making process when choosing which college to attend. Personality traits and measurements are thoroughly examined, followed by ways that college institutions and their students differ from each other. An online survey assessed personality characteristics and factors involved in the college-decision process from 215 participants who were currently attending or had previously attended undergraduate institutions. Significant differences were found between different groups of students (e.g., students attending public vs private schools, male vs female) in their personality characteristics and the college factors they considered in their college-decision process. Personality traits also predicted how much students considered different factors when deciding which college to attend.

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2020, Educational Administration (Education)

Student persistence, which is student's progress towards graduation through achieving or meeting educational goals, is widely studied. The focus of a majority of the studies on student persistence is on students at the K-12 and undergraduate levels. Furthermore, while persistence of graduate student population was studied, such studies focused on domestic student, and not international students. International graduate students are important for educational institutions. The pedagogical and financial impact of international graduate students on educational institutions is significant, yet their retention and persistence is understudied. The current study was an attempt to enhance our understanding surrounding student retention and persistence. Research on student retention and persistence is greatly influenced by the works of Vincent Tinto, one of the earliest researchers to incorporate sociological research into their work on student persistence and, who in the early 1970s, developed what is probably the very first predictive model of student persistence. Tinto's (1993) model of student persistence, known as Tinto's Institutional Departure Model (TIDM), suggests that a student's integration into the academic and social fabric of the educational institution (i.e., academic integration and social integration) predicts their persistence. Subsequent research, across different student populations and at different levels of education, has shown that academic integration and social integration play an important role in determining persistence of students, validating the core finding of Tinto's model. Student persistence decisions are complex and are influenced by a variety of factors. For example, finance plays an important role in not only access to education but also influences academic integration and social integration. This was highlighted by the works of Pascarella and Terenzini (2005), and Cabrera and colleagues (Cabrera, Nora, & Castaneda, 1992; Nora, Cabrera, Hage (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Health and Human Services, Youngstown State University, 2019, Department of Health Professions

Introduction Health professions and human services have one thing in common, which is that they work with people. However, the work they do is often very different. The purpose of this study is to explore the topic of empathy in health care professions students. This was explored because the ability to empathize can potentially make the person a better clinician. Better clinicians may also make better decisions which can lead to better health outcomes. Methods The study had 173 participants in majors or programs in health and human services. Two groups were given a researcher designed survey to assess their empathy levels. The survey given consisted of ten statements and then asked participants to rank their agreeance with the statements using a Likert scale. The two groups were categorized into health profession students and human services students. The survey was designed to give insight into both groups' empathy levels and the ability to compare the two. Results The study indicated there was no statistical significance in the differences between the ways these groups responded to the survey. Conclusion The results were not what was expected and did not support this study's hypotheses. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to draw a more solid conclusion to the research question of whether empathy is stronger in health care professionals. It is also recommended that further studies can be used to determine if empathy training is worth the time, effort, and resources in universities and in organizations that currently utilize them.

MS, Kent State University, 2014, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

The purpose of this study was to compare the knowledge and utilization of nutrition labels among international versus non-international college students. It was expected that there would be a difference in knowledge of the nutrition labels between the international and non-international college students. Also, it was expected that there would be a difference in utilization of nutrition labels among international and non-international college students. An electronic questionnaire was completed by undergraduate and graduate students at Kent State University (n=176). Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe frequencies, standard deviations, and means of all participants' responses. A t test was used to compare the means of the three subscales (nutrition knowledge, nutrition label use, and attitude toward nutrition labels) among the demographic variables. A P-value was selected a priori 0.05 for significance. Correlation between age and the three scales was used to analyze the relationship between age and scores on each of the three scales. A significant difference was demonstrated in the summed total knowledge scores between non-international and International students (P=.001). This study demonstrated a lack of overall nutrition label knowledge and use among college students, suggesting nutritional-related educational strategies for college students are needed.

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2014, Educational Administration (Education)

High percentages of college students fail to persist in higher education each year (Attewell & Lavin, 2007; Rosenbaum, Stephan, & Rosenbaum, 2010; Tinto, 2012). Until recently, the national goal was to make accessible the four year degree for all United States citizens in order to advance the goal of being the most credentialed society in the world (Grubb & Lazerson, 2005; Lee, 2012; Leef, 2006). Marginalized populations, however, sometimes face opposing forces or conflicting priorities when making the decision to attend and persist in higher education. This study recognizes what other researchers have determined regarding the lack of college persistence in first-generation students and seeks to add to that body of knowledge by examining the role of higher education and its impact on rural, Appalachian working class students who do not complete their bachelors degrees. The findings of this study indicate that for these participants higher education was not the appropriate path for them after high school and that there were responsibilities growing out of their culturally-shaped experiences that first required their attention. The themes in this study indicate that family relationships, social integration, academic management and financial matters took precedence over higher education for these participants at that stage in their lives; however, for many of the participants, a college education remained a priority and the degree was earned later in their adult lives. The unique, cultural characteristics of Appalachian students should be considered by stakeholders when determining higher education goals and practices. Among the important considerations should be flexible expectations for the enrollment and completion of higher education, as well as delivery models that take into account place boundedness that grows out of Appalachian students' strong connections to their communities and families.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2014, School of Professional Psychology

There is a gap in the current literature concerning the study of university students with mental illness. Particularly, very few qualitative studies have been conducted in which interviews with university students with mental illness have yielded knowledge about the population's experiences and needs. The present study, employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, was designed to promote a more accurate perception of the lives of university students with mental illness by allowing the voices of members of this group to be heard. Eight matriculating university students who self-identified with mental illness participated in this exploratory PAR initiative. The study involved open-ended questioning of participants through mixed methods including a demographics sheet, self-administered questionnaire, and focus group interviews. Results reflected numerous salient themes based on both written and verbal interactions with participants. For instance, potential barriers to success and suggestions for ways to best serve university students with mental illness were revealed. Also, mental health stigma and disability issues were addressed. Implications for future research and action are discussed.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Cross-Cultural, International Education

This study explored the patterns of interactions and networks of interpersonal support of Chinese graduate students during their study abroad experience at a midsized university in the Midwest of the U.S. Eleven graduate students from the People's Republic of China were interviewed to address three research questions including: 1) what are the goals of Chinese international students for their study abroad experience?, 2) what kinds of groups and networks do Chinese international students interact with at graduate school?, and 3) what barriers to interaction and participation do the students perceive in these environments? The findings show that the students had primarily academic and professional goals and their academic goal orientation shapes their daily lives and interaction with others in the U.S. The students interacted primarily with other students from China in academic and social settings. However, some of the students built relationships with Americans who were able to relate to them through intercultural understanding and utilize intercultural communication techniques. A better understanding of Chinese international students' interaction with others and their new environment in the U.S. can enhance the ability of academic institutions in the U.S and American students, faculty and community members to help international students from China achieve their goals and facilitate their process of adaptation in the U.S.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

This study investigates the relationship between rape myth acceptance and demographic factors such as age, race, and gender among university students. A survey including the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance –Subtle Version Scale (IRMA-S) was administered to 144 students. Independent samples T-tests revealed some significant demographic differences. The findings highlight how rape myth acceptance varies across demographic groups based on gender, race, and age. These findings underscore the need for addressing the prevalence and predictors of rape myth acceptance among university students, which can contribute to the development of more effective interventions and support services for sexual assault victims on college campuses.

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Communication Disorders

Participation in group work is a common experience shared by students in higher education. Effective group work relies heavily on interpersonal communication skills and individual understanding of the interactional dynamics between group members. Autistic students, as neurominority members within universities, often face challenges with group work. In this study, we explored the experiences and preferences in communication of autistic college students in their interactions with peers and professors. Using a mixed-methods research design with a participatory approach, we interviewed ten autistic college students about their experiences with group work. The participating students also completed a survey rating their preferences and perspectives on group work. We used an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to analyze the interview transcripts, and we analyzed survey data descriptively. Results on students' communication experiences with group work resulted in six themes, including experiences of communication challenges in group work, social exclusion, the need for pleasing people, the need for self-advocacy and communication skills that aligned with non-autistic norms, and finally, students shared what they would find helpful in group work engagement. Students' responses on recommendations for professors revealed three themes, including the option to choose individual over group work, the need for proactive planning, and ongoing support.

Masters of Science in Kinesiology and Health, Miami University, 2023, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health

Sexual assault is a public health crisis on college campuses. On average, one in five female undergraduates will experience sexual assault while in college. Students with disabilities (SWDs) are at a much greater risk for sexual assault. Using SPSS statistics, the project aimed to examine the prevalence of sexual assault in SWDs and how alcohol, a known cofactor for abuse, affects the likelihood of victimization. Data came from the on-campus Student Health Survey of a medium-sized university. The data showed that SWDs were twice as likely to experience sexual assault compared to students without disabilities. Both men and women with disabilities were more likely to experience sexual assault and more severe sexual assault than individuals without disabilities. SWDs also had more problems associated with alcohol and higher motivation to drink than students without disabilities. SWDs are experiencing a public health crisis in which they are not on the radar of their universities or college campuses. They need to receive more support than what they are currently getting. Future research should evaluate preexisting methods of sexual assault awareness and education to see how these resources could better serve this demographic.