Browsing by Subject "rural"
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Item American Progressive Education, Texas Schools, and Home Economics, 1910-1957(2011-08-08) Besa, DelilahThis thesis explores the Americanization efforts of educational leaders in Texas during the Progressive Era to demonstrate that reformers did not use vocational education, and specifically home economics, primarily to Americanize immigrant and ethnic minority students to become good, working-poor citizens. Through Americanization efforts in vocational curricula, reformers hoped to provide economically disadvantaged students with a practical body of knowledge and democratic values that would create healthy, economically viable communities occupied by loyal, educated American citizens. Federal legislation that promoted the development of vocational education in the first half of the twentieth century demonstrates that this way of thinking reflected national rather than regional trends. In Texas, vocational education was largely directed at a population that was predominately white and rural for the first several decades of the twentieth century. That decision by educators casts considerable doubt on assertions that they were primarily motivated by racialized thinking. Notably, home economics curricula was constructed over the framework of Americanization, and children who took such courses in rural schools received training that advocated respect for others, cooperation, an appreciation of Western culture and the value of aesthetics, efficiency and thriftiness, and good hygiene practices. The homemaking program at the South San Antonio high school in the 1944-1945 school year provides an example. Homemaking teacher Nell Kruger's curriculum reached far beyond training future housewives, waitresses and maids. She sought, in accordance with the state-mandated home economics curriculum, to provide a practical body of knowledge and to inculcate democratic values in her students. Using Texas' State Department of Education and State Board of Vocational Education bulletins, Texas Education Agency literature, federal and state laws, conference reports, and curriculum guidelines, this thesis seeks to further nuance the understanding of Americanization efforts through vocational education, specifically homemaking, during the Progressive Era in Texas by arguing that Americanization reflected an urban, middle-class perspective directed toward economically disadvantaged white students as well as immigrant and ethnic minority students.Item Discovering the Current Wound Management Practices of Rural Africans: a Pilot Study(2013-06-03) Benskin, Linda 1959-; Bishop, Sheryl L; Hill, Alice; Melby, Peter C; Bolton, Laura LUnrelenting heat, poor sanitation, lack of knowledge, and poverty contribute to a disabling wound prevalence that often exceeds 20% in rural areas of tropical developing countries. Wounds in this environment are usually poorly managed at very high cost. Traditional health practitioners and village health workers, rather than health professionals, provide health care in most villages. Wound management education for these nonprofessional health providers should include only sustainable practices which prove to be safe and effective in tropical villages. However, usual practice data, needed for comparison studies, is absent from the published literature. This pilot study introduced an innovative data collection method to overcome cultural obstacles which have prevented researchers from obtaining meaningful quantitative data in this challenging setting. Between August and October of 2012, seventy-five participants from 25 diverse villages in Ghana provided detailed descriptions of their current usual topical wound management methods by completing the stories of patients representing each of seven wound types commonly found in this setting. Responses were tabulated and categorized as congruent or not congruent with modern topical wound management principles within three domains and six subcategories (two for each domain). Four research questions organized the data analysis. The wound management practices of nonprofessional health care providers were identified and described in detail for the first time. These results are foundational to the process of developing culturally and environmentally appropriate wound management protocols for indigenous wound care providers in rural areas of tropical developing countries. In addition, several significant differences in the wound management of the three nonprofessional provider groups were found. The unique data collection method introduced in this study can easily be adapted to rural areas of other tropical developing countries. When sufficient data have been accumulated, the information can be utilized to design comparison studies so that the ecological validity of the wound management protocols in planned educational programs can be ensured.Item Effectiveness of internet information for park, recreation and tourism practitioners(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Patterson, Joni DeniseThis research is a four-step process. 1) Development of the Park, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) Planning Web site to meet the needs of rural communities, indicated through the Texas Community Futures Forum needs assessment process. 2) Evaluation of the PRT Planning Web site by experts in the field of PRT Sciences. 3) Inspect differences in the information needs and use between rural and urban PRT practitioners. 4) Examine factors contributing to the flow experience while utilizing the PRT Planning Web site. Evaluation information provided insight about strengths, weakness and modifications to be made to the PRT Planning site. Programming was reported as the service provided most by survey participants. Internet information is considered the most effective information resource, with suppliers/manufacturers and libraries being the least effective. When acquiring information on developing and providing PRT services, not knowing where to find information was the problem experienced most, while not understanding the information was the problem encountered the least. Marketing information was deemed the most useful type of information, and increasing community well being is the most important service benefit provided by respondents. No significant differences were reported between groups' perception of Internet information as the most effective information resource, intent to return to the PRT Planning Web site, or education levels. Significant differences were reported between groups' Internet connection speed, use of a dial-up modem, computer experience and Internet experience. Study findings also reported less computer and Internet experience for rural and small communities when compared to large and urban communities. In Skadberg's (2002) proposed model of flow in human-computer interaction, the factors that contribute to the flow experience are, experience, ease of use, response speed, interactivity, vividness, telepresence, knowledge of the information being presented, and challenge of the information being presented. Of these factors, experience was the only variable that did not show a significant or positive relationship with factors in the flow model. Increased learning and change in attitude and behavior are considered outcomes of achieving the flow state; both reflected a positive and significant relationship with the variable flow.Item Efficacy of DVD Technology in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Self- Management Education of Rural Patients(2010-01-14) Stellefson, Michael L.Despite the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation programs which assist patients in managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the high costs and lack of availability of such programs pose considerable barriers for underserved COPD patients, such as those living in rural communities. Because of this, patients are encouraged to actively self-manage COPD. Unfortunately, COPD patients have reported dissatisfaction with the self-management education they are provided. This mixed methods study assessed the self-management learning needs of COPD patients treated at a Certified Federal Rural Health Clinic through conducting focus group interviews (n = 2) to inform the development a targeted self-management education DVD. The effectiveness of 3 distinct educational treatments (DVD vs. Pamphlet vs. DVD Pamphlet) was evaluated by comparing outcomes related to informational needs, self-management self-efficacy, and generic/lung-specific HRQoL in a randomly-assigned, multiple-group pretestposttest design with a control group (n = 41). Focus group data was analyzed using three qualitative analysis tools. Findings from the interviews indicated that patients viewed self-management as simply taking prescribed medications and reducing activity. Patients reported a lack of knowledge and skill development related to rehabilitative activities such as controlled breathing and stress reduction. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to determine the effect of 3 educational treatments on multiple outcome measures. Three nontrend orthogonal planned contrasts were tested to determine selected contrast effects. The data analysis revealed that participants receiving a DVD reported statistically significantly higher levels of lung-specific physical functioning as compared to those in the Pamphlet group. Additionally, the DVD group revealed clinically significant improvements on the physical ( 19.01) and emotional ( 10.74) functioning dimensions of lung-specific HRQoL; whereas, no such improvement occurred within the Pamphlet and control groups. Results also suggested that providing patients with a Pamphlet alone was more effective than providing participants with both interventions concurrently to increase self-management self-efficacy. The simultaneous provision of both interventions did, however, enhance generic HRQoL more so than the provision of one of the two treatments alone. Finally, any type of self-management education as compared to usual care did not statistically significantly improve outcome variables among this small sample of rural patients.Item Evaluation of Telehealth Videoconferencing Psychotherapy in Rural Primary Care: A Mixed-Methods Research Study(2014-07-15) Gonzalez, GerardoThe effectiveness of telehealth videoconferencing psychotherapy (TVCP) for a rural sample obtaining services through a primary care setting in Texas was examined by combining single-case and group research methods. Treatment-as-usual was delivered via TVCP to 41 patients for an average of 11 sessions (SD = 7.79) by doctoral level psychology students under supervision of licensed psychologists. Patients were assessed periodically over the course of treatment with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation ? Short Form B (CORE-B), Patient Health Questionnaire ? 9 (PHQ-9), and SF-12 health survey. Group analyses included bootstrapped paired-samples t tests of pre-and post-treatment mean scores for all outcome variables. Reliable improvement (Improved) and clinically significant change (Recovered) was assessed for all patients on the CORE-B scales and the PHQ-9. Single-case analyses of four female patients included visual ratings of graphed CORE-B Global Distress scores and simple mean shift regressions of all CORE-B scales. Results of single-case analyses were compared with group results to uncover clinical insights. TVCP produced statistically significant results on all mental health outcomes for the group despite declines in perceived physical health quality. On the CORE-B Global Distress scale, 27% of patients Improved and 32% Recovered. On the CORE-B subscales, a large percentage of patients made reliable improvements and clinically significant change in Risk (58% Improved, 8% Recovered), Well-Being (13% Improved, 52% Recovered), Symptoms (33% Improved, 29% Recovered), and Functioning (24% Improved, 33% Recovered). On the PHQ-9, 46% of patients Improved and 23% Recovered. Single-case analyses of four female patients provided a more differentiated representation of treatment response and context for group results. Comparison of single-case and group results suggested treatment response was dependent upon type and severity of diagnoses, severity of physical health issues, and situational context. Clinical and methodological conclusions of the study were discussed with implications for scientists and practitioners.Item Measuring availability of healthful foods in two rural Texas counties(2009-05-15) Bustillos, Brenda DianeA comprehensive in-store survey may capture the availability of healthful food alternatives in different store types in two rural counties. The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare the availability of healthful foods in two rural Texas counties; and (2) compare the variety of healthful foods in two rural Texas counties. This study also acts as a pilot test for further food availability research in four other rural counties of the Brazos Valley. An unobtrusive, observational survey was used to measure availability of healthful food in all (100%) grocery, convenience, and discount stores (n=44) in two rural counties in the Brazos Valley of Texas. Results from the surveys indicated that availability of healthful food alternatives varied greatly among the three different store types and two counties surveyed. Grocery stores (n=7) were more likely than convenience (n=31) and discount (n=6) stores to offer fresh fruits and vegetables, leanmeat options, and low-fat/skim milk products. Fresh fruits and vegetables were available in 100% of grocery stores. Only 16.1% of convenience stores, compared with 0.0% in discount stores, offered fresh fruits and vegetables. Variety of fruits and vegetables varied greatly among the three different store types and the two counties surveyed. Findings suggest that the survey utilized was feasible in determining the availability of healthful food items in two rural counties. Implications of this study include the need for knowledge and awareness of rural consumers and rural food supply. Furthermore, nutrition education for rural consumers and those purchasing foods provided to rural areas is desired. This study provided that further investigation into the availability of healthful foods in rural areas is needed.