Honors College Theses

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10323/1056

Browse

Browsing Honors College Theses by Subject "Adolescents"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Body Image in Adolescent Dancers from Clothing Type and Instructor Communication
    (2014-04-24) Wanner, Paige S; Thompson, J. Bayley; Woerner, Ali
    Objective: Chronic negative body image can lead to eating disorders as well as mood, personality, and body perception disturbances for adolescent dancers. Tight- or loose-fitting clothing and criticism from authority figures influence body image in females. The study examined both clothing and criticism on body image within a dance class setting as these factors compound internalization of negative body image. The study aimed to reveal high-risk atmospheres that may breed long term eating disordered behaviors. Participants: Twenty nine female adolescent dancers from either jazz, contemporary, hip hop, or ballet classes and five adult dance instructors consented to participate after prior screening. Methods: The researcher tallied the frequency of praise and criticism from the instructors during 45-90 minute dance classes. Afterwards, the dancers responded to a demographic questionnaire and the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS); the researcher then individually assessed each dancer’s clothing. Results: There was no significant effect on body image from clothing (p=.624), and there was a negative non-significant relationship between body image and instructor criticism (p=.173). Observed peer criticism did not show any influence on body image (p=.10). Lastly, peer criticism and instructor criticism revealed a significant relationship (p<.001). Conclusions: Findings did not reflect previous data that clothing type, criticism from authority figures, and the additional variable peer criticism all affect body image in adolescents; however, current study limitations could be mitigated through further research.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a Treatment Option for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
    Agas, Kaliopi; Bhaskaran, Subha
    Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is becoming increasingly common in children and adolescents. The most common method for treating this disorder is through prescription drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin or Methylphenidate. The side effects of these drugs can negatively impact the quality of life of these children. These drugs have many known side effects, including sleep problems, nervousness, restlessness, weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite, and dizziness. In this study, complementary and alternative methods (CAM) such as herbal or natural medicine were examined for the treatment of ADHD. A comparison was conducted of the side effects of the alternative methods to the side effects of prescription drugs. A variety of treatment options that potentially could be successful in treating children with ADHD were studied.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Hemophilia Treatment Accessibility: An Analysis of Unexplored Barriers
    Beyerlein, Rebekah; Mabry, Stephanie
    In the research conducted, the accessibility of treatment for the bleeding disorder hemophilia is explored. While current care for people with this genetic anomaly is available, there are additional concerns and variables surrounding the medical advancement and treatment which should be considered not only by health professionals, but also in the medical laboratory setting. This thesis asks what the problems and hindrances with the generalized path of care prescribed are, and with the knowledge acquired, it pursues to recognize the under-discussed barriers to hemophilia and how to better advance the future care of hemophilia patients by creating a basis of discussion to these barriers for future and current healthcare professionals’ use. With this uncovered information, it is expected that the understanding of the potential hardships with hemophilia care is furthered, and while the analysis strives to ultimately benefit people with this disorder, it also seeks to encourage healthcare professionals to gain an improved understanding that the knowledge of diversely accessible treatment options is essential in the workplace.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Social Media Usage and Sexual Health and Risk-Taking in Adolescents
    Hayen, Olivia; Pittiglio, Laura
    Many sexual health programs in schools focus on abstinence, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. While these topics are important and need to be addressed during the period of adolescence, when students begin to be at higher risk for sexual practice, there is a lack of comprehensive sexual health programs that are evidence-based and unbiased by teacher views, as well as include the depth and diversity prevalent in today’s culture. Due to this, adolescents turn toward media and evolving technologies available to them to determine and understand their sexual relationships, communication, sexual identities, and more. However, the media and technology typically accessed is not always a reliable source. It may portray abusive relationships, unsafe sex practices, miscommunication, and other harmful situations that adolescents connect to, or feel that they should desire to connect to, that contribute to an overall riskier sexual education and experience. This paper aims to identify and analyze the impact of social media usage on adolescent sexual health practices and risk-taking, but may also identify the gaps of the current adolescent sexual health education programs in relation to media and technology developments, as well as more diverse topics. These findings could be used to determine the efficacy of including media- and technology-enhanced sexual health education programs in schools, higher education institutions, and community public health and learning centers in the future. This research will result in a better overall understanding of sexual habits and practices for adolescents and young adults with easy access to social media, will aid in identifying the reasoning and outcomes of adolescents in risky sexual situations within media, and may aid in developing plans for more comprehensive sexual health education, leading to healthier sexual outcomes in adolescents.