This body of research sought to explore relationships between cognitive function and physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, independently and in conjunction, in mid-life to older adults with no known cognitive impairment. Aging is associated with cognitive decline, and lifestyle behaviors such as PA, SB, and sleep, may mitigate this decline. First, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of aerobic PA interventions on memory and executive function in sedentary adults. Second, a longitudinal study was conducted to examine the association between SB and odds of incident cognitive impairment, and SB and cognitive decline in older adults. Last, a cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the joint associations between different levels of sleep with levels of PA, and sleep with levels of sedentary time on memory and executive function. This body of research provided evidence to support the association between aerobic PA and improved cognitive function, SB and incident cognitive impairment and cognitive function declines, and the joint association of sleep and different levels of PA and ST on cognitive function by hypertension status.

Research on acceptability of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for populations with substance use disorders (SUD) is extremely limited. Intervention development and testing guidelines note that acceptability of the intervention by the target population is important for retention, efficacy, and intervention integrity. Yet, MBIs for SUD studies have not measured acceptability or have done so in a cursory manner, therefore, the question remains of whether MBIs are acceptable to populations in SUD treatment. The proposed study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by undertaking a conceptually-grounded empirical approach to assess acceptability of Moment-by-Moment in Women’s Recovery (MMWR), which is an MBI for women with SUD. This document is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and provides background literature. Chapter 2 systematically reviews MBIs for SUD studies to assess measurement of acceptability. Chapter 3 analyzes the psychometric properties of two acceptability surveys used in MMWR. Chapter 4 examines the associations among the acceptability surveys, personal characteristics of the participants, and application of intervention techniques. And Chapter 5 summarizes the previous chapters and discusses future directions for this line of work. There is a need for a greater understanding of which factors may influence participants’ abilities to accept an intervention. The results identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that can inform future intervention adaptations, screening, or pre-intervention programs to increase efficiency of SUD intervention delivery and relevance. The long-term goal is to improve fit and efficacy of MBIs for SUD for minority and underrepresented populations.

This descriptive research used social network analysis to explore the influence of relationships and communication among hospital nursing (RN, LPN, CNA) and discharge planning staff on adherence to evidence-based practices (EBP) for reducing preventable hospital readmissions. Although previous studies have shown that nurses are a valued source of research information for each other, there have been few studies concerning the role that staff relationships and communication play in adherence to evidence-based practice. The investigator developed the Relational Model of Communication and Adherence to EBP from diffusion of innovation theory, social network theories, relational coordination theory, and quality improvement literature.

The study sample consisted of 10 adult-medical surgical units, five home care agencies and six long-term care facilities. A total of 273 hospital nursing and discharge planning staff and 69 post-acute staff participated. Hospital staff completed a survey about communication patterns for patient care and patient discharge and about communication quality on the unit. Hospital and post-acute care staff completed surveys about relationship quality and demographic characteristics. Evidence-based practice adherence rates for risk assessment, medication reconciliation, and discharge summary were measured as documented in the electronic medical record.

Social network analysis was used to analyze the communication patterns for patient care communication at the unit. These findings were correlated with (1) aggregate responses for communication quality, (2) aggregate responses for relationship quality, and (3) EBP adherence. Statistically significant relationships were found between communication patterns, and communication quality and relationship quality. There were

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two significant relationships between communication quality, and EBP adherence. Limitations in response rates and missing data prevented the analysis of all of the hypothesized relationships.

The findings from this study provide empirical support for the role of social networks and relationships among staff in adoption of, and adherence to, EBP. Social network theory and social network analysis, especially the concept of knowledge sharing, provide ways to understand and leverage the influence of peer relationships. Future studies are needed to better understand the contribution that relationships among staff (social networks) have in the adoption of and adherence to EBP among nursing staff. Further model development and multilevel studies are

A core principle in multiple national quality improvement strategies is the engagement of chronically ill patients in the creation and execution of their treatment plans. Numerous initiatives are underway to use health information technology (HIT) to support patient engagement however the use of HIT and other factors such as health literacy may be significant barriers to engagement for older adults. This qualitative descriptive study sought to explore the ways that older adults with multi-morbidities engaged with their plan of care. Forty participants were recruited through multiple case sampling from two ambulatory cardiology practices. Participants were English-speaking, without a dementia-related diagnosis, and between the ages of 65 and 86. The older adults in this study performed many behaviors to engage in the plan of care, including acting in ways to support health, managing health-related information, attending routine visits with their doctors, and participating in treatment planning. A subset of patients engaged in active decision-making because of the point they were at in their chronic disease. At that cross roads, they expressed uncertainly over which road to travel. Two factors influenced the engagement of older adults: a relationship with the provider that met the patient's needs, and the distribution of a Meaningful Use clinical summary at the conclusion of the provider visit. Participants described the ways in which the clinical summary helped and hindered their understanding of the care plan.

Insights gained as a result of this study include an understanding of the discrepancies between what the healthcare system expects of patients and their actual behavior when it comes to the creation of a care plan and the ways in which they take care of their health. Further research should examine the ability of various factors to enhance patient engagement. For example, it may be useful to focus on ways to improve the clinical summary to enhance engagement with the care plan and meet standards for a health literate document. Recommendations for the improvement of the clinical summary are provided. Finally, this study explored potential reasons for the infrequent use of online health information by older adults including the trusting relationship they enjoyed with their cardiologist.