Browsing by Author "Luong, Gloria, committee member"
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Item Open Access Assessment of physical health, physical performance, and physical activity in exercise promotion intervention for older adults(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Forsyth, Garrett, author; Diehl, Manfred, advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Li, Kaigang, committee memberThis study examined the effects of an intervention program, known as AgingPlus, on indicators of physical health (i.e. systolic and diastolic blood pressure), physical performance (i.e. left- and right-hand grip strength), and physical activity levels (i.e. total steps walked, total kilocalorie expenditure, and total distance). The sample included 120 older-adult participants who were relatively healthy and community residing. The study used a randomized pretest-posttest control group design. Findings showed that NVOA and self-efficacy beliefs did not mediate the association between the intervention and the outcome variables. We found that participants in the treatment and the control group improved their physical health, physical performance, and physical activity from the baseline assessment to the Week 8 follow-up. Additionally, the results showed that only participants in the treatment condition significantly decreased their systolic and diastolic blood pressure and significantly improved their left- and right-hand grip strength over an eight-week interval. These findings suggest that targeting NVOA and self-efficacy beliefs may be an effective strategy to optimize adults' healthy aging.Item Open Access Development and initial validation of the comprehensive HIV adherence with treatment scale(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Rahm-Knigge, Ryan L., author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Harman, Jennifer J., committee member; Prince, Mark A., committee memberHIV remains a significant public health concern despite decreasing rates of transmission in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020c). Contributing factors include low rates of treatment adherence (de Bruin et al., 2010) and high rates of comorbidities with other medical and mental health conditions (Bing et al., 2001; Gallant et al., 2017; Lerner et al., 2020). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved HIV health outcomes and reduced AIDS diagnoses and AIDS-related mortality (Crum et al., 2006; Glass et al., 2008; Ickovics & Meade, 2002; Paterson et al., 2000; Stone, 2001; World Health Organization, 2015). Because of ART's effectiveness, HIV is considered a chronic rather than terminal health condition for people adherent with treatment (Aberg, 2006; Swendeman, Ingram, & Rotheram- Borus, 2009). Treatment for HIV as a chronic health condition includes several pro-health behaviors in addition to ART adherence to support overall wellness. To support future research and treatment recommendations, the current study developed a measure of adherence with pro- health behavior and conducted an initial analysis of the measure's psychometric properties with a sample of 118 people living with HIV. Structural equation modeling explored relations among antecedents (personality, treatment self-efficacy, treatment information, and treatment motivation) and health outcomes of pro-health behaviors and ART adherence. Regularly assessing engagement in, as well as antecedents and outcomes of, treatment behaviors can enhance communication between providers and people living with HIV, reinforce HIV's status as a manageable chronic condition, and link people living with HIV to appropriate interventions.Item Open Access Examining the moderating effects of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on the association between substance misuse and mental health in adolescence(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Hatch, Kyle, author; Riggs, Nathaniel R., advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberAdolescence has been shown to be a critical time for healthy development, however, research has suggested that substance use is high during this developmental period. Adolescent substance use is of concern, as it can lead to negative developmental health outcomes. Specifically, adolescent cannabis use has been associated with mental health outcomes like depression. This thesis sought to investigate the relationship between adolescent cannabis use and depression, and to test potential moderators such as race/ethnic identity and socioeconomic status (SES) in this relationship. It was found that adolescent cannabis use, along with assigned female sex at birth and low-SES, were associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescence. Race/ethnic identity and SES did not significantly moderate the relationship between adolescent cannabis use and depression. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future studies are discussed.Item Open Access Family caregiving, family dynamics, and preparedness for the transition to end-of-life care(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Fox, Aimee Lynn, author; Fruhauf, Christine A., advisor; Sharp, Julia L., advisor; Diehl, Manfred, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Atler, Karen E., committee memberTaking on the role of family caregiver to an adult family member with health or functional needs can be a time consuming, stressful, and physically demanding responsibility, and often leads to adverse psychological or physical outcomes. As family members near the end of their life, their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual care needs may become increasingly complex, and family caregivers are an integral part of providing care and comfort during this time. Yet, individuals providing end-of-life (EOL) care for a family member are vulnerable to additional emotional and psychological stress and strain, and often indicate they do not have the knowledge or skills needed for providing this type of care. Little is known about what factors may help family caregivers feel more prepared for EOL caregiving, or how family dynamics (such as relationships, interactions, and communication) between the caregiver, care receiver, and other family members may affect these feelings of preparedness. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore how family caregivers perceive their preparedness for the transition to EOL caregiving and how family dynamics may be associated with feelings of preparedness. To frame this work, the manuscript in Chapter 2 presents the Conceptual Framework for a Bioecological Model of Family Dynamics and the Transition to EOL Caregiving. This model is an innovative theoretical approach to investigating the various individual- and family-level contexts that may affect family caregiver outcomes. The conceptual framework provides a tool to examine family caregivers' personal characteristics, family contexts (such as the familial relation between the caregiver and care receiver), factors of time (such as duration of care and hours of care provided each week), and family processes (such as advance care planning conversations) that may be connected to perceived preparedness for the transition to EOL caregiving. The study presented in Chapter 3 utilizes the conceptual framework to explore family caregivers' perceived preparedness for caregiving. Results indicate that overall, family caregivers feel somewhat prepared to provide care to their care receiver but feel not too well prepared for the transition to EOL caregiving, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, or education. The study presented in Chapter 4 builds on these findings and explores how family dynamics may be associated with family caregivers' feelings of preparedness. The results of this study failed to demonstrate an association between the constructs of family dynamics and caregiver preparedness, and several theoretical and methodological considerations are examined to potentially explain these findings. It may be that family dynamics are not well understood in caregiving families, and different elements of family dynamics are important at different stages of caregiving and during the transition to EOL care. The results, strengths, and limitations of this comprehensive dissertation study should inform future basic and applied studies to advance family caregiving research. Importantly, there is a need to development more valid and reliable measures of family dynamics for aging and caregiving families, and interventions to help families prepare for future care needs and caregiving transitions such as the transition to EOL care. As researchers and practitioners learn more about how to prepare family caregivers and their families for the transition to EOL care, this may improve family caregiver and family-level outcomes, and help families best meet the care wishes and improve life satisfaction for individuals at the end of their life.Item Open Access Knowledge of symptoms, social support, and parenting stress in fathers of children with ASD: implications for improved affective well-being(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Mangen, Kathryn, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Lane, Shelly, committee memberParents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will likely experience a more challenging and stressful parenting experience than the average parent (Hayes & Watson, 2013). Previous literature has demonstrated that parenting a child with ASD can be highly stressful for mothers, yet there is scant literature on the experiences of fathers. With such little information, it is unclear what contributes to promoting fathers' affective well-being when caring for a child with ASD. The present study examines the associations between knowledge of ASD symptoms, perceived social support, parenting stress, and both positive and negative affect of fathers of a child with ASD within the context of the ABC-X model. Additionally, this study explores which variables predict fathers' positive affect and negative affect. Fifty-two fathers of individuals with ASD completed a battery of confidential online surveys measuring parenting stress, social support, knowledge of ASD symptoms, and positive/negative affect. Correlational analyses and regression analyses were conducted. Results suggest that fathers experience high levels of parental stress, and this parental stress is associated with overall affective well-being. Perceived social support is associated with negative affect and knowledge of ASD symptoms was found to not be associated with any of our variables. Limitations, implications for clinical interventions, and future directions are explored.Item Open Access Predicting and protecting postpartum relationship functioning among heterosexual parents: results from a conflict communication intervention(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Murray, Samantha A., author; Braungart-Rieker, Julie, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Cummings, E. Mark, committee member; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberPostpartum parenting is a critically vulnerable period for parents. Adjusting to life with a new baby often comes with a variety of added stressors, for both new and experienced parents. This family turbulence with which parents must continue to maintain their romantic relationship commonly results in relationship decline. Despite these challenges, parent relationship functioning serves as the bedrock to a healthy family system. Understanding antecedents of the interparental relationship, such as parenting experience (new versus experienced parenthood), parent mental health, and initial relationship functioning, was the preliminary goal for this dissertation. Previous studies have highlighted several factors related to parents' postpartum relationship behavior and satisfaction often from mothers' perspectives; however, gaps remain in our knowledge of fathers' relationship experiences over this life transition. This study fills this gap by specifically investigating predictors of relationship appraisals and behaviors in terms of romantic attachment and constructive conflict behavior for both mothers and fathers. A dynamic change score modeling approach was used to address the secondary goal of the current study: to evaluate whether one parent is driving relationship trajectories for both parents. The third goal of this study was to examine the degree to which a conflict communication intervention, involving mothers and fathers, impacts relationship functioning postpartum. Results suggest an important divergence of the effects of the transition to parenthood for mothers compared to fathers, wherein having additional children may have a more negative impact on mothers' relationship experiences compared to fathers'. Furthermore, these results validate previous research linking parents' mental health to their relationship appraisals (romantic attachment), but not relationship behaviors (constructiveness), and highlight the need to further explore how each parent's mental health influences the other parent's relationship experience over time. In addition, mothers' and fathers' racial profiles played a unique role in their postpartum relationship appraisals and behavior in unexpected ways. Dynamic change score modeling further revealed that changes in mothers' and fathers' romantic attachment over time were co-driven by both parents, while changes in constructive conflict behavior occurred independently. Lastly, the conflict communication intervention appeared to alleviate problematic effects of certain variables for parents' relationship functioning, such as fathers' depressive symptoms on the trajectory of mothers' attachment security. Moreover, mothers may have been particularly benefited by the conflict intervention if they reported more depressive symptoms at the beginning of the study. Overall, the intervention had important protective effects on mothers' and fathers' postpartum behavioral constructiveness but had a limited impact on romantic attachment security. Implications for future interparental relationship and intervention research are discussed.Item Open Access Session specific measurement of the working alliance(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Powner, Joshua, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee memberThe psychotherapy working alliance is a dynamic construct that may exhibit periods of strength or periods of strain. However, current methods to assess the working alliance is problematic in identifying fluctuations. Assessing fluctuations may allow for better tracking of the working alliance, which in turn may help therapists to tailor their approaches accordingly. The current study developed and evaluated the Session Specific Alliance Measure (SSAM), examining its reliability as well as construct, concurrent, and predictive validity. A small sample (N = 47) of clients treated by 14 therapists were surveyed at a university health clinic. Findings in the current study reflect only one wave of data, despite attempts to collect multiple waves of data. These findings support the SSAM to reliably assess the working alliance as well as support its construct validity. However, findings failed to support the SSAM's concurrent and predictive validity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.Item Open Access Social interaction anxiety and personality traits predicting engagement in risky sexual behavior(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Rahm-Knigge, Ryan L., author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Steger, Michael F., committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberSocial anxiety disorder is a prevalent psychiatric condition, especially among adolescents (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 204). Individuals with social interaction anxiety, which pertains to interpersonal exchanges with others, ruminate on perceived failures in past interactions, withdraw from or avoid social encounters, and engage in coping behaviors in response to negative feelings (Clark & Wells, 1995; Hoffman, 2007; Kashdan, 2004; Leary, 2001). While the majority of individuals with social interaction anxiety avoid risky situations, a subset engages in risky behaviors, including more frequent sexual encounters and unprotected sex (Kashdan, Elhai, & Breen, 2008; Kashdan & Hoffman, 2008; Kashdan, McKnight, Richey, & Hoffman, 2009). The personality constructs sensation seeking, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity predict engagement in risky sexual behavior and have been suggested in previous studies to explain the relation between social interaction anxiety and risky sexual behavior (Arnold, Fletcher, & Farrow, 2002; Gullette & Lyons, 2005, 2006; Hoyle, Fejfar, & Miller, 2000; Kalichman et al., 1994; Kashdan et al., 2008; Kashdan et al., 2009; Kashdan & Hoffman, 2008; Kashdan & McKnight, 2010; Parent & Newman, 1999). Therefore, the present study hypothesized that latent classes of social interaction anxiety and personality traits would be identified that distinguish engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Finite mixture modeling was used to discern latent heterogeneous classes of social interaction anxiety and facets of sensation seeking, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, behavioral approach, and behavioral inhibition. Risky sexual behaviors were treated as auxiliary variables. Four classes were discerned: two low social interaction anxiety classes distinguished by facets of emotion dysregulation, positive urgency, and negative urgency (Low SIAS High Urgency and Low SIAS Low Urgency) and two high social interaction anxiety classes distinguished by positive urgency, negative urgency, risk seeking, and facets of emotion dysregulation (High SIAS High Urgency and High SIAS Low Urgency). Of importance to this study were the findings that the High SIAS High Urgency class was significantly more likely to engage in all identified risky sexual behaviors than the High SIAS Low Urgency class and that the High SIAS High Urgency class did not significantly differ from the Low SIAS High Urgency and Low SIAS Low Urgency classes in engagement in risky sexual behaviors. This study extends previous findings on the heterogeneity of social interaction anxiety by identifying the effects of social interaction anxiety and personality on engagement in risky sexual behaviors.Item Open Access The associations among meaningfulness, leisure activity and cognitive functioning in adulthood(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Hatt, Cassandra Rae, author; Bielak, Allison, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Diehl, Manfred, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberThere is considerable research that has shown that individuals who engage in more social, physical, and cognitive leisure activities have higher cognitive ability and performance across older adulthood (Bielak et al., 2012; Hertzog et al., 2008). However, some studies have failed to report significant associations between leisure activity engagement and cognitive functioning (Hambrick et al., 1999; Parisi, 2010). Differences in findings in the activity literature have been discussed as resulting from differences in methodological designs and inconsistency in the measurement of constructs (Bielak, 2010; Bielak & Gow, 2022). One important area of interest involves research on the psychological and contextual modifiers that influence the activity-cognition relationship. This dissertation examined the relationships between activity engagement, meaningfulness and cognition using both cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) research designs. Eighty-one individuals aged 45- 90 years old (Mage = 61.26 years, SD = 12.18) who participated in the Recording Everyday Activities and Cognition using Tablets (REACT) study at Colorado State University were used for analysis. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed on each latent construct using the following baseline assessments: Victoria Longitudinal Study Activity Questionnaire (VLS-AQ); Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS); and seven standardized cognitive tasks administered using paper/pencil and computerized formats. Mediation analysis was then performed using structural equation modeling to test multiple mediation pathways linking baseline activity and meaningfulness to cognition. The results revealed a significant direct effect of meaningfulness on activity but failed to associate either meaningfulness or activity with cognitive performance at baseline. In the short-term longitudinal analysis (Study 2), day-to-day fluctuations in activity and meaningfulness were examined using a form of ecological momentary assessment across 14-days of tablet testing. Multilevel modeling analysis allowed for within and between-person level effects to be tested in models predicting performance across three cognitive tasks (Symbol Search Task (SST), Location Dot Memory (LDM), Flip-Back Task (FBT). Study 2 results showed significant between and within-person effects of daily meaningfulness and daily activity on cognition, particularly for the SST, a measure of visual-processing speed, and for LDM, a measure of working memory. Contrary to hypothetical predictions however, the direction of the between effects were unanticipated. For meaningfulness factor 2 (MF2) and activity, negative between-person effects and positive within-person effects emerged, although for meaningfulness factor 1 (MF1) positive between-person effects were significant, but the within-person effects were nonsignificant. Similar trends emerged for LDM; there were significant negative between-person and significant positive within-person effects for MF2 and activity, but no significant effects were found for FBT performance. Unexpected within-person level effects demonstrated that associations between meaningfulness, activity and cognition functioned differently at the group (i.e., between-person level) than at the individual (i.e., within-person level). Demonstrating that on days when individuals engaged more frequently in socially meaningful activities, or had higher daily activity levels, there was a counterintuitive effect on same-day cognition. Consideration of the psychological context of engagement is a crucial aspect in understanding the activity-cognition relationship, however further investigation of the social, physical, and cognitive aspects of the everyday environment that promote cognitive health is warranted. Although no cross-sectional support for the activity-cognition relationship was gained through Study 1, the findings revealed that subjective meaning for activity-related experiences is an important precursor associated with the selection and evaluation of leisure activity engagement. At the daily level, Study 2 showed support for the activity-cognition relationship, showing that fluctuations in daily activity and meaningfulness predicted cognitive performance at both the within and between-person level. The implications for prevention research could aid in development of personalized lifestyle and behavioral management programs that target daily lifestyle and promote engagement in personally meaningful leisure activities.Item Open Access The effects of intolerance of uncertainty and meaning in life on psychological and physical health(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Morse, Jessica L., author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Dik, Bryan J., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Prince, Mark A, committee memberIntolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is a dispositional characteristic that informs how people think about, feel, and behave in response to uncertainty. A growing research base suggests IU is a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology (e.g. Koerner & Dugas, 2008; Carleton, 2012), yet few researchers have investigated IU as a risk factor for physical disease. The current investigation adopted a new perspective from the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS; Brosschot et al., 2016a, 2016b, 2018) to explain how high IU might perpetuate a sense of generalized unsafety (GU), promoting chronic heightened physiological dysregulation that, over time, impairs psychological and physical health. The current studies also examined a potential protective resource, Meaning in Life (MIL), as a buffer against the deleterious effects of IU based on previous research indicating MIL provides a sense of safety and certainty that may counter the effects of IU on GU and health. Structural equation modeling of the hypothesized moderated mediation wherein IU conveys risk for physical and psychological illness via GU (mediator), with MIL (moderator) buffering against this risk, did not yield significant indirect effects in the three distinct samples tested. Moderation effects were significant in one sample, suggesting MIL may provide some protective benefit against GU for people high in IU. Additionally, results of hierarchical models support MIL's role in protecting against negative psychological consequences for high IU individuals. The discussion provides explanations of these results in the context of GUTS and suggestions for future empirical research to explore risk and protective factors in the development of physical and psychological illness.Item Open Access The protective role of awe on self-focused attention and depressive symptoms(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Sung, Angelina, author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Emery, Noah N., advisor; Prince, Mark A., committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberDepression is a public health concern that negatively affects millions of individuals living in the United States. Maladaptive self-focused attention has been found to strongly predict the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms. Awe is a positive emotion that may protect against this cognitive vulnerability given its ability to elicit the "small self." The present study examined whether awe buffered against the impact of self-focus on depressive symptoms at both the trait and state level. A sample of 286 students were recruited from an undergraduate research pool. Participants completed an online survey that assessed for different measures of self-focus (i.e., first-person singular pronouns, rumination), trait positive emotions, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect. One week later, they were randomized to watch an awe-eliciting video or amusement-eliciting video and subsequently completed another survey that assessed for rumination, "small self" feelings, state positive emotions, and positive and negative affect. Results indicated mixed findings. At the trait level, depressive symptoms were positively associated with rumination (but not first-person singular pronouns). This positive association between self-focus and depressive symptoms was attenuated as levels of awe increased when using the measure of rumination, but not the measure of first-person singular pronouns. At the state level, rumination was positively associated with "small self" feelings. In addition, no interaction was found between the effects of the awe inductions and "small self" feelings in relation to rumination. While researchers have proposed that awe has a potential therapeutic role in depression, this study appears to be the first to provide empirical support at the trait level. Future research should examine the relationship between rumination and "small self" feelings or consider more potent elicitors of awe when understanding its effects at the state level.Item Open Access Topological, geometric, and combinatorial aspects of metric thickenings(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Bush, Johnathan E., author; Adams, Henry, advisor; Patel, Amit, committee member; Peterson, Chris, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee memberThe geometric realization of a simplicial complex equipped with the 1-Wasserstein metric of optimal transport is called a simplicial metric thickening. We describe relationships between these metric thickenings and topics in applied topology, convex geometry, and combinatorial topology. We give a geometric proof of the homotopy types of certain metric thickenings of the circle by constructing deformation retractions to the boundaries of orbitopes. We use combinatorial arguments to establish a sharp lower bound on the diameter of Carathéodory subsets of the centrally-symmetric version of the trigonometric moment curve. Topological information about metric thickenings allows us to give new generalizations of the Borsuk–Ulam theorem and a selection of its corollaries. Finally, we prove a centrally-symmetric analog of a result of Gilbert and Smyth about gaps between zeros of homogeneous trigonometric polynomials.Item Open Access Views of aging: their measurement, associations with the paradox of well-being, and malleability in the second half of life(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Tseng, Han Yun, author; Diehl, Manfred, advisor; Bielak, Allison, committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee memberAs individuals age, they accumulate experiences that not only mark their position in the course of life, but also shape their feelings, beliefs, and attitudes towards aging, collectively known as subjective views of aging (VoA). Negative VoA, whether assessed explicitly through self-report questionnaires or implicitly via computer-administered subliminal priming tasks, consistently correlate with poorer self-rated health status, diminished functional outcomes, and reduced longevity in later life. Drawing upon the extensive VoA literature, this dissertation proposed three distinct yet related research themes of VoA, examining their measurement, their moderating role in buffering the impacts of declining health on subjective well-being (SWB), and their malleability via intervention. Specifically, the first manuscript in Chapter 2 validated a multidimensional VoA questionnaire, the Awareness of Age-Related Changes (AARC) scale, in a sample of Taiwanese older adults. This study also explored cross-cultural similarities and differences in AARC-gains and AARC-losses by examining measurement invariance with a comparable older adult sample in Germany. Chapter 3 investigated divergent trajectories of health and SWB from age 60s to 80s, known as the paradox of well-being in late life, using a 20-year longitudinal cohort study from Germany. To gain a more nuanced understanding of the well-being paradox, this manuscript explored the moderating role of VoA in the decoupled developmental trajectories of health and SWB. Chapter 4 focused on the malleability of adults' implicit and explicit VoA in the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Whereas most interventions targeting older adults' negative VoA typically evaluated their efficacy based on explicit, self-reported VoA, this manuscript contrasted the intervention effects of the AgingPLUS program on explicit and implicit VoA. This study also examined the extent to which positive intervention-induced changes in explicit VoA were contingent upon varying levels of implicit VoA. Overall, the results derived from the three manuscripts aimed to (1) enhance the assessment and research of VoA in non-Western cultures and societies, (2) provide empirical support for VoA as positive age-related psychosocial processes contributing to high levels of well-being, and (3) inform the design of future interventions leveraging VoA for promoting successful and optimal aging among middle-aged and older adults. Overall, these findings underscored the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to measuring VoA across diverse aging populations. They also highlighted the potential of interventions promoting more positive VoA foster resilience and well-being in the second half of life.