Papers by Michelle D'Abundo
Awareness of Social Presence on Virtual Fitness Platforms and Relationship with Exercise Motivation and Physical Activity Levels
Physical activity and health, 2023
Integrating Web-Based Technologies Into the Education and Training of Health Professionals
Advances in medical diagnosis, treatment, and care (AMDTC) book series, 2019
The integration of online learning and instruction into the education and training of health prof... more The integration of online learning and instruction into the education and training of health professionals continues to gain popularity. Curriculums that have previously been thought to be inappropriate for web-based delivery are now being offered online. Innovations in online learning and instruction have improved the delivery of web-based education and have provided educational opportunities for many that were “unreachable” by traditional classrooms. In this chapter, a description of how computer-based technologies are being applied in the training and continuing education of health professionals is provided. Suggestions for creating online learning and instruction for education and training in healthcare are provided.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Smoking and sedentary lifestyle frequently co-occur among Latinos. Evidence suggests that moderat... more Smoking and sedentary lifestyle frequently co-occur among Latinos. Evidence suggests that moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may enhance smoking cessation rates. However, this synergistic phenomenon has not been studied among Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States. This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews in English or Spanish with Latino adults who smoke (n = 20) to understand their perspectives on physical activity. Participants were recruited using community-based recruitment strategies. The Health Belief Model was used as a framework for qualitative theoretical analysis. Multiple perceived benefits (e.g., mood management, strategy to quit smoking), susceptibility (e.g., risk of cardiovascular diseases, physical impairment), and barriers (e.g., lack of social support, low financial resources) of being physically active were identified. Moreover, multiple cues to action to do physical activity (e.g., being a role model, spending t...
College student journal, 2015
PROBLEM: A large number of American adults do not meet national physical activity (PA) guidelines... more PROBLEM: A large number of American adults do not meet national physical activity (PA) guidelines for aerobic PA and muscle strengthening. Similarly, many American college students, specifically females do not engage in regular PA. Self Determination Theory can provide a basis for investigating motivational processes of PA. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between exercise motivation regulation and physical activity behaviors among college females in order to make recommendations for future campus-based health promotion practices. METHODS: Participants ( n =470) completed a web-based survey including items from the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire various PA items. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses indicate only Identified Regulation as a significant predictor of Moderate PA; both Identified and Intrinsic Regulation were significantly predictive of Vigorous PA; Identified Regulation was significantly predictive of strength training; and both ...
Understanding organizational perspectives from clinical research stakeholders involved in recruitment for biopharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials in the United States: Recommendations for organizational initiatives to improve access and inclusivity in clinical research
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications
American Journal of Qualitative Research
Social distancing requirements resulted in many people working from home in the United States dur... more Social distancing requirements resulted in many people working from home in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The topic of working from home was often discussed in the media and online during the pandemic, but little was known about how quality of life (QOL) and remote working interfaced. The purpose of this study was to describe QOL while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel topic, unique methodological approach of the General Online Qualitative Study (D’Abundo & Franco, 2022a), and the strategic Social Distancing Sampling (D’Abundo & Franco, 2022c) resulted in significant participation throughout the world (n = 709). The United States subset of participants (n = 169) is the focus of this article. This big qual (Brower et al., 2019), large qualitative study (n >100) included the principal investigator-developed open-ended, online questionnaire entitled the “Quality of Life Home Workplace Questionnaire (QOLHWQ),” and demographic questions. Data ...
Improving Clinical Trial Diversity
Advances in Medical Education, Research, and Ethics
Racially and ethnically diverse populations are underrepresented as participants in clinical tria... more Racially and ethnically diverse populations are underrepresented as participants in clinical trials. The disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on communities of color intensifies the imperativeness of equitable access. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how clinical research stakeholders can adapt their traditional approaches to recruitment, research conduct, and design sparked by the current healthcare crisis through technology-oriented strategies designed to increase diverse representation in clinical trials. Strategies utilizing technology will be recommended by examining this issue from a centralized and local perspective across a patient's journey in a clinical trial, with a specific focus on fostering long-term, trusting community relationships. Technology-oriented strategies including health information technology and digital media may provide promising solutions for improving clinical trial diversity amid a transitioning environment that is already adapting to virt...
Encyclopedia of Strategic Leadership and Management
Clinical research trials are an important part of establishing evidence-based practice in the U.S... more Clinical research trials are an important part of establishing evidence-based practice in the U.S. healthcare industry. The purpose of this chapter is to review how the recruitment of minority populations can be improved by creating a strategic shift toward community-based recruitment. The problem of insufficient minority recruitment is defined and contributing factors are reviewed. The relevancy of Lewin's change theory is explained from a staff and organizational perspective. Specific community-based change and leadership strategies that can be applied to clinical research organizations to create a strategic shift to increase minority recruitment are evaluated. Through making minority recruitment a strategic priority, staff and organizations can work with communities to resolve a salient issue in the U.S. healthcare industry.
Working From Home and Quality of Life (QOL) During COVID-19 in the UK
Association between exercise variables and Subjective Well-being
Background: Understanding how exercise is related to well-being can inform health promotion pract... more Background: Understanding how exercise is related to well-being can inform health promotion practices for student-athletes. Purpose: To study the relationship between different exercise variables (frequency, intensity, and duration) and well-being (fatigue, mood, sleep quality, muscle soreness, and stress). Methods: A total of 237 student-athletes completed a 26-item survey. Well-being was assessed using a 5-question Likert questionnaire rating fatigue from "very fresh"(5) to "always tired"(1), sleep quality as "very restful"(5) to "insomnia"(1), general muscle soreness as "feeling great"(5) to "very sore"(1), stress levels as "very relaxed"(5) to "highly stressed"(1), and mood as "very positive mood"(5) to "highly annoyed/irritable/down"(1). Exercise variables were assessed using average frequency (ranging 0-7 days), duration (open-ended response), and intensity (utilizing the catego...
Health messages and instructional practices
Mind Mapping to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills in Physician Assistant Education: A Randomized Controlled Study
Journal of allied health, 2020
Physician assistant (PA) students need to assimilate and integrate voluminous information quickly... more Physician assistant (PA) students need to assimilate and integrate voluminous information quickly and effectively to promote critical thinking skills required to deliver competent care. Mind mapping (MM) is an innovative strategy used to facilitate students' recognition and recall of essential information and to ensure depth in their understanding via making connections between pieces of information. The establishment of relationships between concepts expressed in mind maps enhances critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the overall critical thinking skills of PA students using MM as a learning strategy and to determine if there was a significant difference in critical thinking skills between students who used MM versus standard note-taking in their learning environment. In this randomized control study, a convenience sample of 74 PA students was assigned to a standard note-taking group (SNTG) or mind-mapping group (MMG). After completing the Health...
Integrating Evidence-Based Practice in Athletic Training Though Online Learning
Electronic Health Record Implementation in the United States Healthcare Industry
Tools for Lifelong Learning
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act (2009) was legisl... more The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act (2009) was legislation passed focused on improving health care delivery and patient care in America through the development of health information technology (HIT). The mission of this chapter is to review how American health care practitioners and organizations will integrate one aspect of HIT, the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), into the workplace. While objectives and deadlines have been established and aligned with incentives for the meaningful use of EHRs, it seems the missing component is a strategic plan that could be applied by health care organizations to guide the implementation process. The use of a program planning model is suggested to frame a strategic implementation process informed by principles of change management.
“Growing Wellness”: The Possibility of Promoting Collective Wellness through Community Garden Education Programs
Community Development, 2008
The Community Garden Education Program was created as a way to combat obesity in a low-income eas... more The Community Garden Education Program was created as a way to combat obesity in a low-income eastern North Carolina community. Observations were conducted throughout and two focus groups were held at the end of the first phase of the program to reveal the ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives from key leaders of community-based or... more The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives from key leaders of community-based organizations (CBOs) and clinics serving people living with HIV on barriers and facilitators of smoking cessation among Latino smokers living with HIV. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English and Spanish with 10 key leaders. Using a social ecological model, qualitative theoretical analysis was used to analyze the results. Participants identified barriers at the individual (e.g., low education level, HIV, and financial stress), interpersonal (e.g., language barriers, low social support), organizational (e.g., lack of smoking cessation resources and targeted interventions), community (e.g., HIV and mental health stigma), and policy (e.g., paperwork for insurance) level. Participants identified facilitators at the individual (e.g., high participation in trials, good medication adherence), interpersonal (e.g., no smoking in social circles), organizational (e.g., bilingual staff, c...
This study examined the interactions of facilitators in online reflective practice groups, focusi... more This study examined the interactions of facilitators in online reflective practice groups, focusing on the types of strategies used to convey these skills. Learners were found to use the skills modeled by the group facilitator, with the content of the interactions having a greater influence than facilitator style on learners' use. Introduction Teaching a course online. .. for many of us, it is no longer a question of if, but when and how we will do this. In preparing for an online course, we have numerous resources that can inform us about the theory (e.g., Cole, 2000), the planning and implementation (e.g., Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, & Turoff; 1995; McConnell, 2000), and provide guidelines for facilitating these courses (e.g., Collison, Elbaum, Haavind, & Tinker, 2000). There is also research about the effectiveness of online learning, primarily using outcome measures such as grades and student satisfaction (e.g., Russell, 1999). However, there is little research that tells us about specific strategies and their usefulness in facilitating learning online. As adult educators, our interest was to understand the strategies used in teaching reflective practice in virtual groups that helped participants learn "to do" rather than just "talk about" the skills involved. One goal of the facilitator in reflective practice groups is "to help people reflect on, experiment with, and learn from experience" (Marsick, 1990, p.31) so that learners are able to use these strategies for themselves. The purpose of this research was to analyze the types of strategies used by facilitators in teaching reflective practice in a Web-based course and to examine the extent to which learners were able to develop and use these skills effectively in group dialogue. The context was an 8-week Web-based reflective practice course that was part of adult education graduate courses being taught in five universities on three continents. The 46 students (35 women and 11 men) in these five courses were assigned to nine small virtual groups of 5-6 people that reflected both cross-institutional and cross-cultural diversity. Each group was facilitated by one of the 5 faculty members (3 women and 2 men). Each week a student presented a problematic case from his or her own practice as an educator and, with the help of the group, sought to use critical reflection skills to understand and improve personal practice. In the other weeks, the student participated as a group member in the discussion of other students' cases in their own small group. This research draws on two areas of the literature: cognitive apprenticeship and group communication theory. Cognitive apprenticeship has the intent of actively engaging learners in their learning, in which learning can be defined as "doing" (Pask, 1976). The tools of cognitive apprenticeship include coaching, collaboration, reflection, and validation (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Hansman, 2001). Learners observe the strategies used by the facilitators to engage in reflective practice in order to develop their own method for doing the same. The role of the facilitator fades as learners demonstrate proficiency in the skills of reflective practice. Group communication theory suggests that group interaction is the basis for cognitive reframing, skill acquisition, and social support (Cline, 1999) and is necessary for a quality learning experience (Wagner, 1997). However, "what is not clear, at least when interaction is viewed as an independent construct, is the value that interaction brings to a learning endeavor" (p. 25).
With rising health care costs and the need to treat more and more people with chronic health cond... more With rising health care costs and the need to treat more and more people with chronic health conditions, many people wonder how healthcare can be advanced in America. Along with healthcare reform, education and training will play a significant role in meeting increased demands for health professionals. In this chapter, exploration of how online learning and instruction can be used to meet the educational needs for the healthcare industry is detailed. Distance education, e-learning, computer mediated, web-based, and online instruction are terms used to describe education delivered through computer-based technologies. Whatever term is chosen, such computer-based technologies are essential components of the preparation and continuing education of health professionals. For many health professions, formal education, as well as continuing education, includes some type of web-based learning, with some programs completely online. The American Journal of Health Promotion (2009) defined healt...
As online and blended delivery formats in college physical activity and wellness courses gain pop... more As online and blended delivery formats in college physical activity and wellness courses gain popularity, assessment of student learning is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in college students’ knowledge across four delivery formats in a required physical activity and wellness course. A total of 377 students were randomly selected from the following four formats: 1) online lecture/face-to-face lab (n=114); 2) face-to-face lecture/face-to-face lab (n=58); 3) online lecture/online lab (n=117); and 4) online lecture/web-enhanced lab (n=88). Regardless of delivery format, students on average scored an 84% at the end of a 15-week semester. A one-way analysis of variance indicated there were no significant differences between delivery formats on all but four of the 13 questions. Students in the online lecture, face-to-face lab scored significantly higher on concepts related to lifelong adherence to physical activity and wellness, such as intrinsic motivatio...
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Papers by Michelle D'Abundo