Browsing by Subject "attitudes"
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Item Attitudes of Iraqi society towards the role of community pharmacists(University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2013) Ibrahim, Inas R.; Al Tukmagi, Haydar F.; Wayyes, AbdulrasoulObjectives: The main aims of this study were to assess society’s use of community pharmacies; evaluate attitudes towards the role of the community pharmacist; and describe required pharmacist characteristics and future services. Study design: A cross-sectional survey with a stratified sampling technique. Methods: A self-administered, validated, questionnaire was distributed to 500 consumers in attendance at 50 community pharmacies in Baghdad, Iraq. Data were gathered from January to April 2012. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to test for statistical differences among the study variables. Further analysis through the Chi-square test and logistic regression was completed to assess the predictors of society’s attitudes. Results: Twenty-six percent of respondents visited their community pharmacies at least once per week and an additional 65% reported visiting their pharmacy at least once per month. Fifty-five percent of respondents listed the community pharmacist as the first person they would contact in case of any drug-related problem. However, the pharmacist’s role was under-appreciated by the majority of respondents (79.8%). These attitudes varied significantly with regard to the demographic characteristics of respondents. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender and age were the influential predictors of favourable versus non-favourable attitudes towards the role of pharmacist. Conclusions: The use of community pharmacies in Iraq was characterized by frequent visits to purchase medicines. Selection of the pharmacy primarily depended on its location. Overall, an under-appreciation of the professional performance of pharmacists was predominant. Raising public awareness towards the important role of community pharmacists in providing public health is warranted.Item Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward the Inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Two Midwestern Urban Schools(2018-12) Bozkurt, EzgiThis qualitative study aimed to investigate teachers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students and possible factors influencing their attitudes, and to provide recommendations to promote positive attitudes. Eight elementary general education teachers teaching DHH students in inclusive settings were interviewed individually and observed during instruction. Relevant themes were identified from the collected data. Findings showed that although teachers held favorable attitudes toward including DHH students in their classrooms, they held more positive attitudes toward including students with low-level hearing loss than profoundly deaf or deaf students. Main factors influencing participants’ attitudes and the success of inclusive education programs were perceived as teacher training and support. To change teachers’ attitudes positively and enable successful inclusion, stakeholders should consider factors affecting teachers’ attitudes. Timely and consistent support for both teachers and students should be an integral part of these education programs.Item Horticultural availability and homeowner preferences drive plant diversity and composition in urban yards(2019-12-30) Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Padullés Cubino, Josep; Pearse, William D.; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Lange, A.J.; Knapp, Sonja; Nelson, Kristen C.; cavender@umn.edu; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Twin Cities Household Ecosystem ProjectUnderstanding the factors that influence biodiversity in urban areas is important for informing management efforts aimed at enhancing the ecosystem services in urban settings and curbing the spread of invasive introduced species. We determined the ecological and socioeconomic factors that influence patterns of plant richness, phylogenetic diversity and composition in 133 private household yards in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan area, Minnesota, USA. We compared the composition of spontaneously occurring plant species and those planted by homeowners with composition in natural areas (at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve) and in the horticulture pool of species available from commercial growers. Yard area and fertilizer frequency influenced species richness of the spontaneous species but expressed homeowner values did not. In contrast, the criteria that homeowners articulated as important in their management decisions—including aesthetics, wildlife, neatness and food provision—significantly predicted cultivated species richness. Strikingly, the composition of plant species that people cultivated in their yards resembled the taxonomic and phylogenetic composition of species available commercially. In contrast, the taxonomic and phylogenetic composition of spontaneous species showed high similarity to natural areas. The large fraction of introduced species that homeowners planted was a likely consequence of what was available for them to purchase. The study links the composition and diversity of yard flora to their natural and anthropogenic sources and sheds light on the human factors and values that influence the plant diversity in residential areas of a major urban system. Enhanced understanding of the influences of the sources of plants—both native and introduced—that enter urban systems and the human factors and values that influence their diversity is critical to identifying the levers to manage urban biodiversity and ecosystem services.Item Interdental /s/ in Salvadoran Spanish: Finding Linguistic Patterns and Social Meaning(2017-01) Iraheta, AnaThis dissertation provides a description of the internal and external factors that affect the pronunciation of /s/ as interdental [Ɵ] in Salvadoran Spanish as well as its social meaning. Using a variationist and an ethnographic approach, data was collected from 32 participants in a community located in the eastern region of El Salvador. The data was collected and analyzed in order to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the internal linguistic factors that condition the pronunciation of /s/ as interdental? (2) What are the external factors, both social and stylistic, that condition the pronunciation of /s/ as interdental? (3) What social meanings, if any, do speakers associate with the interdental variant of /s/? The first and second questions were answered performing mixed effects models and pairwise comparisons. Results indicate that word/syllable position, following segment, word function and morphological status are linguistic factors that affect the pronunciation of /s/ as [Ɵ]. Specifically, there are more probabilities of observing the interdental in syllable onset position both word medially and word initially. The use of the interdental is also more common when followed by non-high vowels. The interdental rarely occurs in coda position and when it does, the following segment is typically a pause. It is also more likely to occur in content words than in function words almost exclusively with non-morphemic value. The social factors affecting the interdental are occupation and age group. Specifically, [Ɵ] is more likely to be observed in preteenagers and in adults over the age of 55 and less likely to be observed in the speech of professionals and civil servants. It was also found that the interdental is more commonly observed in casual style than in more formal styles. Overall, the interdental appears to be a stable sociolinguistic variable in this community. A qualitative analysis was performed to answer the third research question. It was determined that the interdental is perceived as a stigmatized variant, yet at the same time speakers embrace it as a marker of local identity.Item Interest Groups with Water and Related Land Resources Programs in Minnesota, 1971(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1972-02) Hills, David L.; Walton, William C.In 1971, there were at least 49 Interest groups in Minnesota with major Water and related land resources programs, 4 Leagues and Associations with minor water and related land resources programs, at least 80 organizations that tend to have a continuing interest in water and related land resources issues, and at least 150 National organizations concerned with water and related land resources programs which have or could have members in the State. The Minnesota Senate 1971 registration files for lobbyists listed 1lO lobbyists in the field of water and related land resources; the House files listed 138 lobbyists. Personnel of State agencies were among these lobbyists. Of the 53 Interest groups (49 Interests groups and 4 Leagues and Associations mentioned above), 40 were conservation-preservation oriented, 8 had the word environmental in their name, and 5 were development and management oriented. Taking into consideration multiple memberships, it is estimated that approximately 25,000 citizens in Minnesota were members of the 53 Interest groups in 1971. Membership in individual Interest groups ranged from 13 to 12,000. Expenditures in 1971 for water and related land resources programs of the 53 Interest groups probably totaled in excess of $250,000. Annual expenditures by individual Interest groups ranged from $100 to in excess of $35,000. These figures do not include the thousands of hours of volunteer time by members. The sources of income were dues, contributions, donations and grants. The affairs of 45 of the 53 Interest groups were under the direction of Officers; 8 Interest groups had Boards; and 14 Interest groups had staffs. It is estimated that the number of water and related land resources Interest groups increased from about 16 in 1950 to 25 in 1960 to 33 in 1965 to 53 in 1971. Some of the Interest groups with large numbers of members and expenditures in 1971 were: Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry, and Sierra Club.Item Investigating Young Children’s Attitudes toward Mathematics: Improved Measurement and the Relation to Achievement(2018-05) Kiss, AllysonResearchers in the field of school psychology have recently emphasized the influence of different academic enablers that may influence how students achieve and perform in school. In this literature, attitudes have not yet received much attention as an enabler. However, students as young as pre-kindergarten enter school with predisposed attitudes towards mathematics. These attitudes may influence their engagement, persistence and performance in mathematics. Evidence also suggests that mathematics performance in kindergarten and first grade can predict performance later in life. Thus, it is important for school psychologists and educators to understand how students perceive their ability and perceive the task of mathematics to help students build their competence to become later successful learners. Understanding the earlier development of these attitudes may help foster more positive perceptions and mathematics learning environments for all students. The purpose of this two-study dissertation was to examine attitudes toward mathematics among young children in kindergarten and first grade. Specifically, the purpose of Study 1 was to develop an assessment instrument to measure attitudes toward mathematics for students in kindergarten and first grade and to examine the reliability and validity evidence for potential use in a school setting. Further, Study 2 aimed to investigate the extent to which different attitudes such as perceived self-competence beliefs, enjoyment, and importance were related to student mathematics achievement as measured by teacher ratings and standardized mathematics assessments. This study is first in an emerging line of inquiry to understand how attitudes influence various achievement outcomes for young children, and, thereby identify if, how, and to what effect attitudes of young children might be targeted for intervention.Item Minnesota Dental Hygienists' Knowledge and Attitudes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Screening Practices(2017-12) Reibel, YvetteObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a multi-factorial disease characterized by the collapse of the airway during sleep. A multi-disciplinary approach is used to assess, diagnose, treat, and maintain OSA patients with dentistry holding an important role in this relationship. The objective of this study was to determine the current knowledge and attitudes of OSA among Minnesota dental hygienists. A secondary objective was to inventory the screening tools used to assess OSA. A previously validated OSA survey was adapted for use with dental hygienists. A sample of 750 was used with a 26% return rate. Descriptive statistics showed the current knowledge was moderate, and less than 10% of hygienist surveyed worked in practices with established OSA screening protocols. Correlations between age, years in practice, hours worked, and degree type on overall OSA knowledge and attitudes did not show a significant relationship (p<0.05). Dental hygienists are already conducting some OSA pre-screening practices, making them a potentially vital member of OSA screening process.Item Survey of Attitudes Towards the Mississippi River as a Total Resource in Minnesota(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1972-09) Baron, Norman J.; Cecil, E. James; Ludwig, James P.; Tideman, Philip L.A survey of the attitudes of Minnesotans toward the use, maintenance and development of the Mississippi River in Minnesota was conducted. Background information on the diverse physical nature of the project Universe (those 23 Minnesota counties which the River flows through or is adjacent to) was collected covering the topics of waterflow, soils, population change, changing riparian land use, and recreational opportunities. Great physical and cultural diversity was found in the project Universe. Attitudes of residents were measured by a 40 item mail questionnaire sent to 5,000 residents of the project Universe; 101 in-depth interviews were also conducted. Respondents provided data on their characteristics, evaluated the desirable and undesirable characteristics of the River, evaluated the role of media in providing them with environmental information, expressed attitudes toward the use of the River, how River pollution should be controlled and financed, and provided data on what aspects of their life styles they were and were not willing to change to improve environmental quality. Secondary students were also surveyed in a separate effort to quantify significant difference of attitudes held by youth and adults. Two significant findings were that Minnesotans do not desire to curtail their uses of energy to improve environmental quality, and the perceived present uses of the River are exactly opposite to the uses the public desires.Item Water Resources Administration in Minnesota, 1972(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1972-04) Walton, William C.In 1970. Minnesota’s State government contained at least 21 departments, agencies, boards, commission, committees, etc. with which water and related land resources responsibilities. Expenditures by these organizations increased from $5.7 million in 1950 to $31.9 million in 1970. About 86% of expenditures were made by the Department of Conservation. Total State agency staff complements increased from 1,100 in 1960 to 1,400 in 1970. Prime responsibility for water and related land resources programs rested in 3 Committees of the Senate and 2 Committees in the House. The Governor’s and Legislature’s control of the State’s administrative apparatus is hampered through fragmented organization. A recommended plan of reorganization centers on consolidation of major functions within and Department of Natural Resources. There is need for the Legislature to enunciate a comprehensive environmental policy for the State. In 1970, there were 5 international, 5 regional, 3 interstate, and 4 Federal-State organizations with programs in the State. Federal responsibilities in water and related land resources planning, development and management in Minnesota was divided among 30 units in 8 executive departments and agencies; 6 independent agencies; 6 units in the executive office of the President; 9 other boards, committees, councils and commissions; and 1 quasi-official agency. In fiscal Year 1970, Federal outlays for water and related land resources activities in the State totaled about $75 million or 2.3 percent of total Federal outlays in Minnesota of about $3.3 billion. There were about 1,300 Federal employees residing in Minnesota in fiscal year 1970 with assignments pertaining to water and related land resources. In 1971, there were at least 49 Interest groups in Minnesota with major water and related land resources programs, 4 Leagues and Associations with minor water and related land resources programs, at least 80 organizations that tend to have a continuing interest in water related land resources issues, and at least 150 National organizations concerned with water and related land resources programs which have or could have members in the State. The Minnesota Senate 1971 registration files for lobbyists listed 110 lobbyists in the field of water and related land resources; the House files listed 138 lobbyists. Of the 53 Interest groups (49 Interest group sand 4 Leagues and Associations mentioned above), 40 were conservation-preservation oriented, 8 had the word environmental in their name, and 5 were development and management oriented. Taking into consideration multiple memberships, it is estimated that approximately 25,000 citizens in Minnesota were members of the 53 interest groups in 1971. Membership in individual Interest groups ranged from 13 to 12,000. Expenditures in 1971for water and related land resources programs of the 53 Interest groups probably totaled in excess of $250,000. Annual expenditures by individual Interest groups ranged from $100 to in excess of $35,000. These figures do not include the thousands of hours of volunteer time by members. The sources of income were dues, contributions, donations, and grants. The affairs of 45 of the 53 Interest groups were under the direction of Officers; 8 Interest groups had Boards; and 14 Interest groups had staffs. It is estimated that the number of water and related land resources Interest groups increased from about 16 in 1950 to 25 in 1960 to 33 in 1965 to 53 in 1971. In the past, there has been considerable activity in Minnesota associated with the development and management of water and related land resources. For example, water-supply and sewage treatment plants have been constructed at most cities and villages as well as by many industries. Water-oriented recreation facilities have been provided in connection with parks, waysides, reserves, and monuments, etc. scattered throughout the State. Fish management programs have been extended to many areas and hundreds of wildlife management areas have been developed. Wetland waterfowl production areas being managed. Agricultural lands have been drained in extensive areas and farmers have made considerable progress in the installation of conservation practices to reduce and control soil erosion. Some flood control and prevention have been accomplished as soil and water conservation projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Extensive improvements of rivers and harbors for navigation are located along the Mississippi River and in the Duluth-Superior area. Past development and management practices, as substantial as they are, have not kept pace with the steadily growing demands placed upon water and related land resources. Not only does Minnesota have catch up problems to contend with in the future, continuing pressures and demands for enhancement of the enivironemnt and improved economic well-being can be expected to create steadily growing demands for water and related land resources. There exists many water and related land resource problems associated with such matters as: pollution of streams, lakes and groundwater; water-oriented recreation; water supply; flooding; navigation; and land use. Responsibilities for water and related land resources data acquisition and handling in Minnesota are shared among many Federal, State, local and private organizations. The diffusion of responsibility makes it difficult to launch a comprehensive attack on environmental and other problems. Divided responsibility means that some needed data acquisition and handling programs slip between the cracks and disappear from view. One such program is the development of a statewide water and related land resources data system. A statewide water and related land resources - data system is needed to improve the coordination of data acquisition and handling responsibilities, to improve the efficiency of data programs, and to upgrade and fill deficiencies in data programs. Institutional arrangements must be devised to design the system. A State Environmental Policy Bill, H.F. No. 2405, introduced by Messrs. Dunn, Norton, Becklin, Munger and Knutson passed the House on May 21, 1971 with a vote of yeas 117 and nays 12. A companion bill, S.F. 2048, introduced by Messrs. Gage, Gustafson, and Popham and referred to the Committee on Civil Administration was not reported out-of-Committee. H.F. No. 2405, passed by the House, was introduced in the Senate on May 22, 1971. The bill was never read for the third time, thus, it never came up for vote in the Senate. This bill addressed itself to many existing water and related land resources planning policy questions as did a report approved by the Land and Water Resource s Committee, House of Representatives on November 30, 1970. During 1971 and 1972, several Subcommittees of Committees of the State Senate and House held joint hearings on water and related land resources issues. Governor Anderson in April 1972 established an Environmental Quality Council with a Citizens Advisory Committee. These actions could lead to the passage of a State Environmental Policy Act during the 1973 Session of the Legislature and to the improvement of government for water and related land resources programs in Minnesota.Item Yards as Critical Urban Green Spaces: Understanding Residential Yardscape Uses and Preferences Through an Interdisciplinary Lens(2020-06) Barnes, MichaelResidential yards herein referred to as yardscapes are individually owned and maintained micro landscapes. More abstractly, though, yardscapes are amalgamations where individual, social, and ecological forces coalesce to form complex socio-ecological systems. In the United States alone, yardscapes cover an area the size of the state of Georgia and are the single largest irrigated crop (Milesi et al., 2005). Yardscapes are an obsession for many, an annoyance for some, and actively harmful for others, depending upon one’s perspective (Robbins, 2007). These ubiquitous pieces of the urban ecological landscape have received a considerable amount of attention in the past across three main areas, sociological, psychological, and ecological. From a sociological perspective, the form our yardscapes take is largely determined by current and historical normative influences of what a yardscape should look like (Nassauer, 1995; Nassauer et al., 2009). Norms influence yardscapes through injunctive norms (what ought to be), which describes the general form and function that yardscapes should take (Larson & Brumand, 2014), which generally encourages the preservation of the status quo i.e., yards dominated by large areas of turfgrass. Yardscapes also are influenced by descriptive norms (what is), which influences maintenance regimes and associated behaviors (e.g., fertilizing) to keep a yardscape looking as intended (Fielding et al., 2016; Martini et al., 2015). Yardscapes and associated norms are also reinforced by policies and ordinances that help to maintain the status quo across aesthetics, maintenance, vegetation, and uses (Larson & Brumand, 2014; Sisser et al., 2016). Norms, therefore, are a significant factor when trying to understand yardscapes for both a) the types of yardscapes we observe and b) the subsequent behaviors performed to maintain them. Individual differences, both demographically and psychologically, are also significant drivers of yardscape type choices and behaviors. Sociodemographic factors (i.e., including income, age, and years of residence) have predicted both yardscape type preferences, for example, older and wealthier individuals preferring lush oasis style yards in Phoenix, Arizona (Larson et al., 2017; van den Berg & van Winsum-Westra, 2010) alongside specific yard maintenance behaviors such as individuals with children and pets fertilizing less frequently (Kurz & Baudains, 2012). In addition to sociodemographic factors, environmental attitudes, specifically those focused on stewardship and preservation, have been found to promote pro-environmental behaviors in yardscapes. Individuals with higher preservation and stewardship orientations were more likely to install rain barrels and plant native species (Gao et al., 2016; Knuth et al., 2018). There is also evidence that an individual’s personal need for structure (PNS) can influence the type of yardscape one prefers. Individuals high in PNS have been found to prefer highly manicured and regimented yards (van den Berg & van Winsum-Westra, 2010). Sociodemographic and psychological factors influence individuals along the same two lines as norms driving broad yard typology preferences and specific behaviors. Ecosystem services (ES) and disservices (ED) have risen to become a prominent framework to understand the benefits of landscape-level socio-ecological systems. Although traditionally applied to rural and exurban landscapes, recent work focuses on applying the ES framework, including ED in urban areas (Ruckelshaus et al., 2015; von Döhren & Haase, 2015). ES in urban areas encompass the three main ES sections of cultural services (CES), provisioning services (PES), and regulation and maintenance services (RES) (Haines-Young & Potschin, 2018). Although several studies have investigated homeowner uses and features of their yards (Dahmus & Nelson, 2014a, among others), few have specifically analyzed ES in yardscapes (see Larson et al., 2016). From this body of work, ES in yardscapes could include a variety of services, for example, CES in the form of recreational opportunities (Dahmus & Nelson, 2014b; Dou et al., 2017), PES from edible gardens (Kamiyama et al., 2016), and CES in the form of carbon sequestration from vegetation (Monteiro, 2017). ES then have been applied in moderate success to urban landscapes, and initial evidence suggests their applicability in yardscapes. Despite the growth of research focused on yardscapes over the past decade, most scholarship still approaches these complex landscapes from a singular empirical or methodological perspective. This lack of interdisciplinarity has led to the current body of work being disjointed with some perspectives overrepresented in the literature (e.g., biophysical attributes, social norms). This dissertation takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate yardscapes. It brings to bear theories and methods from sociology, psychology, and ecology to understand these complex amalgamations of historical and current societal norms, individual differences, and floral and faunal communities from a holistic socio-ecological systems perspective. The work attempts to confirm, fill in gaps, and propose future work in this area relative to the current body of literature.