Understanding Nursing Students' Cultural Competency Levels And Implicit Biases, Deja J. Gillans

Honors College Theses

In the United States, non-Hispanic Black women are approximately three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as non-Hispanic White or Hispanic women. Racism has been identified as a significant barrier to health equality and the improvement of maternal health outcomes for Black patients. Cultural competence and implicit bias in health care has emerged in part to address factors that may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in health care. Both can impact the way nurses consciously and subconsciously deliver healthcare to patients of a different gender, race, religion, culture, socioeconomic status, etc. Nurses who are more culturally competent and aware …

Eating Disorders: Barriers To Peer And Self Recognition And The Ability To Seek Or Give Help, Savannah Mcvey

Honors College Theses

A lack of knowledge concerning eating disorders has been found to play a major role in self-recognition, peer recognition, and barriers to seeking treatment at all. More specifically, straight men were more often not able to identify these issues in themselves or others. Theories that have been presented involve the image of eating disorders being a “woman’s issue” and a possible obsession with weight lifting and changing one’s body to take on a more masculine build. Combatting this issue needs to begin in the form of basic education on college campuses due to the prevalence in this particular age group. …

Addressing Sexual Violence On College Campuses—A Brief Review Of Existing Policies, Naa-Amy Wayne, Jackie Mesenbrink, Bettye Apenteng

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

The Role Of K-12 Schools As Essential Public Health Partners, Wendy Kutten, Naa-Amy Wayne, Samuel T. Opoku, Bettye Apenteng

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Controlling Language And Source Similarity On Psychological Reactance, Caroline Yarbrough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persuasive health messages are frequently advertised throughout the pandemic to decrease the spread of COVID-19 while increasing the likelihood of immunity. However, research demonstrates that persuasive health messages may be ineffective because they have the potential to elicit psychological reactance. Reactance is characterized by a state of unpleasant motivational arousal and often occurs when individuals experience or perceive threats to their freedom, and it can be evoked through controlling language (Frey et al., 2021; Grandpre et al., 2003). Additionally, research has shown that similarity is associated with liking (Cialdini & Trost 1998) and people are often more inclined to comply …

Using The Cipp Model Of Evaluation On A Health Disparities Curriculum Delivered To Medical Residents In 12 Residency Programs, Gauri K. Shevatekar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has provided educational directives on health disparities education during residency program for the medical residents, there is paucity of curricula focused on disparities education within the graduate medical education.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Health Disparities Curriculum (HDC) that was delivered to twelve residency programs at a College of Medicine.

Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional study design. Stufflebeam’s Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model was utilized as theoretical framework to assess whether the curriculum achieved its stated goals and objectives, the teaching and learning processes, and the …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Of First-Year University Students, Kylie A. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The early college years represent a specific period in a student’s life that is crucial for their development. Approximately one in three college students meet the criteria for a mental health problem (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Universities have unique opportunities for identifying risk and delivering prevention or intervention strategies to students in need. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with First-Year University students’ help-seeking behaviors for university-based mental health services. H₁: There will be group differences between gender and race/ethnicity on help-seeking behaviors, knowledge barriers of services or providers and perceived stigma. H_{2 …}

“My Ob/Gyn Has The Worst Bedside Manner…” A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient-Provider Communication And Mental Health Outcomes Of Women In Rural Georgia, Tobi F. Oloyede

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite technological advances in medicine and public health innovations, maternal mortality in the United States remains significantly higher than in other developed countries. Specifically, Georgia ranks as the second worst place to give birth in the country. Maternal mental health conditions are common, manageable complications that can happen at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first year following delivery, with 1 in 5 women affected. Unfortunately, 75% of women who experience MMH symptoms are left untreated.

This study focuses on patient-provider communication through the birthing experiences of women who have been pregnant in Georgia to examine how their …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …

Evaluation Of The Loving Support Peer Counseling Program On Breastfeeding Duration Rates Among African American Women Enrolled In The Program (2017-2018), Nancy S. Jeffery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.”-World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling (LSPC) program, under the WIC program in the state of Georgia, on breastfeeding duration rates among African American postpartum primiparas women. This observational study analyzed state-level data from January 2017 through December 2018. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling Program (LSPC) in six of the …

Jiann-Ping Hsu College Of Public Health Magazine, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Magazine

• Message from the Dean: Stuart H. Tedders, PhD
• Remembering Dr. Evans Afriyie-Gyawu
• Exploring Research Focus Areas
• Alumni Feature: Overcoming Hurdles
• Research Feature: It's a weighted issue.
• Research Feature: The effectiveness of lactation cookies
• Period Equity Movement Earns National Recognition
• Leaving Her Mark
• Georgia on Our Mind
• Center for Addiction Recovery: Transforming Lives through Comprehensive Support
• Center for Public Health Practice and Research: The LEAD Academy: A Hospital Leadership Training Program
• Office of Practice and Research: Continued Engagement in Practice and Research
• Office of Teaching and Learning
• Office of Health Equity and Community: Engagement Continued Engagement in Practice and Research
• Awards, …

Acute Effects Of Trunk Stretching On Aortic Arterial Stiffness And Central And Peripheral Blood Pressure In Middle-Aged Older Adults, Kylee West

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Physical activity may alter the trajectory of age-related arterial stiffening, which is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Trunk stretching has reduced arterial stiffness (AS) in young males, but its effect in middle-aged to older adults is unclear. This study examined the effects of passively assisted trunk stretching (PATS) on aortic arterial stiffness and central and peripheral blood pressure in middle-aged to older adults. METHODS: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and Augmentation Index normalized to a heart rate of 75 beats per minute (AIx75) were measured in 28 middle-aged to older adults (14M/14F; 72 ± 7 years; 28.5 …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Intent Among Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Biebele Okpeahior

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Although research has highlighted the benefits of physical activity in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), they are still more likely to live an inactive lifestyle. There are limited studies that examine the relationship between physical activity and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) among the MS population. This study aimed to explore the factors that associate with physical activity intent of adults with MS utilizing the constructs of the TPB. Methods. This study utilized a cross-sectional online survey done via a social media platform. There were 326 respondents to the survey and ultimately 249 surveys that met the criteria …

Racial Differences In Depression Indicators Before And After 2008 Financial Crisis In A Sample Of Older Adults, Angelina E. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine patterns of mental health outcomes in older Black and White adults after the national 2008 financial crisis. The data was acquired from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a publicly available dataset. This longitudinal study has obtained data from a representative sample of approximately 20,000 older adults in America, aged 55 and older. The hypotheses were (1) rates of mental health indicators related to symptoms of depression will increase after the 2008 financial crisis and (2) that increase will be significantly higher in Black respondents compared to White respondents. The analysis …

Factors Associated With Patient Portal Utilization, Preventive Services Utilization, And Health Promoting Behaviors Among Adults In The United States, Elizabeth Ayangunna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Nearly 60% of adults in the United States are estimated to have one or more chronic conditions, necessitating strategies to improve the health status of persons with chronic disease. Given that health information technology (HIT) is considered highly valuable for superior disease management, it is imperative to examine how HIT use can improve health behaviors, which can in turn improve health status. This study aimed to examine if there was an association between patient portal utilization and the use of preventive services & health-promoting behaviors. Also, this study examined the influence of self-efficacy on preventive health behaviors among adults …

What Could Go Wrong? Patient And Hospital Characteristics Associated With Pediatric Quality Of Inpatient Care And Pediatric Adverse Events, Michael H. Samawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to analyze associations between hospital and patient characteristics with pediatric adverse events (PAE) in the inpatient hospital setting, utilizing the framework of pediatric quality indicators (PDIs) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicators. Three PDIs were identified and utilized for this purpose: NQI 03 Neonatal Blood Stream Infection, PDI 09 Postoperative Respiratory Failure, and PDI 10 Postoperative Sepsis. The data used for the study is based on an analysis of discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid’s Inpatient Databases (KID) for the year 2019. The findings contribute to the growing …

Medical Providers' Use Of Maternal Mental Health Screening Tools During Prenatal Appointments In Southeast Georgia, Andreka Ewing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, maternal mental health disorders are the most common comorbidities experienced during pregnancy and after childbirth. In particular, the state of Georgia reports that 1 in 7 Georgian mothers experience depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, or psychosis related to these disorders. Research suggests that untreated maternal mental health can have adverse effects on the mother and unborn child. Conditions such as autism, mixed handedness, reduced cognitive ability, and affective disorders can develop while the child is in the womb of a depressed mother. Routine maternal mental health screening using a validated screening tool has been recommended to help …

Athletic Identity And Intention To Report Concussions In Collegiate Club Recreational Athletes, Kiersten D. Kuhlman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Athletic identity is the extent to which one identifies with the athlete role, but we do not know what that looks like in club sports and its effect on concussion reporting intention. The athletic identity of club sport athletes and their intention to report concussive injuries is limited and needs further research. Purpose: Describe athletic identity in club sport athletes and determine its influence on concussion reporting in club sport participants. Methods: A convenience sample of 149 (age 18-28 (M= 19.95±1.81) years old) club sport athletes at Georgia Southern University completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and …

Identifying Dekalb County’S Disparities In 2022 Mpox Cases Versus Vaccination Rates To Achieve Vaccine Equity, Lucas O'Reilly, Rosa Fowler

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference

Background:

Black/African-American communities are disproportionately affected by detrimental social determinants of health, which increases adverse health outcomes among these groups. In DeKalb County, the mpox outbreak predominantly affected Black/African-American residents, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Methods:

DeKalb County case data for 6/12/22 to 12/7/22 were obtained from the State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. JYNNEOS vaccination data for 7/11/22 to 12/2/22 were obtained from the Board of Health’s electronic medical records. RStudio was used to analyze data by gender identity, HIV status, and race.

Results:

Overall, 414 mpox cases were reported, of which 97.1% identified as male, 47.8% were …

Turnover, Covid-19, And Reasons For Leaving And Staying Within Governmental Public Health, Jonathan P. Leider, Gulzar H. Shah, Valerie A. Yeager, Jingjing Yin, Kusuma Madamala

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives:

Public health workforce recruitment and retention continue to challenge public health agencies. This study aims to describe the trends in intention to leave and retire and analyze factors associated with intentions to leave and intentions to stay.

Design:

Using national-level data from the 2017 and 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Surveys, bivariate analyses of intent to leave were conducted using a Rao-Scott adjusted chi-square and multivariate analysis using logistic regression models.

Results:

In 2021, 20% of employees planned to retire and 30% were considering leaving. In contrast, 23% of employees planned to retire and 28% …

Sheprep: Examining The Influence Of The Messaging And The Messenger Associated With Prep Uptake Among African American Women, Christian C. Spears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American Women (AAW) make up less than 15% of the female population in the United States but account for over 50% of new HIV diagnoses among females. This largely preventable health disparity can be mitigated by advocating and prescribing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive HIV medication, to persons at risk. Despite advances in medication options, there are less than 13% of Black people who could benefit from having been prescribed PrEP, and limited research and promotion on the effectiveness of PrEP for AAW. The “ShePrEP Study” aimed to assess awareness, perceptions, and receptivity toward PrEP among AAW. This study …

Emergency Preparedness And Response: Examining Rural Hospitals (Rhs) Communication Systems Before, During, And After A Natural Disaster, Geremy D. Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rural Hospitals (RHs) have distinctive characteristics that constitute unparalleled challenges. One of those challenges is the ability to communicate effectively in a disaster, impacting the various effects on the affected society. Research has shown that effective emergency preparedness and response (EPR) communication is paramount when communicating informed details about emergent events. Despite the evolving complexities of communication and the technology associated with disaster communication, very few studies have successfully investigated RHs communication systems before, during, and after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to examine and assess RHs communication systems and to highlight the strengths, identify …

Perspectives On The Use Of Molecular Hiv Data For Public Health, Margaret Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Effective HIV treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis can drastically reduce the risk of acquiring HIV and prevent most future transmission, but these advances are not accessible to many who could most benefit from them. Advances in use of molecular sequence data to inform prevention efforts, paired with supportive interventions, have the potential to identify clusters of rapid HIV transmission and focus prevention resources toward areas of highest need. Although molecular cluster detection has been successfully used in other areas of public health, advocates for people with HIV have raised concerns about the application of this approach because of HIV …

On Kernel-Based Estimator Of Odds Ratio Using Different Stratified Sampling Schemes, Abbas Eftekharian, Hani Samawi, Haresh Rochani

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The kernel-based estimator of Cochran Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio based on stratified simple and ranked set sampling is proposed. The expectation and variance of the estimator are analytically obtained. Using a simulation study, the estimator based on stratified ranked set sampling is more efficient than its counterpart based on stratified simple random sampling. Finally, the estimator's performance is investigated by using base deficit data.

A Bootstrap Method For A Multiple-Imputation Variance Estimator In Survey Sampling, Lili Yu, Yichuan Zhao

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Rubin’s variance estimator of the multiple imputation estimator for a domain mean is not asymptotically unbiased. Kim et al. derived the closed-form bias for Rubin’s variance estimator. In addition, they proposed an asymptotically unbiased variance estimator for the multiple imputation estimator when the imputed values can be written as a linear function of the observed values. However, this needs the assumption that the covariance of the imputed values in the same imputed dataset is twice that in the different imputed datasets. In this study, we proposed a bootstrap variance estimator that does not need this assumption. Both theoretical argument and …

Association Between The Health Belief Model, Exercise, And Nutrition Behaviors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Keagan Kiely, Bill Mase, Andrew R. Hansen, Jessica S. Schwind

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our nation’s health further than the infection it causes. Physical activity levels and dietary intake have suffered while individuals grapple with the changes in behavior to reduce viral transmission. With unique nuances regarding the access to physical activity and nutrition during the pandemic, the constructs of Health Belief Model (HBM) may present themselves differently in nutrition and exercise behaviors compared to precautions implemented to reduce viral transmission studied in previous research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of exercise and nutritional behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic and explain the …

Effects Of Physical Activity On The Cognitive Performance Of Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: A Critically Appraised Topic, Amaiah N. Young

Honors College Theses

The aging population is the fastest growing population currently. Older adults are most susceptible to cognitive impairment, because of the natural cognitive decline with age. Physical activity changes the body physically by increasing strength and endurance of muscles, and aids quality of life by decreasing the negative impact of cognitive impairment. This study investigated the influence of physical activity on cognitive performance of cognitively impaired older adults. This study found that physical activity had a beneficial effect on cognition when physical activity plans were done for at least 6 months and of moderate to high intensity. While, all areas of …

Hiv Viral Load Suppression Before And After Covid-19 In Kinshasa And Haut Katanga, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Gulzar H. Shah, Gina D. Etheredge, Stacy Smallwood, Lievain Maluantesa, Kristie C. Waterfield, Osaremhen Ikhile, John Ditekemena, Elodie Engetele, Elizabeth Ayangunna, Astrid Mulenga, Bernard Bossiky

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in unique programmatic opportunities to test hypotheses related to the initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) and viral load (VL) suppression during a global health crisis, which would not otherwise have been possible.

Objectives: To generate practice-relevant evidence on the impact of initiating ART pre-COVID-19 versus during the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV VL.

Method: Logistic regression was performed on data covering 6596 persons with HIV whose VL data were available, out of 36 585 persons who were initiated on ART between 01 April 2019 and 30 March 2021.

Results: After controlling for covariates …

Evaluating The Student Training Equity Project: An Upstream Recruitment Approach To Diversifying Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs, Hannah L. Joseph, Mary Fernandes, Meghan Goyer, M. Alejandra Arce, Ciera Lewis, Claudia A. Delbasso, Suzann Lawry, Corey A. Walker, Omolade Amole, Mikael Sampson, Erin Tone

Georgia Educational Researcher

The U.S. psychology workforce is considerably less diverse than the population that it serves. While several recruitment and admission practices are effective for diversifying psychology training programs, upstream recruitment of underrepresented candidates is particularly promising. Aiming to diversify the clinical psychology graduate program applicant pool, the Student Training Equity Project (STEP) was developed to promote and evaluate upstream recruitment of undergraduate students of color interested in psychology graduate studies. This study used a mixed-method design to evaluate immediate outcomes for three STEP programmatic strategies. Survey results suggest that STEP networking events were associated with undergraduate research and mentorship opportunities. Findings …