Digital Commons Network^™

Introduction: Conversations On Abortion Rights And Bodily Autonomy In The Eighteenth Century And Today, Vicki Barnett Woods, Manushag N. Powell

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830

This piece serves as an introduction to the discussions of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights, revised from roundtable presentations held at ASECS 2023. This collection of essays contributes to the resounding responses of frustration and anger toward the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The collection was written and presented by eighteenth-century scholars who have a comprehensive knowledge of the eighteenth-century legal, social, and medical histories that center around reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.

The Social Determinants Of Health And Genocide: Towards A Public Health Integrated Framework Of Genocide And Mass Violence, Sian Persad, Cheng Xu

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper makes a normative argument about transformations of public health as a necessary condition required in any transitional justice process. We seek to bridge the gap between the fields of genocide and public health to understand the recursive relationship between genocide and the social determinants of health. We show that structures and institutions established during genocide create enduring impacts on the public health outcomes of victim and survivor groups even after the ousting of the original perpetrators. Our comparative analysis of the Rwandan Genocide and the colonial genocide of Indigenous communities in Canada surveys the available public health literature …

Student Perceptions Of The Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Stimulants And Preferences For Health Education, Ana Gutierrez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) for the purpose of improving academic performance is a growing concern among the college population. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2020, rates of NMUPS were highest among 18–25-year-olds attending college. There are several adverse health outcomes associated with NMUPS, including cardiovascular damage, seizures, psychosis, and dependence. Given the rising rates of NMUPS in this group, and the negative health outcomes associated with NMUPS, it is vital to employ health education that allows students to make informed decisions about behaviors that impact their health. The purpose of this study …

Crossing Schools, Language, And Migration Borders: The Experiences Of Latinx And Caribbean Emergent Multilingual Mothers In K-12 Public Schools, Michelle Angelo-Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anti-immigrant sentiment and "English-only" ideologies have a significant impact on educational policies, practices, and processes. This includes parental engagement, the quality of education and life opportunities offered to immigrant children, and families’ well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine how Latinx and Caribbean mothers in Florida with various immigration statuses (i.e., undocumented, asylum seekers, refugees, international students, and mixed-status) and often with limited financial resources attempt to steward their children through the U.S. educational system. The research question was: How did emergent multilingual immigrant mothers experience the K-12 education system in Florida? The sub-question was: How did schools …

“I Was Doing The Best With What I Had”: Exploring Student Veterans’ Experiences With Community Reintegration, Food Insecurity, And Health Challenges, Jacquelyn N. Heuer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity is a concern for many populations, including college students and military veterans. The impacts of food insecurity on student veterans are understudied, especially in relation to community reintegration and health. Employing the theoretical frameworks of structural violence and embodiment, this dissertation explores how community reintegration, food insecurity, diet quality, and health interact and influence one another among post-9/11 student veterans in Florida. In doing so, this dissertation considers how the experiences of student veterans are shaped by social inequities (i.e., structural violence) and how these experiences become embodied, thereby shaping student veterans’ health outcomes.

Utilizing findings from surveys …

Entanglements Of Teenage Food Security Within High School Pantries In Pinellas County, Florida, Karen T. Díaz Serrano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity has the ability to shape an individual’s or a family’s everyday life and take emotional, psychological, and physical tolls. Among adolescents, not having access to nutritious food could lead to physical effects during growth and development. Moreover, the stress and anxiety of not knowing where their next meal is coming from and the social stigma associated with being food insecure can have negative effects on mental health. A recent solution to these issues is locating food pantries in high schools. Purpose: This exploratory study examined how high school students in Pinellas County, Florida perceive the use of a …

Gender Differences In Episodic Memory In Later Life: The Mediating Role Of Education, Sara Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States (U.S.), 14 million individuals aged 65+ are expected to be diagnosed with dementia by 2060, and women are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed. Low education is a well-established risk factor for dementia and is hypothesized to partly explain the gender differences in late-life cognition. However, few studies have investigated education as a mediator of these gender differences. This study aims to investigate education as a mediator of gender differences in episodic memory using longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). I used a sample of 35,721 respondents (20,190 women and 15,531 …

Clinically Applied Anthropology: A Syndemic Intervention., Jason W. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates that a critical, clinically applied anthropology is possible by testing a hypothesis that a syndemic intervention, and use of a structural vulnerability assessment tool, can achieve improved healthcare outcomes. A critical, clinically applied anthropology integrates social scientists into healthcare delivery, alongside biomedical providers, through the co-creation of new diagnostic and patient care pathways that utilize anthropological methods (ethnographically informed care, syndemics, thematic/mixed methods data analysis) and advance anthropological theory (biomedicine and culture, structural violence, structural competency/vulnerability, ontology, assemblage theory, and entanglements) to decrease healthcare inequities.

Medical anthropology has previously engaged biomedicine and other attempts at a clinical …

Restrictions Are Lifted: The Effect Of Risk Perception Of Covid-19 On Future Travel Intentions Of Dutch Travellers, Rami K. Isaac

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

This study aims to understand better the psychological impact of COVID-19, the risk perception, travel and destination risks of Dutch travellers and their intention to travel when travel restrictions due to COVID-19 are lifted. This study takes a step toward closing the gap in the literature as it provides new insights into the risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 and the travel intentions of Dutch travellers now that travel restrictions are lifted. This study employed a quantitative approach to market research. Questionnaire research was applied. The questionnaire is created with the web-based survey tool Qualtrics. 343 respondents filled in the questionnaire. The …

Examining Treatment Differences In Anxiety Disorders And Body-Focused Repetitive And Related Disorders In A Pediatric Clinic Sample, Katrina Scarimbolo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health concerns that affect youth. It is estimated about 9.4% of youth have an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder or specific phobias (CDC, 2022). The present study includes obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder as a part of the definition of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders can be comorbid with many mental health conditions. The focus of this study was on the comorbidity between anxiety disorders and body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and related disorders. BFRBs are behaviors that involve repeated picking, …

Reframing Resistance, Resilience, And Racial Equity In Maternal Health: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Paternal Involvement And The Racial Disparity In Severe Maternal Morbidity, Marshara G. Fross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: The preventable, persistent racial inequity observed in maternal and infant death has lasting impacts on African American communities and families. Fathers, partners, and co-parents are important supports during the sensitive and vulnerable perinatal period. Emerging research has begun to demonstrate a concerted effort to move beyond the sphere of medicine and quality improvement, towards exploring and integrating social factors into targeted intervention strategies to address racial inequality in health outcomes. However, sparse literature concentrates on understanding the role of fathers and partners in peripartum care and maternal health outcomes. This study aimed to explore, understand, and describe the role …

Understanding How Cancer Adapts To Stress And Therapy Using Evolutionary Game Theory, Mariyah Pressley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive responses in cancer promote disease initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Understanding the underlying evolutionary dynamics behind these adaptive responses is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Evolutionary game theory (EGT) has proven a useful tool in analyzing how different cellular behaviors and evolutionary forces shape the dynamics of tumor growth, response to therapy, and the emergence of resistance. In this dissertation, we utilize EGT to understand the adaptive responses of cancer through the lens of ecology and evolution. By employing fitness-generating models and exploring various ecological contexts, we aimed to unveil critical factors influencing aggressive cell phenotypes, treatment …

“I’M Still Suffering”: Mental Health Care Among Central African Refugee Populations In The Tampa Bay Area, C. Danee Ruszczyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 500 Central African refugee families have been resettled in the Tampa Bay Area since 2002 (RPC, 2022). The cycles of trauma that they have endured place them in vulnerable positions regarding their mental health. Struggling to exist within underfunded social programs that are rigid in their expectations and with the current system of reactive care vs preventative care, the refugees in Tampa are put in a difficult situation of navigating their own health and wellbeing in lieu of having the full support of the United States government and their community. I will discuss how these refugees experience and …

An Analysis Of State Sex Education Policies To Explore The Inclusiveness Of School Based Sex Education, Amarah Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze state policies related to sex education proposed between 2018 and 2022 to determine the extent to which sex education needs of LGBTQ youth were being addressed. Previous research has shown that, on average, both abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education curricula do not include information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth. Much of the information included in sex education curricula such as pregnancy prevention and the benefits and disadvantages of condoms are most relevant to youth who identify as heterosexual. Not receiving relevant and accurate sex education puts LGBTQ youth at risk for …

The Physical Activity Of Spanish Speleologists: Accomplishment Of Recommendations And Differences By Sociodemographic Variables, Miquel Pans, Laura Antón-González, Maite Pellicer-Chenoll

International Journal of Speleology

Outdoor adventure activities are becoming more popular due to their potential health benefits, although there is little scientific information on speleology as a physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study is to expand the scientific evidence in this field in two ways: (a) describe the PA performed by speleologists, taking into account the variables of interest such as gender, age, education, speleological level, participation in ‘Alpine’ explorations and body mass index (BMI) and (b) identify how far the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PA recommendations were accomplished (i.e.,150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA or 75 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic). A …

Contribution Of Contextual Factors And Neuropathology To Dementia, Monica E. Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has extensive biological heterogeneity. It is not clear the extent to which this heterogeneity may be detected in participants without dementia, how it relates to incident AD dementia, and whether contextual factors may change how neuropathology relates to incident AD dementia. Therefore, this dissertation was completed using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n = 1,703) and the Czech Brain Aging Study (CBAS; n = 385) to address the following aims: to assess biological heterogeneity in participants without dementia, to relate this heterogeneity to incident AD dementia, and to …

“They’Re Still Trying To Wrap Their Head Around Forever”: An Anatomy Of Hope For Spinal Cord Injury Patients, William A. Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation draws on ethnographic data to investigate the nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in Central Florida, using participant observation and interview data to understand how people with SCI (pwSCI) conceptualize their own disabilities after experiencing such radical alterations in their subjectivities. Using case studies and ethnographic vignettes, it argues that the extreme double binds in which pwSCI find themselves (where they are personally ordinarily disabled and socially extraordinarily novel; and where they are enabled resources to pursue “hopeful” therapy modalities while being designated as hopelessly disabled) is further polarized by the various legislative regimes of truth in …

Identifying Contributors To Disproportionality: The Influence Of Perception On Student Social, Emotional, And Academic Behavior Ratings, Chelsea Salvatore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Successful implementation of the MTSS framework involves equitable assessment and decision-making. This calls for researchers to investigate the processes utilized to identify students for early behavioral support, such as multi-informant universal social-emotional behavioral screening. The current study aimed to investigate this by first examining the usability of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Subscale (SAEBRS) and the student self-report version (mySAEBRS) across Black and White students in grades seven through nine. After examining these tools for measurement invariance, the trifactor model was employed with race as a predictor variable to examine the mean difference of Black and White students’ scores …

Intimate Conversations: A Mixed-Methods Study Of African American Father-Adolescent Sexual Risk Communication, Shanda A. Vereen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Approximately 50% of African American (AA) high school students are sexually active and a large proportion of sexually active AA students report engaging in sexual risk behaviors such as not using condoms at last intercourse. Consequently, AA adolescents in the United States experience outcomes of risky sexual behaviors at high rates. Evidence shows parents have an effect on shaping adolescent attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding sex through sexual risk communication (SRC). Although parent-adolescent SRC is associated with reductions in sexual risk behaviors among AA adolescents, research has primarily focused on mothers. While parents acknowledge that SRC is traditionally viewed …

Young Adult Cancer Patients And Survivors’ Adherence To Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Guidelines, Sandra Soca Lozano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many Adolescents and Young Adult (AYA) cancer patients/survivors do not engage in healthy eating and physical activity recommendations. The present study assessed the role of race/ethnicity, health literacy, and home environmental influences and its association with adherence to healthy eating and physical activity. AYA patients/survivors from Moffitt Cancer Center (n = 273) completed an anonymous online survey. Self-reported measures about eating habits, physical activity, health literacy, and social support were used. Black/African Americans reported worse eating habits than White and Hispanic participants. Obese participants showed a similar trend compared to all other Body Mass Index groups. Adherence to physical activity …

The Invisible Victims Of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Boys And Their Barriers To Access To Services, Amanda L. Connella

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While there has been a large body of research conducted on girl (under the age of 18) victims of commercial sexual exploitation, boy (under the age of 18) victims do not seem to receive the same attention. From the few studies that have been conducted, boys and young male victims of commercial sexual exploitation have been shown to have gender specific barriers that prevent them from getting help, yet not many papers explore this unique problem. Using survey data from key providers that work in programs that serve commercially sexually exploited boys, the present study fills this hole in the …

Can Covid-19 Vaccines Induce Premature Non-Communicable Diseases: Where Are We Heading To?, Altijana Hromić-Jahjefendić, Debmalya Barh, Vladimir N. Uversky, Alaa A. A. Aljabali, Murtaza M. Tambuwala, Fuad M. Alzahrani, Saleh Alshammeri, Kenneth Lundstrom

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

According to the WHO, as of January 2023, more than 850 million cases and over 6.6 million deaths from COVID-19 have been reported worldwide. Currently, the death rate has been reduced due to the decreased pathogenicity of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, but the major factor in the reduced death rates is the administration of more than 12.8 billion vaccine doses globally. While the COVID-19 vaccines are saving lives, serious side effects have been reported after vaccinations for several premature non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, the reported adverse events are low in number. The scientific community must investigate the entire spectrum of COVID-19-vaccine-induced …

Review Of The Life And Legend Of Catterina Vizzani: Sexual Identity, Science And Sensationalism In Eighteenth-Century Italy And England, By Clorinda Donato, Ula E. Lukszo Klein

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830

Review of The Life and Legend of Catterina Vizzani: Sexual Identity, Science and Sensationalism in Eighteenth-Century Italy and England, by Clorinda Donato, written by Ula Lukszo Klein. Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment, Liverpool University Press, 2020, 347 pp., 3 b/w images. ISBN: 978-1-789-62221-8

Does Time Equal Money? Temporal Discounting And Self-Control: Insight Into The Rationality Of Personal Financial Decision-Making, Joshua Epstein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exponential and hyperbolic intertemporal choice models have been widely investigated to measure an individual’s degree of impulsivity in behavioral economics. Hyperbolic discounting research identifies subject’s disproportionately high subjective value to immediate rewards, to the extent that it is not in their best interest. Furthermore, preference reversals have shown subjective value demonstrates an inversely relationship proportional to delay.

Investigation into whether visual representations influence conservative personal finance savings behavior was demonstrated in this study by presenting a multitude of visualizations before allocation of limited monetary resources. Evaluation of the neighbor effect was tested to determine whether comparing individuals to their peers …

The Effect Of Covid- 19 Pandemic Process On Social Psychology And Nature-Based Therapeutic Activities, Aysun Yalvac, Esmahan Yalcin, Murad A. Kasalak

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Today, many scientists have stated that the use of nature-based products and activities at certain rates together with the healing effect of modern medical techniques during the epidemic that affects the whole world has health-supporting benefits. Based on these views, people's consumption of products obtained from natural resources has increased and the interest in outdoor activities in nature has increased. Due to the positive effects of these activities on mental health, socialization and rehabilitation processes, over time, it became necessary to consider these activities within the scope of therapeutic recreation applied to groups with health restrictions such as the disabled, …

Assessment And Prevention Of Bacterial Regrowth In Stored Household Water In Eastern Coastal Madagascar, Lauren Judah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As of 2020, diarrheal diseases were the leading cause of death in Madagascar. A major cause of diarrheal illness is contaminated water, and one crucial aspect of preventing contaminated water is safe household storage. Bacterial regrowth between point-of-collection and household storage has been well established in literature. A frequently implicated source of regrowth is the storage container’s biofilm, which is a community of varying bacteria enclosed in a “slimy” extracellular polymeric substance that forms on surfaces in wet environments and anchors bacteria to those surfaces. The overall goal of this thesis was to quantify and control bacterial regrowth in household …

Impact Of Language Sampling Context On Language Productivity And Complexity, Trina J. Tolentino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Language sampling is a familiar tool in the speech-language pathologist’s (SLP’s) repertoire, used to assess a student’s language ability and inform treatment targets. The current literature has several studies comparing various dimensions of language sampling context, but with relatively small samples. The goal of this study was to identify what sampling contexts elicit the most productive and complex language, thereby contributing insight into what conditions may yield the most accurate representation of a child’s language skill, as well as the resulting intervention focus.

One-thousand thirty-seven kindergarten, first-, second-, and third-grade students (mean age [years; months] ≈ 7;5; range = 5;0-10;9), …

Exploring Parenthood And The Influence Of Lived Experiences On Parenting Behaviors Among Child Welfare-Involved Adults, Veronica Howell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization asserts the healthy development of children is essential. Cases of violence and maltreatment impede the development of children worldwide. Six in 10 adults in the general US population have reported at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), while vulnerable populations, including child welfare-involved adults (i.e., parents and caregivers), often report more. This history is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates alongside higher economic costs; therefore, preventing ACEs and promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between parents and children is critical. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand the meanings and responsibilities associated …

Going Flat: Challenging Gender, Stigma, And Cure Through Lesbian Breast Cancer Experience, Beth Gaines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the decision-making process of reconstruction surgery among lesbian breast cancer patients to better understand how identity impacts healthcare decisions. Breast cancer patients experience the disease in unique ways due to gender, sexuality, race, and class, impacting their individual decisions regarding treatment plans. Many breast cancer patients face mastectomy surgery as the first plan of treatment after diagnosis. By exploring the impact of gender, sexuality, stigma, and ideas of cure, this research aims to advance research about breast cancer by recognizing why some lesbian breast cancer patients forego reconstruction surgery and instead choose to “go flat.

The Relationship Between Balloon Tourism And Well-Being, Serkan Bertan

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The relationship between balloon tourism and well-being was analyzed in this study. In line with this purpose, a questionnaire was implemented on people living at Pamukkale destination. The reason for selecting Pamukkale was its importance as one of the most prominent localities with many hot air balloon activities. Structural equation model was used in this study which was conducted to determine the relation between well-being and the effects of and support for balloon tourism. The sample was determined with random sampling method. Data were analyzed through PLS-SEM method. Economic, cultural and environmental impacts were found to be positively affecting the …