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Focus Group And Survey Responses To Postural Feedback During Creative Movement Exploration, Mary C. Matthews

Senior Theses

John H. Riskind’s “appropriateness hypothesis” states that posture, positions, and gestures can be emotionally self-regulating if an individual holds a posture that is appropriate for its context. A litany of studies on power posing suggests expansive postures could increase Feelings of Power. One meta-analytic review demonstrates the “robust” significance for evidence of “power feelings, emotion, or self-esteem” due to postural feedback while cautioning researchers on the empirical invalidity of evidence for behavioral and physiological variables. A qualitative description of individuals’ experiences as they change posture, gesture, and position would direct future research on postural feedback. The current project qualitatively examines …

Returning To School After A Pandemic: K-12 School Mental Health Practitioners’ Perspectives Returning To School In Regard To Mindset, Behavior, Performance, And Social Connections, Viridiana Benitez Esparza

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine K-12 school mental health practitioners’ perceptions of their experiences working with students following the 2-year educational/social/emotional trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to the mental health practitioners’ mindset, behavior, performance, and social connections. Methodology: The researcher conducted a phenomenological study examining particular experiences of participants to understand their perspective during a phenomenon (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006). This qualitative study interviewed 12 school mental health practitioners who served in K-12 public schools after the pandemic in Los Angeles County, California. Semi-structured interview questions were used for data collection and aligned …

Essays On Urban Transportation And Health Economics, Alexander P. Tsiukes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The first chapter analyzes how Premier League games in London impact demand for the city’s bike-sharing system. Bike-sharing systems affect mode choice for within-city transportation. Using bike rental data from Transport for London, this chapter exploits the plausibly-exogenous timing of Premier League games to identify how proximity to stadiums affects demand for London’s bike-sharing system. Results indicate games at Stamford Bridge (stadium) cause a 24.36% increase in the number of bike trips arriving within 0.5km of the stadium, with effects diminishing as distance increases. In contrast, games at London Stadium decrease nearby bike-sharing use and may actually crowd out would-be …

Development Of A Novel Measure To Assess For Alcohol Misuse In Older Adults: The Alcohol Misuse Scale For Older Adults (Amsoa), Nathan Jensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is the most regularly used intoxicating substance in most geographic locations. Alcohol use in the United States specifically is well over global averages. While alcohol misuse is generally considered to be understood as a problem for younger adults, it is often unrecognized and understudied older adult populations. Currently, there is an absence of a comprehensive tool measuring for developmentally salient behaviors, symptoms, and features of alcohol misuse in older adulthood, which blocks researchers’ ability to measure alcohol misuse well. The purpose of this study is to develop a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment of alcohol misuse for older adult …

The Association Between Symptoms Of Adhd And Alcohol Use And Related Consequences In College Students: Social And Environmental Protective And Risk Factors As Moderators Of This Relation, Cameron Shepard Massey

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use, while common in college student populations, can bring about significant mental health and educational problems that have negative consequences (Harris et al., 2017; White & Hingson, 2013). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also result in significant impairment in academic settings (Kuriyan et al., 2012; Blase et al., 2009, Barbaresi et al., 2007), and those with ADHD often show increased rates of alcohol consumption and related problems, which can greatly increase the risk for students to struggle in college (Barbaresi et al., 2013; Baker et al., 2012). Examining the impact that specific risk and protective factors play in this relation …

Three Essays On The Economics Of Children’S Health And Education In Nepal, Khusiman Pun

Economics ETDs

First essay: This paper studies the impact of Nepal’s 1996-2006 Maoist insurgency on the nutritional status of children. We employ the difference-in-difference (DID) model. The proxy for conflict intensity is killings per thousand population (KPT). The finding of our study is that a marginal increase in KPT decreases the height-for-age (HAZ) of the children by 0.0844. The loss in child health was statistically not significant in both non-poor and poor households. Therefore, the impact of the insurgency on child health is largely driven by the negative effect of the insurgency on Janajaties, irrespective of their economic status.

Second essay: This …

African-American Parents’ Cultural Understandings Of The Concept Of Autism And Implications For Parental Communication And Health Management, Kellie J. Fennell

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

In 2023 the Centers of Disease Control reported that around 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism in America and that the prevalence has increased by 178% since 2000 (CDC, 2023). Despite increases in awareness and diagnosis past research finds that the discussions of ASD in African American communities is minimal (Fombonne, 2003; Yeargin Allsopp et al., 2003). This disparity is important considering that African American children receive an ASD diagnosis years later than their white counterparts and are much more likely to be misdiagnosed (Mandell et al., 2009, 2002).

Given the history of a lack of representation of …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Discrimination, & Adulthood Health Outcomes: Impacts Of Protective And Compensatory Experiences In Childhood, Sallie A. Mack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adversity encompasses a wide range of stress-inducing experiences that are often prolonged and/or recurring in nature. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) capture adversity experienced before the age of 18, including abuse, neglect, and general household dysfunction. ACEs are widely linked to physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Racial/ethnic discrimination, a form of adversity that can occur across the lifespan, has also been linked to many negative health outcomes. Protective and compensatory experiences in childhood (PACEs) are a relatively newer conceptualization of early-life resiliency factors. Early life resiliency is linked to positive health outcomes later in life. Our studies investigated …

Racial Differences In The Strong Black Woman Schema And Its Relationship To Health Behaviors And Perseverance, Raegan Bishop

Dissertations

Black women face a number of poor health outcomes, with 50% of Black women 20 years and older suffering from cardiovascular disease, and a diabetes incidence rate that is almost double that of White women. Health behaviors like physical activity, diet, and stress management can assist in reducing the onset and worsening of these diseases. However, Black women are less likely to engage in these behaviors compared to women of other races. Additionally, even when Black women do engage in positive health behaviors, they see fewer positive results than White women. One potential influencer in the complex relationship that Black …

Essays On The Child Health And Education Benefits Of Government Programs, Abhradeep Karmakar

Economics ETDs

This work comprises five chapters. Chapter 1 presents an outline of three separate research papers, highlighting their objectives, main findings, and contributions to existing literature. Chapter 2 evaluates the impact of the Right to Education Act on children’s health and cognition in Andhra Pradesh, using the Young Lives data. We exploit the timing of the survey rounds and variations in children’s age in each round for studying the relationship. Chapter 3 studies the impact of the Clean India Mission sanitation program on children’s math and reading test-scores. Using data from the ASER surveys and from the Govt. of India, we …

Perceptions Of The Veterans Administration And Mental Health Treatment Seeking Intentions Among Veterans, Hilary Hines

Dissertations

Among the veteran population there is a trend of underutilizing mental health services despite the higher number of veterans with mental health diagnoses. Though previous research has examined barriers to mental health care such as stigma and a warrior mentality, there may be additional barriers that emanate from the system to which veterans are entitled and encouraged to use, the Veterans Administration (VA). This study examined the mediational relationships among perceptions of the VA, attitudes about seeking mental health treatment at the VA, and intentions to seek mental health treatment at the VA among veterans. Data from 96 veterans were …

Social Creatures: The Impact Of Solitary Confinement On Psychophysiological Health And How Inmates Percieve Their Humanity And Social Well-Being, Julia Austin

Honors Projects

This paper will define and examine the use of solitary confinement within the United States prison system and review its mental, physical, and social impacts. As social creatures, human mental and physical well-being depends on meaningful social interactions absent in segregation units. As it currently stands, vulnerable populations, including racial minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with developmental disabilities or psychological disorders, are at risk of irrevocable harm and abuse within these facilities from staff as well as other inmates. With a rotating 80,000 inmates held in solitary confinement every day, the current structure of the prison system deemphasizes rehabilitation and …

The Child Nutrition Cost Of Weather Shocks In Nigeria, Danielle M. Abaya

Master's Theses

Child malnutrition is alarmingly high in Nigeria with the highest number of malnourished children, the second highest population of stunted children worldwide and 17 million Nigerians facing food insecurity. According to the World Health Organization, children are predicted to suffer about 80% of weather-related illnesses and deaths. As climate change continues to pose the greatest health threat and while scientists predict its irreversible effects in the next 10 years, countries such as Nigeria are already experiencing the burden of climate change today. This study uses total rainfall to measure precipitation and two Enhanced Vegetation Index variables, total change in greenness …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Immigration-Related Stressors, Pregnancy, Birth, And Post-Partum Experiences Of Women Living Along The Us-Mexico Border, Isabela Solis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with immigration-related stressors had a profound effect on women who lived on the U.S.-Mexico border and their pregnancy, birth, and post-partum experiences. This project focused the experiences of 17 women living in El Paso, Texas and how border closure, economic insecurities, and family separation during the COVID-19 pandemic shaped women’s experiences. This research included interviewing maternal and child health experts to propose recommendations geared towards policy change. Finally, this project highlights the vast complexities that go into the pregnancy, birth, and post-partum period for women living on the U.S.-Mexico border, and how these experiences shape maternal …

The Effect Of A Gratitude Intervention On Acute Pain Toleration, Cynthia Ware

Honors College Theses

Gratitude interventions are emerging as a method to improve physical health outcomes; however, gratitude’s effect on pain perception and the autonomic response is understudied. Recent research suggests the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex is activated in gratitude interventions and is also involved in the perception of pain and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. In this study, we investigated the effect of state gratitude induction on pain through the use of the cold pressor method. We found that although there were no significant differences in self-reported unpleasantness, participants in the gratitude condition reported a higher intensity of pain. Nevertheless, participants …

Enhancing The Quality Of Life For Senior Citizens: A Facilitator’S Guidebook For Mindful Music And Movement, Shannon Sexton

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Music appreciation and enjoyment enhance well-being throughout the lifespan. The challenges and constraints that people experience as they age can lead to lack of access to music, decreased physical activity, and fewer avenues for creative expression. Group music and movement interventions created for older populations offer opportunities for social connection and improved quality of life. Mindful practices add further benefit when combined with these interventions. Current available programs are scarce and most often do not encompass mixed modalities. In addition, the benefits of these programs do not show long-term sustainability. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the effects …

Three Essays On Health, Food, And Agricultural Economics, Saber Feizy

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation comprises three distinct but interrelated projects that explore the intersection of agriculture, nutrition, and economics. The first project investigates the impact of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) food programs on the health outcomes of its participants. Using fixed effects models and a matching algorithm, the study finds that while conventional fixed effects models indicate a significant effect of CSA participation on diet-related medical expenditures, our modified time-heterogenous fixed effects model did not find a meaningful effect. The results of the matching method are consistent with those of our modified model.

The second project examines racial disparities in the prevalence …

Health-Related Quality Of Life Experience Of Young Adults Living With Psoriatic Arthritis, Katie Mccann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that includes symptoms of arthritis, inflammation of tendons/ligaments, swelling of toes/fingers, and possible involvement of spinal joints. The disease activity of PsA causes structural damage to the joints impacting activities involved with an individual's quality of life (QOL). Existing PsA research on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) mainly shows results concerning children and adult/older adult populations there is a gap in the research on the young adult population living with PsA and their HRQOL. This qualitative study was conducted to gather the experiences of the HRQOL of young adults (18–25 years old) …

Mothers Of Children With Disabilities: Perceptions Of Online Peer Mentoring Support, April S. Felder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a trend of increased diagnoses of childhood disabilities in the United States. Mothers who care for a child diagnosed with disabilities typically experience increased parental obligations and maternal mental health deficits that often go undiagnosed or untreated, resulting in adverse events. Researchers found that peer mentoring is an effective, nonclinical resource for addressing these mothers’ intervention needs but have not established alternative ways to increase access and delivery. The purpose of this generic, qualitative study was to explore how mothers of children with disabilities perceive online peer mentoring as an intervention resource for stress and coping. Lazarus’s …

Healthcare Access And Experiences Among Transgender University Students, Micah Reisner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background

As transgender identification rises in younger generations, it is imperative that colleges and universities account for the health and wellbeing of this growing subset of the student body. Previous research indicates that transgender populations experience unique barriers to accessing healthcare, including socioeconomic barriers and a lack of healthcare providers experienced in transgender medicine. These barriers contribute to low rates of healthcare utilization and significant health disparities in transgender populations.

Methods

A community health assessment of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) students at the University of Central Florida was conducted in order to assess: (1) students' access to and experiences with …

Strategies For Recruiting, Retaining, And Developing The Knowledge And Skills Of Behavioral Health Technicians, Shirley Ann Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To be effective, behavioral health organization leaders must recruit and retain behavioral health technicians (BHTs) to provide nonclinical services. The focus of this case study was on identifying strategies to promote the recruitment and retention of BHTs and to help these workers develop the knowledge and skills they need for effective job performance. The Baldrige Framework for Excellence was used to guide this case study of a behavioral health organization located in the southeastern United States. The organization had one residential substance use facility serving men and five serving women and experienced a constant shortage of BHTs. Data were collected …

Addressing Medical Mistrust Within The Black Community To Improve Their Health Ourcomes, Jillian Weathington

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mistrust of the healthcare system is increased among the Black population compared to other race/ethnicity groups. Medical mistrust can lead to intensified health inequities and negative health outcomes among this population. Currently, there is limited research that explores ways to address medical mistrust, especially among the Black population. This study investigated medical mistrust to find ways to improve the quality of life amongst the Black population. Twenty-one participants in this study completed a Group Based Medical Mistrust Survey and five of those participants participated in a semi-structured interview. Descriptive and correlation analyses were conducted. The GBMMS was separated into three …

Somalia’S State Institutions’ Administrative Capacity Building In Education, Health, Judiciary Services, And The Central Bank, Asad Aliweyd

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Aiweyd, A. (2023). Somalia’s State Institutions’ Administrative Capacity Building in Education, Health, Judiciary Services, and the Central Bank.

Since independence in 1960, Somalia has experienced sustained clan conflict, political challenges, prolonged civil war, and famine, severely hindering the development and maintenance of a stable federal government. Research on state-building in Somalia has focused on conflict resolution, civil war, piracy, and state failure. Further research is needed on building administrative capacity in Somalia to help develop well-functioning and stable government institutions. Administrative capacity involves the ability of governments to manage human, physical, financial, and informational resources to deliver on objectives …

Pakistan's Contribution To The Global Rise In Conventional Pollution, Emily Warner

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the impact of conventional pollutants on the environment, communities, and individuals in Pakistan. It begins by investigating the causes of conventional pollutants and exploring Pakistan’s agricultural industry, domestic practices, non-renewable energy sources, and industrial practices (the brick industry, leather tanning industry, and textile industry). It then analyzes factors that continue to contribute to conventional pollution in Pakistan such as economic incentives, politics, and traditional practices within industries. Exploring the measures that have been taken by Pakistan and other organizations to decrease conventional pollutants, it then suggests potential opportunities for improvement.

Engagement Journalism In Action: Supporting New Yorkers With Long Covid, Sarah Luft

Capstones

What do asthma and long COVID have in common? 1 in 13 U.S. adults are living with them. This report is a recap of my efforts to address the information needs of New Yorkers with long COVID as a student in CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism engagement program. For my final project, I partnered with THE CITY, a nonprofit news outlet serving New Yorkers, to expand the MISSING THEM project. The report details the what, why, and how of my engagement reporting process, including a community engagement framework, a service journalism series, and lessons to carry forward. You …

An Updated Look At Mental Health Services In American Public And Private Prisons, Lieren E. Tyira

Student Theses

People residing in American prisons have the legal right to mental health care while incarcerated (Justia, 2021). This is important, as the prevalence of mental disorders is high in this population (Prins, 2014), and incarceration is a psychologically damaging experience, which hinders a person’s success at rehabilitation. Numerous of issues related to the mental health services (MHSs) in both public and private prison facilities have been reported in recent years, which warrants systematic exploration. The little existing research comparing the presence of MHSs in these facilities has produced mixed results, it uses out-of-date datasets, and none has explored MHSs in …

The Quotidian Quantifier: Fitness Tracking And The Mundanity Of Surveillance, Marianne Neal-Joyce

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation uses the rise of wearable fitness tracking as a lens through which to examine the predominance of quantification in everyday life. With over a third of U.S. adults owning a tracker, the increased use of body-surveilling technologies provides an opportunity to investigate some central sociological questions. In this project, I ask why individuals track their health behaviors with technology and how we may understand this behavior in the context of medical and corporate interests. I further ask how people think about the privacy implications of their use and what concerns they have about data collection and sharing. I …

Understanding The Interconnection Between Public Health And Political Behaviors In A Politically Polarized Context: The Impact Of Race, Political Attitudes, And Policy Factors On The Us Covid-19 Pandemic Response., Florent Nkouaga

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation evaluates the interconnection between health and political behaviors in a polarized context such as the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the current political polarization and the structural health disparities among racial communities. Using the system theory delineated by David Easton, this dissertation demonstrates that health attitudes and behaviors in the electorate can influence voting behaviors, as was the case with the 2020 US presidential election. An evaluation of the 2021 African American COVID-19 Vaccine Polls (AACVP), and the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Postelection Survey (CMPS) demonstrates that factors such as public health compliance, trust in federal health institutions, …

Poly Under Pandemic: A Pilot Survey Examining Cal Poly Slo’S Student Body During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brett Vollrath

Journalism

The following is a survey of Cal Poly SLO students and alumni who had attended the university while major pandemic restrictions were in place. The paper is based around a pilot survey and data set.

The introduction provides background on the problem and how this survey was prepared.

The literature review details research conducted during the pandemic, which was used to guide the survey's focus questions.

The survey section details the questions asked of respondents. Respondents were first asked demographic questions to establish reference points. They were then asked questions on different aspects of student life, such as mental health, …

The Intersections Of Sex And Inequality In A Mixed Status Industrial London Sample, Anna Green

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Saint Pancras Burial Ground and its inhumated priests, paupers, aristocrats, and migrants provide a unique perspective into the interactions between sex and inequality in 18th and 19th century industrial London. Frequencies of caries, dental calculus, periodontal disease, linear enamel hypoplasia, periapical lesions, tuberculosis, treponematosis, rickets, and trauma among 224 females from St. Pancras were compared to 27 low-status females from Crossbones Burial Ground and 74 primarily high-status females from Chelsea Old Church Cemetery. Based on the information known about those buried at St. Pancras, it was hypothesized that the frequencies of health indicators in St. Pancras should fall between the …