Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of School-Based Support Services On Mental Health And Academic Performance, Joshua A. Kent

2023 Symposium

Background: There has been a continued presence of mental health issues among high-school aged youth. As a result, many have a diminished ability to be successful in school. It is a societal problem as discussed in the literature. Legislation within the last 23 years has created more access for students but there is still a gap in services. This gap is mostly seen by not having enough personnel to address the amount of students that need assistance. There is also an inconsistent use of school-based health centers and other school-based interventions. Too many schools are using different interventions and …

Analysing Pandemic Induced Economic Inequality In Developing Nations, Ravneet Kaur Bhogal

International Journal on Responsibility

The dawn of the new decade of the 21st century saw an unprecedented global crisis. This crisis led the world to halt economic and social progress. It led to a galloping increase in the economic inequality and migration of people in search of opportunities to save them from the current situation. The developing nations saw a sea of people migrating back to their roots in search of safe havens. This has led to the loss of jobs which has increased income inequality. Migrants face the risk of contagion and also the possible loss of employment, wages, and health insurance coverage. …

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 …

Church Attendance, Social Isolation And Loneliness In Older African American Adults During Covid-19, Kinea Savedge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the number of older and aging adults continues to grow in the United States, it is important to understand the process of aging and the obstacles associated with growing in age. Two social factors linked with aging are social isolation and loneliness, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Since COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness have been of greater focus due to regulations. This qualitative research study analyzed the impacts of social isolation and loneliness on older African American adults’ overall health by using semi-structured interviews to explore their lived experiences. This study focused on the associations between social isolation, …

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 …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Eligibility And Access In Nevada, 2018-2020, Lana Kojoian, Annie Vong, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet examines data from the American Community Survey and Nevada administrative records exploring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and access rates for Nevada counties. The original report includes data on SNAP eligibility and access for 23 states from 2018 to 2020.

Introduction To Theme 4: Scientific Essentials And Sustainable Environments, Alison R. Holmes

csuglobaljournal

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Environments And Community Health, Wenli Jen

csuglobaljournal

No abstract provided.

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 …

Interventions To Modify Psychological Well-Being: Progress, Promises, And An Agenda For Future Research, Laura D. Kubzansky, Eric S. Kim, Julia K. Boehm, Richard J. Davidson, Jeffrey C. Huffman, Eric B. Loucks, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Rosalind W. Picard, Stephen M. Schueller, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Tyler J. Vanderweele, Katey Warran, David S. Yeager, Charlotte S. Yeh, Judith T. Moskowitz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Psychological well-being, characterized by feelings, cognitions, and strategies that are associated with positive functioning (including hedonic and eudaimonic well-being), has been linked with better physical health and greater longevity. Importantly, psychological well-being can be strengthened with interventions, providing a strategy for improving population health. But are the effects of well-being interventions meaningful, durable, and scalable enough to improve health at a population-level? To assess this possibility, a cross-disciplinary group of scholars convened to review current knowledge and develop a research agenda. Here we summarize and build on the key insights from this convening, which were: (1) existing interventions should continue …

Developing A New Tool For Early Detection Of The Nutritional And Health Risk Factors Of Urban Workers’ Productivity, Hildagardis Meliyani Erista Nai, Arimbi Karunia Estri, Christina Ririn Widianti

Kesmas

Nutrition and health play vital roles in work productivity. This study aimed to develop a risk self-assessment tool called Early Detection of the Nutritional and Health Risk Factors on the productivity of urban workers. This study was conducted in two stages: 1) the development of the tool to determine the nutritional and health risk factors that affect productivity based on literature reviews and scoring systems and 2) the testing of validity and reliability. Finally, the tool contained 63 items, including 28 items on nutritional risk factors and 35 on health risk factors. The validity of the tool was assessed using …

Analysis And Prospect Of Research Progress Of Health Education Curriculum In China, Xue Wan, Haohui Liu, Zhihua Yin

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) review research results of health education in China and help readers gain a better understanding of the current profiles of research in health education curriculum and 2) provide a theoretical basis for future research in health education curriculum. Using key words such as health education curriculum on Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), we searched and finally obtained 7287 articles. By using the visual analysis function of CNKI, we also analyzed the overall trend of research in Health Education Curriculum. Review of the articles found that the overall trend of research in health …

Ancient Pathogens Provide A Window Into Health And Well-Being, Cecil M. Lewis Jr., Mercy Y. Akinyi, Sharon Dewitte, Anne C. Stone

Faculty Publications

This perspective draws on the record of ancient pathogen genomes and microbiomes illuminating patterns of infectious disease over the course of the Holocene in order to address the following question. How did major changes in living circumstances involving the transition to and intensification of farming alter pathogens and their distributions? Answers to this question via ancient DNA research provide a rapidly expanding picture of pathogen evolution and in concert with archaeological and historical data, give a temporal and behavioral context for heath in the past that is relevant for challenges facing the world today, including the rise of novel pathogens.

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 …

A Culture Of Fire: Identifying Community Risk Perceptions Surrounding Prescribed Burning In The Flint Hills, Kansas, Zoey Rosen, Giovanna Henery, Kellin D. Slater, Olivia Sablan, Bonne Ford, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Emily V. Fischer, S. L. Magzamen

Journal of Applied Communications

In the Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas, there is a long tradition of spring prescribed burns. However, air quality concerns in downwind communities have sparked conversation regarding the environmental and social impacts of these burns. This study aimed to identify the risk perceptions associated with prescribed burns using two theoretical frameworks: the social amplification of risk framework and the protective action decision model. In April 2022, we conducted 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Flint Hills community members from different social stations. Participants identified several benefits of prescribed burns: cattle production gains, invasive species management, prairie ecological health maintenance, and …

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 …

The Potential And Limitations Of Conversational Agents For Chronic Conditions And Well-Being, Ekaterina Uetova, Lucy Hederman, Robert J. Ross, Dympna O'Sullivan

Articles

Conversational agents are becoming more common in the health and wellness domains in part due to assumptions regarding potential improvements in individuals’ outcomes. This paper presents initial findings from a review of conversational agent use in healthcare for chronic conditions and well-being. A search of the literature was performed on electronic databases PubMed, ACM Digital Library, Scopus and IEEE Xplore. Studies were included if they were focused on chronic disorder management, disease prevention or lifestyle change and if systems were tested on target user groups. This paper investigates the health domains, the user profiles and reasons why conversational agents may …

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 …

Correlates Of Christian Religious Identification And Deidentification Among Sexual And Gender Minorities: A U.S. Probability Sample, G. Tyler Lefevor, Lauren J. A. Bouton, Edward B. Davis, Samuel J. Skidmore, Ilan H. Meyer

Psychology Faculty Publications

Using a U.S. nationally representative sample of 1,529 sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), we examined the demographic and developmental correlates of Christian religious deidentification. We found that SGMs who were older, Black, cisgender men, and/or lived in the American South were more likely to identify as Christian in adulthood, relative to other SGMs. Those who were never Christian reported being more out to family and friends at earlier ages than those who were raised Christian. SGMs who were raised Christian, but did not identify as Christian in adulthood reported, more adverse childhood experiences and bullying than other SGMs. Sexual minorities …

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.

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 …

Voices, Stories And Experiences Of Black Women: Informing The Establishment Of A Trenton-Based Maternal And Infant Health Innovation And Research Center, Tirzah R. Spencer Phd, Mph, Barbara George Johnson Mph, J.D., Consuelo Bonillas

Center for Health Policy Development

The establishment of a Maternal and Infant Health Innovation and Research Center is one of nine recommendations outlined by the 2021 Nurture NJ Strategic Plan to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and ensure equity in care and in outcomes for mothers and infants of all ethnic groups. The purpose of this environmental scan is to provide input for the design of a Maternal and Infant Health Innovation and Research Center within Trenton.

Building on the Nurture NJ Initiative, this project is a deeper dive in its focus on Black and Latina women living in Trenton and surrounding areas. …

Natural Selection Of Immune And Metabolic Genes Associated With Health In Two Lowland Bolivian Populations, Amanda J. Lea, Angela Garcia, Jesusa Arevalo, Julien F. Ayroles, Kenneth Buetow, Steve W. Cole, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Maguin Gutierrez, Heather M. Highland, Paul L. Hooper, Anne Justice, Thomas Kraft, Kari E. North, Jonathan Stieglitz, Hillard Kaplan, Benjamin C. Trumble, Michael Gurven

ESI Publications

A growing body of work has addressed human adaptations to diverse environments using genomic data, but few studies have connected putatively selected alleles to phenotypes, much less among underrepresented populations such as Amerindians. Studies of natural selection and genotype–phenotype relationships in underrepresented populations hold potential to uncover previously undescribed loci underlying evolutionarily and biomedically relevant traits. Here, we worked with the Tsimane and the Moseten, two Amerindian populations inhabiting the Bolivian lowlands. We focused most intensively on the Tsimane, because long-term anthropological work with this group has shown that they have a high burden of both macro and microparasites, as …

Deepening Digital Technologies To Enable Modernization Of China’S Governance Of Health, Tara Qia Sun, Xia Feng, Yuntao Long, Zongben Xu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

One significant goal of science and technology innovation is to set our sights on the health and safety of the people. The rapid development of digital technologies provides multiple potentials and path to achieve the modernization of China's health governance. the role of digital technologies on enabling multiple stakeholders (i.e., hospitals, doctors, government, and social groups) to improve the supply capacity, the inclusiveness, fairness, friendliness, and convenience of health service. Second, we explore the four key issues of using digital technologies to enable the governance of health construction of digital health infrastructures, the factors affecting the adoption of digital technologies, …