Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Community Psychology's Impact On Public Health And The Experience Of Marginalization, Katie Hudick

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Vulnerable and marginalized populations face a series of risks and dangers throughout their daily lives. This is not simply limited to explicit forms of discrimination and hatred, but systemic forms of oppression and discrimination which limit those not belonging to more privileged and affluent socioeconomic or sociocultural groups. Community psychology operates as a means of analyzing how environmental and social factors impact specific demographic groups within a larger population and by extension the experience of mental health specific to these groups (Townley, Brown, & Sylvestre, 2018). In the application of this field, it is critical to understand the dynamics of …

“En Defensa Por La Salud”: Los Actores Sociales En La Construcción Del Movimiento Social En Chile, Karina Martinez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation aimed to describe the construction of the social movement for health demands in the frame of the social outbreak in Chile in October 2019. In addition to identifying the main health demands of this movement, it also had a focus on understanding the role of social organizations in the construction of the movement and placing it within the broader socio-political movement that arises from the social outbreak. The research design was qualitative and descriptive. Having been a remote investigation, it was largely based on literature review with the support of information from a semi-structured interview. Regarding the results, …

A Shift In Global Thought And Practice: Assessing The Impacts Of The Human Security Paradigm On Global Public Health, Elizabeth Livingston Leone

Honors College Theses

With the increasing emphasis on health through human security since the 1990s by the United Nations, scholars have debated how human security has influenced public health. I examine how the idea of human security has become a paradigm and if this paradigm has adopted in public health programs. I argue that the rise of human security has led to an emphasis on the role of global actors, preventative care and health education when states adopt the paradigm. This adoption should in turn improve public health in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees In Florida, Racha Sankar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Syrian refugees settled in the United States may experience food insecurity due to different socioeconomic factors that may include nutrition knowledge, language proficiency, women’s education, and perceived stress. The structure and the type of households may also contribute to food insecurity in this population.

The objective of this study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. It also aimed to determine the socioeconomic factors that may attribute to food insecurity at household level.

A comprehensive 228-item questionnaire was administered to N=80 households (n=43 in rural areas, n=37 in urban areas). Families with and without children were …

Syrian Refugee Mothers In Jordan: Perceived Social Support And Postpartum Depression, Marya Rana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many women suffer from postpartum depression; migrant women experience postpartum depression at rates almost triple that of the general population. This study investigated the associations between perceived social support and postpartum depression among Syrian refugee mothers living in Amman, Jordan. Eleven mothers completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) - Shortened Version. Four of those mothers also participated in individual interviews, and four others were included in a focus group. Multiple recurring themes were identified from the interviews and focus group, including: perceived differences in child and social support in …

Integrative Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches To Treating Depression, Charlotte Tse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), based in the philosophy-religions of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, is more than a purely prescriptive medical system; it is a way of life focused primarily on the principles of prevention rather than the more reactionary direction that pharmacotherapy in the US has taken. Mental illness is expected to account for a quarter of China’s overall health burden by 2020, with depression affecting around 100 million people and nearly 30 percent of young Chinese adults. Conventional antidepressants have a delayed onset and unpredictable therapeutic efficacy in this condition, especially in mild to moderate cases of depression. In …

Roanoke's Collective Public Health Activities, Michael Lytton

Journal of Appalachian Health

Roanoke is addressing problems that confront many small and medium sized cities in the U.S., especially disparities in health and life expectancy between neighborhoods. These disparities are often legacies of decades of racial and economic segregation, resulting in low-income or disinvested communities. Typically, such neighborhoods have fewer parks, higher vacancy rates and less stable affordable housing stock, inadequate public transit systems, too few clinics, too many fast food restaurants and insufficient access to high quality schools. In Roanoke these are the northwest and southeast quadrants, both federally designated Medically Underserved Areas, and characterized by a large proportion of the city’s …

Depictions Of Genetic Research In Film Across Film Genres, Jennifer Lund

Undergraduate Honors Theses

When people do not have personal experience to draw on, the experiences of characters in film can serve in the mind as a substitute. This research sought to determine what kind of impression films depicting genetics research leave on the audience. These genres were romance (Code 46, 2004), horror (Splice, 2009), thriller (Children of Men, 2006), and drama (Gattaca, 1997). Scenes from the films were analyzed to determine their likely effect on the audience perception of genetics. The researcher hypothesized that the drama and romance films would portray genetics research as neutral, but the science …

The Morality Of Compulsory Licensing As An Access To Medicines Tool, Margo A. Bagley

Faculty Articles

This Article contemplates the validity of theft rhetoric in relation to the right of countries to grant compulsory licenses from an unconventional perspective; that of biblical teachings on what it means to steal.

Part I describes the use of theft rhetoric in relation to IP infringement broadly and drug-patent compulsory licenses in particular.

Part II challenges the contention, suggested by theft rhetoric, that compulsory licenses are morally wrong as a form of stealing, by considering the meaning of theft in the context of its Judeo-Christian origins.

Part III considers the cogency of the accusation that the issuance of compulsory licenses …

Measuring Sexual Minority Stressors In Lesbians Women's Daily Lives: Initial Scale Development, Kristin Heron, Abby L. Braitman, Robin J. Lewis, Alexander T. Shappie, Phoebe T. Hitson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Lesbian women face unique sexual minority stressors (SMS) because of their stigmatized and marginalized status in society. Existing studies of SMS are primarily cross-sectional and use global measures of SMS. The goal of the present study was to develop a brief daily measure of SMS for use in daily diary or ecological momentary assessment studies. Existing retrospective measures of SMS were reviewed, resulting in an initial pool of 29 items. Thirty-eight lesbian women (Mage = 24.3 years, range: 19–30 years) completed a daily web-based survey including the SMS items for 12 days. Two response scales were tested; participants were randomized …

Sexual Coercion, Drinking To Cope Motives, And Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Self-Identified Bisexual Women, Michelle L. Kelly, Sarah J. Ehlke, Robin J. Lewis, Abby L. Braitman, Wendy Bostwick, Kristin E. Heron, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Given higher sexual victimization and greater alcohol use among bisexual women, a critical public health challenge is to understand within-group variation that may heighten or explain these associations in bisexual women. Objectives: The present study tested a moderated-mediation model in which sexual coercion was hypothesized to be associated with alcohol-related consequences via drinking to cope motives in self-identified bisexual women who reported at least occasional binge drinking. Negative affect was hypothesized to moderate the sexual coercion-drinking to cope motives association. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 107 self-identified bisexual women (age M = 20.97, SD = 2.11) who …

How Useful Is Gsv As An Environmental Observation Tool? An Analysis Of The Evidence So Far., Katherine Nesse, Leah Airt

SPU Works

Researchers in many disciplines have turned to Google Street View to replace pedestrian- or carbased in-person observation of streetscapes. It is most prevalent within the research literature on the relationship between neighborhood environments and public health but has been used as diverse as disaster recovery, ecology and wildlife habitat, and urban design. Evaluations of the tool have found that the results of GSV-based observation are similar to the results from in-person observation although the similarity depends on the type of characteristic being observed. Larger, permanent and discrete features showed more consistency between the two methods and smaller, transient and judgmental …

Christians’ Cut: Popular Religion And The Global Health Campaign For Medical Male Circumcision In Swaziland, Casey Golomski, Sonene Nyawo

Anthropology

Swaziland faces one of the worst HIV epidemics in the world and is a site for the current global health campaign in sub-Saharan Africa to medically circumcise the majority of the male population. Given that Swaziland is also majority Christian, how does the most popular religion influence acceptance, rejection or understandings of medical male circumcision? This article considers interpretive differences by Christians across the Kingdom’s three ecumenical organisations, showing how a diverse group people singly glossed as ‘Christian’ in most public health acceptability studies critically rejected the procedure in unity, but not uniformly. Participants saw medical male circumcision’s promotion and …

Public Health Measures Derived From The Jewish Tradition: Ii. Washing And Cleaning, Noam Zeffren, Tova Chien, Robert Stern

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (New York) Publications and Research

The authors discuss public health measures that are described in the Torah and rabbinic literature, focusing on hand washing and cleaning.

From “Destroying Angel” To “The Most Dangerous Woman In America”: A Study Of Mary Mallon’S Depiction In Popular Culture, Claire Sandoval-Peck

History Undergraduate Theses

My paper examines the life of "Typhoid Mary" Mallon, and looks at how she has been depicted and vilified in popular culture. It asks why and how she has been remembered in history as the infamous “Typhoid Mary” and how her portrayal has been influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of the time and place of her life. I discuss her historical legacy through the lens of her three identities as a healthy carrier, Irish immigrant, and a working woman, researching both primary and secondary sources. Through exploring those subjects, I have concluded that the convergence of these three identities …

Lois Whaley Highsmith, Lois Whaley Highsmith, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

After originally studying chemical engineering at Penn State, Lois Highsmith decided to instead pursue nursing. At Jefferson she found a passion for community health nursing, specifically related to obstetrics, gynecology, and maternal child health. Ms. Highsmith graduated in 1986 and over the years worked mostly in maternal care but also in psychology. Among other positions, she worked for ten years at Pennsylvania Hospital where she founded STEPS, Strategies to Encourage Parental Self-Sufficiency, a teen pregnancy clinic, and worked as a home visitor for Mercy Home Health educating new moms about postpartum care. Since 2002 she has worked for Nurse Family …

Colleen Young Elwood, Colleen Young Elwood, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Colleen Young Elwood discovered her interest in nursing after finishing a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology and starting her career at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Learning about diabetes and working with diabetics sparked an interest in public and community health so she enrolled in Thomas Jefferson University’s two-year BSN program, which she graduated from in 2013. While at Jefferson her clinical experiences confirmed she was not interested in hospital nursing but instead in community nursing. After graduating she started working at Nurse Family Partnership, first as an intern and then as a Nurse-Home Visitor, where she helps new mothers during …

Breanne Ward, Breanne Ward, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Though she originally decided to become an accountant during college, Breanne Ward soon realized she would rather be in a field where she could work more closely with people. She chose nursing because she wanted the opportunity to physically care for others. Ms. Ward was accepted as a nursing student in Jefferson’s Full-time Accelerated Coursework Track (FACT) program, during which time she discovered an interest in community health through both her non-hospital clinical experiences and volunteering with Jeff HEALTH (Helping East Africa Link To Health). After working in the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and completing her Master’s in Community Systems …

Mary Greenwood Schaal, Mary Greenwood Schaal, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Dr. Schaal graduated from Jefferson’s Nursing Diploma Program in 1963 and received her BSN from Jefferson in 1981. Though she started her career as an operating room nurse she soon discovered an interest in public health. After coming back to Jefferson for her Bachelor’s degree and then going on to the University of Pennsylvania for her Master’s degree and Rutgers for her Doctorate, she began teaching Community Health to nursing students at Rutgers in Camden. Dr. Schaal then went on to teach in MCP Hahnemann’s graduate program, which is now Drexel, before coming back to Thomas Jefferson University and ending …

Public Health Measures Derived From The Jewish Tradition, Noam Zeffren, Tova Chein, Robert Stern

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (New York) Publications and Research

The authors discuss public health measures that are described in the Torah and rabbinic literature.

Reproductive Rights In Latin America: A Case Study Of Guatemala And Nicaragua, Katherine W. Bogen

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

A lack of access to contraceptives and legal abortion for women throughout the nations of Nicaragua and Guatemala creates critical health care problems. Moreover, rural and underprivileged women in Guatemala and Nicaragua are facing greater limitations to birth control access, demonstrating a classist aspect in the global struggle for female reproductive rights. Although some efforts have been made over the past half-century to initiate a dialogue on the failure of medical care in these nations to adequately address issues of maternal mortality and reproductive rights, the women's reproductive health movements of Nicaragua and Guatemala have struggled to reach an effective …

Csr Activity Of Tobacco Companies In Indonesia: Is It A Genuine Social Responsibility?, Harsman Tandilittin, Christoph Luetge

Journal of Health Ethics

The adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in the tobacco industry has sparked a contentious debate in the international community. Tobacco industry’s CSR activities are honored by the government and Indonesian community with CSR awards due to their positive contributions. To assess the CSR activities of the tobacco companies and whether they are genuine forms of social responsibility or business motivation, we have collected the CSR activities and compared them with the negative impact of the tobacco industry in Indonesia. The CSR activities are in no way related to the negative impacts of tobacco in Indonesia. Therefore, CSR programs …

Public Relations In Government-Based Public Health: Testing Contingency Theory During H1n1 Response, 2009-2010, Terri Lea Sasser

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to describe public relations programs in state and local government-based health departments nationwide. Using the H1N1 communications and public relations activities as a frame, or basis of comparison, this study will further seek to identify if Contingency Theory of public relations may be an apt descriptor of public relations activities during this particular response effort. This study uses Contingency Theory as a theoretical perspective to explain the strategic management of the organization-public relationships and add to the body of knowledge about Contingency Theory of public relations in the field of health communications. Contingency …

Examining The Role Of Consciousness And The Absurd In Suicide, Alexandra R. Azevedo

Senior Honors Projects

In order to emphasize the significance of suicide as a subjective experience, this research project explores suicide through a philosophical lens, primarily focusing on the absurdist school of thought that gained prominence with the twentieth century French philosopher and writer Albert Camus. Despite recent advances in the scientific study of suicide, I argue that many of the historically divisive questions surrounding suicide are rooted in philosophy. My original work attempts to rectify the current disconnect between suicidality and philosophy through the analysis and application of Camus’ chief work on the subjects, The Myth of Sisyphus. Recognizing the efficacy of …

Infectious Diseases, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides information about the role of infectious diseases in the early years of U.S. History, with particular emphasis on how they impacted injuries sustained in military conflict.

Man Versus Food: An Analysis Of 'Dude Food' Television And Public Health, Amy R. Eisner-Levine

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Contemporary food television has moved away from an instructional and cooking-centered model, to an entertainment and eating-focused one. However, public health researchers have not considered these shows in the wake of rising obesity rates. This thesis is concerned with the kinds of messages food television conveys about food and eating and is guided by three research questions: How are food and eating represented on the shows? How is health addressed? How do these shows work to create and promote a more acceptable popular discourse around unhealthy eating habits? Through an analysis of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, You Gotta Eat …

A Brief History Of Public Health In Alexandria And Alexandria's Health Department, Krystyn R. Moon

History and American Studies Articles

One of the central tenets of public health is the belief that the practice of medicine serves the broader community; however, the specific meaning of the phrase “public health” is a historically contingent one. Beginning in the late eighteenth century, the public included only white, bourgeois men who met in coffee houses and other such establishments to discuss politics, business ventures, and popular culture. Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the “public” included white working class men, the poor, women, and people of color. Eventually, politicians and medical doctors recognized that children should be included as part …

The Need To Include Animal Protection In Public Health Policies, Aysha Akhtar

Animal Welfare Collection

Many critical public health issues require non-traditional approaches. Although many novel strategies are used, one approach not widely applied involves improving the treatment of animals. Emerging infectious diseases are pressing public health challenges that could benefit from improving the treatment of animals. Other human health issues, that overlap with animal treatment issues, and that warrant further exploration, are medical research and domestic violence. The diverse nature of these health issues and their connection with animal treatment suggest that there may be other similar intersections. Public health would benefit by including the treatment of animals as a topic of study and …

Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Students Learn About Natural Health Products From Different Information Sources, Sarah O. Alkholy, Samiah N. Alqahtani, Audrey Cochrane, Maria Pontes Ferreira, Fidji Gendron

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Natural health products (NHPs) include naturally derived botanical and nonbotanical products. Past research indicates a high prevalence of NHPs use amongst adults in the United States and Canada but does not clearly characterize NHPs use amongst students, ethnic variations of such use, or how users learn about NHPs. We hypothesize that there is a difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in how they learn about NHPs. To investigate this question, we conducted a cross-sectional study at First Nations University of Canada and the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the fall of 2011. Aboriginal (n=214) and non-Aboriginal (n=749) students participated …

Carter, Tim Lee, 1910-1987 (Mss 80), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 80. Correspondence, photographs, audiotapes, film, clippings, general office files, and records of legislative proceedings relating to the political career of Tim Lee Carter, U.S. Representative (Republican) for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, 1965-1981.