Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Covid-19 Youth Ambassador Corp, A Community-Based Program To Address Vaccine Hesitancy, Atoosa Azarang

Master's Projects and Capstones

With over one million confirmed deaths from COVID-19, the United States (U.S.) continues to battle the public health crisis arising from the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our economic, social, and health systems. Social distancing efforts and other precautionary measures such as mask-wearing have not sufficiently reduced morbidity and mortality from COVID-19; thus, COVID-19 vaccinations are an important tool for substantially alleviating the effects of the pandemic. Although COVID-19 vaccines are available to all Americans aged six months and older, many individuals are hesitant to receive vaccines. The two most common …

Cellular Automata: The Mathematical Theory Behind The Spread Of Covid-19 And Prediction Of Future Spread, Alison Drumheller

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis seeks to analyze the spread of the original COVID-19 strain and develop a mathematical model to predict the chances of being infected by this disease using a number of variables. This model is based on the mathematical theory of cellular automata, otherwise known as the theory of spread. The research uses real world data of COVID-19 which includes infection rate, death rate, vaccination rate, use of masks, and transmission rates. By using cellular automata, we predict that the more preventative measures an individual puts in place for themselves, the less likely they are to be infected by the …

Comorbidity Burden And Covid-19 Vaccination Intention: Application Of The Health Belief Model, Michael Raymond

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many aspects of American’s lives causing over 79 million cases and over 950,000 deaths. Existing research shows severity of COVID-19 infection may be linked to number of underlying health conditions, known as comorbidities. The objective of this study was to determine if comorbidity burden was associated with intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. This relationship was looked at through the Health Belief Model (HBM) and its mediating variables of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers. Our sample was compromised of 350 individuals recruited from an online platform who were not already vaccinated against COVID-19. …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Health Behaviors And Mental Health During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review, Kara C. Middleton

Honors College Theses

The Coronavirus pandemic had many negative impacts on healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, specialist care providers closed their offices to reduce transmission. Maternal healthcare was severely impacted. Mothers were unable to receive the prenatal and perinatal care they needed. Other specialist care, such as mental healthcare was severely impacted as well. There was also a lack of prenatal care occurring due to offices being closed. There is an established link between anxiety, depression, emotional eating, and Gestational weight gain. Gestational Weight Gain is associated with a higher prevalence of behavioral health conditions that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contributions Community Health Centers In The Delta Have Made During The Pandemic And Their Future, Ajah Tiyanna Singleton

Honors Theses

Community health centers that are located in the Mississippi Delta serve as critical points of contact for residents pertaining to medical care. The framework for the services provided locally, and nationally, originate from the now Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, MS. The care that providers within these institutions have transformed over the course of the pandemic, and the aid rendered to patients have enabled residents to maintain their current level of health. Analyzing the various services provided during this time will allow for stakeholders to determine the next steps for these institutions as the imminent transition into a COVID-19 …

Perceived Covid-19 Threat Across The Intersections Of Age, Race/Ethnicity, And Gender, Christina Varghese

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studying how perceived threat of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) differs across intersections of age and race/ethnicity as well as age and gender will create a basis for identifying subgroups at greater risk of negative mental health outcomes. I analyzed nationally representative survey data collected in February 2021 from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (N=9,069). To measure perceived threat, the respondents were asked whether COVID-19 is considered 0) no threat, minor threat, or 1) major threat for personal and population health. Race/ethnicity, gender, and age categories are used as independent variables. Results from logistic regression models indicate that …

An Evaluation Of Covid-19 Vaccination Rates Of The Patients At The Kentucky Racing Health Services Center., Aditya Mehta

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available to the U.S. public since early 2021. However, vaccination rates still vary considerably across geographical areas and different populations. The objective of this study was to research overall vaccination rates against COVID-19 for Latinx patients at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center (KRHSC). Vaccination and booster data was collected from June to December 2021 for all unique patients visiting the center. It was initially hypothesized that these rates of vaccination and booster doses for the KRHSC patients would be lower than the data reported by Kentucky and Jefferson County. After a retrospective review, the …

The Role Of Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Vaccine Misinformation On The Intention To Receive Covid-19 Vaccination In A Selected Sample Of Georgia Southern Students, Alyssa G. Love-Archey

Honors College Theses

The purpose of the study was to explore sociocultural influences on the intention to receive the Covid-19 vaccination and to measure which sociocultural factor had the greater influence: misinformation about the vaccine or specific cultural beliefs (religion and/or cultural practices) on vaccine intent in Georgia Southern students. An anonymous, exploratory survey was utilized to collect information on these constructs in two selected groups of students: those who had been vaccinated prior to taking the survey and those who had not been vaccinated prior to taking the survey. Subjects of the study were undergraduate, master’s degree, and doctoral students of the …

Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among College Students, Erin Hoening, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Krystal Huesmann

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Public health strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among college students living in residential communities varied, some universities opted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while other universities opted to promote and influence the choice for vaccination.

Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among residential students on a college campus in the southeastern U.S. that elected an evidence-driven health promotion strategy that included strong health promotion messaging coupled with coordinated efforts to make the vaccine accessible and appealing to students on campus.

Methods: Analysis of vaccine uptake was derived from campus electronic health records during …

A Case Study In Resiliency: How A University Survived A Pandemic, Mary Ellen Stewart

Dissertations

This case study was conducted to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the campus of a small private university in central Mississippi, where traditionally, relational community and interaction were key contributors to campus culture. Through document analysis, individual interviews with campus leaders, and focus groups consisting of members of key departments, the role of resiliency was examined during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging from the data were the four thematic categories of leadership, campus culture, engagement and interaction, and challenges. Key components in each category revealed the significance of resiliency of university leaders, faculty, and staff as …

Queer Survival Amidst Hiv/Aids, Covid-19 And Homelessness, Julia Young

Pitzer Senior Theses

The treatment and survival of a society's marginalized peoples reveal the true impacts of a pandemic. An analysis of homeless queer youth during the HIV/AIDS and SARS-CoV-2 crises lays bare the systemic failure of the United States government to provide equitable healthcare.

I compare the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics in queer homeless youth to demonstrate the dangers of disease moralization via a sociocultural analyses of disease stigma and responsibility politics. Utilizing syndemic theory I draw on the synergistic relationship between disease and illness to describe the unique challenges queer homeless youth face. A syndemic framework is applied to address common …

Parental Status As A Modifying Factor In Covid-19 Vaccination Status: A Mixed Methods Approach, Mackenzie Carter

All Master's Theses

Introduction: Vaccines are the best protection against COVID-19 and have been proven to be safe and effective. Parental efforts to protect their children by complying with or refusing pediatric vaccinations have previously been studied. However, the author found little research on how parental status affects the vaccination decisions for the parents. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach and the Health Belief Model, this study examines how parental status influences parental COVID-19 vaccination status. Methods: A local health department conducted a quantitative survey on COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and beliefs from September to October 2021. The COVID-19 vaccination status of parents of …