Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Feel And Touch: A Haptic Mobile Game To Assess Tactile Processing, Ivonne Monarca, Monica Tentori, Franceli L. Cibrian

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Haptic interfaces have great potential for assessing the tactile processing of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), an area that has been under-explored due to the lack of tools to assess it. Until now, haptic interfaces for children have mostly been used as a teaching or therapeutic tool, so there are still open questions about how they could be used to assess tactile processing of children with ASD. This article presents the design process that led to the development of Feel and Touch, a mobile game augmented with vibrotactile stimuli to assess tactile processing. Our feasibility evaluation, with 5 children …

Digital Markers Of Autism, Ivonne Monarca, Franceli L. Cibrian, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects how a people communicate and interact with others. The use of screening tools during childhood is very important to detect those children who need to be referred for a diagnosis of ASD. However, most screening tools are based on parents' responses so the result can be subjective. In addition, most screening tools focus on social and communicative skills leaving aside sensory features, which have shown to have the potential to be ASD markers. Tactile processing has been little explored due to lack of tools to asses it, however with the …

Reducing Burnout Through Guaranteed Breaks In Nurses In The Acute Care Setting: A Benchmark Study, Stefan D. Arias

MSN Capstone Projects

This benchmark study attempts to promulgate the issue of burnout and the importance of addressing at least one way to mitigate further damage to the profession of nursing.

The Acute And Persisting Impact Of Covid-19 On Trajectories Of Adolescent Depression: Sex Differences And Social Connectedness, Sabrina R. Liu, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The COVID-19 era is a time of unprecedented stress, and there is widespread concern regarding its short- and long-term mental health impact. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the emergence of latent psychopathology vulnerabilities, often activated by environmental stressors. The present study examined COVID-19′s impact on adolescent depression and possible influences of different domains of social connectedness (loneliness, social media use, social video game time, degree of social activity participation).

Methods

A community sample of 175 adolescents (51% boys, mean age = 16.01 years) completed questionnaires once before and twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Piecewise growth modeling examined the …

Associations Between Air Pollution Exposure And Empirically Derived Profiles Of Cognitive Performance In Older Women, Andrew J. Petkus, Diana Younan, Xinhui Wang, Daniel P. Beavers, Mark A. Espeland, Margaret Gatz, Tara Gruenewald, Joel D. Kaufman, Helena C. Chui, Joshua Millstein, Stephen R. Rapp, Joann E. Manson, Susan M. Resnick, Gregory A. Wellenius, Eric A. Whitsel, Keith Widaman, Jiu-Chiuan Chen

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background:Elucidating associations between exposures to ambient air pollutants and profiles of cognitive performance may provide insight into neurotoxic effects on the aging brain. Objective:We examined associations between empirically derived profiles of cognitive performance and residential concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in older women. Method:Women (N = 2,142) from the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging completed a neuropsychological assessment measuring attention, visuospatial, language, and episodic memory abilities. Average yearly concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 were estimated at the participant’s addresses for the 3 years prior to the assessment. Latent profile structural equation models identified subgroups of women exhibiting similar profiles across tests. Multinomial regressions examined associations between exposures and latent profile classification, controlling for covariates. Result:Five latent profiles were identified: low performance across multiple domains (poor multi-domain; n = 282;13%), relatively poor verbal episodic memory (poor memory; n = 216; 10%), average performance across all domains (average multi-domain; n = 974; 45%), superior memory (n = 381; 18%), and superior attention (n = 332; 15%). Using women with average cognitive ability as the referent, higher PM2.5 (per interquartile range [IQR] = 3.64μg/m3) was associated with greater odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.10–1.52) or superior attention (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.10–1.53) profiles. NO2 (per IQR = 9.86 ppb) was associated with higher odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.17–1.63) and lower odds of being classified with superior memory (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.67–0.97). Conclusion:Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with patterns of cognitive performance characterized by worse verbal episodic memory relative to performance in other domains.

What Predicts How Safe People Feel In Their Neighborhoods And Does It Depend On Functional Status?, Alfredo J. Velasquez, Jason A. Douglas, Fangqi Guo, Jennifer W. Robinette

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood is related to poor health. Features of the neighborhood environment have been suggested to inform perceptions of neighborhood safety. Yet, the relative contribution of these features (e.g., uneven sidewalks, crime, perceived neighborhood physical disorder) on perceived neighborhood safety, particularly among people with disabilities who may view themselves as more vulnerable, is not well understood. We examined whether sidewalk quality assessed by third party raters, county-level crime rates, and perceived neighborhood disorder would relate to neighborhood safety concerns, and whether functional limitations would exacerbate these links. Using data from the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and …

The Association Of Parent-Child Communication With Internet Addiction In Left-Behind Children In China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jingjing Cai, Yun Wang, Feng Wang, Jingjing Lu, Lu Li, Xudong Zhou

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Internet addiction has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of Internet addiction between left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (non-LBC), and explore the role of paternal and maternal parent-child communication on LBC.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural areas in Anhui, China. The complete data were available from 699 LBC and 740 non-LBC. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine 1) whether LBC were more likely to develop Internet addiction, and 2) the association between parent-child communication and Internet addiction among LBC.

Results: LBC had a higher likelihood to report …

Scoping Review: The Empowerment Of Alzheimer’S Disease Caregivers With Mhealth Applications, Eunhee Kim, Andrius Baskys, Anandi V. Law, Moom R. Roosan, Yan Li, Don Roosan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative chronic diseases. As it progresses, patients become increasingly dependent, and their caregivers are burdened with the increasing demand for managing their care. Mobile health (mHealth) technology, such as smartphone applications, can support the need of these caregivers. This paper examines the published academic literature of mHealth applications that support the caregivers of AD patients. Following the PRISMA for scoping reviews, we searched published literature in five electronic databases between January 2014 and January 2021. Twelve articles were included in the final review. Six themes emerged based on the functionalities provided …

Applying Theoretical Models Of Positive Emotion To Improve Pediatric Asthma: A Positive Psychology Approach, Brooke N. Jenkins, Judith T. Moskowitz, Jill Halterman, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Positive emotion, encompassing feelings such as joy and happiness, has been shown to predict a multitude of health outcomes. However, the role of positive emotion in pediatric asthma is not understood. No work to date has examined how positive emotion may offer benefits to children and adolescents with asthma. Based on theory and models of positive emotion and health, we hypothesize that positive emotion may improve asthma outcomes through mediators such as health behaviors and health-relevant physiological functioning. Moreover, boosting positive emotion during times of stress may be particularly relevant in mitigating asthma symptoms. In the present commentary, we elaborate …

Mejore Su Salud, Celina Wille, Laura Licon, Laura Paola Johnson, Anny Galvin

All Current Publications

Create Better Health/Mejore su salud es una versión cultural adaptada de Create Better Health evaluada por expertos y escrita en español, Create Better Health es un currículo del programa Create Better Health Utah SNAP-Ed originalmente adaptado de Creates: Essentials in Creating Family Meals por Debra Christofferson, M.D.A., R.D., C.D. Los miembros del equipo de publicación de la versión en inglés son: Casey Coombs, M.S., R.D., C.D., subdirectora de Create Better Health Utah; Jaqueline Neid-Avila, M.D.A., R.D., C.D .; y editores / colaboradores Heidi LeBlanc, M.S., directora de Create Better Health Utah.

The Prediction Of Behavioral Health Outcomes In Adults With Sickle Cell Disease Using The Chronic Disease Outcomes Triad Model, Lisa G. Fryar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lifelong experience of acute and chronic pain associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) not only has damaging physiological sequelae, but it also can negatively impact affected persons psychologically and socioculturally. These triad of SCD sequelae have an inter-relational and interactional mind-body-social connection that impact the behaviors of adults with SCD. These physiological, psychological, and sociocultural domains comprise the triadic sequelae.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-relational and interactional mind-body-social relationship of the triadic sequelae in SCD as predictors of behavioral health outcomes (i.e., sickle cell fatalism, perceived sickle cell prejudice, and SCD self-efficacy) based on …

Examining Treatment Acceptability Of An Eight-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Protocol, Blake William Palmer

Dissertations

The goal of this study is to examine whether levels of perceived stress, experiential avoidance, personality traits including openness to experience and agreeableness, and demographic variables will predict the treatment acceptability (indicated by responses on the Treatment Acceptability and Adherence Scale) of an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This study collected data in the Spring of 2019. The final number of participants in the study was 116 (40 females, 76 males, Mage = 36, age range: 22-69 years). Participants completed measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the agreeableness and openness to Experience domains …

An Intersectional Approach To Time Poverty: A Pilot Study Of Time Poverty And Black Women’S Perceived Health Based On Semi-Structured Interviews, Lauriane Ngaya Fonkou

McNair Scholars Program

The term “time poor” describes people disproportionately burdened by responsibilities and inflexible work schedules resulting in little to no discretionary time. Time poverty was brought to my attention via the social media app TikTok where Black women creators expressed how time poverty affects them. Given that Black women are an especially vulnerable population in terms of health, I became curious about the relationship between time poverty and Black women’s health. However, the existing sociomedical science literature on time poverty does NOT adequately account for Black women’s subjectivity because the research considers mediators of class OR gender OR race but does …

Exercise And Chronic Pain, Maren Wright Voss, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Casey Coombs, Gabriela Murza, Cindy Nelson, Elise Withers

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity. Chronic pain can impact physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which can limit daily activity and quality of life. The purpose of this fact sheet is to address the common barriers to being physically active with chronic pain and provide suggestions for safe ways to be physically active even when chronic pain is present.

Mental Health Disorders Among Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From Three Major Hospitals In Kenya, Jasmit Shah, Aliza Monroe-Wise, Zohray Talib, Alphonce Nabiswa, Mohammed Said, Abdulaziz Abeid, Sood Mohamed, Mohamed Ali Mohamed, Sayed Karar

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: COVID-19 is an international global health emergency and has posed a great challenge to mental well-being and resilience. Little is known about the mental health impact of COVID-19 among healthcare workers (HCWs) in sub-Saharan Africa or other low-resource settings.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between August and November 2020 among HCWs recruited from three major hospitals in Kenya. The survey questionnaire consisted of six components: demographic and work title characteristics; information regarding care of patients with COVID-19; and symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, distress and burnout, measured using standardised questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed …

Unsupervised Machine Learning For Identifying Challenging Behavior Profiles To Explore Cluster-Based Treatment Efficacy In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Retrospective Data Analysis Study, Julie Gardner-Hoag, Marlena N. Novack, Chelsea Parlett-Pelleriti, Elizabeth Stevens, Dennis Dixon, Erik Linstead

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Challenging behaviors are prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder; however, research exploring the impact of challenging behaviors on treatment response is lacking.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify types of autism spectrum disorder based on engagement in different challenging behaviors and evaluate differences in treatment response between groups.

Methods: Retrospective data on challenging behaviors and treatment progress for 854 children with autism spectrum disorder were analyzed. Participants were clustered based on 8 observed challenging behaviors using k means, and multiple linear regression was performed to test interactions between skill mastery and treatment …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Opioid Use For Adolescents At Us Emergency Departments, Michael T. Phan, Daniel M. Tomaszewski, Cody Arbuckle, Sun Yang, Candice D. Donaldson, Michelle A. Fortier, Brooke Jenkins, Erik Linstead, Zeev N. Kain

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Racial/ethnic disparities in the use of opioids to treat pain disorders have been previously reported in the emergency department (ED). Further research is needed to better evaluate the impact race/ethnicity may have on the use of opioids in adolescents for the management of pain disorders in the ED.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2006 to 2016. Multivariate models were used to evaluate the role of race/ethnicity in the receipt of opioid agonists while in the ED. All ED visits with patients aged 11–21 years old were analyzed. …

Measurement And Predictors Of Mental Health Among Parents Of Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Rumi Agarwal

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and other adverse mental health conditions. Despite extensive literature on parental mental health, this research addressed three gaps. First, a systematic review identified the interventions and respective scales used to address and assess stress and anxiety among parents of transition-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This was necessary given that the stressors parents experience vary with the age of the child. Of the 11 studies included in the final review, it was evident that most interventions and scales were not aligned with the unique …

Put Your Thoughts On Trial: Cognitive Restructuring, Yudith Ledesma

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

For this project, I applied cognitive restructuring techniques to a patient with a substance abuse diagnosis. It incorporates role playing, psychoeducation, and Socratic questions. I describe case overview, method, and results in this PIP.

The Effectiveness Of Dbt-C In Global Developmental Delay, Burkan Owaid

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

It is an attempt to incorporate the DBT-C in the treatment plan for children with Global Developmental Delay. The treatment plan for Global Developmental delay composed of four parts; vocational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral and emotional therapy. This intervention focuses on the behavioral and emotional part of the treatment plan.

Increasing Self-Compassion Through Engaging In Cognitive Defusion, Melissa Lavender

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

This project was designed to enhance self-compassion through cognitive defusion. Cognitive defusion is a technique within Acceptance and Commitment therapy designed to help individuals view their thoughts as events rather than absolute truths. The goal of the intervention and research was help defuse from rigid or difficult thoughts and make space for compassion and caring for oneself.

Motivational Interviewing And Trisomy 21: Resolving Ambivalence, Derek Lacy

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

Throughout the semester I worked with a 24-year-old, heterosexual, Caucasian male client diagnosed with Down Syndrome and Obesity on a variety of topics including: deaths of loved ones, finding employment, and lying. My approach was based in Motivational Interviewing and this allowed me to build a rapport with my client very quickly. The use of open-ended questions allowed him to tell his perspective and explain how he really feels, coupled with positive affirmation the client felt very comfortable in each session and benefited from the MI approach and the resources that came with it.

Cognitive Defusion For Insomnia, Paul Minshall

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

Cognitive defusion interventions were used to in an attempt to help client cope with nighttime anxiety that was interfering with sleep.

Exposure Therapy/Systematic Desensitization, Elizabeth Solis

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

Building a fear ladder allows the client to construct an Exposure Hierarchy along with therapist-directed efforts in which feared stimuli are ranked according to anticipated fear reaction. The Exposure Hierarchy is used as an effective technique toward reducing anxiety through repeated presentation of what evokes the anxiety until the discomfort is decreased. Mildly feared stimuli is first targeted, followed by more strongly feared stimuli toward reaching client's goal.

How Covid19 Has Impacted Students Nutrition And Eating Habits With The Abrupt Closure Of Restaurants And Campuses, Chloe Sermet

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing college campuses, restaurants, and businesses to shut down, many college students found themselves having to return home or find alternative food resources. Due to these factors, it was imperative to examine how college student’s eating habits have changed throughout the pandemic, dealing with lots of stressors, and whether having prior education on nutrition influenced those eating habits. To examine those effects, 17 nutrition minors and 126 non-nutrition minors participated in the current study in which they took the College Students Eating Habit survey and the Perception of Peer Pressure Scale. The outcome of the …

Applied Relaxation For Anxiety Management In College Students, Julia Colombo

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

An applied relaxation intervention was used to treat an undergraduate student's Generalized Anxiety Disorder at a college counseling center across five counseling sessions. The outcome measure administered each session showed a small decrease in the client's level of anxiety.

Using Mi To Establish Client's Awareness Of Interpersonal Relationships, Dawn Menard

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

The work I did with my client is to help problem solve the ambivalence of the lack of his self confidence with himself and how he views relationships. He is living with his ex who is the mother of his 10 yr old son and knows he should live by himself with his son but is ambivalent about doing so, since his ex is the primary source of financial support

Learning Emotion Regulation Skills To Reduce Negative Emotions, Daniel Molina

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

Common emotions that are experienced within the substance use population are regret, shame, and guilt and they can be a major deterrent of behavior change and imporovement of quality of life. Emotion regulation skills help reduce the vulnerability to intense negative emotions in order to improve self view and live a more fulfilling life.

Effectiveness Of Ehr-Depression Screening Among Adult Diabetics In An Urban Primary Care Clinic, Filipina C. Schnabel Md, Mph, Msn, Fnp-Bc, Danielle Aldridge Msn, Fnp-C, Laura Reed Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression are important comorbid conditions that can lead to more serious health outcomes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) supports routine screening for depression as part of standard diabetes management. The PHQ2 and PHQ9 questionnaires are good diagnostic screening tools used for major depressive disorders in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This quality improvement study aims to compare the rate of depression screening, treatment, and referral to behavioral health in adult patients with DM2 pre and post-integration of depression screening tools into the electronic health record (EHR).

Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review on patients …

Extinction Of Arachnophobia Through Mindfulness And Exposure Therapy: Increasing Positive Coping Skills, James Connor

Professional Impact Project: Implementation of Evidence Based Practices by Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Students

This intervention illustrates grounding scenario activities and non-scenario reinforcements performed along with mindfulness techniques were effective support strategies towards the extinction of arachnophobia for an individual with intellectual disabilities and OCD.