Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Social Workers’ Preparedness For Practice With Patients Experiencing Psychotic Disorders, Paula Crespin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study explored the preparedness of social workers when providing services to individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders who present with non-affective psychosis. The present study sought to examine the perceived barriers to mental health service utilization for individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders as well as the perceived preparedness of social workers when providing services to individuals with non-affective psychosis. Social workers are crucial frontline workers in the treatment and support of individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorder. This qualitative study was comprised of twelve semi-structured interviews to gauge the preparedness of social workers (N=12). Results from the thematic analysis demonstrated …

Understanding The Perspectives And Attitudes Of 12-Step Participants Towards Medication-Assisted Treatment, Christopher Scott

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The effects of living with a substance use disorder (SUD) are vast. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has grown increasingly popular as a recovery tool among substance users but does not align with the popular 12-step model, which demands complete abstinence from narcotics and mind-altering substances. Objective: The primary aim of this phenomenology study was to explore the perspectives and attitudes towards MAT among 12-step participants. The secondary aim was to compare the responses of treatment and non-treatment professionals. Methods: This study used non-probability sampling methods to recruit participants who reported regular participation in a 12-step program. Semi-structured …

Major Factors Of Sustaining Recovery After Relapse From A Substance Use Disorder, Amanda Tei Sandhurst

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Relapse is a common and often-expected occurrence among individuals with substance use disorders. Relapse can be defined as returning to a problematic behavior after abstaining for a period of time (Marlatt & Witkiewitz, 2005). It is the inability to maintain life in sobriety and is not an isolated event, but rather a process (Gorski & Kelley, 1996). The problem with relapse is that it can result in continued substance use and abuse, which can then lead to other major consequences. This study looks at ten individuals in recovery who experienced a past relapse after having a period of abstinence and …

Early Development Of C3ar1-Targeting Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Cameron Fraser

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive type of glioma, demonstrating extremely low long-term survival despite modern therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells have shown extreme levels of success in the treatment of B cell lymphomas through persistent anti-tumor activity. Prior research has demonstrated the therapeutic potential in targeting the C3a-C3aR1 pathway as it acts in an autocrine loop, maintaining the proliferation and survival of cancer stem cells within the tumor. Here, we reorient the treatment to target C3aR1 for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. In order to achieve this, Jurkat immortalized T cells will express various chimeric antigen receptor designs …

A Systematic Literature Review Of Ransomware Attacks In Healthcare, Jasler Klien Adlaon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This culminating experience project conducted a Systematic Literature Review of ransomware in the healthcare industry. Due to COVID-19, there has been an increase in ransomware attacks that took healthcare by surprise. Although ransomware is a common attack, the current healthcare infrastructure and security mechanisms could not suppress these attacks. This project identifies peer-viewed literature to answer these research questions: “What current ransomware attacks are used in healthcare systems? “What ransomware attacks are likely to appear in the future?” and “What solutions or methods have been used to prepare, prevent, and recover from these attacks?” The purpose of this research is …

Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Among College Students Regarding Second-Hand And Third-Hand Smoke, Laura Y. Rebolledo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The tobacco epidemic has been a constant since the popularization of tobacco products. However, with the introduction of non-combustible products that include e-cigarettes and vapes, the usage of tobacco products has continued to increase. Tobacco exposure can stem from first-hand (FHS), second-hand (SHS), and third-hand smoke (THS), with the last two impacting even non-smokers. The health effects from all types of tobacco exposure can be detrimental. These effects include the risk of cancer in any organ of the body, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases.

Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional design through an anonymous web-based survey given …

Examing The Knowledge, Perception, And Utilization Of Mental Health Sevices Among College Students, Giselle Rojas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Mental health illness is an urgent public health crisis impacting an estimated 1 in 3 adults aged 18-25 in the United States (NAMI, 2022). College students have seen a more than 50% increase in mental health problems since 2013 (Lipson et al., 2022). Growing rates of mental health illnesses create a greater need for mental health services. However, a National College Health Assessment conducted in 2021 found that only about 41% of college students were identified as having sought mental health services through their college campus (ACHA, 2022).

Methods: This study utilized quantitative data to examine the knowledge, attitudes, …

The Creation Of An Innovative Oral Health Assessment Survey, Purna Patel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background Oral health is an important factor to maintain overall health and well-being, such as students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice. Currently, there is a limited amount of research related to oral health awareness in college students.

Objective The purpose of the study was to define the importance of oral health and investigate college students’ understanding related to oral health. Moreover, research shows how students are protecting their oral hygiene.

Results: The outcomes revealed the college student's awareness and understanding of oral health. According to the survey questions, students believe that dental health is a significant aspect of overall health management. …

The Effects Of Radiation On Cancer Stem Cells In Glioblastoma And Ovarian Cancer, Aaron Keniston

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are some of the most aggressive forms of cancer with poor patient survival. Despite successful cancer therapies, these malignancies have high recurrence rates which can be attributed to cancer stem cells (CSC) due to innate tumor initiating properties. In this study, we investigated the response of CSC populations to proton and photon radiation by quantification of core stem cell transcription factors Sox2 and Oct4. This was carried out utilizing a Sox2/Oct4 green fluorescent protein based reporter designated as SORE6-GFP measured by flow cytometry. We hypothesize that proton and photon irradiation …

Support For Social Workers Treating Adolescent Substance Abusers, Monica Delucia, Kethura Solano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines the barriers social workers experience when working with adolescent substance users. Research has not fully explored if intervention techniques are effective or suggest other approaches that may support substance use disorder professionals including supervisor support, training, and intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if social workers who provide interventions to adolescent substance users have the adequate resources to be successful in their field. The literature review provides a better understanding of the common themes social workers experience when working with adolescent substance users.

This study used a qualitative design and interviewed 8 professional social …

Examining The Marketing Strategies Of Campus Mental Health On A Minority Student Population, Rochelle Bernarte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Public health, particularly mental health services aimed at making a positive impact can be difficult to market to populations. Promoting mental health services to a target demographic of predominantly minority students at a university comes with its own set of unique variables making the task especially tough. This can be concerning as studies have shown that minority students experience greater amounts of stress than their White counterparts but are less likely to seek mental health services (DeFreitas et al., 2018; Duffy, 2019; Lipson, et al., 2022). The purpose of this study was to gauge the Attitudes and Practices …

Syphilis And Congenital Syphilis Among Women In San Bernardino County, Valerie Alfaro

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that mostly affects individuals from a lower income status. San Bernardino County has a high poverty rate and a high rate of Congenital Syphilis. Pregnant women who test positive for Syphilis run the risk of passing the infection on to the fetus. Babies born with Congenital Syphilis may experience many complications, and therefore, the treatment is more intense. The best prevention for Congenital Syphilis is regular screening during pregnancy.

Methods: This study used quantitative research based on secondary data collected from San Bernardino County, Department of Public Health. Data were gathered by an …

Health Information Exchange Adoption And Patient Satisfaction: The Mediating Role Of Organizational Efficiency, Hsun-Ming Lee, Peiqin Zhang, Jaymeen Shah

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Patient satisfaction is perceived as a significant benefit of hospitals’ investments in health information exchange (HIE). Successful implementation of HIE systems lead to increased organizational efficiency in hospitals and more likely to enable doctors and other staff members to better meet patient needs and expectations. This research draws upon system success theory to examine how HIE adoption affects patient satisfaction. In addition, this research investigates whether the relationship between HIE adoption and patient satisfaction is mediated by organizational efficiency. This is the first research study that draws upon system success theory to understand how HIE adoption affects patient satisfaction.

For …

Influence Of Job Stress, Fatigue, Happiness On Sleep Quality Of Shift Work Nurses, Minjeong Kang, Yeon Sook Kim, Insun Jang

Nursing Faculty Publications

Purpose: This descriptive study aimed to identify relationships among shift work nurses’ job stress, fatigue, happiness, and sleep quality and the factors causing decrease in sleep quality to establish fundamental data for effective intervention strategies. Methods: The data were collected using a structured questionnaire from June 11 to 19, 2018, and study participants were 198 nurses working rotating shifts in a university hospital. Results: The quality of sleep showed a mean of 15.77±5.30 and was varied depending on the number of night shifts (p=.001), health status (p=.008), and the number of discomforts at work (p<.001). Sleep quality also showed a significant relationship with job stress (r=.15, p=.040), fatigue (r=.35, p<.001), and happiness (r=-.24, p=.001). Multiple regression analysis (Adj R2=.275) indicated that factors affecting the quality of sleep included the number of discomforts (β=.31, p<.001), fatigue (β=.22, p=.002), and the number of night shifts (β=.19, p=.002). Conclusion: This study suggests that individuals, hospitals, and social systems need to coordinate the number of night shifts and improve discomfort and fatigue by considering factors influencing rotating shift work nurses’ sleep quality.

A Study Of Heart Disease Diagnosis Using Machine Learning And Data Mining, Intisar Ahmed

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people around the world today. Diagnosis for various forms of heart disease can be detected with numerous medical tests, however, predicting heart disease without such tests is very difficult. Machine learning can help process medical big data and provide hidden knowledge which otherwise would not be possible with the naked eye. The aim of this project is to explore how machine learning algorithms can be used in predicting heart disease by building an optimized model. The research questions are; 1) What Machine learning algorithms are used in the diagnosis of heart …

Why Is Blood Glucose Control Important To Self-Care Of Pregnant Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?, Mi-Joon Lee, Bum Jeun Seo, Yeon Sook Kim

Nursing Faculty Publications

This study aimed to investigate the change in self-care, self-efficacy, and health status of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to identify whether blood glucose control influences pregnancy outcomes. This study is experimental research using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The study subjects were 40 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM, and the data were collected in their 24th and 40th week of gestation and analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Paired samples t-test was used to compare the health status, self-care, and self-efficacy of subjects between antepartum and postpartum, and t-test and non-parametric test were used to evaluate the changes in …

Relationship Between Preventive Health Behavior, Optimistic Bias, Hypochondria, And Mass Psychology In Relation To The Coronavirus Pandemic Among Young Adults In Korea, Dong-Suk Lee, Hyun-Ju Koo, Seung-Ok Choi, Ji-In Kim, Yeon Sook Kim

Nursing Faculty Publications

The great challenge to global public health caused by the coronavirus pandemic has lasted for two years in Korea. However, Korean young adults seem less compliant with preventive health behaviors than older adults. This study aims to explore the relationship between risk perception variables of optimistic bias, hypochondriasis, and mass psychology, and preventive health behavior in relation to the coronavirus pandemic through a cross-sectional online survey. The participants are 91 Korean young adults aged 19–30. The results show that mass psychology has a positive relationship with preventive health behavior, whereas optimistic bias and hypochondriasis do not. In detail, people with …

Chronic Poetics: A Waiting Room Of One's Own, Madeleine Simmons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This article explores chronic poetics, through my personal lens I take readers on a walk- through of poetry and the discussions surrounding chronic illnesses. I examine the current state of chronic illness and the nuances to its discussion. I analyze chronic illness in the context of disability studies, and touch on the tensions of categorizing chronic illness as a disability. As well as how to best navigate reading chronic poetics, as poets engage in new territories as they form a new language to describe their circumstances. While analyzing multiple poems from different authors, I explore why specifically the vessel of …

Social Worker Student’S Anxiety, And Alcohol Consumption During The Covid-19 Pandemic, David Adler

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely impactful on a vast majority of the population, either from losing a possible loved one, or the pandemonium that arose in its wake. The purpose of this study is to better understand how much of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on social worker students’ mental health, specifically, how it has affected their levels of stress, anxiety, and levels of alcohol consumption. This study is significant because the pandemic has had a substantial impact on the mental health of so many individuals, and it is important to research just how large these effects …

The Effectiveness Of Best Management Practices Implemented At Lake Gregory, Crestline, Ca, Devin Darrow

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Water quality deterioration of recreational surface waters from excess pollution inputs is a significant concern for the health of the public and aquatic ecosystem. This study will examine the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in reducing pollution inputs into Lake Gregory, Crestline, CA. The effectiveness of the BMPs was examined by testing for water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), total coliform, and Escherichia coli on weekly to bi-weekly basis for a period of 1 year. A statistical analysis involving descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, the Efficient Ratios (ER) and Percent Removal Rates …

Promoting Health Equity Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexandra Viramontes, Deserry Salgado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionate health outcomes during a pandemic, yet preparedness plans have failed to address the social determinants of health that produce the most severe impact. By examining social workers’ perspectives on the health disparities faced by racial and ethnic minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study provides insight into the ways in which services can be improved in a future health crisis. In this exploratory study, a qualitative approach was utilized where social workers were asked to participate in interviews consisting of open-ended questions. The qualitative data was obtained in the form of interview transcripts, which …

Mental Health Burden Among College Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jeffrey Bao Truong

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health issue and has negatively burdened the general population’s health, though assessment among vulnerable groups remain limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students.

Method:This study utilized a cross-sectional approach. Courses across multiple departments were used to collect data in order to ensure a diversity of majors. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28 with p <.05 denoting significance.

Results: A total of 98 study participants were included in analyses. Among study participants, 32%reported feeling their mental health worsened due to COVID-19 …

The Prevalence Of Iron Deficiency And Obesity Among Young Children In The United States, Mirriam Abunaja

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background The coexistence of obesity and iron deficiency among children is one manifestation of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) and is a public health concern. This study aims to provide useful insight on public health knowledge by presenting a current snapshot of the coexistence of obesity and iron deficiency among pre-school aged children as well as specific risk factors.

Methods This analysis utilizes secondary data from a publicly accessible, national database, the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The data examined were retrieved from the years 2015-2016 and 2017-2018. Chi-squared tests were used to test each thesis question. …

Injection Drug Users (Idus), Blood-Borne Diseases, And The Role Of Needle Exchange Programs, Lilibeth Guzman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Objective: Needle exchange programs are designed to educate injection drug users of healthy drug behaviors and establish a controlled environment to prevent blood-borne diseases through clean needles and provide treatment to reduce blood-borne diseases and become drug-free. This study observed the prevalence of blood-borne diseases among injection drug users as well as the general population. The study used publicly available data of drug use to assess differences by race/ethnicity, and participation in needle exchange programs.

Methods: Quantitative methods were used with the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Analysis began with descriptive statistics, followed by regression analyses to …

Barriers To The Use Of Palliative And Hospice Care Among The Latino Population, Diana Ramirez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Patients suffering from irreversible and terminal illnesses may benefit from the services provided by Palliative and Hospice Care to control any symptom burden and assist in navigating complex medical decisions. Many patients may express hesitation in accepting and enrolling to this service due to misconceptions. Language barriers may add an additional layer of complexity. This study explored the challenges Palliative Care providers encounter when introducing concept of hospice to Spanish-speaking patients their families for the first time. This study implemented qualitative research methods by using semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Ten members of an In-patient Palliative Care Team at a University Hospital …

Sexual Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thomas C. Roland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique situation for healthcare providers worldwide. The highly infectious nature of the COVID-19 virus required many countries to impose strict lockdowns and limit access to select health services such as sexual health services. The present study was designed to explore the role of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services, specifically sexual health services.

Methods: A cross- sectional study design was selected to evaluate the burden of the pandemic on sexual health services. Participants responses were obtained anonymously using an online survey. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses using IBM SPSS version …

Pandemic And Sleep Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Among College Students, Jasmine Mitchell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The purpose of this study seeks to address sleep health among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. Data in this study were collected from college students through a virtual survey at a public university in Southern California. Data was collected with SPSS version 28 to conduct crosstabs and chi-square, as well as descriptive statistics.

Results: The study presented key findings that call attention to college students and poor sleep health. Results showed most of the participants (62.8%) reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep on an average school night. 45.7% of …

Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Through Healthy Relationship Education, Jessica Naranjo Larios

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health crisis and is defined as behavior by a current or former partner who causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm (WHO, 2021). The age demographic experiencing the highest rates of IPV is those between 18-24 years old (Brewer et al., 2018). Since many college students fit this demographic, colleges must implement effective evidence-based IPV prevention programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of healthy relationship education among college students using the KAP (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice) model tool.

Methods: This study utilized quantitative research methods to assess …

Pandemic-Related Caregiver Burden Among Public Health Workforce: A Mixed-Method Analysis, Tony Lee

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a highly contagious novel virus called SARS-CoV-2, has led to significant global morbidity and mortality. The healthcare workforce (HCW) is disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is more likely to report depression, burnout, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress. However, research among the public health workforce (PHW) remains limited. Given the burden of COVID-19 itself, coupled with the work-related pressure of rapid pandemic management strategies, risk of exposure, potential fatigue, etc., understanding the mental health needs of PHW and related professionals is critical. As such, the purpose of this study is to …

Burden Of Food Insecurity Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Saba Sami

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity is lack of access to proper nutrition for an individual to obtain a healthy lifestyle. The goal of this research is to determine the frequency of food insecurity among college students at a four-year college institution during COVID-19 pandemic in association to mental and physical health status.

Methods: This study was conducted among college students using cross-sectional study method. All data were collection virtually and kept anonymous. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28 with (p<.05), denoting significance.

Results: In the study there were a total of 98 participants who were being analyzed. All the participants were …