Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Potential Biases And Social Stigmas Toward Mental Health On Georgia Southern’S Campus, Brandi N. Hawkins

Honors College Theses

Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine the potential biases and social stigmas toward mental health on Georgia Southern’s campus. The research questions explored are as follows: (1) Are there mental health biases on campus? (2) Are there any differences between college, class status, marital status, race, age, or gender in terms of mental health bias? (3) Do students feel as though there are available resources on campus? (4) Do students feel comfortable reaching out for help?

Methods: Data was collected from 350 undergraduate students over the age of 18 via a Likert-style questionnaire. The questionnaire …

An Examination Of Optimism Between Gender, Race, And School Classification Of Millennial Students – An Exploratory Study, Abigail C. Johnson

Honors College Theses

Optimism is defined as an individual’s approach to the expectation that good things will happen in the future and bad things are a rarity. Along with the general definition of what optimism is, many researchers have found that optimism depends on culturally embedded values and beliefs (Singh & Shukla, 2014; Lee & Mason, 2013). In addition, the relationship between optimism and positive health outcomes and well-being is well established (Coll, J.E. & Draves, P. R., 2008; Bastianello, M. R., Pacico, J. C., & Hutz, C. S., 2014). Although this is the case, little research has been found examining the differences …

Analysis Of Genes Encoded By A Chromosomal Insert In Rickettsia Philipii, Sydney A. Wright

Honors College Theses

Background: Spotted Fever group rickettsiae are obligate intracellular arthropod-borne bacteria. Rickettsiae are globally distributed yet typically confined to the distribution of their vector(s). Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia philipii are closely related human pathogens endemic to the United States and cause similar febrile illness with differing morbidity and mortality. Genomic comparison found the presence of a 19 kilobase insert containing eleven genes in Rickettsia philipii. The functions of proteins encoded by this insert are speculated to affect virulence and pathogenicity.

Materials and Methods: Bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify functional motifs in four proteins encoded by the insert. Homologous proteins …

The Behavioral Response Of Mosquitoes To Different Snake Odors, Caitlyn E. Hicks

Honors College Theses

Due to it causing high mortality rates, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEEV) is considered to be one of the most medically important encephalitic viruses in the Eastern United States. In order to be able to control the transmission of this virus, understanding of vector behavior and feeding preferences is necessary. In this study, the response of Culex nigripalpus to different snake skin odors was tested to determine if this species of mosquito responded to particular snake species. Culex nigripalpus showed the greatest response to Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and Cottonmouth (A. piscivorus) snakes, as compared to other venomous …

Knowledge Disparities In Diabetes Mellitus Among Undergradute College Students: An Exploratory Study, Caroline Duffy

Honors College Theses

The primary goal of this research study is to examine the knowledge disparities in diabetes mellitus of health related and non- health related undergraduate majors at Georgia Southern University. The Newest Vital Sign tool is used to assess health literacy between majors. Health related majors will have a higher health literacy score. The research questions to be investigated are (a). do non-health related majors lack an understanding of diabetes mellitus and (b). do all college students have adequate health literacy. With the findings, health education and promotion programs can be established and directed towards the appropriate population.

Adherence Of Collegiate Level, Recreational/Intramural And Non-Athlete College Students To The Mediterranean Diet, Amber E. Ugbo

Honors College Theses

The Mediterranean Diet, which is rich in complex carbohydrates and plant-based foods, may be beneficial to athletic performance. To date, no one has examined adherence of collegiate athletes to a Mediterranean Diet. This study compared how closely collegiate, recreational/intramural, and non-athletes in college followed a Mediterranean Diet. Surveys and validated Mediterranean Diet score questionnaires were completed by 933 undergraduates in HLTH 1520: Healthful Living at Georgia Southern University. Participants self-reported following various diets including decreased or increased carbohydrate, increased protein, and increased water intake. No one specifically reported following a Mediterranean Diet and total calculated Mediterranean Diet scores were low …

An Area Based Fan Beam Projection Model, Richard E. Steele, Jiehua Zhu

Honors College Theses

Area based projection models for computed tomography mitigate raw data errors by treating X-Rays as beams, whereas traditional line based projection models treat an X-Ray like a line, thus generating significant error. In an existing area based fan beam projection model, a rotation matrix, Q, simulates the rotation of the emitter detector pair to reduce computational load, but this introduces approximations by using an approximated rotation matrix. We eliminate approximations by deriving an exact formula for the entries of Q. Using a rotation of axes and by considering the neighboring cells' contributions to the area, the result has formulations for …

Developmental Outcomes Of Pediatric Cancer Survivors After Chemotherapy, Kaley Scanlon

Honors College Theses

PURPOSE: With the increased survival rates in pediatric cancer, these patients are exhibiting new possible long-term side effects, such as delays in cognitive and social-emotional development. The purpose of this research study is to assess the cognitive and social-emotional developmental outcomes of pediatric cancer survivors who currently receive chemotherapy or have received chemotherapy in the past.

DESIGN/METHODS: This pilot study used a quantitative survey to assess cognitive and social-emotional developmental outcomes of pediatric cancer survivors. The inclusion criteria for this study included parents of school aged children (ages 5-18) who received chemotherapy for at least six months, either currently or …

Perceptions And Use Of Nonnutritive Sweeteners Among College Students Based Upon Athletic Status, Gender, And Academic Major, Madison B. Heydinger

Honors College Theses

Nonnutritive sweeteners, which include sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, and stevia may positively impact health of individuals by helping to reduce Caloric and added sugar intake. Athletes may consider these factors when attempting to improve performance and, as such, may benefit from their use. However, no one has examined sources of nutrition knowledge and perceptions as well as use of nonnutritive sweeteners in college students based upon athletic status, gender, and whether students are studying a health or non-health related major. The objective of this study was to compare college students’ sources of nutrition knowledge to their perceptions and consumption of nonnutritive …

Nanoparticle Penetration Of Respirator Masks At Construction Sites, Jefferson W. Doehling

Honors College Theses

This experimental investigation studies the effectiveness of N95 respirators at blocking particles between 11.5 and 154 nm in diameter during 4 different construction activities. It is well known that large amounts of dust and debris are generated during construction activities. New research has found that significantly more nanoparticles are generated during construction activities than previously thought. Consequently, the N95 respirators commonly worn to protect against these particles are only rated to block 95% particles larger than 0.3 microns in size. In this investigation, two respirator models were tested, a NIOSH TC-84A-0007 pleated N95 respirator and a NIOSH 42CFR84 foldable N95 …

Student Nurses Perception Of Ability To Provide Care Internationally, Cassie A. Williams

Honors College Theses

PUPOSE: With diversity expected to increase in the future, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) education regarding international nursing care and cultural competency was explored. Specifically, the purpose of this research was to determine whether current BSN students believe they are capable of providing appropriate care to international patients and/or patients of different cultural backgrounds.

METHODOLOGY: A mixed-methods survey was designed to assess student’s perception of ability to care for and interact with international patients and patients of different cultural backgrounds. Additionally, it was assessed whether students believed more cultural education should be provided by the School of Nursing.

RESULTS: …