Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Healthcare Disparities Among African Americans, Chantilay M. Ruffin

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Throughout healthcare there are numerous factors that play a role in and out of the healthcare setting such as: gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic and disability status1. Having a diverse environment is an important accomplishment to strive for because it is directly related to increased patient health outcomes and quality of life2. For centuries African Americans have faced adversity with regard to the health care system. They have not been granted the same opportunities to access health information when compared to others. Kumar and West imply that racism, class inequality, financial hardship, and poverty are major contributors in the widening health care …

Prevalence Of Postpartum Depression In Occupied Palestine, Amneh Amro

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

In a world where everything has been modernized and progressively accepted, has modern medicine kept up? With a growing population, is the accessibility to healthcare service meeting the demand and without bias? More importantly, has the growing population broken down the stigmas associated with medical conditions, like postpartum depression? There has been a notable disparity in mental health treatment worldwide, and even more so in Palestine and other third world countries of similar nature.

An Anti-Racist Introductory Seminar Outline To Combat The Interconnectedness Of Medical Racism And Maternal Morbidity And Mortality Rates Among Black Women In The United States., Alexandra Boatwright

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Given the massive maternal morbidity and mortality crisis experienced by Black women in the United States, this thesis aims to combat one crucial aspect of this problem. Among the top eleven most developed countries in the world, the United States markedly surpasses them all as the leader in maternal mortality despite its leading advancements in biomedical technology. More specifically, the maternal mortality crisis disproportionately affects Black women in America as this population is much more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than any other racial group in the United States. In response, researchers and organizations have published literature outlining their …

Attitudes Toward Obesity In Undergraduate And Graduate Students Intending To Enter The Healthcare Field, Sloane E. Kelly

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Weight bias is defined as negative weight-related attitudes toward an overweight or obese individual. Healthcare workers have the potential to exacerbate the prevalence of weight bias in American society. Harboring weight bias negatively influences providers’ thoughts and decision-making abilities, which can negatively impact their patient care. Consequently, patients experience a lower quality visit that decreases overall patient satisfaction and health improvement outcomes. Previous studies suggested viewing obesity as a disease lowers weight bias within providers. This study used a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design that examines the effect of perceiving obesity as a chronic disease on weight bias in undergraduate and graduate …

Acute Response Of A Lower Extremity Mobility Routine On Arom, Sprint Time, And Vertical Jump Height In Flexible And Nonflexible Adults., Flinn Christian

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Although previous studies have shown that stretching can increase range of motion and affect performance, the comparison of the effects on flexible and nonflexible adults is not clear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how flexible and nonflexible adults responded to a lower extremity mobility routine focusing on the hip and ankle joints. A randomized treatment experimental design was used in which subjects had their hip and ankle ranges of motion, lower body flexibility, countermovement vertical jump, and sprint performance assessed. They were then randomly assigned to one of two treatment orders for hip (n=9) or ankle …

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 …

Using Small Molecules To Combat Staph Infections, Anthony Ferris

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

When Helping Becomes Hurting: Compassion Fatigue In Pediatric Nurses, Annabelle Nagy

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Compassion fatigue is prevalent in all nursing settings; however, it is particularly important to consider in pediatric nursing because of the unique aspects of this nursing speciality. Compassion fatigue, comprised of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, is a risk to pediatric patients due to the nurse’s inability to care adequately secondary to the overwhelming feelings of physical and mental exhaustion contributing to nursing attrition and inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios. This thesis applies Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring to study the problem of compassion fatigue in pediatric nursing. Compassion fatigue must be recognized and managed, and the necessary interventions employed to …

Humanizing The Intensive Care Unit With Animal-Assisted Therapy, Amanda Pugh

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This project serves as an exploration into the current research about animal-assisted therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) population. Incorporating more holistic treatments into the healthcare field improves patient experiences and encourages patients to have an active role in their recovery journeys. Treating both the physical and emotional needs of patients is valuable to nurses because it helps them to better view patients with unique human dignity, improve the quality of care they perform, and make the healthcare system more centered around the patient as a whole. Patients in intensive care units are more susceptible to developing health complications …

Recommendations For Providers To Improve Quality Of Care & Health Outcomes For Patients With Tick-Borne Diseases, Kayla G. Hugate, Jennifer Hall

Student Scholar Showcase

Background: Healthcare providers lack knowledge about tick-borne diseases related to recognition, diagnosis, treatments, and communication. With the number of ticks and types of tick-borne diseases increasing, it is vital that providers know how to effectively diagnose, manage and treat a TBD patient.

Methods: A mixed method survey was implemented in 2021 with persons diagnosed with a tick-borne disease to explore their experiences with diagnosis, management and treatment. The survey was posted on TBD social media pages and sent through email snowballing. Thematic analysis was used to code results from three open-ended questions.

Results: A total of 434 …

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Prevention And Detection In Covid-19 Patients, Bethany Sloane Melega

Student Scholar Showcase

COVID-19 has impacts on patient health beyond the hospital. The trauma that patients, and families of patients, can experience during an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) can last long after discharge from the ICU and the hospital in general. The psychological and physical impacts of ICU hospitalization can cause patients to experience Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). PICS is the culmination of symptoms that persist after a critical illness that involve all aspects of a patient’s physical and mental well-being and can significantly affect family life and increase recovery time. Due to the strict personal-protective equipment (PPE) usage …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In The Intensive Care Unit, Amanda M. Pugh

Student Scholar Showcase

This paper will explore animal-assisted therapy used in intensive care units. Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk for developing an array of complications called post-intensive care syndrome, which can negatively affect patients’ psychological, motor, and cognitive abilities. While the widespread use of animal-assisted therapy in the ICU is still in need of improvement, studies have shown animal-assisted therapy can improve depression and anxiety, increase motor function, and strengthen patient participation in treatment. This is significant because the benefits of animal-assisted therapy can counteract the symptoms related to post-intensive care syndrome. The studies will be analyzed, and …

Evaluation Of Resting Metabolic Rate Between Sex And Sport Type Of D3 Athletes., Alissa Anderson

Student Scholar Showcase

Introduction: Sex, muscle characaterstics, and training have been shown to affect resting metabolic rate (RMR) of elite level athletes. However, there is little known about the resting metabolic rates of non-elite Division 3 athletes.

Purpose: Therefore the purpose of this research study is to observe differences in resting metabolic rate among different types of various Division 3 athletic male and female teams.

Methods: University of Lynchburg Division 3 athletes between the ages of 18-22 were recruited to have their RMR, body composition, and anthropometrics assessed . 4 athletes were recruited from each of the following teams based on sex and …

Acute:Chronic Workload Ratios And Positional Differences In Collegiate Men’S Lacrosse Players, Michael J. Phifer

Student Scholar Showcase

Positional differences in Acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWRs), distance traveled, and activity intensity throughout a season for men’s lacrosse players have not been determined. The purpose of our research was to determine if there were positional differences in ACWRs, distance traveled, and activity intensity in men’s NCAA DIII lacrosse players. We recruited 53 NCAA DIII lacrosse players (age=20.4 years, weight=81.6 kg, height=182.4 cm, Attack=12, O-Mid=14, D-Mid=6, FO=4, Goalie=3, Defense=14) from one team for our cross-sectional study. Sport Performance Tracking (SPT, Melbourne, Australia) GPS units tracked athletes’ACWRs (AU), total distance traveled (m), and intensity (proprietary composite score; AU) for every game and …

Parent Perceptions Of Athletic Trainers At The Secondary School Setting, Rebecca Lynn Natoli

Student Scholar Showcase

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Environmental Conditions, Core Temperature, And Hydration Status On Women’S Soccer Performance, Abigail G. Poague

Student Scholar Showcase

This study aimed to discover the effects of hydration status, core temperature, sleep data, perceived exertion, and environmental conditions affected the GPS-tracked performance of women's division III soccer players. The results of this study support the association between internal load, hydration status, and environmental conditions with external load.

Investigating Alternative Induction Of The S. Aureus 80a Prophage, Jody Caretti

Student Scholar Showcase

Widespread antibiotic resistance has quickly become one of the most concerning crises affecting modern medicine, especially in cases of Staphylococcal infections, which have become resistant to all ��-lactam antibiotics. As a result, research into alternative forms of treatment for bacterial infections is a top priority. Bacteriophage therapy is a popular candidate for replacing antibiotics, due to the way the viruses interact with the bacteria. The 80�� prophage integrates its DNA into Staphylococcus aureus strain 10616 via the lysogenic cycle, and replicates with the bacterial cell. When stressed, the bacteria stop replicating and the prophage stimulates the lytic cycle, activating transcription …