Public Health Commons^™

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …

Syndemics And Social Factors: Infectious Disease Patterns Within The Population Of People Experiencing Homelessness In The United States, Kathleen Berzonsky

Honors Theses

Individuals experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of suffering from infectious diseases. This is due to a number of social factors and healthcare disparities, as well as the idea of syndemics, by which diseases cluster together to worsen disease burden. Current intervention strategies approach treatment from a post-infection perspective, but reducing transmission rates of infectious diseases within the population of people experiencing homelessness will require a shift in the healthcare framework. The issue of people experiencing homelessness must be viewed through a biosocial lens, focusing on preventative care and treatment. I provide an overview of the social factors governing infectious …

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 …

Emergency Department Utilization: A Qualitative Analysis Of Illinois Medical Home Network Patients., Crystal M. Glover, Yanina A. Purim-Shem-Tov

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background

Inappropriate emergency department (ED) use continues to plague healthcare in terms of disease management and costs. In 2012, the State of Illinois implemented Medical Home Network (MHN) where Medicaid recipients were assigned to primary care providers to, in part, reduce overreliance on EDs. However, MHN patients have continued to use EDs.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to provide a qualitative analysis of Medicaid patient-identified barriers to primary care, facilitators of emergency use, and related mental health and psychosocial factors.

Methods

Patients who presented themselves at the ED located at an urban, academic medical center participated in one-time, …