Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Chronic Inequities: Environmental & Structural Racism During Covid-19 And Hurricane Laura Disaster Recovery, Tomeka M. Robinson, Sabrina Singh

Critical Disaster Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the realities of systemic health inequities within the United States. While the virus has severely impacted the entire country, people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic, from surges of COVID-19 cases in their communities to spikes in unemployment rates. Simultaneously, citizens are dealing with the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. The common denominator concerning these two stressors is that they can be exacerbated by institutional racism. This can be seen in the case of a small city in Southwest Louisiana, namely, Lake Charles, which has become a …

Analyzing Pre-Operative Hospital Stay And Incidence Of Hospital Acquired Infection: A Retrospective Study, Maria Costantino, Ornella Piazza, Enrico Coscioni, Emilia Anna Vozzella, Walter Longanella, Francesco De Caro

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) pose a significant challenge, impacting patient safety and treatment effectiveness. This retrospective study investigates the correlation between preoperative hospital stays and HCAIs in ICU cardiac surgery patients. Methods: Medical records of 35 patients who died post-cardiac surgery in the ICU were analyzed, focusing on the duration of preoperative hospitalization. Results: Prolonged preoperative stays strongly correlate (r=0.993) with increased HCAIs, indicating a critical risk factor. Conclusions: The duration of preoperative hospital stays is pivotal in HCAI risk. Prospective multicenter studies are needed for validation, which is crucial for enhancing patient safety and treatment efficacy.

Invasive And Non-Invasive Assessment Of Non-Culprit Coronary Lesions In Patients With St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Germano Junior Ferruzzi, Michele Bellino, Angelo Silverio, Marco Di Maio, Mariagiovanna Vassallo, Carmine Vecchione, Gennaro Galasso

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

The angiographic evidence of coronary multivessel disease (MVD) increases significantly the risk of recurrent ischemic events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Recent evidence suggests that a complete revascularization strategy should be considered the standard of care in these patients and performed for significant non-culprit lesions (NCLs) after careful assessment of the individual risk-benefit ratio. However, the optimal timing and the modality for the assessment of NCLs is not fully standardized. This brief review aims to summarise the management of MVD in patients with STEMI and to provide an overview of the principal techniques used to guide revascularisation …

The Legitimacy Of The Patient Story: The Unofficial Autoethnography, Kathy Saldana

Patient Experience Journal

While communication is the foundation of patient experience, survey data and comments are the primary source of results. The focus on data, though meaningful, reduces humans to text on reports. With a focus of autoethnography in both her baccalaureate and post-graduate studies, the author, (a fulltime patient experience professional) shares her professional focus on the value of the data and comments, esteeming it all as valuable research given by the only people who can report patient experience – patients. She compares her stance regarding patient experience before and after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer. The author shares how the …

Grief In The Basic Course, Carly Densmore, Jessica Cherry

Basic Communication Course Annual

In a broad search of the Basic Communication Course Annual, there is little discussion regarding student or instructor grief in the basic course. However, in our own experiences teaching the basic course, student expressions of grief are common. Grief is expected to be hidden or silenced, and is often not welcomed in the classroom (Hurst, 2009). Grief is unique to each individual; we can feel grief over a variety of losses, and there is no one way to cope with grief. Grief is not only an emotional but a physical experience, and it is not “a relinquishing of ties to …

The Emotional Impact Of Sensitive Topics: An Autoethnographic Account Of An Ovarian Cancer Research, Dinah A. Tetteh

The Qualitative Report

Growing evidence suggests that qualitative research about sensitive topics is emotional work with varied unanticipated risks for researchers. This autoethnographic essay adds to the extant literature by discussing the complexities added when the research topic is sensitive, and the researcher has not personally experienced the topic under study. I reflect on and analyze epiphanies in my research with 28 ovarian cancer survivors in northwest Ohio and southern Michigan in the United States, including how I processed the death of some participants. I suggest that practicing active listening, reflexivity, and flexibility can help manage limitations of a research project of this …

Telerehabilitation: A Solution For Patients After Hip Fracture?, Alessia Bramanti, Rossella Ciurleo, Carmine Vecchione, Andrea Turolla, Noemi Piramide, Michele Ciccarelli, Erica Piramide, Marina Garofano

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Hip fracture is the most common cause of hospitalization in frail geriatric subjects due to osteoporosis and recurrent falls. The clinical practice guidelines for rehabilitation after surgery in patients with hip fractures recommend to start treatment early. However, the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic between December 2019 and January 2020 forced to lockdown. Thus, telerehabilitation seemed the best solution to remote assistance. In this scenario, the aim of our study is to assess the effects of telerehabilitation and to clarify and rearrange the knowledge about its usability and feasibility in patients after hip fracture in emergency conditions, such as the pandemic …

Promoting Cultural Humility As A Core Value Into Healthcare Professional Practice: Focusing On The Journey And Not The Destination, Archana Vatwani

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

There is an increase in diversity in our nation, and as such, health care professionals need to have the tools to maximize patient outcomes, considering the breadth of these needs. It is important to improve effectiveness, as health care providers, by increasing cultural awareness and knowledge of cultural humility. The three factors that guide cultural humility include lifelong commitment to self-evaluation, fixing power imbalances, and developing partnerships with people and groups who advocate for others. These aspects may enhance future health care providers’ ability to minimize health care disparities and optimize health care for all patients. In addition, discussions related …

Electronic Nicotine Product (Enp) Graphic Warnings: Association Between Exposure And Changes In Perceived Susceptibility And Severity Of Explosion And Lung Injuries, Erica Harp, Matthew E. Rossheim, Xiaoquan Zhao, Christian Seiter, Ogechikamma C. Emechebe, Eric Soule

Health Behavior Research

Electronic nicotine products (ENPs) are the most prevalent form of tobacco use among U.S. young adults. Research is needed to investigate how to communicate new risks from ENPs to the public. In this study, we tested the comparative persuasiveness of ENP explosion and lung injury graphic warnings. We recruited a sample of 343 young adults (18 to 28 years; 146 male, 197 female), including both ENP users and nonusers, via Amazon Mechanical Turk in October 2020. We randomly assigned participants to one of six exposure conditions: two images of lung injuries with prevalence statistics, two images of battery explosion injuries …

Just Pin It: Understanding The Dynamics Of Pinterest Use, Motivation, Self-Efficacy, And Health Behaviors, Kathryn E. Dolphin, Rachel Char, Summer Rogers

Health Behavior Research

Image-based social media platforms, such as Pinterest, have revolutionized how individuals seek, share, and interpret health information. Previous research suggests a link between consuming social media content and intentions to engage in health behaviors; however, it is unclear if individuals who actively seek health-related information on social media engage in healthier behaviors. This mixed-methods study explored the relationships among Pinterest use, motivations, self-efficacy, and health behaviors. Women participants (n = 227) completed surveys that included sociodemographic characteristics, motivation, self-efficacy, Pinterest use, and diet and exercise behaviors. Independent samples t-tests assessed differences in exercise behaviors, and multivariate analyses of variance …

Sex And Gender In Ageing And Longevity: Highlights From An International Course, Giuseppina Candore, Giulia Accardi, Anna Aiello, Giovannella Baggio, Tiziana Bellini, Vittorio Calabrese, Anna Paola Carreca, Ignazio Carreca, Anna Masucci, Monica Cattaneo, Serena Dato, Danilo Di Bona, Luca Fabris, Caterina Gambino, Gabriele Di Lorenzo, Claudio Franceschi, Mattia Emanuela Ligotti, Maria Cristina Manfrinato, Annibale Alessandro Puca, Martina Tamburello, Roberta Vassallo, Calogero Caruso

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Gender medicine is a multidisciplinary science and represents an important perspective for pathophysiological and clinical studies in the third millennium. Here, it is provided an overview of the topics discussed in a recent course on the Role of Sex and Gender in Ageing and Longevity. The paper highlights three themes discussed in the course, i.e., the interaction of gender/sex with, i) the pathophysiology of age-related diseases; ii), the role of genetics and epigenetics in ageing and longevity and, iii) the immune responses of older people to pathogens, vaccines, autoantigens, and allergens. Although largely unexplored, sex and gender are modulators …

Two-Year Opioid Prescription Trends In Local Sanitary Agency Naples 3 South, Campania Region, Italy. Descriptive Analyses And Ai-Based Translational Perspectives, Marco Cascella, Maurizio Capuozzo, Francesco Ferrara, Alessandro Ottaiano, Francesco Perri, Francesco Sabbatino, Valeria Conti, Vittorio Santoriello, Alfonso Maria Ponsiglione, Maria Romano, Francesco Amato, Ornella Piazza

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Aims: This study delves into the two-year opioid prescription trends in the Local Sanitary Agency Naples 3 South, Campania Region, Italy. The research aims to elucidate prescribing patterns, demographics, and dosage categories within a population representing 1.7% of the national total. Perspectives on artificial intelligence research are discussed.

Methods: From the original dataset, spanning from January 2022 to October 2023, we processed multiple variables including demographic data, medications, dosages, drug consumption, and administration routes.

Results: The analysis reveals a conservative approach to opioid therapy. In subjects under the age of 20, prescriptions accounted for 2.1% in 2022 and declined to …

Overcoming Communication Challenges: Training Family Medicine Interns Amidst Covid-19, Ny'nika T. Mcfadden, Connie C. Leeper, Catanya G. Stager, Amanda H. Wilkerson

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Assessing and addressing possible deficiencies in medical school training is important for residency programs. Due to virtual rotations and low patient volumes, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical students’ opportunities to practice patient communication. Communication skills are essential for medical students and residents. Continuous participation in communication training can increase the self-efficacy of healthcare professionals. Due to the likely impact of COVID-19, we designed and implemented a tailored workshop that focused on increasing 16 incoming family medicine interns’ level of comfort communicating with patients and their families.

Methods

Sixteen incoming family medicine interns participated in the workshop during orientation in …

Allergic Diseases In The Elderly, Gabriele Di Lorenzo, Marcello Melluso, Alessandro Rodolico, Aurelio Seidita

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Recent increases in allergic diseases are thought to be caused by better hygiene, Westernized diets, air pollution, climate change, and other factors that influence host microbiota, a key player in the induction and maintenance of immunoregulatory circuits and tolerance. The increase of allergic diseases in the elderly is also related to additional factors, such as various comorbidities that may interfere with the development and the type of allergic reactions. Immunosenescence plays a central role in these reactions, altering microbiota responses and triggering inflammageing. In addition, in the elderly, there is a shift from Th1 to Th2 immunity, thus favoring allergic …

Redoxomics In Ageing And Neurodegenerative Disorders: From Bench To Clinics, Vittorio Calabrese, Ursula M. Jacob, Tilman Fritsch, Noemi Osakabe

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

There is no abstract for this article type.

Scale Of Assessment Of Caregiver Care Burden Of People With Dementia: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Veronica Strini, Angela Prendin, Valentina Cerrone, Roberta Schiavolin, Ilaria De Barbieri, Vincenzo Andretta, Luigi Fortino, Biagio Santella, Gianluigi Franci, Mario Capunzo, Giovanni Boccia

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Cases of dementia have increased significantly in recent years. The family represents the main cornerstone of assistance to the elderly suffering from dementia, in particular the caregiver. Family members who take on the role of caregiver are subjected to physical, psychological, emotional, social and financial stress, which can be conceptualised with the term “burden”. The aim of this study was to investigate which tools are best suited to measure the type of burden based on the type of dementia for each caregiver. A literature search was undertaken in MEDLINE, CINHAL and The Cochrane Database in September 2022, including articles from …

Pediatric Dentists’ Considerations Concerning Obesity-Related Education For Parents Of Young Children: Who Should Educate About What, How And When?, Arianne Swanson Dds, Ms, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms, Larry B. Salzmann Dds, Yu-Ju Yang Dds, Marita R. Inglehart Dipl. Psych., Dr. Phil., Dr. Phil. Habil

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This study aimed to explore pediatric dentists' perspectives on obesity-related interventions for parents of young children. A web-based survey was administered to 210 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry members. Findings revealed that respondents considered it important for various healthcare professionals, especially pediatricians and nurse practitioners, to engage in obesity-related parent education. Strong consensus existed on educating parents about the link between early childhood caries and diet, soft drink and fruit juice consumption, and healthy snacking. The study also found positive attitudes correlated with increased engagement in objective weight determination, data collection, and diet/nutrition counseling.

Setting The Foundation For A Lifetime Of Oral Health, Samuel Blanchard Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this Children’s Dental Health Month article, the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes the crucial role of relationships and trust in pediatric dentistry. Highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts between dental societies, the commentary discusses the impact of professional connections on patient care. The author shares personal insights on transitioning in their career, underscoring the value of cultivated relationships. The age-1 dental visit is highlighted as a powerful preventive measure to establish rapport and empower parents with oral health knowledge. The article emphasizes the enduring benefits of building connections in promoting lifelong oral health.

Interplay Health Communication In New Media In Healthy Living Attitudes In Indonesia, K. Y. S. Putri, Engkus Kuswarno, Heri Fathurahman, Praventyasar Mutiara

Informasi

Health communication has become important after two years of the world experiencing Covid 19. The quality of healthy life in the community is important. New media make good information about maintaining health. However, because of the long period of being in normal healthy conditions, many new media accounts provide incorrect health information. The research question is how effective is health communication in the content of its messages in the new media about health in the post-pandemic period against the healthy living attitudes of its followers? The purpose of the study was to find out health communication in the content of …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

The Role Of The Nurse In The Management Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Narrative Review, Luigi Ruggiero, Vincenzo Andretta, Carlo Soldaini, Ivan Fricano, Marco Mancusi, Annamaria Sellitti, Josephine Vastarella, Antonella Santonicola

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

rritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic symptoms of abdominal pain in association with changes in bowel habits. Abdominal pain is the most debilitating symptom for IBS patients, and its management is one of the greatest challenges for gastroenterologists. In recent years more evidence has arisen about an increasingly central role of the nurse in the management of gastrointestinal diseases including IBS. The aim of this narrative review is to analyse the latest evidence on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of IBS patients with a specific focus on the role of the nurse in its management.

Changes In The Information Uses And Gratifications Of Virtual Communications For Kansas State Research And Extension Agents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katie E. Messerla, Katherine J. Starzec, Brandie Disberger, Elaine Johannes

Journal of Applied Communications

Kansas State Research and Extension (KSRE) staff have experienced many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic such as remote work requirements and technology adaptations. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the use of virtual communications used by K-State Research and Extension agents’ internal communications as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was guided by uses and gratifications theory to understand Extension agents’ intensity of use of virtual communications channels for internal communications and the effectiveness of virtual communication channels for workplace communication needs. Through a quantitative Qualtrics survey (n = 99) with a …

Minnesota State Parks And Trails’ Use Of Facebook To Communicate Health And Safety Information During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Garrett M. Steede, Sahil S. Kamat

Journal of Applied Communications

During the COVID-19 pandemic, state park visitation increased to levels above previous years. While navigating the pandemic, natural resource communicators took to social media to communicate about how COVID-19 was impacting park services and operations. We examined how the Minnesota State Parks and Trails (MSPT) engaged in health communication using Facebook over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used quantitative content analysis to measure content and engagement on the N = 105 posts made by the MSPT from 2020 - 2022 regarding COVID-19. Results provide an understanding as to how natural resource communicators engaged in health communication …

What Now: The Role Of Attitude And Communicative Actions When Making Decisions During A Disease Crisis, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Lauri Baker, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations often communicate about a risk to encourage people to take particular protective actions, and the decision-making process about protective actions can be especially complex. It is important to determine how organizations can encourage specific behaviors and, as such, this study sought to investigate how attitudes and communicative actions influenced behavior related to recommendations from the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the purpose of this study, an online quantitative survey was distributed to United States residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from this study reveal that attitude and transmission and …

Exploring The Social Media Health Information Seeking Patterns Of Rural Residents To Provide Communication Strategies For Extension, Catherine Sanders, Kristin Gibson, Allison R. Byrd, Tatevik Markosyan, Alexa J. Lamm

Journal of Applied Communications

Communication capacity development is critical for Extension professionals, who work to bring agricultural and health research to the public. With social media being an almost ubiquitous communication channel, it has immense potential as a health communication resource for diverse and rural audiences. The current study, guided by an audience segmentation framework, explored the health communication patterns on social media of rural Georgia residents across demographic characteristics through a non-probability opt-in sampling online survey. Cluster analyses of social media users revealed three distinct groups: low, medium, and high users. Descriptive characteristics of each cluster were presented, to guide Extension health communication …

A New And Effective Procedure For Advanced Oral Cancer Therapy: The Potential Of A Cancer Stem Cell Assay In Guiding Chemotherapy, Francesca Spirito, Pier Paolo Claudio, Candace M. Howard, Jagan Valluri, Krista L. Denning, Lorenzo Lo Muzio, Antonio Cortese

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Introduction Ineffective anticancer therapy can result in unnecessary toxicity and the development of resistant clones. Many types of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, have been found to contain a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that contribute to tumor propagation, maintenance, and treatment resistance. Materials and Methods Selectively enriched CSCs from primary cancer cell cultures can be used in a chemosensitivity assay for a functional test (ChemoID) that uses patients’ live tumor cells to indicate which chemotherapy agent (or “combinations”) will kill not only the bulk of tumor cells but also the CSCs that are …

Argumentation For Critical Heterogenous Political Discussions: Constructing A Rebuttal, Rebecca Oliver

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

This activity seeks to explain to undergraduate students how to craft a proper attack and defense in argumentation and debate, persuasion, or political communication courses. The activity teaches students 1) the parts of a basic argument structure and 2) how to construct a rebuttal using a basic argument structure. Students will argue against their true political typology by selecting an opposing typology from the Pew Research Typology Quiz. Broadly, this exercise is designed to encourage students to engage in dialogues with people who disagree with their political positionality. Specifically, the activity accomplishes this by teaching students the value of basic …

Encoding & Decoding: Artfully Modeling Communication, Daniel L. Foster, Ashley D. Garcia

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

Drawing objects and concepts, such as cats, trees, love, democracy, and family, is probably the last activity students expect to do in a communication course. Although this sounds like an introductory art activity, creating visual representations provides a nuanced understanding of the encoding and decoding processes. Encoding and decoding are the most hidden and often the most unfamiliar and complex fundamental components of communication for students to comprehend. By engaging in this activity, students translate their decoding process into drawings, which serve as personal artifacts representative of their encoding and decoding. Students come to better conceptualize this cognitive process with …

“Party In The Communication Classroom”: Exploring Communication Competence To Raise Social Awareness, Nancy Bressler

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

This activity demonstrates communication competence and allows students to observe, assess, and ultimately utilize the model of communication competence to engage with other people successfully. To understand how to engage in communication competence, students must recognize that appropriateness and effectiveness are crucial aspects of their communication. Through the communication competence model, students examine how to achieve effectiveness in their communication by setting goals for specific contexts; they also consider to what extent their goals are achievable given the particular situation. Using a 2014 MTV Video Music Award example, students can analyze why Miley Cyrus allowed a homeless man to accept …

Introducing Public Speaking Self-Concept (Pssc): A Novel, Qualitatively-Derived Communication Anxiety And Competence Variable, Karla M. Hunter, Joshua N. Westwick

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

Despite numerous quantitative assessments of teaching interventions that have helped mitigate public speaking anxiety (PSA), this common barrier to public speaking persists. In addition, quantitative measures may not be appropriate for all instructional goals, especially with students from across a variety of cultures. To enrich educators’ capacity to help diverse bodies of students overcome the challenges presented by PSA, this qualitative study asked students to “Please describe yourself as a public speaker” at the beginning and the end of a freshman-level, general education public speaking class. Thematic analysis identified a two-dimensional pattern within student responses (N = 51) (a …