Community-Based Research Commons^™

The Impact Of Opioids On Students And Schools In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Ohio: Educational Leader Perspectives On The Crisis, Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam

Journal of Research Initiatives

Over the last several decades, the opioid crisis has had an increasing impact on the educational environment of schools. The role that principals and superintendents have in leading schools that have been affected by opioids has been mostly overlooked in the research. The present study was conducted in Ohio, a state with areas that have some of the highest death rates due to opioid-related incidents in the nation. Purpose: This study collected data on the perspectives and perceptions of school leaders in Ohio to better understand how principals and superintendents frame their decisions regarding the opioid crisis. Design: We analyze …

Evaluating The Association Between Depressive Symptoms And Glycemic Control Among Residents Of Rural Appalachia, Brittany L. Smalls, Adebola Adegboyega, Ellen Combs, Eli W. Travis, Felipe De La Barra, Lovoria B. Williams, Nancy Schoenberg

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a range of co-morbid physical and psychological conditions, including depression. Yet there is a dearth of evidence regarding the prevalence of depression among those in Appalachia living with T2DM; this gap persists despite the higher regional prevalence of T2DM and challenging social determinants of health.

Purpose: This study aimed to provide greater detail about the relationships between T2DM and depressive symptoms in adults living in Appalachia Kentucky.

Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data derived from an ongoing study of Appalachia Kentucky adults living with T2DM. Outcome …

Evaluating Social Support And T2d Risk Factors Among Members Of Rural-Dwelling Grandparent-Headed Households, Brittany L. Smalls, Abebola Adegboyega, Kelly Nb Palmer, Jennifer Hatcher

Journal of Appalachian Health

Purpose: This study examines the associations of social support and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk factors among members of rural-dwelling, grandparent-headed households (GHH).

Methods: Prospective data were collected from rural-dwelling members of GHH with no known diagnosis of T2D. Data collected on family characteristics, T2D clinical risk factors, and social support were assessed.

Results: Sixty-six grandparents and 72 grandchildren participated in the study. The average age and HbA1Cs were 59.4 years and 6.2% ± 1.4 for grandparents and 11.8 years and 4.9% ± 0.6 for grandchildren. Most grandparents were found to have prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes. The number of people …

Psychosocial Well-Being And Efforts To Quit Smoking In Pregnant Women Of South-Central Appalachia, Brittney Stubbs, Valerie Hoots, Andrea D. Clements, Beth Bailey

ETSU Faculty Works

Introduction: Psychosocial well-being variables from the Tennessee Intervention for Pregnant Smokers (TIPS) study, a longitudinal smoking cessation study in South-Central Appalachia, were investigated as potential predictors of smoking status.

Methods: A sample of 1031 pregnant women participated in an expanded 5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) program, from 2008 to 2011. Measures of stress, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating collected by interview during the first trimester, or during the third trimester in a combined interview if participants began prenatal care late, were hypothesized to differ among three groups of participants: pregnant women who never smoked, pregnant women who smoked …

Deliberation And Dialogue In A Quiet Place, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This article recounts the story of the rise and fall of the public deliberation and sustained dialogue mission of the Nova Institute in the (now defunct) School of Applied Social Sciences of West Virginia University. The concept of political quiescence in Appalachia is used to characterize some of the resistance to public discussion that was encountered. The article appears in a volume of essays around the theme of university-community relations in Central Europe and published in Budapest, Hungary.

The Relationship Between Breastfeeding Practices And Postpartum Depressive Symptoms In Appalachian Women, Rose Stephens, Andrea D. Clements, Valerie M. Hoots, Beth A. Bailey

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Growing Economic Possibility In Appalachia: Stories Of Relocalization And Representation On Stinking Creek, Kathryn Engle

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

This project explores the agricultural heritage and current social landscape of the Stinking Creek community of Knox County, Kentucky, and the legacy of the local nonprofit organization the Lend-A-Hand Center. Through participatory research, this project presents a reflexive account of the Lend-A-Hand Center Grow Appalachia Gardening Program examining the diverse economy of the Stinking Creek watershed and possibilities for new economic imaginings and post-coal futures for central Appalachia. This dissertation includes an oral history project, a theoretical examination, and an ethnographic reflection, bridging several literatures in the fields of agricultural history, Appalachian Studies, Participatory Action Research, research within the diverse …

“I Wonder What You Think Of Me”: A Qualitative Approach To Examining Stereotype Awareness In Appalachian Students, Chelsea G. Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia …

Women And Healthcare In Appalachia: Impeding Circumstance And The Role Of Technology, Ashley Cano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, healthcare access and quality in central and southern Appalachia have trailed the rest of the country. Entrenched poverty and low educational attainment compound healthcare problems. This study examines the healthcare obstacles women encounter in southern and central Appalachia and analyzes how technology use, such as Internet searching and social media affect women’s healthcare decisions. Data were analyzed from four focus groups conducted with women from the region. Results indicate that seeing a physician or not did not influence women’s propensity to search the Internet for health-related information or to seek support through social media sites. Additionally, women reported …

Rural Reality: How Reality Television Portrayals Of Appalachian People Impact Their View Of Their Culture, Ivy Jude Elise Brashear

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Appalachian people have faced stereotyping of their culture and region in popular culture, news media, and art for generations. For more than 150 years, images of the region have been extracted by outside media makers and disseminated widely, solidifying the “hillbilly” stereotype in the national lexicon. This study focuses on such images in reality television shows about Appalachia, and seeks to determine whether or not those images, and the proliferation of them, has an impact on the ways in which Appalachian people understand and accept their own culture.

Marital Status And Religious Commitment Predict Prenatal Tobacco, Alcohol, And Illicit Substance Use In Southern Appalachia, Andrea D. Clements, Tifani R. Fletcher, Lana Mcgrady, Beth A. Bailey

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.