Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence And Determinants Of Perceived Stress Among Undergraduate Respiratory Therapy Students In Saudi Arabia, Abdulmajeed A. Baogbah, Ralph D. Zimmerman, Laryssa D. Frederick, Corinne M. Hathaway

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Stress is a common phenomenon among health sciences students, severely impacting students in different ways. Similar to other students, undergraduate Respiratory Therapy (RT) students are at a high risk of stress exposure that may harm their well-being. To enhance students’ well-being, it is essential to examine the prevalence and determinants of perceived stress among undergraduate RT students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the academic year (2023-2024) to explore the prevalence and determinants of perceived stress. Data was collected through an anonymous self-administered survey consisting of 46 questions, including demographics, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and sources of …

Navigating Homelessness And Housing Accessibility: An Ethnography Of Guests At Operation Nightwatch, Chase Kawika Patton

Dissertations and Theses

In 2025, over 7,000 individuals in Portland, Oregon experiencing unsheltered homelessness are without access to shelter or transitional housing. In this resource gap Operation Nightwatch (ON) provides material support for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the University District neighborhood of downtown Portland. This study focused on the experiences of chronically homeless guests of Nightwatch as they navigated homelessness and housing access. The study relied on semi-structured interviews with staff and guests and on-site participant observation to determine the availability of support to access housing in a system governed by Coordinated Access and the Housing First model. Primary research took place …

Attentional Blindness Of The Clinical Gaze, Lily Anderson-Chavarria

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

This article presents the case of Mr. C, a patient who received over 65 imaging tests without any pathology ever being found. The case is well-explained by a social science concept known as the clinical gaze, a socio-cognitive process of assigning pathological explanations to diseased bodies. This article provides some historical context for the concept and applies it to the case of Mr. C. When viewed through a social science lens, the excess imaging underwent by Mr. C transforms from something seemingly irrational to an almost inevitable outcome of the modern medical diagnostic process.

Feasibility, Acceptability And Implementation Of A Whole-Family Mental Health Intervention For Displaced Adolescent Girls In Colombia: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Ilana Seff, Arturo Harker Roa, Byron Powell, Natalia Cordoba, Carolina Rodriguez, Julianne Deitch, Elvia Tamaity Ariza Pena, Feven Gebrekidan, Lindsay Stark

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Adolescent girls affected by displacement face substantial mental-health risks. The Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) is a 12-week, gender-transformative, family-based program designed to improve adolescent girls' mental health in humanitarian settings. This mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed SSAGE's feasibility, acceptability and potential effects among 186 Venezuelan migrant and Colombian returnee families in Colombia. Adolescent girls aged 13-19 years, their male siblings and caregivers participated in parallel sessions on gender dynamics, communication and relationships. Implementation outcomes drew on the Mental Health Implementation Science Tools (acceptability and feasibility subscales), attendance records and qualitative interviews. Analyses followed an …

Navigating (M)Otherhood: Perception, Practice, & Policy Of Adolescent Pregnancy In The North Coast Of Perú, Mahir Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“It’s a vicious circle”, the obstetricians of Huanchaco repeated time and time again after discussing a recently pregnant 13-year-old girl who had just moved to the North Coast of Perú. Adolescent pregnancy is an extremely stigmatized topic in global maternal and child health discourse. Pregnant adolescents are subject to educational policy, clinical protocol, and community practice. While global scholarship emphasizes adolescent pregnancy prevention, limited scholarship focuses on the conditions in which adolescent pregnancy is perceived, discussed, and managed. More importantly, these perspectives are even less documented amongst the North Coast of Perú.

This thesis serves as an ethnographic exploration of …

Patient Experiences With Provision Of Telehealth Addiction Treatment Services, Kaleigh Spollen, Shane Nieves, Mph, Gregory Jaffe, Md, Msed, Vanessa Short, Phd, Mph

Phase 1

Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a nationwide public health crisis, and deaths from opioids have risen significantly since 1999. In recent years, telehealth has emerged as a novel modality for SUD treatment. This study aims to evaluate patient experiences with a telehealth program for SUD, identifying barriers and facilitators to participation in the program, as well as opportunities for program improvement.

Methods: This qualitative study comprises an online survey and semi-structured interview. Individuals 18 years of age or older who have attended at least one session of Jefferson’s telemedicine program for SUD treatment were enrolled in the …

Experiences Of Care-Seeking Parents With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In India, Yash Navnit Patel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 18 million individuals in India, yet the factors influencing parental care-seeking behavior were not well understood. Guided by the health belief model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how parents’ perceived severity of a child’s symptoms, parental beliefs about the causes of autism, and perceived mental and physical health outcomes of caregiving influence parents’ intention to seek services for children aged 1–10 years diagnosed with ASD in India. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 10 mothers of autistic children. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. …

A Dental Clinical Humanities Program At Uthealth Houston School Of Dentistry: The First Ten Years And Future Directions, Angela P. Gomez Edd, Mba, Ms, Deborah R. Franklin Dds, Lpc, Ctts, Nathan Carlin Phd, Joelle Robertson-Preidler Phd, Hec-C

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Dental Clinical Humanities Certificate Program was implemented 10 years ago at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry to expose dental students to dental humanities content and engage them in educational experiences exploring oral health care through humanities lenses, providing insight into the human condition and patient-centered approaches. With more than 30 students having graduated from the program, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the exit surveys previously distributed at the end of each academic year. The exit survey focused on their general program feedback, including the effects of dental humanities as an academic enterprise, cultivating their self-knowledge and serving …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2a

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care. The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Recommended Best Practices For Construct-Centered Adaptation Of The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol, Emily M. Briceño, Darina T. Bassil, Pranali Khobragade, Anthony Ngugi, Martine El Bejjani, Eric Ochieng, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Salima Douhou, Kazione Kulisewa

School of Medicine Publications

Objectives: The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) neuropsychological assessment approach aims to support the collection of harmonizable data on cognitive function for cross-national cognitive aging and dementia research. As the measurement of cognition is sensitive to differences in contextual, cultural, educational, linguistic, social, and other factors that may influence cognitive test performance, HCAP requires adaptation to be appropriate for the contexts in which it is administered. We aim to provide methodological recommendations for the adaptation and implementation of the HCAP and other cognitive data collection tools in novel settings.

Methods: We drew from existing guidelines on cross-cultural psychological test adaptation …

Identifying Priority Research Questions For Decentralized Wastewater, Bryan W Brooks, Timothy Callahan, Jacob K Stanley, Jamie Holodak, Kevin M Stroski, Alissa H Cox, Thomas W Groves, Anish Jantrania, Jeff C Moeller, Kris Neset, Christopher Walker, Harry Zhang, Amal Bakchan, Kelly D Alley, Jim Bell, Allison Blodig, Eric Casey, Donna Cosper, Victor D'Amato, Mark A Elliott, Greg Graves, Roxanne Groover, Robert Himschoot, Mary G Lusk, Jillian Maxcy-Brown, David Meints, Rojelio Mejia, Matt Pace, Benjamin J Ryan, Brian Scheffe, Tom Schimelfenig, June E Wolfe, Sara F Heger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse represent critical infrastructure across the rural-periurban-urban continuum around the world. Effective, efficient, resilient, and equitable implementation of on-premise technologies and management systems is part of a One Water approach and necessary to protect public health and the environment, yet inconsistent delivery of essential public health services persists in many regions, including across states, tribes, and territories of the United States. We initiated a groundbreaking effort to understand challenges and to identify research opportunities related to the science and practice of decentralized wastewater. A horizon scanning exercise using a bottom up and transparent key questions approach …

Evaluating Acupuncture As An Adjunct To Standard Ulcerative Colitis Therapy, Mia A. Ciotti

Scripps Senior Theses

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by recurring cycles of flare and remission that significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Standard allopathic treatment for UC centers on mesalamine, a 5-aminosalicylic acid drug that acts locally on the colon to reduce inflammation, but does not cure the disease entirely. Acupuncture, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been proposed as an adjunct therapy for inflammatory conditions, yet its biomedical efficacy remains uncertain due to methodological limitations and insufficient controls of prior studies.

This study proposes a randomized, participant and assessor blinded clinical trial evaluating mesalamine, true acupuncture, sham …

Qualitative Exploration Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Healthcare Workers In Sierra Leone: Do The ‘Trusted Messengers’ Trust The Vaccine?, Ifeolu David, Enid Schatz, Wilson Majee

Population Health Leadership and Analytics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction

Vaccine hesitancy is a global issue, and the important role of healthcare workers in addressing vaccine hesitancy is well documented. However, there is limited theory-guided research on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations among healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone and assessed the relevance of the 5C model—which posits that vaccine uptake is shaped by confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility—in explaining their vaccination attitudes, intentions and behaviours.

Methods

24 indepth interviews were conducted in 2022 with healthcare workers in Freetown, Makeni and Kenema. The …

"It's A Dance": Examining Midwives As Choreographers Of Reproduction In Maine, Annie Goldstein

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the contemporary work of community-based Maine midwives through the theoretical framework of choreography. In the context of this work, choreography can be understood as the well-thought-out, purposeful undertaking of a process during which negotiation, coordination, and improvisation are required to adapt to constantly changing circumstances. Using choreography, this thesis attempts to understand how Maine midwives navigate global market processes and practice under authoritative forms of biomedicine, ultimately linking them to other midwives across various global sites. Situated within Maine’s maternal health landscape that is characterized by the ongoing closure of labor and delivery units and rural hospitals, …

“Why Can’T I Do My Homework Without Crying?” Neurodivergence And The Gendered Expectations Of Functioning, Alia Wang

Pitzer Senior Theses

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to examine the experiences of neurodivergent women and gender-diverse individuals regarding productivity. Neurodivergence is often understood in biological and medical terms; far less attention has been given to how neurodivergent individuals experience and navigate everyday life. Meanwhile, productivity is often framed as a neutral measure of efficiency, but in practice, it is shaped by social norms that shape particular ways of thinking, working, and behaving.

Particularly for women and gender diverse people, these expectations are compounded not only by cognitive differences but also by gendered norms around behavior. This creates a mismatch …

Le Parcours Des Travailleurs Immigrants Blessés Et Son Incidence Sur L’Alliance Thérapeutique : Une Étude De Cas Longitudinale En Contexte De Réadaptation Au Travail Au Québec, Maude Arsenault, Jessica Dubé, Daniel Côté

Études primaires

Cette étude explore l’incidence du parcours prélésionnel des travailleuses et travailleurs immigrants (TI) blessés sur l’alliance thérapeutique (AT) en réadaptation au travail. À partir d’une ethnographie longitudinale menée dans une clinique québécoise, sept trajectoires ont été analysées selon leurs dimensions migratoires, socioprofessionnelles et linguistiques. Les résultats montrent que le déclassement professionnel, la précarité de l’emploi, les barrières linguistiques et les expériences de racisme fragilisent la construction du lien de confiance et la définition partagée des objectifs de retour au travail. Lorsque l’emploi prélésionnel est perçu comme transitoire ou inadéquat, l’obligation institutionnelle d’y retourner crée une rupture symbolique qui entre en …

Between Tradition And Transition: Cultural Negotiations And Contraceptive Perceptions Among Ghanaian Students In The United States, Beatrice Amissah

Theses and Dissertations

As global mobility continues to rise, international students often encounter new cultural norms and health practices that differ from those in their home countries. While some studies have focused on contraception within the context of gender and types, less focus has been placed on diasporic populations, especially how students navigate tensions surrounding contraception within new cultural environments. This study explores how Ghanaian students in the United States interpret, negotiate, and respond to contraceptive messaging while navigating the cultural transition between their heritage and host societies. Drawing on Berry’s (1980)  Acculturation Theory, the study examines the tensions students experience, the strategies …

“Treatment Not Tents:" The Medicalization Of Homelessness In California’S 2022-2025 Legislative Agenda, Elana R. Straus

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Modern homelessness emerged in the 1980s due to political choices that cut the social safety net and decreased the availability of affordable housing. Medicalized views of homelessness that frame homelessness as driven by individual pathology, particularly mental illness and addiction, emerged in research, media, and politics at this time. Homelessness has persisted since and remains particularly high in regions, including California, where the housing markets are most constrained. In this context, California advanced multiple legislative changes between 2022 and 2025 that increased pathways to involuntary treatment and criminal-legal control over people experiencing homelessness. In this thesis, I demonstrate how legislators …

Non-Invasive Detection Of Intracranial Pressure, Andrei V. Nesterenko

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Intracranial pressure is a critical metric used when managing tumors, strokes, TBIs, hydrocephalus, and other operative conditions. Traditional methods for continuous ICP monitoring, intraparenchymal catheters, epidural transducers etc., are invasive and carry a high risk of infection. Previous attempts to create accurate, easy to use, and non-invasive ICP monitoring techniques have been unsuccessful. In this study, we investigated the utility of supraorbital and posterior auricular photoplethysmography to monitor changes in ICP during orthostatic tilt and hyperventilation, which increase and decrease ICP respectively.

Through a continuous 5-minute recording on a tilt-table we characterized SOA and PAA waveforms in 12 participants (ages …

Maesa Ramentacea Leaf Extract Protects Against Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity In Wistar Rats By Modulating Renal Oxidative Stress, Inflammation And Apoptosis, Fahmida Akter, Md Shafiqul Islam Sovon, Baizid Hossain, Md Ariful Islam, Subrato Das, Anik Biswas, Md Sohorab Uddin, Md Mahmudul Hasan

Faculty Publications

Background: Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity continues to be a significant clinical concern, while effective and safe protective options remain limited. The nephroprotective potential of Maesa ramentacea has not yet been explored. To address this gap, the present study investigated the ethanolic leaf extract of M. ramentacea (MR-LEE) for its effects on gentamicin-induced kidney injury in Wistar rats. Methods: GC-MS profiling was employed to identify bioactive metabolites. Rats were categorised into five groups: control, gentamicin (100 mg/kg), gentamicin combined with silymarin (100 mg/kg), gentamicin combined with MR-LEE (200 mg/kg) and gentamicin combined with MR-LEE (400 mg/kg). Renal biomarkers, oxidative stress indicators, inflammatory and …

Developing An Educational Session And Epic-Based Tools To Help Nurses Provide Culturally Sensitive Care To Their Muslim Patients, Laila Albutmeh

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in the world and the chances of nurses having a Muslim patient is exceptionally high yet many nurses lack the knowledge and resources on how to accurately provide culturally sensitive care to Muslim patients. Hospitals lack educational sessions/training as well as Epic tools to help nurses provide culturally sensitive care to Muslim patients which leads to a knowledge deficit in cultural sensitivity of Islamic beliefs, values, and practices. Purpose: This thesis paper proposes a research design for a nurse education/training program on Islamic beliefs, values, and practices along with an implementation of …

The Connection Between Medicaid And Obesity In Northeast Ohio, Emmie Kelley, Sophie Kheder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States that is projected to increase exponentially over the next few years. Obesity is commonly associated with a lower socioeconomic status. Lower-income individuals tend to be supported by Medicaid, a federal insurance program for low-income Americans. Prior studies have shown a positive correlation between income status and obesity prevalence. Our goal was to find if there was a correlation between Medicaid patients and obesity in Northeast Ohio, to provide physicians with a set of characteristics to better combat obesity, since preventative and treatment guidelines are tailored to national trends. We …

Perceptions Of Managerial Roles In Physician Leadership Among First- And Final-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Mintzberg’S Framework, Sari Huikko-Tarvainen, Timo Tuovinen, Petri Kulmala

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This study investigated how medical students – as future physicians – perceive the relevance of Mintzberg’s ten managerial roles to physician leadership, and whether these perceptions change throughout medical education.

Method: In 2021, all first‑year (n = 116/116) and 98% of final‑year (n = 107/109) students at the University of Oulu, Finland completed a web‑based survey rating Mintzberg’s ten managerial roles in fulfilling physician leaders’ leadership work on a 5‑point Likert scale. Item reliability and internal consistency were examined with Cronbach’s α. Because Likert data are ordinal, medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated, and group differences were tested …

Morphological Variation Of The Clavicular Rhomboid Fossa: Bilateral Asymmetry, Sexual Dimorphism, And Environmental Influences, Michaela Tucker, Skylar Hall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Morphological variation on the clavicle, specifically the rhomboid fossa, may be impacted by age, sex, laterality, and mechanical stress. Occupational stress and loading conditions lead to bone remodeling and adaptation to change, altering the costoclavicular ligament site. A sample of 94 bilateral clavicles from individuals ages 16-40 years was analyzed using computer tomography (CT) and 3-dimensional reconstruction. Clavicles were categorized into five groups: flat, smooth, elevated, depressed, and pitted. Chi-squared analyses were used to test associations between morphology and age, side, and history of strenuous lifting. Significant differences were observed between class and sex for the leftsided clavicle group. Female …

Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants And Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems: Integrated Strategies For Bone Loss Treatment With Cytocompatibility Evaluation, Lucas José Martinho Bizuti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis intends to investigate the development of different multimodal therapeutic strategies for combating bone loss. Most specifically, this paper will emphasize the utilization of Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants (MMNC) and Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems as options for future treatment focus. The effects of biodegradable magnesium implants were evaluated for cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility via Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson’s Trichrome staining, as well as radiological images. The Nanobubble-Based Delivery System is being developed and optimized as a delivery system to target osteoclast activity. This paper focused on optimizing experimental parameters, which include Rotational speeds for nanobubble stimulation under microgravity conditions …

Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Are Associated With Less Later-Life Cognitive Decline In A Longitudinal, Prospective Cohort, Molly M Fox, Jennifer E Bramen, Dayoon Kwon, Mark A Espeland, Yijia Sun, Li Zhang, Aladdin H Shadyab, Ramon Casanova, Joann E Manson, Marcus Y Chang, Verna R Porter, Leslie V Farland, Qian Xiao, Robert A Wild, Prabha Siddarth, Carolyn J Crandall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The brains of female mammals evolved to undergo structural and functional changes during pregnancy and lactation, equipping them for motherhood. However, long-term cognitive health implications of these adaptations in women are poorly understood.

Methods: In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study (WHIMS; n = 7427) and WHI Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA; n = 2304), postmenopausal women completed reproductive history interviews, annual global cognitive assessment from mean age 70 for up to 13 years, and multi-domain cognitive testing for up to 8 years.

Results: Each additional month pregnant was associated with higher scores of global cognition. Each additional …

Surgical Interventions For Treating Vesicovaginal Fistula In Women, Yoshiyuki Okada, Tomomi Matsushita, Takeshi Hasegawa, Hisashi Noma, Erika Ota, Bob Achila, Yasukuni Yoshimura

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objectives This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:

To assess the benefits and harms of surgical interventions for treating vesicovaginal fistula in women.

Open Wide: Examining Dental Narratives In The Age Of Tiktok, Steve Jacob

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Over the past few years, TikTok has emerged as a major conduit for health-related information through its wide array of short, emotionally charged videos that shape public perceptions. Within that broader category, this thesis evaluated dental-related content. Studies have investigated educational dental-related content on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook; however, no literature has explored how TikTok’s unique, narrative-driven content characterizes dentistry. For this study, primary research was conducted via content analysis of recently uploaded dental-related TikTok videos across 10 popular oral health-based hashtags. Results underline the dominance of patient voices, the use of personal experience as a messaging format, …

Aadej Comm 12 1 2026

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official publication of the American Association of Dental Editors & Journalists (AADEJ), promoting awareness of the association’s activities and offering valuable insights for dental editors and journalists to enhance their publications. It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association’s website at aadej.org, with archives on ADA Commons. Regular contributions from the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Director, President, and Associate Editor cover various topics.

This issue provides practical strategies for journal growth, such as building sustainable author pipelines and using digital analytics to increase content reach. Features include articles addressing ethical, …

Counselors' Lived Experiences Of Moral Injury: A Social Ecological Perspective, Lisa M. Belknap

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the lived experiences of counselors who encountered moral injury when sociopolitical, institutional, and organizational conditions constrained their ability to practice in alignment with their personal morals, professional values, and the counseling profession’s code of ethics. Participants (N = 15) included licensed counselors who self-identified as having experienced moral injury in response to directives from legitimate authorities that conflicted with professional ethics, social justice commitments, or client welfare. Grounded in social ecological systems theory, this phenomenological study employed a confidential, cross-sectional online survey. Reflexive thematic analysis identified seven themes: (a) Profit Over People, (b) Structural Forces Contributing to …