Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Binge Eating, Kristen Krogh

Psychology Capstone Projects

Childhood sexual abuse is the subject of many studies and analyses. Eating disorders, specifically bulimia nervosa, are also frequently studied to help clinicians gain an understanding of how they develop and the risk factors that make a person more susceptible than their peers. However, binge-eating disorder and its relationship to childhood sexual abuse is not as commonly researched. This paper seeks to investigate the literature available on the overlap between the two topics, childhood sexual abuse and binge-eating disorder. Then articles examining the relationship between the two will be identified and reviewed to determine the state of the literature. Finally, …

The Ins And Outs Of Undergraduate Research And Leadership: A Student's Perspective, Regina F. Hockert

Kinesiology and Public Health

This manuscript is a reflective write-up of Regina Hockert’s experience in completing KINE 462, Honors Kinesiology Senior Project, during the 2022 Fall Quarter. It describes their experience as an undergraduate research leader, including specific milestones and artifacts related to a broader replication study and the daily activities of Dr. Jafrā Thomas’ lab. This essay was designed to be a written reflection around their senior project presentation and the insights shared through that medium about the senior project experience. It is created to showcase lessons learned in relationship with the tasks and responsibilities required of working in-depth on student-led research. …

Neurocognitive And Momentary Assessment Of Fear-Based Mechanisms Underlying The Transition From Partial To Full Remission In Anorexia Nervosa., Caroline Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness, with high mortality, chronicity, and societal costs. Many individuals with AN that are weight restored do not to fully remit from cognitive-affective symptoms (e.g., fear of weight gain) maintaining the disorder, contributing to the poor outcomes. This critical stage of AN is called partial remission. AN is characterized by high levels of fear and avoidance, which may prevent full remission; however, the role of fear-based mechanisms (i.e., fear approach; avoidance) in partially-remitted AN remains untested. Methods. In the current study (N = 55 partially-remitted AN), participants completed two behavioral paradigms …

Executive Functioning In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes : Associations With Hba1c, Glycemic Variability, And Household Income, Victoria Louise Ledsham

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been repeatedly linked to executive functioning (EF) deficits in children and adolescents but the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. Chronic hyperglycemia — frequently measured as glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels — and increased glycemic variability have both been proposed as risk factors for EF difficulties in this population, but it is unclear whether they each uniquely reflect T1DM-related risk for EF deficits. Furthermore, few studies have considered interactions between glycemic factors and family-level risk factors in shaping children’s EF development. Particularly, household income may exacerbate risk associations between HbA1c or glycemic variability …

Good Faith: Surveillance And Evaluation Of 911 Good Samaritan Laws In The United States, Shane W. Reader

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

To fight soaring overdose mortality rates in the United States, lawmakers adopted a variety of harm reduction tools. Among these, 911 Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs) derive their name from the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, a bystander who broke cultural convention to come to the aid of a man beset by thieves. These laws provide limited criminal immunity for bystanders in possession of controlled substances to encourage them to report drug overdoses. While previous studies associate GSLs with a modest reduction in opioid mortality, analyses often model them as equivocal or divide them coarsely across individual provisions. Evaluating these …

Developing A Lifestyle Intervention Program For Overweight Or Obese Preconception, Pregnant And Postpartum Women Using Qualitative Methods, Chee Wai Ku, Shu Hui Leow, Lay See Ong, Christina Erwin, Isabella Ong, Xiang Wen Ng, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Fabian Yap, Jerry K. Y. Chan, See Ling Loy

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The time period before, during and after pregnancy represents a unique opportunity for interventions to cultivate sustained healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve the metabolic health of mothers and their offspring. However, the success of a lifestyle intervention is dependent on uptake and continued compliance. To identify enablers and barriers towards engagement with a lifestyle intervention, thematic analysis of 15 in-depth interviews with overweight or obese women in the preconception, pregnancy or postpartum periods was undertaken, using the integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework as a guide to systematically chart factors influencing adoption of a novel lifestyle intervention. …

Comparing Forgetting Rates Between Pattern Separation And Item Recognition, Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recent theories of forgetting posit that hippocampally-based memory representations are more prone to be forgotten due to decay, while extra-hippocampal representations are more likely to be forgotten due to interference (Hardt, Nader, & Nadel, 2013; Sadeh & Pertzov, 2020). The current study examined this hypothesis by comparing the rate of forgetting between pattern separation, a hippocampally-based process, and item recognition, a process that is reliant on both hippocampal and extra-hippocampal structures. It was hypothesized that pattern separation would display more forgetting due to decay because it is a hippocampally-based process, while item recognition would display more forgetting due to interference …

Lifestyle Choices Related To Food Consumption And Their Relationship To Depression, Steven L. Jennings Jr.

Dissertations

Dieting, or the act of restricting oneself to small amounts or particular kinds of foods on the basis of health, spirituality, lifestyle, and moral decisions, is a practice that dates to 1066 A.D. However, with social media being as influential as it is, one might believe dieting is a new obsession or at least an obsession to which popular culture is returning. Despite this, it is only in recent years that researchers have begun to focus on the health benefits of such behaviors. The present study was designed to take this focus a step further by exploring the potential risks …

Food Waste, Preference, And Cost: Perceived Barriers And Self-Reported Food Service Best Practices In Family Child Care Homes, Divya Patel, Daisy Butzer, Bethany D. Williams, Dipti Dev, Diane Horm, Denise Finneran, Bryce Lowery, Janis E. Campbell, Susan B. Sisson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Family Child Care Homes (FCCHs) are a setting where providers care for children at their own residence. FCCHs face unique challenges, and children may not always receive optimal nutrition and have higher risk of obesity compared to other programs. The objective of this study was to determine differences in food service best practices scores between FCCHs who did/did not perceive barriers to serving healthy meals. Methods: FCCHs (n = 167) self-reported demographics and perceived barriers to serving healthy foods. Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care was used to assess food served with 1 (indicating poor practice) …

Utilization Of Positive Youth Development Framework By Youth-Facing Organizations In Baltimore City, Selvi Rajagopal, Kaitlyn Harper, Katherine Holzhauer, Tina Kumra

Journal of Youth Development

Positive youth development (PYD) is a strengths-based approach to youth programming which has been tested with success in largely higher income settings with mostly White youth. This study aims to identify the extent to which organizations who work in an urban context serving predominately African American youth incorporate PYD principles into their work. Organizations located in Baltimore, Maryland working with youth ages 14–24 were recruited for participation. In-depth interviews were conducted with organization leaders in this qualitative study. Thematic analysis using a deductive approach identified common themes and activities across organizations that aligned with PYD elements. All 17 youth-facing organizations …

Pupil Voice Groups: The Impact On Schools And Students, Eric Rubenstein, James D. Scott, Jason Peake

Journal of Youth Development

Over 30 years ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child passed legislation allowing children under the age of 18 to express their concerns in circumstances and decisions that affect them. Because one impact on children under the age of 18 is the educational system, Scotland education has integrated opportunities for students to be involved in the educational process. Pupil voice groups are one of the techniques that have been implemented in Scotland and throughout Europe. These groups allow students to have a voice in their education that may impact development. Researchers sought to identify the impacts …

Family Diabetes Camp Amidst Covid-19: A Community Of Practice Model, Eddie Hill, Rowan Halle Bernard Williams, Justin A. Haegele, Ron Ramsing, Bethany Arrington, Laura Hill

Journal of Youth Development

Studies have found that youth are experiencing higher anxiety levels than prior to COVID-19, and youth with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk. Medical specialty camps are a type of camp that provide opportunities for youth with chronic illnesses to share common goals, increase socialization, improve camper well-being, and increase knowledge of diabetes management. The program evaluation sought to determine the impact of a campers’ outcomes of independence and perceived competence and familial impact during COVID-19. Over half the participants were at their first diabetes camp and 71% of the campers felt their perceived competence “increased a little bit” …

Supporting Teens’ Professional Identities And Engagement In Mindfulness Practices Through Teens-As-Teachers Programming, Anne Marie Iaccopucci

Journal of Youth Development

This study was situated in the context of the University of California 4-H Positive Youth Development Program. A convenience sample of teen teachers (N = 11) represents variation in age (11–17), gender, ethnicity, and geographic location. All teens delivered the 4-H Mindful Me curriculum from the University of California 4-H Program. Qualitative analysis provides evidence of positive developmental outcomes that support teen teachers’ personal professional identity and engagement in mindfulness. Teens described how involvement in the teens-as-teachers program provided the context in which they could explore their personal professional identity, build on self-efficacy as an instructor, and develop an improved …

Call The Doctor! A Study Of Parental Medical Nonadherence Within Child Custody Proceedings, Karissa Lynn Cummons

Theses and Dissertations

Medical nonadherence is a common and formidable problem that many pediatric healthcare providers face when treating children with acute and chronic medical conditions because adhering to a physicians’ treatment recommendations is beneficial for successful treatment, disease prevention, and healthy promotion (Dawood et al., 2010). It was estimated that at least one third of patients are unable to complete or adhere to relatively short treatment regimens (Dawood et al., 2010). Reasons for nonadherence to a physicians’ recommendations range from extended duration of treatment, multiple prescribed medications, and periods of symptom remission (Dawood et al., 2010). Despite a parent’s or family’s reason …

Minimizing Lapses For Weight Control: The Effects Of Cue Exposure And Response Prevention Combined With Distress Tolerance, Meredith Ayers Holland

Dissertations

The current study sought to replicate and extend research into cue exposure and response prevention. Extensions included the addition of a distress tolerance psychoeducation component, delivery of the intervention using videoconferencing technology, and having male and female participants. Daily self-report data was collected using a signal contingent ecological momentary assessment procedure, wherein participants responded to scheduled text messages that went out four times a day. During each exposure session participants responded to questions related to how strong their desire to eat the food was, to their conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus expectancies (CS-US expectancies), and how able they were to tolerate their …

Together, Our Voices Will Strengthen The Weaving: Using Autoethnography And Narrative Inquiry To Indigenize Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Devon S. Isaacs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Native American students in higher education are often asked to find a sense of belonging in places and spaces that do not reflect their cultures or worldviews. This can lead to isolation and a feeling of having to choose between themselves and their identities as Indigenous peoples. This contributes to poorer mental health, loss of well-being, and decreased academic success. The purpose of this study was to ask seven Native American participants how they defined sense of belonging from their own worldviews. Participants were also asked about spaces and places in higher education that helped or did not help them …

Support-Seeking By Cancer Caregivers Living In Rural Australia, Elizabeth A. Johnston, Belinda C. Goodwin, Larry Myers, Sonja March, Joanne F. Aitken, Suzanne K. Chambers, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Rural cancer caregivers report poor wellbeing and high unmet needs for support. This study investigates sources of support sought by cancer caregivers living in rural Australia, and factors associated with support-seeking. Methods: Informal caregivers of people with cancer completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, caregiver factors and support-seeking. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression were used to identify common sources of support and factors associated with support-seeking. Alluvial and radar plots were used to identify and describe support-seeking profiles. Findings: Of 244 rural caregivers, 64 % reported seeking support for themselves, 72 % for the cancer patient, and …

Proposed Alternatives To Decrease Private Tutoring In Egyptian Pre-University Education, Fatemah Abdel-Razek

Future Journal of Social Science

Private tutoring continues to exist in Egypt, even though it has been officially banned by the 2016 ministerial decree No. 53 and the 2018 ministerial decree No. 714. The current research reviews the relevant literature, provides a background on private tutoring, analyzes the current policy for dealing with private tutoring in Egypt, and it proposes three policy alternatives for decreasing private tutoring in Egyptian pre-university education. These alternatives are turning most educational curricula into educational games, lengthening the school day, and returning extra-curricular activities to Egyptian schools. These policy options are evaluated based on the criteria of equity and fairness, …

Maintaining Social And Emotional Wellbeing Among Older Adults During Periods Of Increased Social Isolation: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brigitta Scarfe, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Daniel Mcaullay, Moira Sim, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Older adults are vulnerable to isolation and poor emotional wellbeing during COVID-19, however, their access to appropriate supports is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ experiences accessing social and emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Method: Ten older adults from Western Australia (Australia) aged 68 to 78 years participated in individual semi-structured interviews between December 2020 and January 2021. Responses were investigated using thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes emerged: adaptability and self-sufficiency; informal support-seeking; and digital and online technologies. Older adults were adaptable to COVID-19 restrictions; however, some were anxious about …

Children’S Views On Playtime In Schools: A Systematic Literature Review, Thomas Clements, Emma L. Harding Dr

International Journal of Playwork Practice

Background and aim(s)

Playtime in schools has been shown to have wide-ranging benefits to children and young people. However, opportunities for playtime in schools have declined over time. It is important children’s voices are heard on matters that are important to them, yet playtime is often driven by adult policy. The aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to explore children’s views on playtime to further our understanding of what is important to them, and what affects their access to playtime.

Methodology

This SLR employed thematic synthesis to aggregate the views of children on playtime. This review includes 8 …

Female Adolescent Athletes’ Experiences Of Body Dissatisfaction Across Individual And Team Sports, Alicia Deogracias-Schleich, Lindsey C. Blom, Kayla E. Myers, Stefania Aegisdottir Ph.D., Ashley Coker-Cranney, Allison Blake, J.C. Ausmus, Miata Walker

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

There is an abundance of research explaining the physical and psychological benefits of sport and exercise. Some research suggests sport and exercise may act as a protective factor against body dissatisfaction for adolescent females (Fernández-Bustos et al., 2019; Soulliard et al. 2019). However, it is unclear if adolescent females’ experiences in specific sport settings contribute to perceptions about their bodies. Therefore, this study investigated body perception and its sociocultural influences in adolescent females in team sports versus adolescent females in individual sports. Three focus groups of team sport athletes and two focus groups of individual sport athletes, ages 14-16 years, …

Circadian Misalignment And Childhood Obesity: An Unexplored Target For Intervention And Treatment, Mason Pilling

Student Works

Childhood obesity is a pandemic affecting almost 40 million individuals aged 5-18 globally. Many current interventions are relatively successful at treating childhood obesity, yet the rate of childhood obesity continues to increase from year to year, and current intervention methods are struggling to keep up. Mounting evidence suggests that sleep may be a crucial mechanism for understanding and treating obesity, yet sleep still remains a relatively unexplored target for intervention. Circadian misalignment, a measure of the difference between the body’s preferred sleep timing and actual bed and wake times, has been almost completely ignored in the literature, despite preliminary findings …

To Feed Or Let Eat! A Scale Of Independence, Exploration, And Family To Measure Baby‐Led Weaning As A Complementary Feeding Approach, Emma Studer-Perez, Dara Musher-Eizenman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

This article reports the development and validation of a measure of parents' use of baby-led weaning (BLW). BLW is a child-centred approach to complementary feeding where the infant is allowed to eat whole foods (rather than purees) and explore a variety of foods and textures. To date, parents' use of BLW has been assessed using either single items or a wide variety of measures.

Method

In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on independent samples supported three BLW subscales: independence, exploration, and family.

Results

The final 13-item scale showed adequate fit statistics and good reliability (χ2(62) = 115.02, …

Impact Of Adolescent Social Isolation On Adult, Binge-Like Ethanol Consumption And Plasma Corticosterone In High-Alcohol-Preferring Mice, Eva Cullins

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Adolescent stress exposure increases the likelihood of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adulthood; however, it is not clear how genetic and environmental factors interact to increase risk. This study examined how adolescent social isolation affects adult binge-like ethanol drinking and levels of the stress hormone corticosterone in male and female mice with a genetic predisposition toward high alcohol preference (HAP). Twenty-eight HAP mice were separated into group-housed (GH) and socially isolated (SI) conditions (n = 13, 13). Binge drinking was assessed using a drinking in the dark (DID) procedure. Blood samples were taken before DID and after …

Effectiveness Of A Health Coaching Intervention For Patient-Family Dyads To Improve Outcomes Among Adults With Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Ann Marie Rosland, John D. Piette, Ranak Trivedi, Aaron Lee, Shelley Stoll, Ada O. Youk, D. Scott Obrosky, Denise Deverts, Eve A. Kerr, Michele Heisler

Faculty and Student Publications

Importance: More than 75% of US adults with diabetes do not meet treatment goals. More effective support from family and friends ("supporters") may improve diabetes management and outcomes. Objective: To determine if the Caring Others Increasing Engagement in Patient Aligned Care Teams (CO-IMPACT) intervention improves patient activation, diabetes management, and outcomes compared with standard care. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted from November 2016 to August 2019 among participants recruited from 2 Veterans Health Administration primary care sites. All patient participants were adults aged 30 to 70 years with diabetes who had hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels …

Terminal Field Volume Of The Glossopharyngeal Nerve In Adult Rats Reverts To Prepruning Size Following Microglia Depletion With Plx5622, Andrew J. Riquier, Suzanne I. Sollars

Psychology Faculty Publications

Programmed reduction of synapses is a hallmark of the developing brain, with sensory systems emerging as useful models with which to study this pruning. The central projections (terminal field) of the gustatory glossopharyngeal nerve (GL) of the rat are a prime example of developmental pruning, undergoing an approximate 66% reduction in volume from postnatal day 15 (P15) to P25. Later in adulthood, developmental GL pruning can be experimentally reversed, expanding to preweaning volumes, suggesting mature volumes may be actively maintained throughout the life span. Microglia are central nervous system glia cells that perform pruning and maintenance functions in other sensory …

Stress And Eating Behaviors, Britney J. Donovan, Alexander T. Jackson, James P. Loveless, Andrea C. Meggison

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

Studies pertaining to obesity, stress, and their impact on organizations are plentiful. Further, there is an abundance of research surrounding stress at work and eating behaviors. However, studies regarding work stress and fasting are absent. Because of this, our study aims to examine the relationship between stress, fasting behaviors, and interoception. Interoception is the perception of physical (body) sensations, such as hunger. We argue that interoceptive awareness will mediate the positive relationships between stress and fasting behavior. We argue that stress fasting behaviors are likely to occur during periods of high stress, such as balancing work and midterm exams. Therefore, …

Impact Of Stress And Decision Fatigue On Parenting Practices Related To Food And Physical Activity During Covid‐19, Harrison D. Angoff, Lauren A. Dial, Aniko V. Varga, Sneha Kamath, Dara Musher-Eizenman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial disruptions to daily functioning and lifestyle behaviours, with negative health consequences for youth. Parents play a large role in their children's health behaviour; yet changes to parenting behaviours during the pandemic related to food and physical activity remain relatively unexplored. The present study is the first to our knowledge to examine specific changes in American parents' parenting behaviours related to food and physical activity during COVID-19, and potential correlates of such changes, including perceived stress and decision fatigue.

Methods

A total of 140 parents (88.57% female; 88.41% White; 87.59% married; with one …

Molecular Pathways Of Major Depressive Disorder Converge On The Synapse, Gabriel R Fries, Valeria A Saldana, Johannes Finnstein, Theo Rein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disease of still poorly understood molecular etiology. Extensive studies at different molecular levels point to a high complexity of numerous interrelated pathways as the underpinnings of depression. Major systems under consideration include monoamines, stress, neurotrophins and neurogenesis, excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunction, (epi)genetics, inflammation, the opioid system, myelination, and the gut-brain axis, among others. This review aims at illustrating how these multiple signaling pathways and systems may interact to provide a more comprehensive view of MDD's neurobiology. In particular, considering the pattern of synaptic activity as the closest physical representation of mood, …

Challenges, Opportunities, And Adaptations Of A College Preparatory 4-H Youth Development Program During Covid-19, Emily M. Davis, Ann Sansing, Jasmine Harris-Speight, Mary Nelson Robertson, David Buys

Journal of Youth Development

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has proliferated across the United States, and in the process, it has disrupted all sense of normalcy. Because adolescents are in a critical period for growth and development, youth are particularly susceptible to negative impacts of disruption from COVID-19. Therefore, sustaining youth development programs is essential to ensuring positive youth development occurs despite significant challenges. Unfortunately, the implementation of programs that maintain safety precautions can be challenging. Many programs have been forced to either cancel all activities or to transition program elements to a virtual format. Rural Medical and Science Scholars (RMSS) program administrative staff made the decision …