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Non-Partner Sexual Violence Among International College Students In The United States, Kruti S. Chaliawala, Rebecca A. Vidourek, Keith A. King

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The prevalence of non-partner sexual violence among college students is a pressing concern that demands urgent attention. Although an integral part of the education system, international college students are often underrepresented in various studies. This calls attention to understanding the cultural nuances and multiple factors affecting this population. The current research delves into the experiences of sexual abuse among international students within the last 12 months, focusing specifically on incidents where sexual penetration or unwanted sexual touching occurred without consent. The study sheds light on the frequency and demographics associated with these distressing incidents using data from a large-scale survey …

Rates Of Reporting And Analyzing Race And Ethnicity In Athlete-Specific Sports Medicine Research: A Systematic Review, John H. Sonnier, Carlo Coladonato, Irfan A. Khan, Gregory Connors, Ryan W. Paul, Anya T. Hall, Emma E. Johnson, Meghan E. Bishop, Fotios P. Tjoumakaris, Kevin B. Freedman

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Race- and ethnicity-based differences in treatment access and outcomes have been reported in the orthopaedic sports medicine literature. However, the rate at which race and ethnicity are reported and incorporated into the statistical analysis of sports medicine studies remains unclear.

PURPOSE: To determine the rate at which race and ethnicity are reported and analyzed in athlete-specific sports medicine literature.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS: Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, articles published by the 3 journals of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine between 2017 and 2021 were considered …

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy In Pregnant And Postpartum Women, Madison G. Kaup

Senior Theses

This project had three main goals: 1) Explore how pregnancy and childbirth affect the female pelvic floor anatomy and physiology, 2) Examine current practices through a literature review and interviews conducted with pelvic floor physical therapists currently practicing in various clinical settings across the United States, and 3) Develop suggestions to mitigate the challenges currently faced in the field by patients and therapists.

The female pelvic floor undergoes extensive changes throughout pregnancy as its structures are targeted by laxity-inducing hormones and mechanical stress from the growing fetus. During childbirth, the system is stretched beyond its physiological limit, causing damage to …

Demographic Characteristics As Moderators For The Association Between Cigarette Smoking And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Aregash Tewoldeberhan Kidane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure in the United States. Several studies have been conducted that showed cigarette smoking is associated with an increased incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM); however, there is no published information in the literature on the moderating effects of gender/sex and race/ethnicity on this association. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to address this gap in the literature and examine the association between cigarette smoking and DM and the moderating effect of sex and race/ethnicity on the association between cigarette …

Parallel Electrophysiological Abnormalities Due To Covid-19 Infection And To Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementia, Yang Jiang, Jennifer Neal, Pradoldej Sompol, Görsev Yener, Xianghong Arakaki, Christopher M. Norris, Francesca R. Farina, Agustin Ibanez, Susanna Lopez, Abdulhakim Al-Ezzi, Voyko Kavcic, Bahar Güntekin, Claudio Babiloni, Mihály Hajós

Neurology Faculty Publications

Many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive individuals exhibit abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity reflecting “brain fog” and mild cognitive impairments even months after the acute phase of infection. Resting-state EEG abnormalities include EEG slowing (reduced alpha rhythm; increased slow waves) and epileptiform activity. An expert panel conducted a systematic review to present compelling evidence that cognitive deficits due to COVID-19 and to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) are driven by overlapping pathologies and neurophysiological abnormalities. EEG abnormalities seen in COVID-19 patients resemble those observed in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ADRD. It is proposed that similar EEG abnormalities in …

Abstinence Beliefs In Early Adolescence And Sexual Risk Behavior Two Years Later, Shristi Bhochhibhoya, Briana Edison, Elizabeth R. Baumler, Christine M. Markham, Susan T. Emery, Melissa F. Peskin, Ross Shegog, Robert C. Addy, Jeff R. Temple, Dennis E. Ready

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate and sexually transmitted infection rates among developed countries. One common approach that has been implemented to reduce these rates is abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that advocate for delaying sexual intercourse until marriage. These programs focus on changing adolescents' beliefs toward abstinence until marriage; however, it is unclear whether adolescents' beliefs about abstinence predict their sexual behavior, including sexual risk behavior (SRB). An alternative approach may be encouraging youth to delay their sexual debut until they reach the age of maturity, but not necessarily until marriage.

Methods

To address this question, we compare …

Peer Counseling For Perinatal Depression In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review, Alexander Cuncannon, Kailyn Seitz, Aneel Signh, Aliyah Dosani

Brain and Mind Institute

Perinatal depression is associated with adverse maternal, newborn and child health outcomes. Treatment gaps and sociocultural factors contribute to its disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Task-sharing approaches, such as peer counseling, have been developed to improve access to mental health services. We conducted a scoping review to map the current literature on peer counseling for perinatal women experiencing depression in LMICs. We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Global Health and EMBASE for literature with no date limits. We included 73 records in our analysis, with most being systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials and qualitative studies. …

Reframing And Advancing Academic Mentorship To Support New And Early Career Faculty Members, Juanita-Dawne R. Bacsu, Patricia C. Heyn, Steffi Kim, Zahra Rahemi, Monique J. Brown, Darina V. Petrovsky, Justine S. Sefcik, Jodi L. Southerland, Jeremy Holloway, Elyse Couch, Ayse Malatyali, Matthew L. Smith

Faculty Publications

Mentorship is critical to fostering professional growth and career development in academia. However, academic mentorship is often an informal activity that is overlooked and under researched. There is much ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding mentorship roles and strategies in academia. This paper provides recommendations and strategies to reframe and advance academic mentorship to support new and early career faculty.

Clonal Hematopoiesis Of Indeterminate Potential Is Associated With Reduced Risk Of Cognitive Impairment In Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease, Cissy Xiao, Manjula Kurella Tamura, Yang Pan, Varun Rao, Celestin Missikpode, Caitlyn Vlasschaert, Tetsushi Nakao, Xiao Sun, Changwei Li, Zhijie Huang, Amanda Anderson, Md Mesbah Uddin, Do-Kyun Kim, Jonathan Taliercio, Rajat Deo, Zeenat Bhat, Dawei Xie, Panduranga Rao, Jing Chen, James P Lash, Jiang He, Pradeep Natarajan, James E Hixson, Kristine Yaffe, Tanika N Kelly, Cric Study Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and dementia disproportionately burden patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between CHIP and cognitive impairment in CKD patients is unknown.

Methods: We conducted time-to-event analyses in up to 1452 older adults with CKD from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort who underwent CHIP gene sequencing. Cognition was assessed using four validated tests in up to 6 years mean follow-up time. Incident cognitive impairment was defined as a test score one standard deviation below the baseline mean.

Results: Compared to non-carriers, CHIP carriers were markedly less likely to experience impairment in attention (adjusted …

Hippocampal Gray Matter Volume In Young Adulthood Varies With Adolescent Alcohol Use, Juliann B Purcell, Nathaniel G Harnett, Sylvie Mrug, Marc N Elliott, Susan Tortolero Emery, Mark A Schuster, David C Knight

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adolescent substance use is linked with negative future outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use disorder). Given that the brain undergoes significant maturation during adolescence, this developmental period may represent a time of particular vulnerability to substance use. Neuroimaging research has largely focused on heavy or binge patterns of substance use; thus, relatively less is known about the neural impact of a broader range of adolescent substance use. Characterizing the neural impact of a broader range of adolescent substance use may inform prevention and treatment efforts. The present study investigated relationships between adolescent substance use trajectories (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) …

Measuring Anxiety Among Latino Immigrant Populations: Within-Country And Between-Country Comparisons, Sumeyra Sahbaz, Ronald B Cox, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Christopher P Salas-Wright, Mildred M Maldonado-Molina, Melissa M Bates, Augusto Pérez-Gómez, Juliana Mejía-Trujillo, Saskia R Vos, Carolina Scaramutti, Patrizia A Perazzo, Maria Duque, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Eric C Brown, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health disorder among adults worldwide. Given its increased prevalence among migrants due to their marginalized position in the societies where they reside, psychometric evaluations of anxiety measures such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) are needed for use with migrants. The present study is the first attempt to compare the structure of GAD-7 scores for (a) different Latino groups in the same country and (b) the same Latino group in two different countries. Using three samples of Mexican and Venezuelan migrants (total N = 933), we provide reliability and validity evidence of the GAD-7 …

Accuracy Of Nine-Item Patient Health Questionnaire Against Psychiatric Diagnosis For Depression Among People With Hiv, Marcela Yotebieng, Natalia Zotova, Charlotte Bernard, Suzanne Goodrich, Ajeh Rogers Awoh, Dana Watnick, Dominique Mahambu Nsonde, Elodie Flore Tchiengang Moungang, Moussa Seydi, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) against psychiatrist diagnosis in people with HIV (PWH).

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected between January 2018 and July 2022 across five sites in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo. Participants were ≥18 years and receiving HIV care at the participating site. PHQ-9 was administered by study staff followed by a psychiatrist's evaluation within 3 days.

Results: Overall, 778 participants with complete data were included: 297 (38.2%) in Cameroon, 132 (17.0%) in Congo, 148 (19.0%) in Cote d’Ivoire, …

Parental Knowledge And Perception Of Obesity And Effect On Feeding Behavior And Child's Weight Status, Fidelia Senayah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem that leads to poor health outcomes in affected children, including the potential for developing chronic diseases in adulthood if not addressed at an early stage. While there are several studies on childhood obesity, data on parental obesity knowledge and risk perception as it relates to feeding behavior and child weight outcome is inadequate. No data were found on the topic in Ohio, which has a high rate of childhood obesity and overweight. This study examined how parental obesity risk knowledge and risk perception influenced parental feeding behavior and children’s weight status in …

Early Intervention System Contextual Factors Contributing To Treatment Attendance And Clinical Outcomes, Anthony Eldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Early Intervention Programs (EI) are an established method of addressing and treating earlier childhood developmental problems that involves a system of complex processes which families must navigate to secure and maintain care. Extensive wait times and multiple service providers burdensome caregivers which may impact treatment engagement. Telehealth offers some clinical utility for improving EI service provision. However, little is known how system contextual factors predict a child’s Part B Eligibility and level of engagement with treatment. The primary aim of this study is to describe the effect that wait time, number of service providers, number of treatment services, and treatment …

Emotional Overeating And Eating Motives During Covid-19 In Polish Women: Intergroup Comparison Among Participants In Various Body Mass Index Categories, Adriana Modrzejewska, Justyna Modrzejewska, Kamila Czepczor-Bernat, Julia Wyszomirska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Taking into account the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ac-companying lockdown resulting in increased negative emotions, it is interesting to learn about eating motives and behaviors and check their intensity. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between Polish women in various body mass index categories in terms of eating motives and emotional overeating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: This study sample comprised 1,447 women (M_age = 31.34 ± 11.05; M_BMI = 23.79 ± 4.59). The research used the following tools: the Eating Motivation Survey, the Emotional Overeating Questionnaire, and …

The Relationship Between The Clinical Scales Of The Personality Assessment Inventory And Bmi Reduction In Bariatric Surgery Patients, Douglas Lytz

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Since the National Institute of Health recommendation in 1991, most bariatric clinics and insurance companies across the United States now require psychological evaluations for patients before receiving bariatric surgery (Marek & Heinberg, 2016). Clinicians are now using various objective personality measures and other assessment tools during comprehensive evaluations to help make recommendations to surgeons and clinical staff about patient suitability for weight loss surgery. Previous studies suggest that specific demographics and clinical elevations on objective personality assessments may predict the reduction of body mass index (BMI) in patients after bariatric surgery (Oltmanns et al., 2020; Hoyt & Walter, 2022a). This …

How Family Communication Emerges In Hpv Vaccine Parent Narratives, Samantha Garcia, Suellen Hopfer, Michelle Miller-Day, Jamie Mccain, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Family communication surrounding HPV vaccination can support or hinder HPV cancer prevention strategies. We used narrative communication theory to elicit HPV vaccine decision narratives in the context of family communication from a purposive sample of 29 parents of adolescents. Parent narratives indicated that family negotiations occur throughout the decision-making process, topic avoidance was common among parents of unvaccinated and undervaccinated children, parents had concerns that vaccination is a sign of approving sexual permissiveness, and family communication was often prompted by encounters in the exam room. Understanding complex family dynamics in the context of vaccination decision-making, the role of family communication …

Relationship Between Household Water Sanitation And Hygiene Behaviors And Diarrhea Between 2010-2020 In Rwanda, Amans Ntakarutimana Dr., Patrick A. Tschida Dr.

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Rwanda has made considerable progressive policy efforts to significantly reduce diarrhea among children under 5 years old, especially since 2010. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between household water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) behaviors and diarrhea among children under 5 years old between 2010 and 2020. We used secondary data from the 2010, 2015, and 2020 Rwanda Demographic Health Surveys. We used descriptive statistics, pairwise comparisons, and linear regression designs to assess (a) the prevalence of household WASH behaviors across districts, regions, urban areas, and rural areas, (b) the variation of household WASH behaviors over time, and (c) …

Health Risk Factors Of Female African American Informal Caregivers For Alzheimer’S Disease Patients In Low-Income Communities, Rosaline Elaine Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

By 2050, 152 million people worldwide, primarily low-income populations, will have Alzheimer's disease (AD). African American (AA) women informal caregivers are primary caregivers in low-income neighborhoods, and they suffer from burnout and poor health, including physical and mental fatigue, despair, anxiety, hypertension, and stressors that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, or premature mortality. The Informal Caregiver Integrative Model (ICIM) theoretical framework was used to survey 120 participants using SurveyMonkey was administered to collect data for this cross-sectional quantitative study. The multiple hierarchical regression analyses revealed caregiving appraisal had no significant impact on burnout. A higher quality of the caregiver-care …

Secular Trends In Underweight, Overweight, And Physical Fitness Of Girls And Boys Aged 16–18 In Eastern Poland From 2006 To 2016–2021, Agnieszka Wasiluk, Jerzy Saczuk

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Significant changes in the nutrition and physical fitness of children and adolescents have been observed in many countries around the world. The purpose of this study is to determine the changes in the prevalence of underweight, normal BMI, and overweight, as well as in the physical fitness of girls and boys from eastern Poland. Materials and methods: The study was conducted over the years 2006–2021. BMI was calculated, and physical fitness was assessed using the EUROFIT test. The results were statistically analyzed. Results: Minor changes in underweight were observed, and even a re-duction in its prevalence among girls was …

Examining Daily-Self Weighing As A Stand-Alone Intervention For Obesity Management, Ashley Parish

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is an epidemic that has substantial implications for both individuals with the disease as well as the healthcare system in the United States. Individuals with obesity are at increased risk for developing associated co-morbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer, which can affect quality of life and lead to mortality. There are many health behavior interventions which target weight loss, maintenance of weight loss, or weight gain prevention in those with obesity; however, interventions have unique barriers that can vary based on personal, environmental, and social factors. Primary care (PC) settings, which …

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Physical Activity: A Comparison Of Rural And Urban Older Adults' Needs And Preferences, Annette Contrady, Sarah L. Francis, Elgloria Harrison, Doris Montgomery, Catherine Rudolph, Lillie Monroe-Lord, Phd, Rdn, Ld, Elmira Asongwed, Anne Marie Jean Baptiste, Tiffany Johnson-Largent Phd Rdn Ld, B. Michelle Harris, Tia D. Jeffery, Pier Broadnax

Journal of Extension

Physical activity (PA) rates among older adults are low. We examined and compared the PA needs, preferences, and practices of 118 rural- and urban-residing older adults through focus groups and surveys. The sample was diverse (White = 42.4%, Black = 37.3%), mostly female, food-secure, and not meeting PA recommendations (38.1%). PA rates were lower for rural-residing older adults (p < 0.05). PA motivators were health benefits and socialization, while barriers were cost, pain, low motivation, and health limitations. Preferred PA programs were described as age-appropriate, expert-led, and group-based. These findings provide insight regarding what to consider when planning PA programming for community-residing older adults.

Differences In Happiness And Perceived Meaning In Life Between U.S. Working-Age Adults With Versus Without A Self-Care Disability, Nastassia Vaitsiakhovich, Scott D. Landes, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Subjective wellbeing (SWB) - being happy or perceiving one’s life has meaning, is critical to good physical health. People who are happier and who report that their lives have meaning are healthier and live longer. In general, individuals with disabilities have worse SWB compared to those without disabilities. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Wellbeing Survey collected in early-2021 to examine differences in happiness and perceived meaning in life between U.S. working-age adults (ages 18-64) with versus without a self-care disability (such as difficulty eating, using the toilet, or dressing without assistance) and …

Neuroinflammation And Brain Health Risks In Veterans Exposed To Burn Pit Toxins, Athena Brooks, Brian Sandri, Joshua Nixon, Timothy Nurkiewicz, Paul Barach, Janeen Trembley, Tammy Butterick

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Military burn pits, used for waste disposal in combat zones, involve the open-air burning of waste materials, including plastics, metals, chemicals, and medical waste. The pits release a complex mixture of occupational toxic substances, including particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Air pollution significantly impacts brain health through mechanisms involving neuroinflammation. Pollutants penetrate the respiratory system, enter the bloodstream, and cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), triggering inflammatory responses in the central nervous system (CNS). Chronic environmental exposures result in sustained inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal damage, contributing to neurodegenerative diseases and …

The Association Between Social Connectedness And Opioid Reuse Among Vulnerable Groups Receiving Medication For Opioid Use Disorder, Jolanda Lynn Hudson

All ETDs from UAB

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND OPIOID REUSE AMONG VULNERABLE GROUPS RECEIVING MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER JOLANDA L. HUDSON PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT Introduction: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a serious illness that continues to persist despite the many efforts of researchers, physicians, government agencies, state, and local programs, to eliminate the mortality rate associated with this disease. Although manageable, OUD is still taking the lives of citizens due to illegal opioid misuse. Understanding the dynamics of the disease and the contributing factors in various populations may inform researchers in successful intervention outcomes. Methods: A retrospective secondary data analysis utilizing …

Changes In Drug And Alcohol Behaviors Before And After An Educational Intervention Among At-Risk Adults And Youth, Isabel Cuellar Acker

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Substance abuse is defined as the excessive use of a drug in a way that is detrimental to oneself, society, or both. Gender is important to examine because it is becoming more common for females to develop substance use disorders and for their substance use to be more severe. This study will address the role of an education-based intervention on substance abuse in an area that is at the intersection of rural and urban geography with a unique pool of participants. Methods: This is a longitudinal cohort study that has a pre-post intervention design. A linear model was used …

Understanding And Addressing Statistics Anxiety, Hairui Liu

AI Assignment Library

This assignment is a critical first step in understanding the psychological barriers that students may face when learning statistics. It acknowledges the prevalence of statistics anxiety and its potential impact on academic success. The reflection is intended to be a safe space for students to express their concerns, with the ultimate goal of creating a more supportive and effective learning environment. By sharing their experiences, students contribute to the development of strategies that can help them and their peers navigate the challenges of statistics with greater confidence.

It's A Man's World: The Association Between Safe Sex Practices, Relationship Power, & Resilience Among African American Emerging Adults Between 18-24 In The Deep South, Jessica Morgan

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the impact that power imbalance has on safe sex practices among African American emerging adults. The objectives included: provide a thorough review of preexisting literature that explores the impact of power imbalance on safe sex practices among African American women; understand the impact that power imbalance has on safe sex practices among African American emerging adults comparing data from men and women; and understand if resilience is associated with power imbalance among African American emerging adult women in the United States. Utilizing a retrospective, cross-sectional, quantitative study design, three methods were used …