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Psychological Sense Of Community Among Older Adults In Puerto Rico Two Years After Hurricane María, Thomas D. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and resulted in adverse long-term outcomes. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) may serve as a protective factor against the effects of Hurricane María for older adults in Puerto Rico. Using a three-paper format, this dissertation draws on a resilience framework and theories of PSOC and the Ecological Theory of Aging to examine the role of PSOC among older adults in Puerto Rico two years after Hurricane María.

Paper one is a scoping review of the concept of PSOC in research with community dwelling older adults. I begin by presenting findings on study characteristics …

Physical Distress And Psychological Outcomes: An Examination Of Hurricane Katrina Rebuilders, Danita M. Muse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHurricane Katrina made land fall in New Orleans on August 29, 2005. When Hurricane Katrina came ashore at the mouth of the Mississippi River it struck with such vengeance that the protective levees surrounding the New Orleans area were breached. The purpose of this quantitative research is to broaden the understanding the relationship between two phenomena: physical distress and posttraumatic growth among Hurricane Katrina rebuilders who rebuilt their lives 15 years following a natural disaster along the Gulf Coast. The Conservation of Resources and Self-Efficacy Theory were the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions examined if statistically significant …

Covid-19: A Driving Factor For Pre-Existing Racial Disparities In Food Insecurity, Christina S. Cook, Sandhya Lohani, Jeffery A. Jones, Stacy Smallwood Ph.D., Tilicia L. Mayo-Gamble

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Neither “Post-War” Nor Post-Pregnancy Paranoia: How America’S War On Drugs Continues To Perpetuate Disparate Incarceration Outcomes For Pregnant, Substance-Involved Offenders, Becca S. Zimmerman

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the unique interactions between pregnancy, substance involvement, and race as they relate to the War on Drugs and the hyper-incarceration of women. Using ordinary least square regression analyses and data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, I examine if (and how) pregnancy status, drug use, race, and their interactions influence two length of incarceration outcomes: sentence length and amount of time spent in jail between arrest and imprisonment. The results collectively indicate that pregnancy decreases length of incarceration outcomes for those offenders who are not substance-involved but not evenhandedly -- benefitting white …

Understanding Resilience Among Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Meghan Larson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and dysfunction in a child’s home are considered a public health crisis due to their correlation to health disparities and psychosocial problems in adulthood such as substance use, relationships, education, and maintaining employment. However, some individuals are resilient and demonstrate the ability to adapt and function well despite experiencing adverse events. To better understand resilience when ACEs are present, I conducted a basic qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of individuals in Tennessee with elevated ACE and resilience scores. A purposeful sample of 12 participants who scored high on ratings …

Postpartum Depression Rates In Latine Birthing Parents During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Closer Look At Cultural Protective Factors And Acculturation, Perla Barajas

CMC Senior Theses

In the Latine community, the prioritization of social or familial support (familism) serves as a cultural protective factor that has typically guarded against unfavorable health outcomes. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, social interactions and familial support were substantially limited. A vulnerable population during this pandemic was Latine birthing parents because previous studies have shown that perception of social support directly impacts postpartum depression (PPD) in this group. This study will use data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to compare PPD rates for Latine birthing parents from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the PPD rates during the pandemic. Moreover, …

Evaluating Compassion Satisfaction And The Risk Of Compassion Fatigue Among Those Working At Non-Human Primate Sanctuaries And Wildlife Centers, Madalyn Rantala

All Master's Theses

Compassion fatigue, an occupational risk commonly associated with caregiving professions, can have adverse effects for individual employee wellbeing, organizational productivity, and the quality of care that patients receive. Within animal-care worker samples, previous research suggests that around 25 percent of employees are at a high risk of developing compassion fatigue (i.e., experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress concurrently). To my knowledge, this thesis is the first study to explore compassion fatigue within the primate sanctuary field. Thirty-nine eligible participants completed an online survey that probed professional quality of life via the ProQOL 5, perceived workplace support via the Trauma-Informed Organizational …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

Genetic Risk Factors For Alzheimer’S Disease In Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations In The U.S.: A Scoping Review, Lindsey Rubin, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Nicholas V. Resciniti, Brianna Ashford-Carroll, Katherine Henrietta Leith, Aubrey Rose, Stephanie Ureña, Quentin Mccollum, Daniela B. Friedman

Faculty Publications

As the United States (U.S.) population rapidly ages, the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRDs) is rising, with racial/ethnic minorities affected at disproportionate rates. Much research has been undertaken to test, sequence, and analyze genetic risk factors for ADRDs in Caucasian populations, but comparatively little has been done with racial/ethnic minority populations. We conducted a scoping review to examine the nature and extent of the research that has been published about the genetic factors of ADRDs among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. Using an established scoping review methodological framework, we searched electronic databases for articles describing peer-reviewed empirical …

Responding To The Call: Building A Training Program To Diversify The Academy In Alzheimer’S Disease Research, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Marvella E. Ford, Christiana L. Johnson, Brianna Ashford-Carroll, Quentin Mccollum, Daniela B. Friedman, Sue E. Levkoff

Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at the forefront of the United States (US) public health agenda due to their tremendous human and financial burden. Further, disproportionately high ADRD rates among racial/ethnic minorities require incorporating the unique perspectives of racially and ethnically diverse scientists, which will necessitate diversifying the scientific workforce that investigates disparities in aging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the training and mentorship initiatives of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer's Disease and Minority Research, emphasizing lessons learned from our engagement with underrepresented minority and minoritized (URM) Scientists. We highlight …

Sexual Orientation Disclosure And Depression Among Thailand Men Who Have Sex With Men: Associations With Intimate Partner Violence And Social Support, Eduardo Encina

Public Health Theses

Objectives: The analytical goal of this project is to better understand the association of sexual orientation disclosure among different social networks of Thailand men who have sex with men (MSM) and depression. Along with this, we aim to extensively explore the intersectional influence of social support and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences with each other, with disclosure, and ultimately depression outcomes.

Methods: The secondary dataset for this project was comprised of results from a cross-sectional study. This study utilized a web-based epidemiological and behavioral survey, distributed among young MSM ages 15-24. Self-reported data was provided through collaboration with Mahidol University …

The Impact Of Economic Intimate Partner Violence On Women’S Sexual And Reproductive Health In Asia & The Pacific, Marina Katague

Public Health Theses

Intimate partner violence is a human rights violation and serious threat to global public health. Economic intimate partner violence is a unique form of abuse whose effects on health need clarification. Data from the 2011-2012 UN Multi-country Study on Men and Violence, comprised of cross-sectional samples in China, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka were collected on ever-partnered women aged 18-49 years. The sample averaged some (1.14) economic violence exposure across summed behaviors (range 0-12; standard deviation=2.04). Multivariable regressions were run to assess the relationship between severity of IPV abuse types and 14 sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Adjusted analyses …

Hospice Response To Covid-19: Promoting Sustainable Inclusion Strategies For Racial And Ethnic Minorities, M. Courtney Hughes, Erin Vernon

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

There is a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial/ethnic minorities related to COVID-19. The importance of reaching groups suffering the most with resources such as advance directive guidance, telehealth, and culturally sensitive education materials is vital to providing quality, inclusive care. A crisis presents an opportunity to unite and problem-solve to help avoid the dire consequences facing inaction. In this way, inclusive responses by hospices, social workers, other community partners during the COVID-19 pandemic can help reach and alleviate the pain of those groups most afflicted. We offer hospice inclusion strategies that align with general pandemic response trends …

2021 Annual Report, Evidence To Practice, Cep Annual Reports, Stephen Phillippi, Sonita Singh, S. Hoffpauir, Denise Danos, Lisa Staples, Brooke Dupre, Willandra Whiting, L. Simpson, K. Beiter, C.L. Thomas, Ronnie Rubin, Brian Bumbarger

Policy & Position Papers

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Contraception Use In Sexual Minority Women: A Systematic Literature Review, Grace M. Hudson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Contrary to widespread beliefs that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) women do not need contraceptive care, sexual minority women (SMW) engage in vaginal-penile sexual contact which puts them at risk for unintended pregnancy. SMW assigned female gender at birth are at higher risk for less reliable and consistent contraceptive use and thus unintended pregnancy (Everett et al., 2017). This leads to the question of factors which cause SMW to be less engaged in contraceptive services. Through synthesis of studies addressing SMW and contraceptives, four themes developed: attitudes towards contraception, obstacles to care, knowledge gaps, and ways to improve …

Addressing The Needs Of African American Grandparents: An Intersectionality Perspective, Dorothy Smith-Ruiz, Kendra Jason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study seeks to demonstrate the intersecting structural and compounding challenges African American custodial grandparents experience collectively, rather than as separate non-competing factors, which has been modeled in prior studies. Using a mixed-method research design, the study explored the challenges faced by African American and white custodial grandparents. These challenges included difficulties attaining different types of support, respite care, and programs for teens and special needs grandchildren. Results showed that caregiving challenges among African Americans were more pervasive than their White counterparts. These findings have significant implications for the development of intervention programs for custodial African American grandmothers and their …

Perspectives Of Physicians Mandated To Complete Cultural Competence Education, Wayne Mccarthy Boatwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perspectives of Physicians Mandated to Complete Cultural Competence Educationby Wayne M. Boatwright

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services

Walden University May 2021 Abstract Studies show that ethnic and racial disparities continue to exist in health care delivery. The economics of today’s multicultural world along with changing demographics and persistence of inequality in healthcare have challenged healthcare professionals to consider cultural competency (CC) training to assist in eliminating health disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of physicians who were mandated to complete CC education. …

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …

Networks Knowledge Brokers And The Public Policy, Rosalyn Negrón, Linda Sprague-Martinez, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Cristina Brinkerhoff

Gastón Institute Publications

This chapter presents a three-year, community-based health study of Boston Brazilian and Dominican transnational immigrants. A multi-level framework is used to understand the network factors that may impact how social, cultural, and health knowledge is shared between immigrants and immigrants and host society members. Results show that Brazilians in this study tended to have more heterogeneous networks, reported more close relationships with non-Brazilians, and more contact with non-Brazilians around health-seeking, as compared to Dominicans. Differences are discussed and framed in relation to macro-level structures, including racial hierarchies, transnationalism, and immigration laws. As such, we conclude with a discussion of how …

Mortality Risk Attributable To Wildfire-Related Pm2·5 Pollution: A Global Time Series Study In 749 Locations, Gongbo Chen, Yuming Guo, Xu Yue, Shilu Tong, Antonio Gasparrini Antonio Gasparrini, Michelle L. Bell, Joel Schwartz, Jouni J K Jaakkola, Antonella Zanobetti, Eric Lavigne, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Haidong Kan, Dominic Royé, Ai Milojevic, Ala Overcenco, Aleš Urban, Alexandra Schneider, Alireza Entezari, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Ariana Zeka, Aurelio Tobias, Baltazar Nunes, Barrak Alahmad, Bertil Forsberg, Shih-Chun Pan, Carmen Íñiguez, Caroline Ameling, César De La Cruz Valencia, Christofer Åström, Danny Houthuijs, Do Van Dung, Evangelia Samoli, Fatemeh Mayvaneh, Francesco Sera, Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar, Yadong Lei, Hans Orru, Ho Kim, Iulian-Horia Holobaca, Jan Kyselý, João Paulo Teixeira, Joana Madureira, Klea Katsouyanni, Magali Hurtado-Díaz, Marek Maasikmets, Martina S Ragettli, Masahiro Hashizume, Massimo Stafoggia, Mathilde Pascal, Matteo Scortichini, Micheline De Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coêlho, Nicolás Valdés Ortega, Niilo R I Ryti, Noah Scovronick, Patricia Matus, Patrick J. Goodman, Rebecca M Garland, Rosana Abrutzky, Samuel Osorio Garcia, Shilpa Rao, Simona Fratianni, Tran Ngoc Dang, Valentina Colistro, Veronika Huber, Whanhee Lee, Xerxes Seposo, Yasushi Honda, Yue Leon Guo, Tingting Ye, Wenhua Yu, Michael J. Abramson, Jonathan M. Samet, Shanshan Li

Articles

Many regions of the world are now facing more frequent and unprecedentedly large wildfires. However, the association between wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality has not been well characterised. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality across various regions of the world.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Suicide Planning, And Suicide Attempt Among High-Risk Adolescents Prior To Psychiatric Hospitalization, Christina M. Sellers, Antonia Díaz-Valdés, Andrew C. Porter, Catherine R. Glenn, Adam Bryant Miller, Adeline Wyman Battalen, Kimberly H. Mcmanama O'Brien

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to understand the trajectories of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide plans (SP) in the 90 days prior to inpatient hospitalization, understand the role of NSSI and SP in predicting suicide attempts (SA) on a given day, and to test the interaction between NSSI and SP in predicting same-day SA. Participants included 69 adolescents (77% female, 65% white, 77% Non-Hispanic/Latinx, Mage = 15.77 SDage = 1.00) from an inpatient psychiatric unit. Past 90 day NSSI, SP, and SA were measured using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and Timeline Follow Back. First, mixed effect models …

Sacred Heart University Public Health Program Self-Study, Public Health, College Of Health Professions

News, Magazines and Reports

From the Introduction:

The public health program began in the fall, 2018. The public health program has only one degree offered, a master’s of public health (MPH) degree with a concentration in community health. The program was developed in response to an observed need. Specifically, Sacred Heart undergraduate students in both the Health Science and Exercise Science undergraduate programs were asking for an MPH program that they could matriculate into after graduating from their undergraduate studies. The current MPH program director, Dr. Anna Greer, was already working at SHU as a behavioral scientist within SHU’s Exercise Science program. Dr. Greer …

Sleep Characteristics And Mood Of Professional Esports Athletes: A Multi-National Study, Sangha Lee, Daniel Bonnar, Brandy Roane, Michael Gradisar, Ian C. Dunican, Michele Lastella, Gemma Maisey, Sooyeon Suh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Esports is becoming increasingly professionalized, yet research on performance management is remarkably lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the sleep and mood of professional esports athletes. Participants were 17 professional esports athletes from South Korea (N = 8), Australia (N = 4), and the United States (N = 5) who played first person shooter games (mean age 20 ± 3.5 years, 100% male). All participants wore a wrist-activity monitor for 7–14 days and completed subjective sleep and mood questionnaires. Participants had a median total sleep time of 6.8 h and …

The Supportive Care Needs Of Regional And Remote Cancer Caregivers, Anna Stiller, Belinda C. Goodwin, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Sonja March, Michael Ireland, Joanne F. Aitken, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: As cancer survival rates continue to increase, so will the demand for care from family and friends, particularly in more isolated settings. This study aims to examine the needs of cancer caregivers in regional and remote Australia. Methods: A total of 239 informal (i.e., non-professional) cancer caregivers (e.g., family/friends) from regional and remote Queensland, Australia, completed the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Caregivers (CNAT-C). The frequencies of individuals reporting specific needs were calculated. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between unmet needs and demographic characteristics and cancer type. Results: The most frequently endorsed needs were lodging near hospital …

Extending Postpartum Medicaid: State And Federal Policy Options During And After Covid-19, Jamie R. Daw, Emily Eckert, Heidi Allen, Kristen Underhill

Faculty Scholarship

The United States is facing a maternal health crisis with rising rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and stark disparities in maternal outcomes by race and socioeconomic status. Among the efforts to address this issue, one policy proposal is gaining particular traction: extending the period of Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women beyond 60 days after childbirth. The authors examine the legislative and regulatory pathways most readily available for extending postpartum Medicaid, including their relative political, economic, and public health trade-offs. They also review the state and federal policy activity to date and discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on …

Gender In The Time Of Covid-19: Evaluating National Leadership And Covid-19 Fatalities, Leah C. Windsor, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, Alistair J. Windsor, Robert Ostergard, Susan Allen, Courtney Burns, Jarod Giger, Reed Wood

Social Work Faculty Publications

In this paper we explore whether countries led by women have fared better during the COVID-19 pandemic than those led by men. Media and public health officials have lauded the perceived gender-related influence on policies and strategies for reducing the deleterious effects of the pandemic. We examine this proposition by analyzing COVID-19-related deaths globally across countries led by men and women. While we find some limited support for lower reported fatality rates in countries led by women, they are not statistically significant. Country cultural values offer more substantive explanation for COVID-19 outcomes. We offer several potential explanations for the pervasive …

Community Engagement In Covid-19 Responses: Evidence From Qualitative Interface With Community Opinion Leaders In Enugu, Nigeria, Prince Agwu, Chinweoke Methodius Ugwu, Chidera Florence Eke

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Successful stories of community engagement existed during the Ebola disease outbreak in Liberia, indicating that a combination of government and community efforts are needed in addressing pandemics or epidemics. However, for communities to rise to the challenge of containing and combatting the spread of any disease, they must be communicated most effectively and supported by the government. Therefore, our study investigates how applicable successful community engagement has been in the charge against the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Nigeria. Through telephone interviews, we sourced data from 12 community opinion leaders in Enugu State, Nigeria. After conducting a thematic analysis of …

Protocol For A Trial Assessing The Impacts Of School-Based Wash Interventions On Children’S Health Literacy, Handwashing, And Nutrition Status In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Stephanie O. Sangalang, Shelley Anne J. Medina, Zheina J. Ottong, Allen Lemuel G. Lemence, Donrey Totanes, John Cedrick Valencia, Patricia Andrea A. Singson, Mikaela Olaguera, Nelissa O. Prado, Roezel Mari Z. Ocaña, Rovin James F. Canja, Alfem John T. Benolirao, Shyrill Mae F. Mariano, Jergil Gyle Gavieres, Clarisse P. Aquino, Edison C. Latag, Maria Vianca Jasmin C. Anglo, Christian Borgemeister, Thoomas Kistemann

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Diarrhea, soil-transmitted helminth infection and malnutrition are leading causes of child mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To reduce the prevalence of these diseases, effective interventions for adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) should be implemented. This paper describes the design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial that will compare the efficacy of four school-based WaSH interventions for improving children’s health literacy, handwashing, and nutrition. Interventions consisted of (1) WaSH policy reinforcement; (2) low-, medium-, or high-volume health education; (3) hygiene supplies; and (4) WaSH facilities (e.g., toilets, urinals, handwashing basins) improvements. We randomly allocated school clusters from the intervention …

An Exploration Of Interventions For Healing Intergeneration Trauma To Develop Successful Healing Programs For Aboriginal Australians: A Literature Review, Alison J. Simpson, William Abur, James A. Charles

Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin

Introduction

Health outcomes and life expectancy of Indigenous people throughout the world are far poorer than non-Indigenous populations. Emerging evidence from research shows that many social issues which impact on Indigenous peoples globally is linked to trauma over generations. This review explores literature about Indigenous people from around the world to seek interventions which have been successful in healing intergenerational trauma.

Method

To identify interventions that have been successful in healing intergenerational trauma amongst Indigenous populations globally, a systematic search strategy was conducted using keywords and synonyms related to the topic. Peer reviewed academic literature was sourced from four …

Transparency And Yielding Of Law Officers Reform (Taylor) Act Of 2020: Proposal For Police Reform, Marwa Alnaal, Matthew L. Anderson, Hannah Brier, Mollie Campbell, Rose Wine

School of Professional Studies

The Transparency and Yielding of Law Officers Reform Act of 2020 (TAYLOR) proposes an example bill for law enforcement reform. During the summer of 2020, the United States witnessed civilian demonstrations nationwide calling for a change to policing. Our proposal is hoping to heed that call, offering a foundation for change that police forces and localities across the United States can utilize to rebuild trust and accountability.

The goal of the TAYLOR Act is not to defund the police; but rather, TAYLOR rethinks the priorities of the police. There can be no denying that the relationship of trust and security …