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Political Violence, Collective Functioning And Health: A Review Of The Literature, Cindy A. Sousa

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Political violence is implicated in a range of mental health outcomes, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The social and political contexts of people’s lives, however, offer considerable protection from the mental health effects of political violence. In spite of the importance of people’s social and political environments for health, there is limited scholarship on how political violence compromises necessary social and political systems and inhibits individuals from participating in social and political life. Drawing on literature from multiple disciplines, including public health, anthropology, and psychology, this narrative review uses a multi-level, social ecological framework to enhance current knowledge about the …

Three Essays In Health Economics And Labor Economics, Lei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There are three essays in this dissertation. The first two explore the effect of maternal employment on family well being. The third essay explores the effect of academic department quality on publication productivity.

Building Public Health Preparedness And Food And Agriculture Defense Capabilities Using Whole Community And One Health Concepts, Joseph S. Lombardo, Jeffrey R. Ryan

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Emergency managers are embracing the Whole Community approach described in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness policy, doctrine, and guidance. The Whole Community approach entails broad collaboration and integration of effort among multiple disciplines and preparedness partners to coordinate solutions for all threats and hazards. Potential public health emergencies – to include foodborne and animal disease outbreaks – are issues on the emergency management agenda requiring such broad coordination. Scientists and public health practitioners across multiple disciplines describe a philosophy very similar to “Whole Community” known as “One Health,” linking efforts to address the shared threats to human, animal and …

Frequency, Patterns, And Preferences Of Lubricant Use During Anal Intercourse Within Male Sexual Partnerships In Lima, Peru: Implications For A Rectal Microbicide Hiv Prevention Intervention, Jesse L. Clark, Hector Salvatierra, Eddy R. Segura, Ximena Salazar, Kelika Konda, Jerome T. Galea, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Thomas J. Coates, Carlos F. Caceres

Social Work Faculty Publications

Understanding current practices of lubricant use during anal intercourse can help to assess the contexts for the introduction of topical rectal microbicides as an HIV prevention tool for men who have sex with men (MSM). We used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess: current patterns of lubricant use; preferred characteristics of commercial lubricant formulations; and social and behavioral contexts of lubricant use within male sexual partnerships in Lima, Peru. Between 2007 and 2008, we conducted a quantitative behavioral survey with 547 MSM followed by qualitative individual and group interviews with 36 MSM from Lima, Peru. Approximately half of all participants …

Kony2012: The New Face Of Citizen Engagement, Nicole Audette

Exchange: The Journal of Public Diplomacy

This paper breaks down the nongovernmental components of public diplomacy and examines the evolution of new public diplomacy. It discusses the rise of nonstate actors and the importance they play in changing international diplomatic engagements. It explores the rising prominence of both soft power and public relations on the global stage, highlighting the importance of strategic relationships and effective communications. The case study, used to exemplify the power of new public diplomacy, examines how Invisible Children’s KONY2012 campaign used public diplomacy to harness successfully the power of the American people to influence governmental foreign policy. The author shows that Invisible …

Social Connectedness And The Quality Of Life In Chronically Ill Patients, Inna Kleynshteyn

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social connectedness, feelings of belonging and closeness with the social world, has been identified as an important aspect for the physical, emotional, and collective well-being. People faced with chronic illness may feel like they no longer belong, and this lack of connectedness may have a negative impact on health, well-being, and psychological functioning. The present study investigated social connectedness and quality of life in 151 patients with ongoing symptoms of chronic illness. It was hypothesized that lower levels of social connectedness would be associated with poorer health-related quality of life and more depression. Participants (N =151, 85.4% women, Mage = …

The Association Of Psychosocial Factors On Hiv/Aids Disease Progression, Melissa Margolis

Scripps Senior Theses

Despite a rise in the number of studies looking at the relationship of psychosocial factors (coping style, personality type, and social support) on HIV/AIDS severity, there remains a lack of conclusive answers about the specific association between these factors. This study used a meta-analytic method of analysis to address these issues in the post anti-retroviral treatment modality world. A systematic search of major psychology and medical computerized databases led to 110 studies used in the meta-analysis. Social support was found to have the strongest relationship with HIV progression. Structural social support had greater protective effect on HIV progression than functional …

Understanding The Behavior And Attitude Of Professional Athletes In Saudi Arabia Toward Dietary Supplements, Sulaiman O. Aljaloud

Dissertations

A dietary supplement is defined as a product taken orally that contains a "dietary ingredient" (vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, etc.), and is intended to supplement one's diet. Dietary supplements include plant extracts and concentrates from foods. Supplements help provide required nutrients to fulfill nutritional levels for daily training or competitive performance, and can help remedy nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, it is important that sports professionals have a thorough knowledge of these supplement products. However, athletes need to be informed about the use and possible benefits, side effects, and risks associated with the use of dietary supplements. Four objectives guided …

A Single Case Study Of Cognitive Remediation Therapy With An Adolescent With Disordered Eating, Carol Lynn Galiano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Picky eating is currently not included in the diagnostic classification system DSM-IV TR as a distinct category of eating disorders in childhood. It can reach clinical significance requiring intervention when it results in chronic nutritional inadequacies and/or harmful impact on social development or family functioning. Studies have shown that patients with eating disorders have difficulties with executive functioning. These findings have been used to develop an intervention based on cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) which targets thinking skills and their role in the development and maintenance of an eating disorder. To further investigate, this study assessed the efficacy of an 8-week, …

Partner Preferences And Selection At Pepperdine University, Katie Pietraszak, Max Mowrer

Global Tides

This study investigates undergraduate students’ partner preferences and selection at Pepperdine University by examining the traits desired of those seeking a potential partner and the expectations one has for them. Results from the survey responses support previous research in this area and indicate males’ preference for dominant feminine traits, including physical attractiveness, and females’ preference for dominant masculine traits, such as high earning potential. While the majority of males and females desired a more egalitarian relationship, males were more likely to want their partners to be a follower and females were more likely to desire their partners to assume the …

Outcome Evaluation Of A Time Management Smartphone Application: A Pilot Study, Michael J. D. Irvine

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Twenty-Five percent of college students receiving disability services are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Psycho-stimulants are often the treatment of choice because these medications have a quick and specific effect on attention and concentration. However, they have limited impact on skills related to executive functioning including organization, planning and project management. The potential for abuse is another problem associated with stimulant use in the college population. Beyond what is known about psychostimulants, little research has been done to develop effective, non-pharmacological interventions for young adults with ADHD. Behavior Therapy has been shown to be one promising adjunctive treatment …

Scaling Up Advocacy For Gender-Based Violence And Child Sexual Abuse In The East, Central And Southern Africa Region: Technical Exchange And Meeting, East Central And Southern African Health Community

Reproductive Health

The East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, which prioritizes gender-based violence and child sexual abuse as regional health concerns, partnered with the Population Council to convene a pre-conference Expert Committee meeting of the Research, Information and Advocacy Programme. The conference marked a major milestone in the ECSA Health Community’s commitment to promote and support region-wide sharing and utilization of health research and policy information among its member states. This report summarizes the deliberations of the two-day workshop and the recommendations for implementing an advocacy plan to address this important facet of the region’s development agenda.

Apopo Annual Report 2013, Apopo

Global CWD Repository

2013 has been a busy year once again for the APOPO mine action team. In Mozambique APOPO has been instrumental in clearing Gaza Province of landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) to the point where Gaza has been declared “Impact Free”. The teams have since been deployed to other Provinces within the country to continue their efforts with the aim of assisting Mozambique to achieve full compliance with its Anti-Personal Mine Ban Convention obligations by December 2014.

In Angola, APOPO has partnered with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and is providing our unique Mine Detection Rats (MDRs) to assist with …

Emergency Department Use For Preventable Behavioral Health-Related Disorders Among Ex-Prisoners In Rhode Island, Christina Andrews

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background

The population of ex-prisoners returning to their communities is large. Morbidity and mortality is increased during the period following release. Understanding utilization of emergency services by this population may inform interventions to reduce adverse outcomes. We examined Emergency Department utilization among a cohort of recently released prisoners.

Methods

We linked Rhode Island Department of Corrections records with electronic health record data from a large hospital system from 2007 to 2009 to analyze emergency department utilization for mental health disorders, substance use disorders and ambulatory care sensitive conditions by ex-prisoners in the year after release from prison in comparison to …

Shifting Local Ecologies: Biocultural Interactions And Ecuadorian Public Health, Sabrina Bradford

Honors Theses

Though biology is considered universal, this thesis argues against the assumption of the universal applications of biomedicine in favor of a biocultural approach, emphasizing shifting local ecologies in an increasingly globalized world. This research investigated Ecuadorian health within an ecological context in coordination with an international public health internship that was completed through the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the Ecuadorian Ministerio de Salud Pública. Throughout this thesis, examples are provided demonstrating that globalization, though appearing as a homogenous process on the international level, creates heterogeneous effects on the local scale. To explain the mechanisms and implications of these …

The Elimination Of Blindness: An Ethnographic Exploration Of The Fight Against Trachoma In Niger, Kelley Cosby Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to explore specialized and popular cultural models of trachoma, and the interaction between the trachoma elimination program and its target audience in one trachoma hyper-endemic intervention community. Eighty four million people worldwide, mainly children, are infected with active bacterial trachoma. For some, this will lead to painful and progressive corneal opacity and eventual blindness. The disease is most commonly spread by person-to-person contact or by flies, and affects very specific populations living in resource-poor areas such as rural Niger, which has one of the highest prevalence rates worldwide.

The World Health Organization formed an …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Traditions Regarding Water Consumption And Sanitary Practices Of The Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Women In The Chiriquí Province In Panama, Natalia Vega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: In 2007, approximately 66.2% of the population of the Comarcas (indigenous reservations) in Panama had access to potable water. However, over 50% of this population lacked access to sanitation. As a result, the leading causes of death in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé are due to severe diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin. The present project assessed the need for an in-depth understanding of the Ngäbe-Buglé women and their communities regarding their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about water and sanitation. Methodology: In this cross-sectional exploratory study, a convenience sample of 52 women were interviewed, utilizing a questionnaire guided by the …

Social Determinants Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Perinatal Morbidity: Social Origins Of Perinatal Health Study, Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The social causation of preterm birth remains elusive, without an adequate explanatory framework. Thus, this study proposed and evaluated a conceptual model of the social determinants of perinatal health for the understanding of perinatal health disparities.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with pregnant women between 20 and 35 weeks gestation who were participating in two Healthy Start programs in Central Florida, from July 2011-August 2013. Perinatal health was operationalized based on gestational age, birth weight, and healthy start infant risk screen score. The predictors were: early life adversity, social position, maternal health-related quality of life, maternal stress, …

Paleoparasitology: The Origin Of Human Parasites; Paleoparasitologia: A Origem Dos Parasitas Humanos, Adauto Araújo, Karl Reinhard, Luis Fernando Ferreira, Elisa Pucu, Pedro Paulo Chieffi

Karl Reinhard Publications

Parasitism is composed by three subsystems: the parasite, the host, and the environment. There are no organisms that cannot be parasitized. The relationship between a parasite and its host species most of the time do not result in damage or disease to the host. However, in a parasitic disease the presence of a given parasite is always necessary, at least in a given moment of the infection. Some parasite species that infect humans were inherited from pre-hominids, and were shared with other phylogenetically close host species, but other parasite species were acquired from the environment as humans evolved. Human migration …

Like A Hurricane: A Citation Analysis Of Emergency Management Scholarly Literature, Jennifer Noe, Julia M. Furay

Publications and Research

This bibliometric study used citation analysis to uncover citing characteristics in the burgeoning academic field of emergency management. Of the 281 degree programs listed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency nationwide, those at community colleges accounted for 17 percent of the total. Using the interdisciplinary database of Academic Search Complete, a sample of 5,099 citations was collected from 146 articles published between 2002 and 2012. The most strongly represented disciplines revealed by the analysis were Social Science, Science/Technology and Medicine. A majority of citations (45%) came from academic journals, with nearly half (44%) of those from Social Science. When citing …

Are You In Or Out?: Qualitative Study On Factors Associated With Minorities' Decisions About Organ Donation, Jennifer Yvonne Cannon

Masters Theses

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHH; 2011) has declared that the need for organ transplant in minorities is disproportionately high compared to Caucasians. Of the minority groups represented in the United States, African-Americans are the largest group in need of organ transplantation (USDHH, 2011) and, this group spends more time on the donor organ waiting list than any other minority group (Moore, 2007). The purpose of this study was to explore what factors affect organ donation decision making for college students from ethnic minority groups. In addition, the study looked at mistrust in the medical community …

Do Prediction Markets Aid Defenders In A Weak‐Link Contest?, Cary Deck, Li Hao, David Porter

ESI Working Papers

Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that prediction market prices weakly aggregate the disparate information of the traders about states (moves) of nature. However, in many practical applications one might want to predict the move of a strategic participant. This is particularly important in aggressor‐defender contests. This paper reports a set of such experiments where the defender may have the advantage of observing a prediction market on the aggressor’s action. The results of the experiments indicate that: the use of prediction markets does not increase the defender’s win rate; prediction markets contain reliable information regarding aggressors’ decisions, namely excess bid information, that …

Prediction Markets In The Laboratory, Cary Deck, David Porter

ESI Working Papers

"The idea that there is wisdom from the collective has been forcefully described in “The Wisdom of the Crowds” by James Surowiecki, who argues that the aggregation of information in groups results in better decisions than those that are afforded by any single member of the group. Markets, like opinion polls, are one mechanism for aggregating disparate pieces of information. The aggregation properties of prices were first noted by Hayek (1945) and were formally examined by Muth (1961). In particular, Hayek argues that market prices serve the purpose of sharing and coordinating local and personal knowledge, while Muth shows that …

Power And Purpose : U.S. Foreign Aid And Development, Jeremy L. Wells

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Foreign aid represents about 1 percent of the United States federal budget, but it also represents a significant portion of many recipient countries’ gross domestic products. Although there has been substantial interest in foreign aid among international political economy researchers over the last decade or so, there are still few if any answers to the most basic questions: who gets foreign aid, how much, and is it effective? Through a combination of cross-national analyses and a quantitative case study of Afghanistan during the Taliban insurgency of 2003–2009, this dissertation seeks to advance our understanding of the utility of foreign aid …

Desert In The Springs: Ethnography Of A Food Desert, Margeaux Alana Chavez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Food desert" commonly describes food insecure areas with few fresh food outlets. Though used in a number of sources, the definition of "food desert" remains largely undeveloped and research is often deficit oriented, failing to account for community assets that may exist within food deserts but are underutilized or under-supported. Using an assets-based, ethnographic approach, this study combines GIS and survey methodology with participant observation and qualitative interviews to assess the potential positive effect of urban agriculture on food accessibility in Sulphur Springs, a USDA identified urban food desert in Tampa, Florida.

Ethnographic data suggest that within this neighborhood, residents …

Prenatal Stress, Depression, And Herpes Viral Titers, Pao-Chu Hsu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies suggest that some cases of prenatal depression may be associated with reactivation of latent infections of the herpesvirus family. The possible relationships among stress, prenatal depression, and herpes viral reactivation in pregnancy are understudied and the molecular pathways such as the neuroimmune biogenic amine pathway are unidentified. Chronic stress shifts the T helper-1 cell (Th1) cytokine profile to a Th2 profile, which favors virus induced pathogenesis and survival. Pregnancy is also associated with a similar Th2 dominance. In non-pregnant individuals, exposure to psychological or physical stress may be associated with latent herpes viral reactivation and could result in …

More Than Feeding: Lived Experiences Of Low-Income Women Receiving Lactation Support, Emily Anne Dunn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing breastfeeding duration, especially among low-income women, has become a national public health priority. These mothers and their babies have less equitable access to support, resources, and the health benefits of breastfeeding. This thesis examines breastfeeding from a biocultural perspective with a focus on political economy, embodiment, and human rights. This research explores the lived experiences of new mothers who receive services from a community non-profit lactation support program which is aimed at providing in-home postpartum breastfeeding support to low-income/at-risk mothers. Evaluation of program services and analysis of women's narratives will provide insight into improvement of lactation services for all …

Bringing Hope To Those Forgotten: Is The Provision Of Transitional And Supportive Housing Effective In Reducing Homelessness? A Quantitative Analysis Of Willbridge Of Santa Barbara, Inc., Melissa Cervantes

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

No abstract provided.

My Journey From Physician To Psychologist: Relational Touch In Psychotherapy, Brita S. Reed

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A physician's armamentarium includes the presence of the tool of touch which is used not only to diagnose and to heal, but also to reassure patients that they are safe and well cared for in the hands of the physician. The use of touch in the practice of psychology, however, is relatively proscribed. In this essay, I examine how we, as psychologists, can best "hold" our clients without the use of touch. In the first part of this essay, I explore some theoretical considerations on relational touch in psychotherapy. I define relational touch as touch that occurs between people and …

An Innovative Approach To Action Research In Family Violence Prevention, Linnaya M. Graf, Nancy K. Rea, William M. Barkley

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Violence prevention remains a priority in the current public health agenda because of continuing high rates and debilitating effects of violence that exist across the globe (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families [USDHHS-ACF], 2009; World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). This article presents the use of an innovative qualitative study developed from community action research methods in the area of family violence. By applying the combined framework of force field analysis (Lewin, 1958) and the public health model (Centers for Disease Control, 2002; Knox & Aspy, 2011), the current study identified factors that positively …