Digital Commons Network^™

Health Care Access And Insurance Availability In Nevada, Douglas L. Garner, Marie A. Wakefield, Tiffany G. Tyler, A. Dexter Samuels, Roger Cleveland

Social Health of Nevada Reports

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2012) defines healthcare access as “the timely use of health services to achieve the best health outcomes.” The Department specifies that efficient health care access is contingent on several steps, including (1) entry into the healthcare system, (2) availability of needed services, and (3) accessibility of providers with whom individuals can establish relationships founded on mutual communication and trust.

Disease Prevalence And Behavioral Risk In Nevada, Shannon M. Monnat

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Throughout the last several years, people living in the United States have engaged in intense debates about health care reform, costs, and mandates. What is often missing from these debates is arguably the key issue in American health: What is making us sick in the first place?

Health Status Effects On Human Female Mate Preferences And Sociosexuality, Tiffany Alexandra Alvarez

McNair Poster Presentations

Much literature suggests that the sociosexual strategies of females are highly sensitive and consequently responsive to change and its parameters. Through the investigation of an unexplored contextual variant—health status—this study aimed to broaden the understanding of the facultative nature of human female sociosexuality and mate preferences paradigms. We recruited normally cycling women between the ages of 18 and 30 when they were sick (A) had them complete a questionnaire designed to obtain, among other things, measures of their symptom severity and sociosexuality (B) had them evaluate the appeal of two computer manipulated markers of sexual dimorphism (those present in the …

Critical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Communication Messages, Charli Marie Wilson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

For the last thirty years HIV/AIDS has affected the lives of many people in the United States. Since the first introduction of the disease to America, healthcare officials have implemented several methods in various disciplines to prevent new cases. The information in this thesis examines how public health campaigns have contributed to the prevention of HIV. The research method in this thesis assumes a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of three HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns and how these media educate men who have sex with men (MSM) about prevention. The CDA method is useful in identifying consistent emerging themes in the campaigns …

Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim

Open Educational Resources

The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.

Body Size And Mortality In Post-Medieval England, Gail Margaret Hughes-Morey

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Short stature and body mass at both extremes of the distribution have consistently been linked to poor health outcomes in modern populations, but the nature of the relationship between body size and mortality is poorly understood. This dissertation examines the relationship between stature, body mass, and mortality, and how that relationship may have varied with socioeconomic status and evidence of morbidity in post-medieval England. Adults from Chelsea Old Church, an 18th-19th century high status skeletal collection from the outskirts of London, and Lower Saint Bride's, an 18th-19th century low status skeletal collection from central London, both housed at the Museum …

Health Behind And Beyond Bars : Understanding The Link Between Incarceration And Health, Lauren C. Porter

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary aim of this dissertation is to better understand the link between incarceration and health. Drawing on a sample of young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the effect of incarceration on self-rated health, serious injury, STD infection, cold/flu symptoms, and blood pressure is assessed. The effect of incarceration on health behavior is also examined, including diet, smoking, binge drinking, and physical activity. In order to rule out selection bias, current and former inmates are compared to respondents who have been arrested (or arrested and convicted of a crime), but not incarcerated. Findings suggest …

Infectious Disease Risks In Developing Countries: A Non-Market Valuation Exercise, Shreejata Samajpati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the non-market valuation of health-risks of malaria, an infectious disease that imposes a substantive public health burden across the globe, hitting particularly hard the tropical developing nations of Africa and Asia. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include malaria control as a priority and large investments are underway to promote effective prevention and treatment. Despite such concerted supply-side efforts, malaria-related mortality and morbidity still abound due to a complex interface of factors like climate-change, poverty, inadequate control behavior, infection and prevention externalities, parasite resistance etc. This research project digs into the demand-side of the health problem, …

Male Farmers Coping With Loss Of Spouse: Impacts On Farming Operation And Family Life, Daniel O. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Losing a spouse is as devastating an experience anyone will ever deal with in his or her life. Research, however, shows that men have a harder and longer time coping with the loss of a spouse than women. When the widower’s profession is farming, there are no resources to specifically help that individual with their loss. The purpose of this research was to gain insight into the lives of widowed farmers with particular focus on transitions in their farming operation and their family life. Through their stories, we learn what is happening before the loss of the female spouse on …

The Relationship Of Social Stress, Economic Hardship, And Psychological Distress To Addiction Severity Among Kentucky Substance Abuse Treatment Participants, Elizabeth A. Wahler

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Stress is associated with poor mental health, specifically anxiety and depression, and stress and mental health problems are predictors of substance dependence and relapse. Social characteristics, such as racial/ethnic minority status, female gender, and low socioeconomic status, are often associated with increased psychological distress and substance use disorders. Pearlin’s social stress theory postulates that this association is due to increased exposure to stress and subsequent experiences of distress related to social disadvantage and decreased access to resources for coping with stress. This project uses a social stress theoretical perspective to examine predictors of substance use after treatment entry and follow-up …

Singapore’S Chinatown: Nation Building And Heritage Tourism In A Multiracial City, Brenda S. A. Yeoh, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper focuses on the pivotal role played by the state in refashioning the Chinatown landscape as part of both nation-building and heritage tourism projects, and the ensuing cultural politics. After a brief history of the creation of Singapore’s Chinatown, the paper discusses, first, Chinatown’s place in Singapore’s post-independence nation-building project and, second, the reconfiguration of the Chinatown landscape as a tourism asset. The final section reflects on the changing politics of place as Chinatown gains legitimacy in state discourses on heritage, tourism and multiculturalism, as well as in the popular imagination as an ethnic precinct par excellence.

The Politics Of Physical Education Reform, Ari Zyskind

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of the paper is to determine why today's youth are so physically inactive by examining the role and efforts of physical education, and the state and federal governments responsibility in supporting these programs, in fighting today's obesity epidemic by creating generations of healthy and physically active children. Research led to the determination that states have failed to maintain and improve physical education resulting in a physically inactive youth. Therefore, the nation should look to federal legislation to support state-led physical education, which this paper found to be constitutional if the enactments followed the provisions established in South Dakota …

Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): Increasing Opportunities To Delay Marriage And Promote Schooling, Annabel Erulkar, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This policy brief describes the findings of a pilot study on girls’ experience of early marriage, education, and sexual behavior in rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The brief also discusses efforts in the region to delay marriage and promote girls’ schooling. The Amhara Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs and the Population Council pilot-tested a program to delay marriage and support schooling in rural Amhara Region. The program, entitled Berhane Hewan (Amharic for “Light for Eve”), included community conversations, support for remaining in school, and conditional cash transfers if girls remained unmarried and in school for the duration of the …

Situation Analysis Of Behavior Change Communication Activities In Bihar: A Step Towards Developing A Comprehensive Bcc Strategy, M.E. Khan, Isha Bhatnagar, Avishek Hazra, Mukesh Kumar

Reproductive Health

A situation analysis undertaken by the Population Council in Bihar, India assessed a number of contributing factors to a behavior change communication (BCC) strategy. Social norms and practices can be changed if appropriate messages are delivered through a combination of communication channels including mass, mid-, and other media, coupled with improved interactions between frontline healthcare workers and target populations at family and community levels. The analysis notes that effective BCC strategy should be measured in terms of actual behavior change. Impact of BCC activities can be measured by immediate outputs and intermediate and final outcomes depending on implementation duration. The …

Critical Issues For Integrating Srh And Hiv/Aids Services To Provide Dual Protection Against Unintended Pregnancy And Hiv/Sti Acquisition, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This document reports on a one-day symposium that was held by the STEP UP (Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy) Research Program Consortium, coordinated by the Population Council. STEP UP generates policy-relevant research to promote an evidence-based approach for improving access to family planning and safe abortion in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Senegal. The symposium’s objectives were to review and discuss critical and emerging issues around integrating SRH and HIV and AIDS services to enable dual protection, including new directions in dual protection technology and behaviour change interventions. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the programmatic …

Police Crime & Less-Than-Lethal Coercive Force: A Description Of The Criminal Misuse Of Tasers, Philip M. Stinson, Bradford W. Reyns, John Liederbach

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study explores and describes the nature and character of cases that involve the criminal misuse of TASERs by police officers through a content analysis of newspaper articles. The news-based content analysis identified 24 police officers who were arrested for crimes that involved inappropriate use of TASERs over a 65 month period from January 2005 through May 2010. Data on these cases are presented in terms of: a) the arrested officer, b) victim characteristics, and c) the situational context of these events. The news-based content analyses were used to identify and describe some factors that were common among these events, …

Occupational Stressors Among Providers Of Hiv Prevention And Support Services, Mackenzie Kaye Rapp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much literature has documented the high levels of burnout, stress, and grief in HIV physicians and nurses due to the challenging nature of the chronic, fatal disease with which they deal on a daily basis. Providers of social and HIV prevention services face similar challenges while working with stigmatized, terminally ill clients. However, since these latter occupations deal with social, rather than clinical interventions, their experiences may differ from those of medical personnel. Through open-ended interviews with HIV counselors, educators, case managers, and outreach workers, this exploratory study assesses the occupational stressors of providers of social and HIV prevention services …

Zoonotic And Human Parasites Of Inhabitants Of Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Adauto Araújo, Martín Horacio Fugassa, Richard H. Brooks, Elizabeth Racz, Karl J. Reinhard

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We present the first reconstruction of the parasitoses among the people of the Loma San Gabriel culture, as represented by 36 coprolites excavated from the Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos in Durango, Mexico. The coprolites date to approximately 1,400-yr ago. Species identified based on eggs recovered include the trematode Echinostoma sp., the tapeworms Hymenolepis sp. and Dipylidium caninum, and the nematodes Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, and Trichuris trichiura. After rehydration and screening, 2 methods were used to recover eggs from these samples including spontaneous sedimentation and flotation. Samples were analyzed by 3 different laboratories for independent …

Synthesizing Parasitology With Archaeology In Paleopathology, Karl Reinhard, Adauto Araujo

Karl Reinhard Publications

Parasitology is the study of organisms that are symbiotic with other organisms. In this form of symbiosis, the parasite species by definition benefits from the interaction while the host is harmed to some degree. In actuality, some parasites benefit their hosts. The animals traditionally studied by parasitologists range from protozoa to arthropods, and include all types of internal and external worms. Ticks, fleas, lice, and a variety of insects that transmit parasites are also studied by parasitologists. Recently, a more holistic view of parasitism appeared, including bacteria and viruses. In essence, parasitology is the study of a certain kind of …

Perceptions, Attitudes And Acceptability Of Hiv Testing Among Sub-Saharan African Immigrants In Chicago, Rita Ndidi Amadi

Dissertations

HIV testing is a primary strategy in HIV prevention and is associated with a myriad of benefits including positive behavior changes and enhanced access to HIV care services and support. However, African immigrants delay testing and are often diagnosed with late stage HIV infection and symptoms suggestive of AIDS. Little attention has been devoted to understanding the barriers to testing among sub Saharan African immigrants in the United States.

This cross sectional survey, conducted in partnership with African community organizations in Chicago, used multistage sampling techniques to reach this hard to reach population. It attempted to elucidate the HIV testing …

Investigating The Role Of Genetic Variation In Long Run Economic Outcomes, Charles Justin Cook

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation empirically tests whether adaptations resulting from the Neolithic Revolution, or the widespread adoption of sedentary agriculture for sustenance, have led to economic differences. The development of sedentary agriculture constituted an environmen- tal shift from the previous sustenance method of hunting and gathering. This environmental shift resulted in the natural selection of certain traits. I seek to exploit differences in these traits to measure differing economic outcomes. Two main adaptations are considered in this work: the ability to consume milk, or lactose tolerance, and resistance to infectious Eurasian diseases, which is the result of genetic variation. The first essay …

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, James B. Hoelzle

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Peacebuilding, Power, And Politics In Africa, Devon Curtis, Gwinyayi A. Dzinesa

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Peacebuilding, Power, and Politics in Africa is a critical reflection on peacebuilding efforts in Africa. The authors expose the tensions and contradictions in different clusters of peacebuilding activities, including peace negotiations; statebuilding; security sector governance; and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. Essays also address the institutional framework for peacebuilding in Africa and the ideological underpinnings of key institutions, including the African Union, NEPAD, the African Development Bank, the Pan-African Ministers Conference for Public and Civil Service, the UN Peacebuilding Commission, the World Bank, and the International Criminal Court. The volume includes on-the-ground case study chapters on Sudan, the Great Lakes Region …

Perceived Stress And The Buffering Hypothesis Of Perceived Social Support On Facebook, John G. Lynch

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Online social networking sites have experienced a surge in popularity since their inception. Serving as a hub for communities of all ages, Web sites such as MySpace, Friendster and Facebook bridge geographic and time limitations and offer their members the opportunity to connect with anyone on the Internet at any time. The growing accessibility of technology for computer-mediated communication, outside of such Web sites offers similar opportunities. Although critics share concern over potential for the loss of intimacy, the possibility for increased levels of perceived social support through limitless networking options should not be overlooked. When we consider the strong …

The Phenomenology Of Court-Ordered Treatment: From The Perspective Of Methamphetamine Dependent Adults, Justin Steffener

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study was designed to explore with a sample of methamphetamine dependent adults their perceptions of the process involved in their experiences of court-ordered treatment. The motivation for this study derives from the researcher's wish to unearth ways to better understand and support the needs of adults suffering from addiction. A significant amount of research has already been conducted in regards to the treatment of methamphetamine addiction from the standpoint of quantitative measurements of treatment outcomes, but limited information is presently available from the perspective of the suffers. The stringent selection of the sample was composed of six individuals …

The Use Of Public Relations Tactics In Two Nationwide Fundraising Campaigns In Nonprofit Organisations In Ireland. A Case Study Analysis, Arlene Hogan

Theses

This study aims to analysis the use of public relations in two of Ireland’s nonprofit organisations and their national fundraising campaigns. The two charities chosen were The Mater Foundation and its national fundraising campaign called The Heart Appeal and the second charity is The Irish Heart Foundation and its national campaign called Happy Heart Weekend. The questions that the author will be looking to find are the importance of having PR as part of a nonprofit nationwide fundraising campaign, what PR tactics do these charities use to publicise their national fundraising campaigns in question and does communication play a strategic …

Use Of Real-Time Pcr To Detect Canine Parvovirus In Feces Of Free-Ranging Wolves, L. David Mech, Emily S. Almberg, Douglas Smith, Sagar Goyal, Randall S. Singer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Using real-time PCR, we tested 15 wolf (Canis lupus) feces from the Superior National Forest (SNF), Minnesota, USA, and 191 from Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA, collected during summer and 13 during winter for canine parvovirus (CPV)-2 DNA. We also tested 20 dog feces for CPV-2 DNA. The PCR assay was 100%sensitive and specific with a minimum detection threshold of 104 50% tissue culture infective dose. Virus was detected in two winter specimens but none of the summer specimens. We suggest applying the technique more broadly especially with winter feces.

Psychological Pathways Linking Social Support To Health Outcomes: A Visit With The “Ghosts” Of Research Past, Present, And Future, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, Kimberly Bowen, Mckenzie Carlisle

Faculty Publications

Contemporary models postulate the importance of psychological mechanisms linking perceived and received social support to physical health outcomes. In this review, we examine studies that directly tested the potential psychological mechanisms responsible for links between social support and health-relevant physiological processes (1980s to 2010). Inconsistent with existing theoretical models, no evidence was found that psychological mechanisms such as depression, perceived stress, and other affective processes are directly responsible for links between support and health. We discuss the importance of considering statistical/design issues, emerging conceptual perspectives, and limitations of our existing models for future research aimed at elucidating the psychological mechanisms …

Chimes: December 9, 2011, Calvin College

Chimes

Campus Fair Trade sale promotes justice by Amanda Elliott

Acton translates Kuyper by Ryan Devries

Choirs worship with LaGrave by Grace Ruiter

Scientists fight bacterial resistance by Jon Hielkema

Paradise Fears impressive by Jess Koster

Soccer team finishes second in the nation by Mark Zylstra

A Matter Of Seconds: An Interpretive Study On Media Reporting Of Life-Threatened Children, James M. Kavanaugh

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Based on the premise that journalists and media systems have an ethical responsibility to report on the issue of child mortality, this interpretive study examines the question of how they can do so effectively, with the possibility of inspiring generous action among their audiences. The study compares results from human science research on charitable giving to distant victims, with a set of interviews involving a diverse group of media specialists. In conclusion, while the media staff of nonprofit organizations, compared to journalists, tend to be more aware of social research related to charitable giving, as well as more comfortable with …