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Climate Change Anxiety And Hope Both Predict Action: A Moderation Analysis, Yuhan Bi, Grace Hyde, Orei Z. Odents, Kai Okagawa, Cassandra Hoffman, Kimberly A. Barchard

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Climate change is associated with extreme weather events that have devastating effects on communities worldwide. These events disrupt ecosystems, damage infrastructure, and influence physical and mental well-being. Urgent action is needed. Prior studies demonstrate that people are more likely to take action if they feel anxious about climate change and if they feel hopeful they can make a difference. However, we hypothesized that anxiety and hope would interact: that anxiety would only predict action when people felt hopeful. Therefore, we used path analysis to determine if hope moderates the relation between anxiety and action.

In a cross-sectional design, 500 United …

Culturally-Affirming Service-Learning For Counselors-In-Training: Child-Parent Relationship Therapy Training With Spanish-Speaking Families, Karen M. Roller, Szu-Yu Chen, Katrina Volante

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The Spanish-speaking community is the largest underserved language group in the United States. To advance social justice advocacy and multicultural humility for this language group, the field of counselor education needs to create pedagogical scaffolding for non-Spanish-speaking counselors-in-training to work with interpreters to support Spanish-speaking families, while also enhancing language-concordant training for Spanish-English bilingual counselors-in-training. We utilized a critical race research design to explore six counselors-in-training’s experience participating in service-learning through online facilitation of Child-Parent Relationship Therapy with Spanish-speaking families. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of qualitative data yielded four major themes: (a) collaboration, (b) improved awareness, (c) growth and strength, and …

A Pilot Study Of A Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention For Opioid Use Disorder Delivered In A Community-Based Public Health Organization, Michelle R. Lent, Denise Botcheos, Chad Gurdgiel, Hannah R. Callahan, Liam Gilroy

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

This pilot study evaluated a previously untested cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention designed specifically to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Adults (N = 20) taking medication for OUD were recruited from a public health organization providing harm reduction and treatment services to people who use drugs in Philadelphia. Outcomes collected at baseline and 12 weeks included urinalysis-confirmed use of illicit drugs and surveys of mood (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), recovery capital (Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital-10), and cravings (Brief Substance Craving Scale). Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via retention rates, the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, and the number of …

Framing The Future: A Community Health Analysis Of The Pee Dee Region, Stephen Borders, Jean Anton, Rian Fontaine, Donielle Phillips, Treyton Ringer, Jessica Robinson, Caitlin Thompkins

Public Health

This report presents a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of community health across South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, encompassing Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Marion, and Dillon Counties. Using tract-level data from CDC PLACES, the U.S. Census, and the National Provider Identifier registry, it assesses chronic health conditions, health behaviors, and social determinants of health. The analysis incorporates the South Carolina Healthy Communities Index (SCHCI) and a Suitability Analysis to identify the region’s most disadvantaged communities. The findings highlight persistent disparities, particularly in rural counties, where high rates of poverty, chronic disease, and unmet basic needs intersect with limited access to care. Despite …

Family-Based Health Promotion To The Early Phases Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment: A Qualitative Review, Anna Van Asselt, Renee Gilbert, Hide Okuno, Ann M. Davis, Keith J. August, Carolyn R. Bates, Robert C. Gibler

Research Days

Introduction: Excessive weight gain during early phases of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) treatment elevates risk for long-term morbidities, late effects, and secondary cancers. Behavioral factors including physical inactivity and poor diet quality play a significant role in weight outcomes. Existing health behavior and obesity interventions do not address challenges that children and families face during cancer treatment. The current study qualitatively investigated caregiver, child, and multi-disciplinary expert perspectives on health behavior engagement and intervention content for the future adaptation of NOURISH-ALL.

Method: Caregivers (N=11) and youth with ALL (N=6) in the first year of treatment completed semi-structured interviews …

The Extreme Poverty Alleviation Impact Of The Conditional Cash Transfer Program In Nigeria, Oluseun Omolara Olagunju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite several social investment programmes (SIPs) to reduce poverty, Nigeria had a high poverty rate, particularly in remote rural areas. The SIPs included conditional cash transfers (CCTs) to eligible households under certain conditions, such as extreme poverty in remote rural areas without access to water, electricity, shelter, basic health care, and education. While a few studies conducted on the effectiveness of CCTs have shown that Nigeria invested significant resources in poverty alleviation without the desired results due to factors like poor implementation and corruption, none reflects the perspective of CCT beneficiaries. The purpose of this study was to fill this …

Poverty Elimination Action Plan, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, City Of Omaha

Reports

This document fulfills the legislative requirements of LB 840, the Poverty Elimination Action Plan, aimed at reporting on Omaha efforts to eliminate poverty and developing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate poverty in Omaha, NE. It reviews research and policy interventions addressing poverty, incorporates community-driven and secondary data for a needs assessment, and offers actionable recommendations for poverty alleviation. The report also provides guidance on implementation, sustainability, and progress tracking. A brief conclusion at the end of this report is followed by appendices detailing supplementary data and analysis.

Amazigh Lexical Substrate In Tunisian Derja: An Outcome Of Linguistic Contact On Youtube And Facebook, Soubeika Bahri

Journal of Amazigh Studies

Despite the extensive discussion of the structural and lexical impact of Tamazight on North African spoken varieties in Morocco, Algeria, and Libya (Berkai 4-14; Souag 2018, 192-200; Faizi 29-39; Bensoukas and Boudlal 179-21; Zellou 1-13), little is known about the linguistic contact outcome between the Tunisian spoken variety (henceforth, Ettounsi or Tunisian Derja) and Tamazight. In this article, we present and analyze Amazigh linguistic substrate examples in the lexicon of Ettounsi. Contact-induced change (Lafkioui 51-93; Thomason 339-46; Heine and Kuteva, 529-72) and language contact on YouTube (Garley, 77-106), along with the method of computer-mediated discourse (Androutsopoulos, 419-438), offer …

An Integrated Approach To Supporting Undergraduate Students Through Wellness And Community, Nicole Manning

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Students experience mounting levels of stress due to the demands of balancing academics and social relationships. These influences can cause negative effects on the mind and body. Empowering students with resources for holistic wellbeing could relieve stress, create a nurturing environment, and impact their overall success at University of San Diego (USD). My project assisted in a course where undergraduate students develop skills to thrive personally beyond their time at USD. The research question that drove my study was: How can I help develop a successful holistic wellness course to support students in relieving stress? I completed three cycles which …

A Case Of Racialized Organizations: Black-Owned Vegan Restaurants In St. Louis, Missouri, Antonia M. Roach

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

How does functioning as a racialized organization impact a restaurant’s ability to advance the goals of a social movement? This paper highlights the role organizations play in the vegan social movement. In recent years, veganism has developed into a social movement with purported health and ethics benefits, though one in which Black members are not necessarily widely represented. The research that exists on Black veganism focuses on the ideological reasonings behind why some make the decision to adopt a plant-based diet, or spell out the fact that community and culture rank as top priorities when considering what foods to eat …

Three Essays On Improving Access To Healthcare In Ethiopia, Abdela Alite Hilo

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract Achieving universal health coverage necessitates equitable access to healthcare services. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly half of the global population lacks full coverage of essential health services, with Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) being disproportionately affected. The situation is further exacerbated by the increasing frequency and severity of climate change-induced extremes, which are deepening health equity challenges in these regions. In response, governments and various international and national organizations have implemented numerous policy initiatives to improve healthcare access for marginalized populations in LMICs. Given the growing emphasis on achieving universal health coverage in developing countries, there is …

What Modren Dental Dna Sequencing And Tooth Analysis Combined With Historical Context Can Tell Us About The Human Experience, Brynn Butko

D.U.Quark

Dental DNA extraction and visual analysis of teeth are subjects that aid many different research fields. Odontal analysis, specifically combined with forensic science and anthropology, allows for age and sex estimations, the identification of remains, and an in-depth historical account of human history. Because tooth analysis is utilized in various fields, a lack of uniform protocol for handling, analyzing, and extracting teeth persists. This review will explore the methods of dental analysis, the individual dental characteristics that identify age and sex in remains, and a depiction of the past through tooth evaluation. Creating a standardized protocol for the process of …

Geography In Service To The Community, Albert Redsun

The Geographical Bulletin

For many years geographers spent much of their professional efforts describing the landscape and man's activities. These were noteworthy, necessary, and valuable contributions. As we grew (just as all disciplines do) we searched for those meaningful relationships of man and land. We still search. Many relationships are obvious. Many that will be discovered in the future will someday be obvious. It is clear that we will need the continuing quest by researchers in our field. Researchers now seek to predict. The introduction of quantification techniques has allowed for more refined analysis and prediction. As researchers open more and more doors …

Pulse Pressure, White Matter Hyperintensities, And Cognition: Mediating Effects Across The Adult Lifespan, Jade Hannan, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Natalie Busby, Sarah C. Wilson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Leonardo Bonilha

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To investigate whether pulse pressure or mean arterial pressure mediates the relationship between age and white matter hyperintensity load and to examine the mediating effect of white matter hyperintensities on cognition.

Methods: Demographic information, blood pressure, current medication lists, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores for231 stroke- and dementia-free adults were retrospectively obtained from the Aging Brain Cohort study. Total WMH load was determined from T2-FLAIR magnetic resonance scans using the TrUE-Net deep learning tool for white matter segmentation. In separate models, we used mediation analysis to assess whether pulse pressure or MAP mediates the relationship between age and total …

Identifying The Trends Of K-12 Funding Formula Reforms In Red States: A Comparative Case Study Of Texas, Tennessee And Mississippi., Hannah E. Watts

Honors Theses

Following the decade after K-12 public education funding cuts brought on by the Great Recession, some states are addressing these funding cuts with changes to their funding formulas. This comparative case study identifies trends of significant changes in education funding formulas since the end of the Great Recession in states with majority Republican legislatures—red states. The states analyzed in this study are Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The research analyzes what caused the states to change their education funding formulas as well as trends regarding the changes of the actual education funding formula. With other red states looking to change their …

Maroon Science: A Counterstory Of Apocalypse, Abolition, And Abandonment, Kenjus Watson

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This Critical Race Counterstory explores "Maroon Science," covert and adaptive knowledge systems rooted in African Sacred Sciences, as a means of navigating the dystopic polycrisis of anti-Blackness, Black youth suicide, and climate destruction. Framed through Apocalyptic Education, the work begins at the end, the inevitable collapse of western schooling and broader state systems it supports, to foreground fugitivity as essential to Black autonomy. The track maps connections between Black Indigeneity, ecological adaptation, and the concealment necessary for maroon communities to evade capture. The layered counterstory portrays Maroon Science as contingencies for African epistemologies of survival, flourishing in ungovernable pockets of …

The Women’S Emancipation Struggle In Senegal During The 1980s And 1990s: The Case Of The “Yewwu-Yewwi” Movement, Aliou Ly

Journal of African Policy Studies

Senegalese women’s socio-cultural and economic status has always been shaped by local customs, religion, and gender structures. During the colonial period, against the backdrop of the opportunity to have a Western education, economic changes and extremely rapid urbanization encouraged Senegalese women to join the political arena in supporting various male political leaders. This trend continued during the post-colonial period, leading to the election of female parliamentarians and women holding high governmental positions in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1980s saw the creation of more vocal and visible women’s organizations such as the Yewwu-Yewwi “Pour la Liberation des Femmes” movement of …

The Rural Development Politics Under Prime Minister K.A. Busia Of Ghana, 1969-1972, Kwame Adum-Kyeremeh

Journal of African Policy Studies

This article discusses rural development under the Second Republican government of Ghana. While not directly engaging with the claims of Busia’s unrivalled rural development agenda, this article provides some perspectives as to why the assertions of unqualified success remain popular. Drawing on newspapers and published sources, it discusses the Busia government’s rural development programme and accomplishments, and finds that plans to develop rural Ghana date to several years before the Busia government. By adopting rural development as its flagship programme, Busia directed the government and citizens’ attention towards rapid rural development in the early 1970s. Widespread media publicity has helped …

Trust-Related Health Beliefs In Medical Systems Among Black Americans Since Covid-19, Monique Johnson Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

COVID-19 highlighted the longstanding systemic and structural racism that produced poor health outcomes in Black communities. Black minorities in the United States were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with less access to health resources, low vaccine rates, and mistrust of healthcare providers and organizations. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored trust-related health beliefs with medical systems among Black Americans since COVID-19. The study explored the trust-related health beliefs through the six constructs of the health belief model—perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of six participants who …

How Does Snap Access Prior To Pregnancy Affect Maternal And Infant Health Outcomes?, Sarah Hamersma, Mitch Mcfarlane

Center for Policy Research

Consistent access to healthy food even before pregnancy can play a role in maternal and child health. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to low-income individuals, including those who do not yet have children (often classified as Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, or ABAWDs). Our study uses ABAWD work requirement waivers – which vary within and across counties over a 15-year-period – as a measure of SNAP access for childless women. We use this variation to investigate pre-pregnancy SNAP access and the health of mothers and their infants. Using rich, population-wide Vital Statistics data combined with county-level SNAP …

Who Do You Want To Become?, Taylor Greene

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Client-Centered Food Distribution: An Analysis Of Patron Preferences At The Oxford Food Pantry, Ella Mann

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has long penetrated the rural South. This limits access to nutritious foods like fresh produce and contributes to chronic health conditions that may arise. Food pantries serve as a vital resource in addressing these disparities by providing free food to families in need. Many of these pantries incorporate strategies to increase consumption of nutrient dense options such as fruits as vegetables. These strategies can vary but the client choice model has proven to align with the self determination theory and promote greater autonomy in food selection. This study aimed to assess the food preferences of patrons at the …

Challenges Us Study Abroad Students Face When Acculturating To A Foreign Food Environment, Sydney C. Davis

Honors Theses

Studying abroad presents a unique opportunity for college students to immerse themselves in new cultures, including experiencing different food environments and dietary customs. However, adapting to a foreign food culture can pose various challenges that impact students’ overall health, eating behaviors, and study abroad experiences. The purpose of this study to develop a survey instrument designed to investigate the extent to which U.S. study abroad students embrace, accept, and face challenges with different aspects of Italian food culture, using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) as a guiding framework. Initial survey items were developed with information obtained from focus group discussions …

Case Studies In Modern Accountancy: Exploring Financial Ethics, Corporate Influence, And Regional Development Through An Interdisciplinary Lens, Caroline Klocke

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles five case studies researched and completed during the 2023-2024 academic year, each exploring a different topic pertaining to the accounting profession today. With the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, professor at the University of Mississippi, these case studies were completed throughout the Accountancy 420 class to fulfill the research requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. The first case emphasizes reliable international financial reporting, while exploring the exposure of fraudulent Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges that costed American investors billions of dollars. The second explores U.S. military spending …

Cooking For A Cause: Food Insecurity In Lafayette County, Ms, Anna K. Richie

Honors Theses

Many people in Lafayette County, MS, experience ongoing difficulties with consistent access to healthy food options. According to the Mississippi Health & Hunger Atlas, “food insecurity rates in Mississippi are consistently and statistically higher than national averages—having been ranked as #1 or #2 for highest food insecurity rate every year for the past 15 years” (Haggard, Cafer & Green, 2017). This capstone project examines how a Little Free Pantry (LFP) initiative can contribute to local food security efforts and evaluates cooking demonstration outcomes using ingredients found in LFPs. The approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods by tracking pantry inventory data …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic At North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Emma-Kathryn Bond

Honors Theses

Over the course of two years, I spent more than 130 hours completing on-the- ground volunteer work with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), a clinic within North Mississippi Rural Legal Services that provides free legal assistance to individuals navigating disputes with the IRS. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees legal representation in criminal cases, no such guarantee exists for civil matters such as tax disputes, housing instability, or loss of public benefits. Clinics like LITC fill a crucial gap by offering support in areas that are often overlooked, such as tax law, where clients risk audits, wage garnishments, and court proceedings …

Tackling Social Stigma: An Ethical Obligation In Healthcare Intervention To Involuntary Childlessness, Persis Naumann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigma associated with involuntary childlessness has negatively affected health and well-being for several decades. This situation is particularly exacerbated for women within the Tamil socio-cultural context, resulting in feelings of shame, neglect, denial, isolation, and constituting a significant barrier to long-term access to healthcare services. Although advancements have been made in the provision of biomedical care, the psychosocial support remains inadequately addressed. Moreover, there are currently no healthcare interventions that specifically target the stigma associated with this issue, which hinders open communication with healthcare providers, delays necessary treatments, and adversely impacts overall health outcomes. The central thesis of this …

Pastoralism, Social Protection And Vision 2030 In Kenya: Possibilities And Prospects, Maurice N. Amutabi

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper is based on research which investigated the availability of social protection structures and institutions among pastoralists in northern Kenya. Social protection, which consists of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing people's exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income is something that northern Kenya needs. The paper faults Vision 2030 and suggests mechanisms and ways in which pastoralists can be incorporated in Kenya's development more meaningfully. The argument is that Vision 2030 has not addressed the plight of pastoralists in political, …

Lindenwood Digest, May 7, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Foreign Investment And Repression In Lesotho, Amir Azarvan

Journal of African Policy Studies

According to neoliberal theory, foreign direct investment enhances socioeconomic conditions in host countries, which in turn leads to democratization and greater protection of human rights. The structuralist theory, in contrast, holds that, in interaction with domestic unrest, foreign investment fosters repression. Lesotho serves as a fitting laboratory in which to test these competing theories. In 1995, the country had experienced a huge surge in foreign direct investment. In the period leading up to and during this increase, Lesotho was among the most impoverished countries in the world, and had a relatively poor human rights record. This confluence of factors makes …