Regional Variations In Maternal Mortality, Infant Mortality, And Infants With Low Birth Weight: Implications For Sub Sahara Africa And Gender-Sensitive Policies, Guang-Zhen Wang

Journal of African Policy Studies

The paper examines regional variations in maternal mortality, infant mortality, and percentage infants with low birth weight in relation to economic development, gender equality, and women's rights by using data obtained from 137 developing countries (or areas). The 137 developing countries are divided into six regions: sub-Saharan Africa (N=45), Arab states (N=20), East Asia/Pacific (N=28), South Asia (N=9), Latin America/Caribbean (N=33), and Southern Europe (N=2). To examine regional variations, this paper is divided into four parts. The first part discusses regional variations in maternal mortality, infant mortality, and infants with low birth weight across and within regions. Part two focuses …

The Influence Of Christianity And Islam On Educational Attainment In Africa: Using Literacy Rates As An Indicator, Natalia A. Castaner

Journal of African Policy Studies

This is a quantitative research study using current data from the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Member States through its Institute for Statistics (UIS) annual data collection for the 57 countries in Africa. This study shows that a religious factor, i.e., Christianity and Islam, has a significant effect on the levels of educational attainment within each specific country in Africa. This study illustrates the need to consider the impact religion has on educational attainment in Africa.

Micro Finance In Eritrea: A Catalyst For Women Development, Ravinder Rena

Journal of African Policy Studies

The microfinance refers to small-scale financial services (primarily credit and savings) provided to people who engage in the farming, fishing and operate micro-enterprises to gain subsistence income from these activities and subsequently support the rural economy. Microfinance is a highly accepted and recognized development tool. It has been playing a vital role in many developing countries of the world. The women are considered to be a pillar of the society and economy. For example, 45 per cent of the measurable Gross Domestic Income comes from the work of women in the world's richest countries. Eritrea, a poor but young nation …

Fostering Constructive Public And Private Sector Linkages For Agricultural Research And Development In Sub Saharan Africa, Kefasi Nyikahadzoi, Adewale Adekunle

Journal of African Policy Studies

Investing in agricultural research and development is critical for improving livelihoods of the resource poor in Sub Saharan Africans and also for the conservation of natural resource. While on the global level, the contribution of public sector to agriculture research and development investment is declining; the private sector is coming in to fill the gap. In Sub Saharan Africa, private sector involvement in agriculture research and development is still very limited. This paper uses secondary data and information coming out of the Sub Saharan Africa Challenge Programme to discuss the constraints that inhibit private sector involvement in agriculture research and …

Population Increase, Environment, Food Access And Development In Africa: The Role Of The African Union, Amado J. Kaba

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines the impact of the massive population increase in Africa in the post World War II era and the environmental challenges the continent confronts in trying to feed such a high number of people. The paper is divided into three sections. The first section examines the demographics of Africa, which show that the continent has increased its total population by 750 million people from 1950 to 2008. The second section of this paper then presents arguments by scholars pertaining to the environmental challenges, especially for agriculture, facing Africa as it finds ways to feed this massive number of …

Governing Climate Mobility: A Case Study Of Urban Education Policies In Mexico City, Mattie Carroll

Working Papers

Mexico’s migration landscape is shaped by internal displacement, return migration, and transit migration, increasingly influenced by the social and environmental pressures of climate change. Mexico City, as both the capital and most populous urban center, plays a central role in receiving and shaping the experiences of mobile and displaced populations.This paper uses climate mobility as an entry point to examine the intersection of migration, education policy, and integration in Mexico City.
Drawing on the mobilities paradigm, the study challenges fixed categories of migration and settlement, emphasizing how movement is embedded in everyday life and reshapes both people and places. Rather …

Impact Of Ohio Senate Bill 265 On Infant Mortality Rate In Ohio, Lauren Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with the infant mortality rate among Black women living in Ohio. Despite programs such as the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative and Celebrate One, the infant mortality rate among Black women continues to persist, and a rate disparity between White women and Black women remains. The purpose of this generic qualitative inquiry was to explore retail pharmacists’ behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward providing prenatal care as a reimbursed service in Ohio. Currently, no studies exist that explore retail pharmacists' behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward expanding their services to include prenatal care. Using Ajzen’s theory of planned …

Sustainable Agricultural Development In Nigeria: A Question Of Biotechnology, Environmental Conservation, Or Indigenous Knowledge?, Emmanuel O. Oritsejafor

Journal of African Policy Studies

Nigeria, like most developing countries, depends on agriculture primarily for subsistence and export revenues. However, Nigeria is confronted with food security challenges. Several factors have contributed to this problem, such as demographic trends, crude farming methods, deforestation, the oil boom and public policies that are not consistent with the socio-economic and political realities of the state.

Given these challenges, this inquiry will examine the socio-economic and environmental implications of recent recommendations by development agencies such as the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP), which has prescribed the use of biotechnology to address Africa's food security problems. This recommendation appears to be …

What Model For Language Planning In Education And Development?, Raymond Mopoho

Journal of African Policy Studies

The implementation of language policies by African countries after independence was very similar to what prevailed in the colonial era in that its centerpiece was the promotion of European languages, to the exclusion of native languages. The official rationale for such policies was political and economic in nature: In a multiethnic context, imposing a foreign language would promote national unity and foster the acquisition of the technical know-how necessary for development. Such a policy was characterized by several weaknesses. In its implementation, for many years, the school system seemed content with being a graduate generating machine, with little attention being …

Nigeria, Globalization And The Development Of Underdevelopment In The Third World, Kema Lrogbe

Journal of African Policy Studies

There are two contending opinions on the issue of globalization. There are some observers who believe that globalization has brought rapid prosperity to the underdeveloped countries while others argue that globalization serves the needs of the metropolitan countries at the expense of the peripheral countries. This paper posits that globalization is economic terrorism. Using a dependency theory to analyze the asymmetric relationships between the developed and the underdeveloped countries, the writer applies some economic indicators to highlight the widening gap between the two worlds. In doing so, it is argued that the socio-economic and political structure of the peripheral countries …

Patterns And Determinants Of Fertility In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1974-1998, Asfaw Yitna

Journal of African Policy Studies

Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, reported a surprisingly low TFR level of 1.8 births per woman in the year 1994. Such a low level has never been experienced by any other large African city. In this paper, we attempt to confirm the adjusted level fertility of 2.1 births per woman and thus the fertility decline reported by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA), and to explore the important demographics, socio-economic and proximate determinants of fertility decline of Addis Ababa from 1974 to 1998.

We use data from fertility surveys of 1990 and 1995, conducted in Addis Ababa by CSA, …

Ghanaian Women And Environmental Policy, Leonard Gadzekpo

Journal of African Policy Studies

The article makes a case that environmental policy in Ghana, and indeed in Africa, is often formulated with the role of men in economic activities in mind. Such policy often ignores the vital role that women play in their economic activities undertaken by women have serious ramifications for the ecosystem. Therefore daily contact, use, and management of the environment. As such, various, the article places women in the center of environmental policy. It argues that the important role women play in African society, particularly their direct contact with environment through farming, should be taken into account when formulating environmental policy.

Feminism, Children And Environmental Policy In Zimbabwe, Saliwe Kawewe

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study utilizes a feminist perspective in demonstrating how gender intersects with socioeconomic forces of over a century of patriarchal environmental endeavors such as global modernization: imperialism and colonialism as conditions that have historically perpetuated environmental degradation in Zimbabwe as elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. The study examines how environmental policies of both pre and post independent Zimbabwe have had devastating consequences on the poor and marginalized, particularly women and girl children of this Third World in the nation. Additionally, the study proposes gender mainstreaming as a social networking model for socioeconomic and environmental sustainability through grassroots indigenous participation, capacity building, …

Public Policy And Social Welfare Programs In Zimbabwe: An Evaluation Of Esap, Robert Dibie, Saliwe M. Kawewe

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

An Adaptive Paradox: Improvised Drama Therapy And Dialectical Behavior For Eating Disorders In Teens, Krystany Taylor

Expressive Therapies Theses

The complexity of treating eating disorders compels professionals to investigate collaborative and integrative approaches to address psychological rigidity and emotional aversion in affected individuals. Mindfulness within Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and improvisational theater techniques may contribute to advancing emotional flexibility. This thesis study explored spontaneity in expressive therapy and gauged budding adaptive skills related to emotion regulation in minors with eating disorders. At a behavioral health center in Southern California, I held a dual role as a group facilitator and trainee drama therapist; I therein joined DBT and improvised drama therapy methods into a group treatment setting for ages 14 …

Adolescents And Addictions: An Expressive Arts Therapy Prevention Intervention In India – Development Of A Method, Ravtesh Kaur

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis aims to propose an expressive arts therapy prevention intervention for substance use among adolescents in India. Adolescence is a period defined by many physiological and psychological changes and is considered to be a time of high-risk for the initiation of substance use. The prevalence of substance use amongst Indian adolescents is growing every year, with most adolescents engaging in frequent use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and inhalants. This thesis intends to develop and implement an expressive arts therapy prevention intervention for adolescents. The current research was conducted in a private school in Punjab, India with 50 students of …

Cumulative Lifespan Stress And Inflammation Are Associated With Black-White Racial Disparities In Mortality Among Americans, Isaiah Spears

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Black Americans disproportionately experience higher rates of health challenges and mortality compared to White Americans, yet the mechanisms underlying these disparities remain inadequately understood. Prominent theoretical models highlight stress and resulting allostatic load as putative mechanisms through which these Black-White racial disparities emerge; however, empirical data supporting such models with regard to mortality remains sparse. The current study examined the potential role of cumulative stress exposure across the life span and elevated levels of C-Reactive Protein, a biomarker of inflammation, in contributing to the longstanding increased mortality risk among Black relative to White Americans. Data were drawn from the Saint …

Seas Of Lemongrass: A Political Ecology Perspective On Urban Agriculture And Immigrant Food Security In The Twin Cities, Minnesota, Reece V. Mckee

Geography Honors Projects

Urban agriculture (UA) frequently employs organic, polycultural and agroecological techniques in order to farm suboptimal urban land with limited resources. However, less scholarly attention has been paid to its actual impacts on the eating patterns of marginalized groups like immigrants, which is important to study for political debates about the expansion and purpose of UA. In this study, I examined how different forms of UA affect food security and dietary diversity for immigrants in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Using dietary surveys, food access questionnaires, and informal conversations, I determined that a simplistic definition of food security focused only on overall …

Healthcare Use: Impact Of Race And Insurance Status On Influenza In The Bronx, Miselie Charite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underuse of healthcare services by Blacks, who receive fewer influenza vaccinations than Whites in New York, has resulted in elevated health complications and increased healthcare costs. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if there is an association between race and insurance status with length of inpatient stay and total charges. Theoretical frameworks were the Quality, Cost, and Health Model and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Triple Aim framework. Using a dataset from the New York State Planning and Research Cooperative System with a sample size of 3,137 cases, findings showed significant disparities during analysis. Regression analysis …

Eos Wellness Center: Rethinking Inpatient Mental Health Facility Design, Emily Simms

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The design of mental health facilities significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially for individuals with depression. Environmental factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and access to nature influence mental health. This research explores how architectural design can reduce self-harm incidents and enhance recovery outcomes for patients with depression. The project hypothesizes that synchronizing light patterns and thermal comfort with patients’ circadian rhythms will reduce self-harm incidents and improve recovery. The problem established in the research is that disruptions to circadian rhythms increase the risk of depression, PTSD, and anxiety by 30% (Burns et al., 2022). Suicide is also the second leading …

An Empirical Study Of The Effects Of State Land-Reform Policies On Agricultural And Socioeconomic Developments In Nigeria From Colonial To Military Rule: A Macro Perspective, Dennis A. Ogirri

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

The Consequences Of Land Subdivision In Northern Embu, Kenya, Nyaga Mwaniki

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Key Issues Affecting Health Care Delivery Systems In Selected Sub-Saharan African Countries, Alemu Mammo

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Gene X Environment Interactions: Polygenic Scores And The Impact Of A Early Childhood Intervention In Colombia, Orazio Attanasio, Gabriella Conti, Pamela Jervis, Costas Meghir, Aysu Okbay

Discussion Papers

We evaluate impacts heterogeneity of an Early Childhood Intervention, with respect to the Educational Attainment Polygenic Score (EA4 PGS) constructed from DNA data based on GWAS weights from a European population. We find that the EA4 PGS is predictive of several measures of child development, mother’s IQ and, to some extent, educational attainment. We also show that the impacts of the intervention are significantly greater in children with low PGS, to the point that the intervention eliminates the initial genetic disadvantage. Lastly, we find that children with high PGS attract more parental stimulation; however, the latter increases more strongly in …

Resource-Oriented Music Therapy For Musicians' Maladies, Chelsea Ventura, Chelsea Ventura

Expressive Therapies Theses

Professional musicians often experience various stressors brought on by perfectionist training routines, racial and gender disparities, and other occupational challenges. This thesis aims to inform music industry professionals, music educators, and mental health clinicians of the psychological and physiological struggles professional musicians experience with a focus on music performance anxiety (MPA) and music-induced harm (MIH). Findings from this literature review indicate that musicians who identify as BIPoC or female struggle more with mental health and their musician identities than white, male-identifying musicians. The published literature tends to explore treating musicians’ mental health with Western-rooted cognitive behavioral therapy and has under-explored …

Time And Location: Physical Activity Trends In Parents And Children In A Rural Region During Covid-19, Brooke C. Towner, Robert Broce, Rebecca A. Battista

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: COVID-19 restrictions altered the structure of the school and workday for families with children and led to changes in active transportation. Continued restrictions impacted access to many community locations and led to changes in physical activity (PA) behavior.

Purpose: The objectives of the study were to describe the changes in the 1) amount of PA time per day, 2) frequency of PA, and 3) sitting time. Information about how PA changed for parents and children during the COVID-19 pandemic will have potential implications for education, public health, and recreation management.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enlisted participants via an online …

Hope After Grief And Loss: A Needs Assessment Of Peer-Led, Non-Denominational Bereavement Support Services At Laurel’S Grief Center, Julia A. Lange

Public Administration Master’s Projects

This needs assessment examines the grief support services provided by Laurel’s Grief Center (LGC), a nonprofit organization in Buffalo, New York, and identifies opportunities to expand tailored services for grieving adults in Western New York. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this study collected data through semi-structured interviews with LGC board members and surveys with clients and peer volunteers. Key findings highlight the importance of peer-led, non-denominational grief support and creative approaches, such as art therapy, while identifying barriers, such as stigma, limited awareness, and fragmented regional services.

Based on these findings, this study recommends expanding healing arts programs, enhancing outreach …

The Relationship Between Social Media Marketing And Social Comparison On Pre-Adolescent Self-Esteem And Consumer Identity, Madison Kruse

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

The current study aimed to address gaps in the literature regarding pre-adolescent social media usage by examining whether gender, social media marketing, and social comparison predict U.S. pre-adolescent (ages 8-12) self-esteem and consumer identity. A paper survey was administered to participants (N=43) through on-site and flyer recruitment methods. The survey consisted of questions regarding pre-adolescent social media usage time and preferences, self-esteem, social comparison, and consumer identity. Scales used were adaptations of The Child Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (CRSES), The Social Media Comparison of Ability Scale (SCO-Ability), and the Consumer-Company Identification Scale. Results showed that pre-adolescents (ages 8-12) are exposed to …

Breaking Barriers: Exploring The Impact Of Social Media On Women's Behaviors, Attitudes, And Barriers In The Free-Weights Room, Kate Jensen

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine social media’s impact on women’s habits and attitudes on the weight-room area of a college recreation center. Using non-experimental quantitative methods, the frequency and type of weightroom use by women was measured, as well as the type and frequency of fitness-focused social media use.

Challenges Threatening The Sustainability Of School Meal Programs, Anca Tughin

Master of Public Administration

The sustainability of school meal programs is increasingly threatened by procurement challenges, including regulatory constraints, supply chain disruptions, and budgetary pressures. This capstone project examines how values-based procurement (VBP)—which prioritizes local, sustainable, and nutritionally rich food—can be integrated into school meal programs despite these challenges. Worcester Public Schools (WPS) serves as a case study to illustrate the obstacles districts face in implementing VBP and the opportunities available for improving procurement models.

Key findings from this research highlight the following:
• Regulatory Constraints: Federal procurement policies, while intended to ensure fairness, often create barriers for schools trying to source locally or …