Digital Commons Network^™

Financial Barriers And Utilization Of Medical Services In Prison: An Examination Of Co-Payments, Personal Assets, And Individual Characteristics, Brian R. Wyant Phd, Holly M. Harner

Journal for Evidence-based Practice in Correctional Health

Although research has found that requiring incarcerated individuals to pay fees for medical service decreases use, there are still important unanswered questions about this association: 1) Is the copayment fee a barrier to those seeking medical attention? 2) If so, what individual factors are associated with viewing the copayments as the reason to avoid seeing a medical professional? Using 2012 survey data collected from 45 incarcerated persons housed in a maximum security prison on the East Coast, it was discovered that over 70% of the men surveyed reported avoiding medical services at least once in the past three months due …

No. 35: The Food Safety And Food Security Nexus In The Urbanizing Global South, Jodi Koberinski, Zhenzhong Si, Steffanie Scott

Hungry Cities Partnership

Socioeconomic and structural changes in the global food system, driven by rapid urbanization in the Global South, shape the nature and scale of food safety problems as well as the strategies designed to cope with them. These changes create new challenges for ensuring food security, given that food safety is an essential dimension of food security. By reviewing existing studies, this paper summarizes three key types of contaminant (microbiological, chemical, and physical) that compromise food safety. With analyses of three cases (avian flu, genetic modification contamination, and melamine-tainted milk) in the Global South, the paper explores how food safety is …

The Study Of Discrete Emotions In Politics, Cigdem Sirin, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

Numerous empirical works document that discrete emotions have substantive and differential effects on politically motivated processes and outcomes. Scholars have increasingly adopted a discrete-emotions approach across various political contexts. There are different theoretical paths for studying discrete emotions. Appraisal theories contend that cognition precedes emotion, where distinct cognitive appraisal tendencies elicit discrete emotional reactions associated with specific coping mechanisms. Affective Intelligence Theory, another dominant paradigm in the study of discrete emotions in politics, argues for affective primacy. Others are more concerned with the level of analysis issue than the emotion-cognition sequence. For instance, Intergroup Emotions Theory calls for differentiating between …

Sexual Negotiation Skills And Risky Behavior On Sexual Partnerships, Hiv Knowledge, And Risk Perception Among Urban Youth Of Colora Latent Class Analysis, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Andriana Herrera, Melissa Henry, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Adolescents of color in urban communities are at high risk for contracting HIV, unlikely to have access to HIV testing services, or any other form of screening services. Using latent class analysis among a sample of African American/Black (48.1%) and Hispanic/Latina(o) (42%) youth (N = 668; Mage = 16.30; 51% female), this study examined the association cluster group membership, based on sexual negotiation skills and risk behavior, had on HIV knowledge, perception of risk, and the number of sexual partners. Five distinct cluster groups emerged, with significant heterogeneity observed between cluster groups on select dependent variables. A larger proportion of …

A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Hand-Hygiene Standards In An Intensive Care Unit, Lyndon Augustine, Walter Mccollum, Richard Brown, Phoenix Mourning-Star

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that occur in patients during their time of care in a hospital. Considerable emphasis is currently placed on reducing HAIs through improving hand-hygiene (HH) compliance among healthcare professionals because HAIs are a critical challenge to public health in the United States. By focusing on meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HH standards, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how noncompliance with these standards and lack of technology usage affect HAIs in the intensive care unit. Additionally, the goal of this research was to explore behavioral factors and best practices that influence …

Assessment Of In-Service Training And Continuing Education (Ist/Ce) For Frontline Health Workers In Bauchi And Cross River States, Nigeria, Ekechi Okereke, Iliyasu Zubairu, Udoh Nsekpong, Godwin Unumeri, Ibrahim Suleiman, Aisha Jibril

Reproductive Health

Training contributes tremendously to the development and sustenance of health workers’ competencies for quality healthcare services. Although Nigeria has a higher stock of human resources for health compared to other African countries, the World Health Organization argues that its distribution is highly skewed toward urban areas. Building and maintaining staff capacities requires continuing professional development through in-service training (IST) and continuing education (CE). This study assesses current IST and CE for health workers in Bauchi and Cross River states to provide evidence to inform policy and planning and improve implementation of capacity-building for health workers in Nigeria.

Water And Life. A Cross-Sectional Study On Determinants Of Beverage Consumption And Water Access In One Tribal Community, Christina White

All Master's Theses

Increasingly, poor diet has been shown to be one of the most crucial factors associated with cause of death, even more critical than smoking. Research in the past two decades has consistently linked increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) to the obesity epidemic contributing to a public health crisis all over the United States. Native Americans, among other minority groups, suffer obesity disproportionately from the rest of the US population, yet they continually fail to be included in research on the subject. Traditional research methods, sparse care coverage on reservations, consolidation of unique tribes into one classification, and failure to …

Disability And The Immigrant Health Paradox: Gender And Timing Of Migration, Marc A. Garcia, Adriana M. Reyes, Sunshine Rote

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although research has documented better health and longer life expectancy among the foreign-born relative to their U.S.-born counterparts, the U.S. Mexican-origin immigrant population is diverse and the healthy immigrant effect likely varies by key structural and demographic factors such as gender, migration history, and duration in the United States. Using a life course framework, we use data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE 1993–2013) which includes Mexican-American individuals aged 65 and older to assess the heterogeneity in the immigrant health advantage by age of migration and gender. We find that age of migration …

Body Weight Self-Perceptions And Experiences Of Nigerian Women Immigrants, Fatimah Binta Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low-income immigrants in the United States experience declining health with increasing length of stay in the country. Their declining health over time has been associated with increased smoking, obesity prevalence, and higher risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. How immigrants perceive their body weight and size, influenced by social interaction, culture, gender, and acculturation is also significant to healthy weight maintenance. Not knowing one's healthy weight could result in body weight misperception and resistance to attaining a healthy weight. The aim of this qualitative study, based on the social constructivist framework, was to understand Nigerian women immigrants' (NWI's) body …

Tie Strength, Optimal Connections, And Distance In Social Networks, David Anthony Buch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Social network analysis seeks to understand the structure of relationships in networks of actors. As researchers identify structural properties of interest (e.g. vulnerability to network cuts) they introduce measures to quantify the expression of those properties in observed networks. In fact, it is not uncommon that multiple measures are introduced purporting to evaluate a single property. Relative merits of competing measures are not self-evident but the corresponding inferences can conflict, encouraging arbitrary choice among measures and endangering the validity of conclusions. We argue (i) that multiplicity of measures is a necessary consequence of the de rigueur practice of conflating different …

State Regulated Relationships: Mothers' Experiences Of Partner Incarceration, Hannah Brianne Fields

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The effects of incarceration on families have been studied in-depth, but little research evaluates the effects on women parenting children after the incarceration of their romantic partner. This research evaluates how mothers manage to keep their families intact throughout the duration of their partner’s incarceration. I approached this question using a geography theory of care developed by Sophie Bowlby and Linda McKie. This theory states that the quality of care is dependent on the space in which it is provided, the social expectations within the caring environment, and the amount of time required to provide or receive care. Using this …

Prevention Of Violence Against Children: A Systems Readiness Assessment In Côte D’Ivoire, Marie-Kaye Soletchi Seya-Sery

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Violence against children (VAC) is a global problem with significant consequences. Recognizing the need to better understand the problem of VAC in Côte d’Ivoire (CI), the government of CI recently completed a survey on violence against children. The recent data will support an evidence-based national action plan for the prevention of VAC. Research shows that initiatives tackling specific problems will only be as successful as the community’s readiness to take action. This study applied the community readiness model to assess the readiness of the multisectoral task force (MSTF) to implement the national action plan in CI. Eight MSTF participants’ interview …

Childhood Misfortune And Handgrip Strength Among Black, White, And Hispanic Americans, Natalie R. Smith, Kenneth F. Ferraro, Blakelee R. Kemp, Patricia M. Morton, Sarah A. Mustillo, Jacqueline L. Angel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Although early-life insults may affect health, few studies use objective physical measures of adult health. This study investigated whether experiencing misfortune during childhood is associated with handgrip strength (HGS) in later life.

Method: Data on childhood misfortune and adult characteristics from the Health and Retirement Study were used to predict baseline and longitudinal change in HGS among White, Black, and Hispanic American men and women.

Results: Regression analyses revealed that multiple indicators of childhood misfortune were related to HGS at baseline, but the relationships were distinct for men and women. Over the study, having one childhood impairment predicted steeper …

Avoiding The Major Causes Of Death: Does Childhood Misfortune Reduce The Likelihood Of Being Disease Free In Later Life?, Monica M. Williams, Blakelee R. Kemp, Kenneth F. Ferraro, Sarah A. Mustillo

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Although previous research reveals the detrimental effects of early misfortune on the development of chronic diseases in later life, few studies have investigated its effects on remaining disease free. This study draws on cumulative inequality theory to investigate whether experiencing childhood misfortune reduces the likelihood of remaining disease free over time.

Method: This study utilizes five waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study to test whether five domains of childhood misfortune predict being disease free at baseline (2004) and developing disease over time (2004–2012).

Results: Respondents reporting risky parental behaviors during childhood were less likely to be …

Individual Bodies, Informed Consent, And Self-Determination: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Vaccine Refusal Movement, Gretta Richardson

Scripps Senior Theses

This project sought to explore the narratives and rhetorical themes that permeate the anti-vaccination movement. Mass media has portrayed vaccine refusal groups as stupid, as conspiracy theorists, and as radically selfish. However, the data I analyzed from vaccine refusal nonprofits and advocacy groups supports that although these themes may appear to be radical, in reality, each is congruent with already present societal frameworks, particularly neoliberal social discourse and a preoccupation with the individualistic and self-determined health care rather than utilitarian or collective action.

Hepatitis C And The Social Hierarchy: How Stigma Is Built In Rural Communities, Charley D. Henderson, Atsuko Kawakami

The Qualitative Report

Although Hepatitis C has profound impacts on individuals living in communities, most research has been conducted in a hospital or laboratory setting. Additionally, there is a lack of research exploring the social effects of Hepatitis C in rural communities. In this qualitative study, we focus on perceptions on Hepatitis C within a rural community, describe how the local residents perceive social hierarchy within their community, and explore the process of stigma building. Informed by a grounded theory approach, we employed a snowball sampling strategy in a southern rural area to conduct in-depth, open-ended interviews. In our findings we describe how …

Tall Tales Of Danger And Security: How A Critical Human Security Approach Can Address Major Contradictions Revealed Through A Critical Narrative Analysis Of Dominant U.S. Security Strategies, Stephen Schneider

Master's Theses

Over many generations, humans have developed many perspectives and practices regarding the best ways to recognize and address what they perceive to be dangerous. Stories are used to help shape and narrate perceptions about the world, and they serve to pass on vital information that impacts how a society responds to threats and vulnerabilities. These narratives of danger and security are subjective to the experiences and political intentions of society, and therefore in many ways are partial and biased in their assessments and policies. This results in flawed security practices that may actually exacerbate threats or create new insecurities. What …

Social Context: A Review Of Autobiography Of A Disease, Sean N. Halpin

The Qualitative Report

Autobiography of Disease by Patrick Anderson thoroughly examines the author’s life threatening experience with Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) osteomyelitis. Through notes kept by the author and caregiver/mother Anderson tells an evocative ethnography as told from the perspective of MRSA itself. This complex weaving of narratives highlights how multiple social and environmental considerations interact to impact Anderson's experience with illness. This book may be of interest to anyone seeking to learn more about the social context of illness.

Wet Markets And Avian Influenza: Public Policy Decisions In Hong Kong, Shawn C. Smallman Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

After the emergence of H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 Hong Kong implemented a sophisticated system to regulate live poultry markets. While this system is well implemented and thorough, it also has limitations. The rise of H7N9 avian influenza (which is typically acquired through contact with poultry, including in live markets) makes this an appropriate time to revisit the ethical and practical issues related to this trade. Based on data from field observations of live markets in Hong Kong, and interviews with experts in the field, this paper recommends that the government of Hong Kong create a committee to examine the …

Financial Inclusion And People Living With Disabilities (Plwds) In Nigeria: A Disaggregated Analysis, Kingsley Imandojemu, Akinlosotu Nathaniel Toyosi, Odigie Joseph Ndidi

Bullion

This study investigated the level of financial inclusion and people living with disabilities (PLWDS) in Nigeria. The disaggregated analysis was employed in investigating the level of financial inclusion of PLWDs across the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The instrument used to collect data was titled: Financial Inclusion of People living with Disability Survey Inventory (FIPWIDSI). The construct validity of the instrument was ensured using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA).The internal consistency was verified using Cronbach's alpha technique. Descriptive and influential statistics, Mean and standard deviation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Sidak multiple mean comparison Post Hoc test were employed for data …

“Pure Water” Sale And Its Socio - Economic Implications In Nigeria., Muhammad Bello Muhammad, Muhammad Tasiu Dansabo

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

The study aim to show the gradual acceptance of buying water in the open market across Nigeria. The commoditization of water is most manifest in the boom of packaged water, especially the ones in sachets popularly called ‘pure water’. The initial position of the government was to ignore the industry as part of the informal economy. After considerable concerns were raised on public health grounds that water merchants were selling ‘pure gutter’ instead of ‘pure water’, the government, through the National Agency for Food and Drugs Control (NAFDAC) intervened to regulate standards. Proprietors of packaged water are expected to apply …

Exposure To Community Violence And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Examining The Role Of Psychological Distress And Criminal Justice Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Young Black MSM (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by violence, criminal justice involvement, and other structural factors that also increase vulnerability to HIV. This study examined associations between exposure to community violence (ECV) and substance use, psychological distress, and criminal justice involvement (CJI) among YBMSM in Chicago, IL. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a sample of 618 YBMSM (aged 16–29) from the South Side of Chicago between June 2013 and July 2014. Weighted logistic regression assessed the direct effects of ECV, CJI, and psychological distress on substance use outcomes. Indirect effects were assessed via path analysis with mean and …

Uphill Struggle: Impediments And Facilitators To Porter Health In The Khumbu Region, Nate Barott

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The surge of Nepal’s tourism industry has resulted in new waves of tourists visiting popular trekking areas such as the northern Khumbu region of the Solukhumbu District. One effect of this growing industry has been the increased prominence of porters in the area. Coming mostly from lowlands south of the Khumbu, porters are composed mainly of young individuals looking to make a career in the enticing business of trekking and mountaineering tourism. The current status of porter health in Solukhumbu is poor. Many ailments exist to physical and social well-being, and social segregation, incentives to carry heavier loads and a …

Governance For A Changing Climate: Adapting Boston’S Built Environment For Increased Flooding, Stephanie Kruel, Rebecca Herst, David Cash

Sustainable Solutions Lab

As the impacts of climate change intensify, coastal cities like Boston face increasing threats from sea level rise, extreme precipitation, and storm surges. This report, produced by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston, examines the role of governance in preparing Boston’s built environment for these evolving risks. Building upon the foundational work of the Climate Ready Boston initiative, the report outlines critical governance functions necessary for climate adaptation, including institutional coordination, regulatory reform, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making. Emphasizing a multiscalar governance approach, it analyzes the tools available at local, regional, state, and federal levels and …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Factors Associated With Network Bridging Among Ymsm: Implications For Hiv Prevention, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Social-environmental factors may be associated with social network stability, which has implications for HIV acquisition. However, the link between social-environmental factors, network composition and HIV risk has not been examined previously among a city-population based sample of young Black men who have sex with Men (YBMSM). Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a cohort of 618 YMBSM. Respondents were evaluated at baseline, 9 and 18 months beginning June 2013. A logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between bridging (i.e. having non-redundant contacts in one’s network, indicating network instability) and social-environmental factors and HIV risk factors between …

Yardwork: A Biography Of An Urban Place By Daniel Coleman, Vivian M. Hansen

The Goose

Review of Daniel Coleman's Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place.

Effects Of Toxic Fescue Exposure On Vaginal Microbial Communities Of Crossbred Beef Cows, Abby Ratton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The consumption of toxic fescue by beef cattle results in several adverse physiological effects such as reduced reproductive success, severe vasoconstriction resulting in hoof sloughing, low body condition scores, hyperthermia, decreased prolactin levels, and reduced hair shedding. The purpose of this study is to characterize bacterial community of the reproductive tract as a potential predictor for toxin exposure. One-hundred fall-calving crossbred cows were allocated to graze Toxic (Toxic: n=50) or Novel (Novel: n= 50) fescue pastures for five months (March-August). Treatments were blocked by sire breed (Charolais or Hereford) and by parity (first, second, third). Animals rotated pastures biweekly and …

A Modern Plague: U.S. Racial And Ethnic Vaccination Disparities During The 2009 H1n1 Influenza Pandemic, Andrew E. Burger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

On June 11, 2009 the World Health Organization announced that a novel strain of H1N1 influenza was being classified a Phase 6 pandemic, the highest level of alarm indicating that the disease was present worldwide and its spread was inevitable. While seasonal influenza epidemics occur annually, the 2009 H1N1 strain was the first novel pandemic influenza since the 1968 Hong Kong flu. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic provides a case study of how the U.S. population responded to an emergent and potentially lethal infectious disease. The richness and variety of public health data presents an opportunity to examine predictors of vaccination …

Doctors As Migration Brokers In The Mandatory Medical Screenings Of Immigrants To The United States, Sofya Aptekar

Publications and Research

Applicants for legal permanent residency in the United States are required to pass a medical screening. Most of these applicants are already living in the United States on non-immigrant and temporary visas and are screened by civil surgeons, physicians designated by the government to look for infectious diseases, incomplete immunization records, and signs that the immigrant will pose a threat or become a public charge. Little is known about the work of these 4000+ physicians, who play a key role as migration brokers in a context where migration control has devolved to non-state actors. I present quantitative analysis of a …

Injection Partners, Hcv, And Hiv Status Among Rural Persons Who Inject Drugs In Puerto Rico, Patrick Habecker, Roberto Abadie, Melissa L. Welch-Lazoritz, Juan Carlos Reyes, Bilal Khan, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background—The prevalence of hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV among persons who inject drugs (PWID) and the ability of these diseases to spread through injection networks are well documented in urban areas. However, less is known about injection behaviors in rural areas.

Objectives—This study focuses on the association between the number of self-reported injection partners with the PWID’s self-reported HCV and HIV status. Injection networks provide paths for infection and information to flow, and are important to consider when developing prevention and intervention strategies.

Methods—Respondent driven sampling was used to conduct 315 interviews with PWID in rural Puerto Rico during 2015. …