Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Hpv Vaccine Acceptance And Health Beliefs Among Arab American Parents In The United States: A Qualitative Study Using The Health Belief Model, Nada Alshahrani, Jesus Sanchez, Nancy Shehadeh

Posters

Abstract Background: Arab Americans are a rapidly growing ethnic minority in the United States, but their classification as ‚ÄúWhite‚Äù in federal health data renders them statistically invisible, creating a gap in understanding their preventive health beliefs. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a leading cause of cervical cancer and other cancers. Parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine is crucial for increasing vaccination among children and adolescents. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is commonly used to understand vaccine decision-making; however, its application to Arab American parents remains unexplored. Aim: This study aimed …

Geographic Variation In Pharmacist Scope Of Practice For Prep Delivery Across The United States, Gabriel Ezenri, Bita Fayaz Farkhad

Podiums

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains substantially underutilized in the United States, with only 25% of eligible individuals receiving it. Community pharmacists represent an accessible setting for care delivery, with nearly 90% of Americans living within five miles of a pharmacy; however, state laws governing pharmacist involvement in PrEP vary substantially. This study characterizes state-level variation in pharmacist scope-of-practice policies for HIV prevention across the United States.   Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional policy surveillance study using the NASTAD Pharmacist Authority Database, state statutes, regulations, and legislative session laws. State laws and regulations were coded across five domains: (1) oral PrEP/PEP prescribing …

Expanding Naloxone And Fentanyl Test Strip Awareness And Access In A Rural Community, James Hawkins, Nga-Weng (Ivy) Leong, Sujith Ramachandran, Lyda Stokes, Lindsey Miller, Kristen Pate, Joe Dikun, Marie Barnard, John Bentley

Posters

Drug overdose has been a public health crisis and north Mississippi remains a heavily impacted area. Adolescents and young adults, especially college and high school students, have increased exposure to opioids and other drugs, leading to an increased likelihood of fatal and non-fatal drug overdose events. Despite the critical need for awareness among students, there exists significant challenges in current educational and distributional efforts. Objectives: SafeGuardMS is a SAMHSA-funded program with two goals: to deliver overdose-related and harm reduction education to students and to expand access to these life-saving tools among high school and college students in north Mississippi. Methods …

Patient Preferences For Pharmacy-Based Contraception Prescribing Services, Abby Davies, Jordan Ballou, Emily Mann, Bryan Love, Chao Cai, Ismaeel Yunusa, Tessa J. Hastings

Posters

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist scope of practice in the United States has expanded to include prescribing hormonal contraception in over 30 states and the District of Columbia. Community pharmacies are highly accessible and have the potential to improve access to contraception, particularly in areas with limited reproductive health services. Despite this expansion, utilization of pharmacy-based contraception prescribing remains low. It is unclear whether this is due to lack of patient awareness, lack of interest, or misalignment between available services and patient preferences. Therefore, this study used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess patient preferences for key attributes of pharmacy-based contraception services. …

Contemporary Patterns Of Diuretic Utilization Among Pregnant Women With Cardiovascular Conditions In The U.S.: A Population-Based Study, Rupal Aroza, Daniela Moga, Christopher Mclouth, Patricia Freeman, Olufunmilola Abraham, Hend Mansoor

Posters

Background: Diuretics are used to manage hypertension and heart failure; however, the data on their safety during pregnancy are limited. Objective: To examine contemporary trends in diuretic use among pregnant women with cardiovascular conditions in the United States from 2010 to 2023. Methods: We conducted a population-based study using two large U.S. administrative claims databases; Merative MarketScan (commercial) and Medicaid Analytic eXtract (public) from 2010 to 2023. Pregnant women aged 12‚Äì55 were identified using a previously validated pregnancy identification algorithm. We included only women with continuous enrollment from one year before last menstrual period (LMP) date through pregnancy end. Diuretic …

Narrative, Identity, And Liminality Of Player Development Personnel In Ncaa Power 4 Conferences: Supporting Athlete Identity Development And Navigating Role Evolution In The Nil Implementation Era, Joseph L. Herman Ii

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Derived from a larger study, this article examines Player Development Personnel (PDPs) in NCAA Power 4 (P4) conferences as they support athlete identity development and navigate role evolution during the NIL implementation era. Although academic advisors and support staff have long contributed to athlete development, limited scholarship has examined how PDPs understand their professional identities, responsibilities, and institutional constraints in NIL-era athletics. Guided by the Narrative, Identity, and Liminality Model (NILM), MNF, and institutional logics, this study situates PDP work within an ecosystem shaped by commercialization, racialized narratives, and organizational expectations (McLean & Syed, 2015; Southall et al., 2008). Semi-structured …

Educating Ncaa Student-Athletes To Mitigate Social Media Risks: Results From An Intervention Pilot Program, Ksenia Power, Nataliya Bredikhina, Bomin Paek

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

With the introduction of the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy in July 2021, student-athletes have become increasingly reliant on social media for personal branding and monetization. However, prior research suggests that excessive social media use can negatively impact student-athletes’ well-being, highlighting the need for targeted digital literacy education. Addressing these concerns, this study designed and evaluated an online intervention, “Student-Athlete Training for Online Resilience Management” (STORM), aimed at improving student-athletes’ perceived knowledge and confidence in navigating social media-related risks. Using two waves of survey data (N = 117), the study assessed changes in perceived knowledge of social …

Big Fish Or Little Pond? National Evidence On The Relationship Between Transferring And Athletic Performance Within Division I Men's College Basketball, Kendall Cole, Francis A. Pearman Ii, Saurabh Khanna

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Beginning with the introduction of the transfer portal in 2018, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has made several policy changes that have made transferring both easier and more desirable among student athletes, particularly in Division I (DI) revenue-generating sports. Yet, little is known about the relationship between transferring and student athletes’ athletic performance. Using individual- and team-level data on all DI men’s college basketball student athletes from the 2018-19 season through the 2023-24 season, we examine the relationship between transferring and athletic performance, specifically one’s points per game, minutes per game, and number of games started per season. Results …

Online Harassment And Mental Health Among Collegiate Student-Athletes: Findings From An Ncaa Division I Conference Survey, M. Courtney Hughes, Michelle K. Demaray, Emily A. Skiba, Sarah E. Warriner

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Social media is central to college athletics, yet public visibility can expose collegiate student-athletes to online harassment, a risk the NCAA has recently highlighted by documenting sizable volumes of abusive, discriminatory, and betting-related content directed at athletes and officials. This study surveyed 85 NCAA Division I student-athletes from ten universities across the Mid-American Conference and assessed social-media behaviors, online harassment exposure, depression, and anxiety. Most athletes used social media 1–3 hours/day, 78% enabled name-mention alerts, and platforms commonly used included Instagram (98.8%) and X (65.9%). Online harassment was reported via social posts (9.4%), direct messages (4.7%), and texts (3.5%), with …

“Where’S This Energy When They’Re Killing Us!?”: Black Sport Media, Disruptions Of Linked Fate, And The Plantation Politics Of Protection, Sayvon Jl Foster

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Following the viral interaction between Nyck Harbor and the Texas State Trooper, Black sport media figures dominated the discourse surrounding the incident. By centering Black sport media figures as sources of discursive authority, this study illuminates the role of (Black) sport media in shaping the understanding and response to experiences of Black college athletes. Using Thompson’s (2022) abductive thematic content analysis, commentary from eight prominent Black sport media voices - Bomani Jones, Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark, Cam Newton, Von Miller, Marcellus Wiley, Jason Whitlock, and Etan Thomas - was analyzed. With Dawson's (1994) Linked Fate Theory (LFT) as the …

Understanding Parents Perceptions Concerning Division I Student-Athlete Mental Health, Jonathan M. Casper, Jason Bocarro, Marie Amidon

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Collegiate student-athletes (SAs) frequently underreport mental health concerns and are less likely to seek professional support compared to their non-athlete peers. Given the substantial emotional and academic support parents provide, this study examined NCAA Division I parents’ perceptions of their student-athletes’ mental health and overall well-being, as well as their awareness and perceptions of available mental health services. An online survey (N = 178) was administered across two Division I universities. Parents reported considerable concern regarding mental exhaustion, anxiety, academic pressures, and future planning. They also identified sport-specific stressors, including relationships with coaches, playing time, team dynamics, and injuries. Although …

The 2026 Sc Administrator Working Conditions Survey, Angela Starrett, Brian Cartiff, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Reports

The SC Administrator Working Conditions Survey (SCAWCS) was developed to systematically examine the work environments of school leaders. Grounded in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the survey conceptualizes administrator working conditions as a balance between the demands of the role and the resources available to support it. The JD-R framework emphasizes that high job demands, such as workload and accountability pressures, can contribute to stress and burnout when not sufficiently offset by job resources. In contrast, robust resources can buffer these demands and promote engagement, resilience, and long-term commitment to the profession. Designed by SC TEACHER, the SCAWCS measures 13 …

Why Are Some Children Under 24 Months Still Undernourished In Urban And Peri-Urban Vientiane? A Mixed-Methods Study, Kethmany Ratsavong, Dirk Essink, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Somphou Sayasone, Sengchanh Kounnavong, Jacqueline E. Broerse

Publications

Child undernutrition remains a significant public health challenge in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Lao PDR, where high levels persist even in urban areas with generally available and accessible food. This study aimed to explore factors underlying the persistently high rates of undernutrition among young children in urban (Saysetha) and peri-urban (Pakgneum) districts of the Vientiane Capital in Lao PDR. A cross-sectional survey employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, combining a structured questionnaire of 333 mother-child pairs for quantitative analysis with semi-structured interviews of 47 caregivers for qualitative insights. The prevalence of malnutrition among children under 24 months …

Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) Research: A Systematic Review Of Recent Trends (2020–2024), Jiyeon Kim Ph.D., Wooyoung Yang

Faculty Publications

The 2020–2024 period marks a pivotal era in sustainable development, characterized by significant regulatory developments, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the International Sustainability Standards Board standards, and the introduction of mandatory ESG reporting requirements worldwide. This review examines how recent policy changes have reshaped the linkages between ESG and sustainability. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a systematic review examining empirical studies of ESG–sustainability performance relationships published between 2020 and 2024. Studies examined the quantitative relationships between ESG sustainability performance and publicly traded corporations. Quality assessment employed the adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale with sustainability-specific criteria. From 2847 …

White Matter Microstructure Of Sensorimotor Projection Fibers In Chronic Low Back Pain, John R. White, Jennifer M.C. Vendemia, Zachary Baty, Sheri Silfies, Stephen A. Coombes

Faculty Publications

Introduction: 

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is linked to altered cortical sensorimotor structure and function, yet white matter microstructure in sensorimotor projection fibers remains poorly characterized. Objective: To address this gap, we used diffusion MRI to comprehensively characterize sensorimotor projection fibers in 44 patients with cLBP and 41 matched healthy controls.

Methods: 

We estimated an array of microstructural measures, including fractional anisotropy (FA), extracellular free water fraction (FW), free water–corrected FA (fwcFA), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics.

Results: 

General linear models identified significantly higher FA and fwcFA and lower orientation dispersion index (ODI) in cLBP vs …

Experience Therapy: How Service Experiences Regulate Everyday Negative Affect, Chang Ma Ph.D., Jae Eun Park, Alei Fan, Laurie Wu

Faculty Publications

In today's fast-paced and high-pressure society, maintaining emotional well-being requires effective strategies for managing everyday negative affect. This research examines the role of service experiences in reducing negative affect and introduces experience therapy as a novel strategy for affect regulation. Through a series of studies, we assess the effectiveness of experience therapy and investigate how different service experiences—varying in levels of personal effort involvement and social involvement—contribute to negative affect regulation. The findings demonstrate that experiences requiring high personal effort and social involvement are particularly effective in alleviating negative affect, especially among emotionally stressed individuals. These effects are mediated, respectively, …

Exploring Capacity For Future Sustainability Of Healthy Eating Policy, Systems, And Environmental Change Strategies Previously Implemented Through Snap-Ed Programming, Carrie L. Draper, Nicholas Younginer Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Phenomenon of Interest

Analysis

Results

The Meaning And Measurement Of Unrealised Fertility: A Comparison Of Measures Among Women Ages 40-49 In The United States, Kathleen Broussard

Faculty Publications

Unrealised fertility – when people fall short of their childbearing goals – is inconsistently defined and measured, leading to wide variation in estimates of its prevalence and implications for health and well-being. Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. women aged 40–49, this study compares four potential approaches to measurement, finding prevalence estimates that range from 3.5% to 22.4% across indicators. Multivariable logistic regression models reveal that the social and reproductive health correlates of unrealised fertility also vary according to the selected indicator. Improved measures of unrealised fertility are needed to inform our understanding of fertility barriers, including who is …

A Herpetological Survey Of The Catawba Nation, York County, South Carolina, Courtney Skeldon, Marvin Bouknight, Steven E. Fields

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

South Carolina Administrator Workforce Profile For 2024–25, Brian Cartiff, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Reports

This report details South Carolina’s public school administrator workforce for the 2024–25 academic year. The analysis draws on statewide data to examine the demographic characteristics of South Carolina’s principal and assistant principal workforce. Findings are based on data from 1,385 principals and 2,351 assistant principals employed in South Carolina public schools in 2024–25. The report also incorporates data from previous years to track longitudinal trends, offering insight into workforce patterns. These f indings can support data-informed strategies to strengthen administrator recruitment and retention, which in turn may contribute to broader efforts to improve the stability of South Carolina’s educator workforce.

The Ccu Disease Hunters: Putting Undergraduate Research To Work To Improve Community Health And Training The Next Generation Of Doctors, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Science In Service Of Society: My Journey In Immunology And Public Engagement, Prakash Nagarkatti

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Reptiles Of The Northeastern Piedmont Of South Carolina, Steven E. Fields

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

May 6, 2026 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Analysis Of Reddit Posts Made By Formerly Incarcerated Women, Madison R. Diaz

Graduate Student Thesis

Women with felony convictions who serve prison sentences encounter significant barriers during reentry, making it difficult to achieve stability. These barriers are shaped by stigma, background check policies, and limited access to supportive resources, often leading to feelings of hopelessness and isolation. The current study analyzes Reddit posts made by self-identified women in the r/Felons subreddit to understand how they describe these barriers and how they use online spaces for support. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify common themes related to employment, education, housing, and stigma. Many posts reflect frustration, discouragement, and anger toward the criminal justice system …

Femininity And Dateability: A Look At The Perception Of Asian Faces, Grace Yang

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Over the last decade, Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States (Lam, 2016), and the visibility of Asian influence on popular culture has increased as well (Jin & Yoon, 2017).  As a fast-growing minority community, the Asian community has been relatively overlooked in studies about attraction and the effects of ideals of masculinity. The aim of the current study was to investigate factors that influence the perception of the Asian and non-Asian faces with respect to attractiveness, dateability and masculinity.  The current literature suggests that both Asian men and women are stereotyped to be relatively …

International Human Rights Protection Before The International Criminal Court, Mary Abigail Chapin, Dr. Meredieth Deboom

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

The International Criminal Court (ICC) formally came into force on July 1, 2002, becoming the only treaty-based permanent court to prosecute perpetrators of the most severe crimes. The court was founded primarily to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity (CAH), and war crimes (with the addition of crimes of aggression in the summer of 2018) no matter the public stature of the individual accused. This was a major step by the international community in the global fight against impunity. In no case was this more clearly shown than in the court’s issuing of arrest warrants for the then sitting …

The Role Of Paraprofessionals In The Mental Health Structure Of India, Amy Abraham, Kimberly D. Becker, Wendy Chu

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

The mental health treatment gap in India is part of a growing public health crisis, with over 95% of those in need of services never receiving them. Over 197 million Indians suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder, and this number continues to grow given the treatment gap. The treatment gap is a result of four major factors: lack of government support, stigma, limited treatment facilities, and dearth of professionals able to provide treatment. The current study aimed to analyze several factors of paraprofessional-led mental health interventions including setting, treatments delivered, treatment models, and client outcomes. A narrative …

Moving America: A Study Examining The Relationships Between Early Residential Mobility, Anxiety And Academic Performance, Kelsey Thomas, Wendy Chu, Melanie Palomares

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Early residential mobility has known negative effects on mental health outcomes and academic achievement. These effects have been studied broadly and globally, yet there lacks attention in examining early residential mobility to specific localities, regions, or states. As such, this study sought to investigate these associations, specifically its impact on anxiety and academic performance in adults residing or living in South Carolina. Participants were surveyed online regarding their demographic information, academic performance, and anxiety levels. Results found no significant relationships between early residential mobility, anxiety, and academic performance among adults residing or living in South Carolina. Despite these null findings, …