Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Informative Missing Data To Learn About Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome And Mortality In Long-Term Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients Throughout The Years Of The Pandemic, Emily Getzen, Amelia Lm Tan, Gabriel Brat, Gilbert S Omenn, Zachary Strasser, Qi Long, John H Holmes, Danielle Mowery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Electronic health records (EHRs) contain a wealth of information that can be used to further precision health. One particular data element in EHRs that is not only under-utilized but oftentimes unaccounted for is missing data. However, missingness can provide valuable information about comorbidities and best practices for monitoring patients, which could save lives and reduce burden on the healthcare system. We characterize patterns of missing data in laboratory measurements collected at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital System from long-term COVID-19 patients and focus on the changes in these patterns between 2020 and 2021. We investigate how these patterns are associated …

Professional Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Corrie Eggimann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the early spring of 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)1 pandemic spread across the planet, causing a scale of infection and fatalities that was unprecedented in modern times, and that was not well predicted by scientists, public health officials and government entities. Despite travel bans and quarantine requirements popping up across the globe, COVID-19 infections continued to spread. As of February 2023, more than 6.8 million people have died from COVID-19 (World Health Organization, 2023). In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the growing number of deaths, schools and businesses began closing down throughout the world …

Assessing Pandemic Preparedness, Response, And Lessons Learned From The Covid-19 Pandemic In Four South American Countries: Agenda For The Future, Andrea Ramírez Varela, Michael Touchton, J Jaime Miranda, Juliana Mejía Grueso, Rachid Laajaj, Gabriel Carrasquilla, Martha Vives Florez, Ana María Vesga Gaviria, Ana María Ortiz Hoyos, Esteban Orlando Vanegas Duarte, Alejandra Velásquez Morales, Nubia Velasco, Silvia Restrepo Restrepo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in a context that lacked adequate prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) activities, and global, regional, and national leadership. South American countries were among world's hardest hit by the pandemic, accounting for 10.1% of total cases and 20.1% of global deaths.

METHODS: This study explores how pandemic PPR were affected by political, socioeconomic, and health system contexts as well as how PPR may have shaped pandemic outcomes in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We then identify lessons learned and advance an agenda for improving PPR capacity at regional and national levels. We do this through a …

A Novel Bayesian Spatial-Temporal Approach To Quantify Sars-Cov-2 Testing Disparities For Small Area Estimation, Cici Bauer, Xiaona Li, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Esmeralda Guajardo, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Joseph Mccormick, Maria E Fernandez, Belinda Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives. To propose a novel Bayesian spatial–temporal approach to identify and quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing disparities for small area estimation.

Methods. In step 1, we used a Bayesian inseparable space–time model framework to estimate the testing positivity rate (TPR) at geographically granular areas of the census block groups (CBGs). In step 2, we adopted a rank-based approach to compare the estimated TPR and the testing rate to identify areas with testing deficiency and quantify the number of needed tests. We used weekly SARS-CoV-2 infection and testing surveillance data from Cameron County, Texas, between March 2020 …

Pregnancy-Related Covid Worry, Depressive Symptom Severity, And Mediation Through Sleep Disturbance In A Low-Income, Primarily Latinx Population In California’S Central Valley, Jennifer N Felder, Patience A Afulani, Kimberly Coleman-Phox, Serwaa S Omowale, Charles E Mcculloch, Lauren Lessard, Miriam Kuppermann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study (1) assessed the psychometric properties of a pregnancy-related COVID worry scale, (2) explored variations in pregnancy-related COVID worry over the course of the pandemic, and (3) examined associations between pregnancy-related COVID worry and depressive symptom severity, and evaluated sleep disturbance as a mediator.

Methods: Data were drawn from an ongoing randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of two enhanced forms of prenatal care. The current analysis includes baseline pre-randomization data collected from participants who enrolled November 2020-November 2021 (n = 201). Participants were pregnant individuals with low income and primarily Latinx.

Results: Our 7-item scale was valid and …

From The National To The Local: Issues Of Trust And A Model For Community-Academic-Engagement, Olufunmilayo Chinekezi, Lauri Andress, Etsemaye P Agonafer, Susan Massick, Sarah Piepenbrink, Karey M Sutton, Philip M Alberti, Desiree De La Torre, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Marshala Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inequities in health and health care in the United States have persisted for decades, and the impacts on equity from the COVID-19 pandemic were no exception. In addition to the disproportionate burden of the disease across various populations, the pandemic posed several challenges, which exacerbated these existing inequities. This has undoubtedly contributed to deeply rooted public mistrust in medical research and healthcare delivery, particularly among historically and structurally oppressed populations. In the summer of 2020, given the series of social injustices posed by the pandemic and highly publicized incidents of police brutality, notably the murder of George Floyd, the Association …

Lived Experiences Of Job-Hopping Millennials During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Dottie Dancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millennials, also known as “the job-hopping generation,” are on the brink of becoming the largest generation in the workforce by 2025. In March 2020, a global pandemic was declared due to the spread of the virus known as COVID-19, which led to more than 5.3 million deaths globally. Prior research has been conducted concerning the job-hopping tendencies of Millennials, but previous studies have not incorporated the life-changing event of the global pandemic and how it may have changed the beliefs and attitudes of the Millennial generation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the voluntary job-hopping beliefs and …

Faculty-Student And Student-Student Connections Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fatma Ouled Salem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited the shift toward distance education by forcing institutions to adapt to the limitations of social distancing mandates. This resulted in a general sense of disconnection and isolation, compounding the other adverse effects of the pandemic. Since faculty-student and student-student connections are consistently identified as best practices in distance counselor education, the aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counselor educators during the COVID-19 pandemic relating to faculty-student and student-student connections. A phenomenological framework was used to suspend presuppositions of the phenomenon and to describe the lived experiences of participants. In-depth …

Parent Perspectives On How The Covid-19 Pandemic Affected Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Their Children, Desiree Marie Vanderlick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism is a disorder that is characterized by struggles with socialization anddevelopmental delays that often involve much guidance and support. The purpose of this study was to explain the experience of parents as they attempted to manage behaviors related to symptoms of autism during the worldwide quarantine prompted by COVID-19. This study aimed to close the gap in literature and explore to see if there were any concerns that could be addressed by future studies. The study was framed around Bowen’s theory, which addresses emotions within a family unit, and the interdependence theory, which addresses how humans thrive to be …

Covid-19 Social Isolation And Young Adult Mental Well-Being And Socioeconomic Status As A Moderator, Falescia Ware Matlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIt is not currently known how social distancing guidelines impact mental health for emerging adults and whether socioeconomic status moderates this relationship. The psychosocial development theory states that emerging adults experience a psychological conflict—intimacy versus isolation—where the goal is to seek connections. Without connection, emerging adults are likely to experience impaired psychological well-being, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of perceived social distancing guidelines on the mental health of emerging adults and if this relationship is moderated by socioeconomic status. This study followed a quantitative comparative design of emerging …

Foster Youth's Experience With Visitation During The Covid-19 Pandemic., Carrie Player Sexton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Much has been learned about how the shelter-in-place (SIP) orders imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected children socially and emotionally. However, less was known about how the youths in foster care settings experienced visitation with their approved visitors because of the shelter-in-place order. In this phenomenological study, the lived experiences of 10 foster youths between the ages of 16 and 18 years during the COVID-19 SIP were explored using semi structured interviews. The theory that grounded this study was Ainsworth and Bowlby's attachment theory. Evernote was used to guide, store, observe, and record the data in one …

Food Insecure Single Mothers’ Perceptions In Accessing School Nutrition Programs During Covid-19, Deshona Williams Liburd Audain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global pandemics and natural disasters can cause basic human needs hardships. Being able to access adequate nutritious food is a fundamental basic human need. Food insecurity remains a dominant concern in underdeveloped countries prior to natural disaster and global pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 low-income United States Virgin Islands single mothers’ dilemma was accessing available nutritious foods for their school-aged children through nutrition assistance programs. An interpretative phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to explore the types of lived experiences these single mothers faced. The social ecological model (SEM) was used as the conceptual framework for the study. The …

Perceived Teacher Self-Care Influence On Beliefs About Teacher Persistence During Covid-19, Tamarah Lishawn Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teaching has never been an easy profession, but the swift transition from in-person to digital instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic made it significantly more difficult. Between a global pandemic and a nation's racial reckoning, teachers were forced to juggle work, family, and student responsibilities. While there were suggested tips on how to practice self-care, the findings on self-care have been conflicting, and there is a scarcity of research on the role that teacher self-care played in persistence for classroom teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore reported teacher self-care practices and how …

Occupational Stress In Long Term Care In Georgia And Virginia During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lacountess Renee Hooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing staff working in long-term care settings experience high levels of occupational stress related to many factors that can lead to poor outcomes for the nursing staff and the residents. In 2020, the World Health Organization declared severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19, a pandemic which over the course of 3 years, has added an additional source of work-related stress for long-term care nursing staff. This quantitative cross-sectional study was guided by the job demand-control-support model to explore perceived stress and nursing stress among nursing staff working in the long-term care setting in Georgia and …

Evaluating U.S. Household Telemedicine Use In Primary Care Settings, Robert Osobase

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic's arrival in the United States restricted access and use of telemedicine in primary care providers (PCPs) settings. Addressing this issue is crucial since telemedicine is a confirmed method of encouraging patients and PCPs to promote quality health care. This quantitative study investigated the association between age, gender, and race, and PCPs offering telemedicine and U.S. household adults using telemedicine during COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The Donabedian framework, which considers aspects of an organization's structure, process, and outcome, served as the study's foundation, incorporating age, race, and gender as independent variables, and PCPs and US adults as dependent …

Adult Learners With Learning Disabilities’ Motivation To Succeed In Higher Education Online Learning During Covid19, Sara Michelle Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many students had to transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic while other students were already enrolled in online education. Online study may hold additional struggles for students with learning disabilities. The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological study was the motivating factors of online higher education students who have a learning disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical foundation was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Data were gathered through 10 semistructured interviews and then analyzed through the thematic analysis yielding five themes: (a) lack of professional support, (b) resources, (c) support system, (d) consistent motivation, and (e) low …

The Self-Efficacy Of Counselors Providing Telemental Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chelsea Threadgill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors have had to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of clients and the growing need for mental health services. In addition to a lack of experience providing telemental health (TMH) services, many counselors had received little or no TMH training or continuing education prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Counselor self-efficacy (CSE) may be an important factor in determining how counselors have been impacted by the increase in provision of TMH services, and the areas where they are needing more support. The purpose of this quantitative study was to …

A Leadership Perspective On Preventing Counselor Burnout In A Behavioral Health Setting During Covid-19, Claudia P. De La Torre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high need for mental health services, which resulted in a shortage of mental health clinicians. This shortage of mental health clinicians then resulted in a high burnout rate due to client intake. This doctoral case study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and focused on how a behavioral health organization in South Texas managed burnout in clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to help behavioral health leaders find a solution to preventing burnout during a high demand pandemic. This doctoral study had several data sources, including semistructured interviews with three …

Lockdowns During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Domestic Violence Among Virginians, Kenneth G. Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe domestic violence (DV) dilemma spans millennia and has devastated individuals, families, and societies. DV prevalence rose between 20% and 50% worldwide and over 5% among Virginians since early 2020 during COVID-19. Abuse victims’ vulnerability increased during the lockdown periods due to the extended time spent with perpetrators. DV victims visited emergency departments for their nonfatal physical injuries. The purpose of the study was to examine COVID-19-related lockdown effects on DV prevalence, perpetrator characteristics, and hospitalizations among Virginians. Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model served as the theoretical foundation. Descriptive analyses showed that DV prevalence among Virginians rose from 37.5% in 2019 to …

Power, Stress, And Uncertainty: Experiences With And Attitudes Toward Workplace Surveillance During A Pandemic, Jessica Vitak, Michael Zimmer

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

There is a rich literature on technology’s role in facilitating employee monitoring in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for employers, and many companies turned to new forms of monitoring to ensure remote workers remained productive; however, these technologies raise important privacy concerns as the boundaries between work and home are further blurred. In this paper, we present findings from a study of 645 US workers who spent at least part of 2020 working remotely due to the pandemic. We explore how their work experiences (job satisfaction, stress, and security) changed between January and November 2020, as well …

Are We Essential, Or Sacrificial? The Effects Of Felt Public Gratitude On Essential Worker Recovery Activities During Covid-19, Hee Young Kim, Sijun Kim, Taeya M. Howell, Sarah P. Doyle, Nathan C. Pettit, Michael Bizzarro

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 has been characterized by unprecedented levels of public gratitude to some, but not all, essential workers. In this research, we integrate insights from the stigmatized occupations and gratitude literature to build theory on the positive and negative relationships between such displays of public gratitude and essential workers’ recovery activities. We argue that felt public gratitude positively relates to adaptive recovery activities (e.g., exercise) and negatively relates to maladaptive recovery activities (e.g., overdrinking). We further explain how felt public gratitude impacts (mal)adaptive recovery activities through (a) felt invisibility and (b) negative/positive affect. We find support for our predictions in a …

Intersectionality Of Self-Reported Food Insecurity And Perceived Stress Of College Students At A Land-Grant Southeastern Higher Education Institution During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kendra Oonorasak, Makenzie Barr, Michael Pennell, Dylan Hardesty, Kotomi Yokokura, Samantha Udarbe, Tammy Stephenson

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

College food insecurity (FI) and poor psychosocial health are prevalent public health issues in the U.S., yet often overlooked. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, repercussions on these critical inequity issues remain unclear. During the summer months of 2020, this cross-sectional survey examined associations between students’ self-reported FI and perceived stress (PSS-10), one aspect of poor psychosocial health. An anonymous online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of college students at a land grant institution of higher education in the southeastern U.S., and $10 e-gift card was provided to survey respondents. The survey response rate was 26.2% (n=235) and participants were …

Contributions Of Off-Season Training And Food Security Status On Body Composition And Performance In Collegiate Football Players, Kathryn Lee Stowers

All ETDs from UAB

Body composition measurements are collected periodically in the collegiate athletic setting to evaluate health and predict athletic performance of individual athletes. However, the effects of remote training and food insecurity on body composition have yet to be fully investigated in this population. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of remote training and food security status on body composition and performance changes during off-season training. Aims 1 and 2 focus specifically on how factors affect body composition changes in collegiate football players during off-season training. Data were collected from routine body composition testing and food security screening …

Covid-19 Infection Following Third-Dose Booster Covid-19 Vaccination In A Spondyloarthritis Patient Treated With Methotrexate: A Case Report, Suwimon Yeephu, Supharat Wattanasombat

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

It has been clearly established that getting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and even death. Although, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19. This report presents the event of COVID-19 infection following third-dose booster of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in a Thai female patient with spondyloarthritis, whose disease was well controlled by methotrexate, sulfasalazine and indomethacin. She got a full course of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine) and one booster shot of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech). Around three months …

Parenting Through A Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Covid-19’S Impact On Stress, Coping, Resiliency, And Mental Health Among University Student-Parents, Jordin Ann Lane

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of university students and continues to have a profound impact to this day. The transition from in-person traditional courses to online courses and campus closures, coupled with feelings of isolation, fear of contracting COVID-19, and uncertainty of the future has further intensified the mental health of college students. The effects of federal and state regulations, such as stay-at-home orders, influenced the mental health and general well-being of many Americans, specifically those who take on a dual role as a student and a parent. Unfortunately, literature pertaining to the effects …

Understanding The Mental Health Of Occupational Therapy Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alisha Sharma, Andrea Tyszka

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of health professional students across the world. Although there are a growing number of studies regarding the mental health of other health professional students, there are currently limited studies regarding the mental health of entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students in the United States, especially within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this mixed methods survey study was to understand the mental health status of entry-level OT and OTA students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better support their mental …

Trademarks And Censorship In The Time Of Covid-19, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

Articles

During the devastating year of 2020, China quickly conquered the novel coronavirus and roared back economically while the United States faced staggering deaths and economic losses. But underneath the divergent experience of the two countries is an untold story of trademark and censorship in the time of COVID-19. This Article observes that while the United States Supreme Court has lifted the ban on trademark registrations for unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, opening the door for offensive COVID-19 trademark applications, China has transformed trademark law into the law for censorship as Chinese authorities press forward to achieve twin victories over the coronavirus and …

Is There A Fundamental Right To Privacy When An Educational Institution Requires A Student To Disclose Proof Of His Or Her Vaccination Status?, Mary D. Fatscher

Touro Law Review

In 2020, the coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) dominated the world. Although the public has progressively become more informed about the disease and how to safeguard itself, challenges persist as there is still much unknown. Aside from wearing masks, social distancing, and despite its undetermined consequences, the COVID-19 vaccination has emerged as a primary solution to substantially reducing the incidence and severity of the virus in our country. Many COVID-19 vaccine mandates were initiated once three pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).

How Government Organizations Can Sustain Remote Work Post Covid-19, Chikwendu Pius Nweke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractGovernment organizations are unprepared to sustain remote work post-COVID-19. Even though COVID-19 seems to be under control, organizations are still struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic and the need to sustain remote work. Challenges include lack of necessary information technology tools, software, technological skills, strategies for remote work, leadership skills, real-time communication; activity planning and program implementation, scheduling meetings, organizing child care, managing caseloads, fostering team work, and effective supervision. A conceptual framework based on organizational adaptation theory was used to guide this qualitative case study. Since the study was to ascertain how government organizations can sustain remote work …

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …