Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

March 2024, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

IT'S SPRING

According to the CDC, here are some strategies for a healthier Spring:

February 2024, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

February is the Month that we Celebrate Love.

Here are a few tips on how to love yourself more....

September 2023, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

September is Healthy Aging Month

To help motivate movement and get your heart rate up, the Bulldog Wellness Committee is launching STEPtember starting September 20 that will go through September 30.

August 2023, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

August is the time to celebrate National Wellness month

• Prioritize your self-care -------- Go to the spa.
• Manage your stress ------------- You will feel happier.
• Promote healthy routines ----- Attend a fitness class.

February 2023, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

February Is American Heart Month

February is the month for love and celebrating Valentine’s, but it is also American Heart month. While heart disease can be deadly, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.

Improving Healthcare For Coptic Egyptian Migrants, Lorena Ayoub

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There is very little known about Coptic Egyptian migrant health in the current literature. Exploring health beliefs and behaviors in regard to seeking medical care is important. Additionally, understanding how the Coptic church plays a role in healthcare is essential as many Coptic individuals believe spirituality influences physical health.

Increasing Patient Education On Proper Antibiotic Stewardship, Arif S. Ahsan

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health issue in the United States. Coinciding with this, patients often inappropriately self-treat infections using antibiotics. Locally, this causes complications in treating patients in an outpatient setting, and nationally, this causes an increased economic burden on the United States healthcare system. A handout was developed for distribution at pharmacies in order to better educate patients on proper antibiotic stewardship, based on information that providers believed to be most important for patients to know.

September 2022, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

About 1 in 5 American children has obesity. Compared to children with healthy weight, children with overweight or obesity are at a higher risk for asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Tackling Access To A Healthier Life, Edom Alemayehu Girma

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity is a known risk factor for complications during childhood and later in adult life. While numerous factors play a role in the prevalence of obesity, this project focused on better intervention for obesity management in the family medicine clinic located in Plattsburgh, NY. Interviews and literature searches were conducted to determine possible strategies to better assist patients in attaining their sustainable weight loss goals and an overall healthier lifestyle.

Community Health Interventions To Reduce The Burden Of Radon-Related Lung Cancer, Benjamin Weaver

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. One in seven homes in Vermont has elevated levels of radon, but most patients are unaware of radon as a risk factor for lung cancer or that radon testing and mitigation services are available to them. To promote increased testing and mitigation of radon we screened patients presenting to a Family Medicine practice in Vermont about whether they had had these services done in their home. We also developed a patient education resource for providers to give to patients who had more questions about radon …

Helping Schools Support Transgender And Non-Binary Students, Nina Feinberg, Naomi Koliba

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, LGBT middle and high school students are twice as likely to be bullied and are five times more likely to attempt suicide.

Coping with a stressful environment at school puts LGBT youth at risk of detriment to mental health, educational inequities, and even physical harm.

Adults at school who have relationships with youth are in a position of power to uplift and advocate for LGBT youth, and to educate those around them to create a safe environment for everyone to learn.

While teachers and other staff may offer students support, they may …

Words Without Weight, Lucy Merriam

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

BMI and weight loss are frequently recommended to patients but how weight is talked about with patients can have a negative effect on how they look at their bodies and health. The purpose of this project was to describe ways to discuss health with patients in a body positive way.

Promoting Weight-Loss Via Smartphone Health Applications (Myfitnesspal), Michael S. Barnum

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States. 68% of men and 64% of women in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Obesity is being addressed through a variety of strategies, the use of mobile apps is a relatively new development that could prove useful in helping people to develop healthy dietary habits. Tracking the consumption of certain foods and drinks may potentially help individuals achieve an improved understanding of their dietary patterns. The goal of this project was to develop and provide educational materials on the use of MyFitnessPal to patients seeking dietary advice.

Addressing Exercise Accessibility In Winter Conditions In Milton, Vermont, Liam Du Preez

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exercise is a critical aspect of health maintenance, especially in the context of chronic medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Weather and climate conditions in Vermont directly impact Vermonters' ability to exercise, and this results in negative impacts in their health maintenance and healthcare costs nationally and locally. This project explores the direct and indirect impact of decreased exercise and explore a modality for informing patients on how to stay active safely in the winter.

Promoting Physical Activity In School-Aged Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Abigail H. Belser

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents are engaging in less physical activity and are increasing their sedentary behavior. These changes can lead to long-lasting negative lifestyle behaviors, which increases risk of health complications.

To ensure safety during the pandemic, guidelines have created restrictions on physical education and sports, which are both primary physical activity outlets for children and adolescents. Children and adolescents have to find alternate ways and resources to meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

An informational pamphlet was created to educate parents and children of current physical activity recommendations, with resources and ideas …

Patient Guide To Access Quality Health Information Online, Danielle Wall

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

A large percentage of patients use online search engines to access health information. However, there is a large amount of health information online that is unregulated and not evidence-based. As a result patients may acquire health information that is incorrect which may negatively affect patient-provider relationships and patient's healthcare. A brochure was created to highlight safe practices for accessing health information online.

Promoting Lgbtq+ Inclusivity In Sex Education, Alexis Dela Cruz

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

LGBTQ youths report less satisfaction with their sex education curriculum than their heterosexual counterparts. The discrepancy between heterosexual sex education and that of LGBTQ is alarming. Currently, as it is reported within the Unites States, students feel as though LGBTQ sex education and resources are not readily available. A brief handout of LGBTQ inclusive practices was created for educators to reference when creating future lesson plans. The aim of this presentation was to create a more open and inclusive dialogue surrounding LGBTQ+ health.

Emerging Technologies And The Measurement Of Consciousness, Kristin Corona

Community of Scholars Day—Posters

With significant advancements in science and technology, along with increased focus on neuroplasticity, new ways to measure consciousness and changes in consciousness are emerging. Advanced neuroimaging technologies are being succeeded by more holistic methods of gathering data with the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring. The implications are better tools for the scientific community to assess medical conditions and cognitive states as well as higher awareness and integration of consciousness into our everyday lives.

Domestic Health Assessment For Syrian Refugees In Rutland, Vt, Ian Grant

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The Vermont Dept. of Health/Agency of Human Services “Refugee Domestic Health Assessment Form” was reviewed, edited, and reformatted to improve provider work-flow, ensure accuracy, and ease the process of data collection. This form was redesigned specifically to be used by providers in Rutland, VT when assessing the health of newly-arrived Syrian refugees.

Tackling Obesity In Rural Vermont, Abishag Suresh

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity is a growing epidemic across the United States. It affects rural areas such as those in Vermont deeply. An intervention addressing this problem using a health and exercise brochure was undertaken. Future direction will need to fully address the effectiveness of this intervention and take on other goals.

Evaluation Of Geo-Social Networking Application Use Among Young Adults, Caleb Seufert

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Background: Since 2009 geosocial networking applications (GNAs) have rapidly emerged as a new technological platform for users to communicate, date, and meet for sex. Popular GNAs include Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, Plenty of Fish, and many more. GNA’s are unique to traditional dating websites in that they allow users to connect with each other based on geographic proximity of their mobile phones. Given the pervasiveness of technology usage among young adults, it is important to understand the potential risks and benefits that GNA-facilitated communication poses on sexual health, emotional well-being, and safety. Popular GNA’s, like Tinder, estimate the majority of …

Improving Community Health With Affordable Internet Access, Joshua Jeremy Pothen

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Internet access is associated with increases in health information seeking and benefits in health statuses. However, many individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) lack Internet access, thereby creating significant disadvantages from a health perspective. In this project, we describe a potential project for providing affordable Internet access to a neighborhood of Newport, VT containing many SES individuals. This network includes a splash page that provides regular health event promotion and health information dissemination to everyone connecting the network. We then discuss how to determine the impacts of the Internet on multiple aspects of health within the community.

Lgbtq+ Health: Creating A Welcoming Environment In The Primary Care Office, Emily Forbes-Mobus

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

LGBTQ+ patients are at increased risk for discrimination and poor health outcomes. Many LGBTQ+ individuals report discrimination by health care workers, including being denied needed care. Culturally competent care improves overall health outcomes. Creating a welcoming clinical environment is an important component of culturally competent care.

A Confidential Sms Texting Service For Lgbtq Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health, Matthew A. Shear

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Compared to heterosexual youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are at higher risk for depression, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, suicide, and unhealthy sexual behaviors. The #1 priority set by Vermont's LGBTQ youth was access to queer-inclusive sex education during middle and high school. In collaboration with OutrightVT, an LGBTQ youth service organization based in Burlington, we worked to expand access to a 24 hour text-messaging based reproductive health hotline 724-888-7277 (SASS).

The number and frequency of text messages submitted to the hotline pre- and post-intervention were used measure the increase in access/awareness.