Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Social Determinants Of Health In Primary Care, Vicki Carpenter

Doctoral Projects

The social determinants of health encompass the various circumstances and environments in which individuals reside, develop, labor, and experience aging (Social Determinants of Health, 2022). These variables significantly contribute to the existence of health inequities and disparities within populations. In order to effectively mitigate health disparities, it is imperative to consider the various determinants that influence health outcomes, as this consideration is crucial for advancing the goal of achieving health equity. This public health concern encompasses multiple sectors within our society, necessitating the collaboration of various organizations and communities to effectively address and mitigate its impact.

The fundamental …

Assessment Of Appropriate Antibiotic Usage After Intervention To Increase Antibiotic Stewardship In A Rural Health Care Setting, Mayci Mccloud Speights

Doctoral Projects

Antibiotics are a powerful and useful tool prescribed by healthcare providers to treat bacterial infections in patients. However, when antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed or improperly consumed or not consumed by patients, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can ensue. Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is an urgent public health threat and is, unfortunately, the root cause of many deaths in the United States every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the United States, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2022a). Even further, when infections …

The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health And Acculturation On Quality Of Life In Older Chinese American Adults With Chronic Pain: A Quantitative Study, Chi Lam

Dissertations

Despite a rapid increase in the older Chinese American adult population, there are very few research studies examining the impact of social determinants of health and acculturation on the quality of life in older Chinese American adults. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of social determinants of health and acculturation on quality of life in older Chinese American adults with chronic pain. This quantitative, descriptive correlational study utilized Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Theory as its theoretical framework. Two research questions guided this study: (1) Was there a difference in the quality of life in older Chinese American …

Using The Social-Ecological Model To Better Understand Sexual Assertiveness Among Undergraduate Women At An Institution Of Higher Education In The Southeastern United States, Lisa Wright

Dissertations

This study examined sexual assertiveness among female undergraduate students at an institution of higher education in the southeastern United States from the context of the social-ecological model. An online survey instrument examined sexual assertiveness, sexual communication self-efficacy, campus climate, and sexual scripts. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between these variables and all variables significantly predicted sexual assertiveness individually, but when examining the relationships collectively, only sexual communication self-efficacy and campus climate remained significant predictors of sexual assertiveness.

Blind Spot: Implicit Bias In Health Care And Its Awareness Among Nursing Students At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Debora Skaliks

Doctoral Projects

While prejudice and bias are eminent topics in our society, implicit bias or unconscious bias is not as easily detected. Even though implicit bias may be a familiar concept to many, numerous healthcare workers frequently do not recognize the extent of harm such biases can impose on patients' health and outcomes. The Blind Spot DNP project exposed in this research paper explores the relentless question of the correlation between implicit bias awareness, implicit bias education, and its impact on health care. This Doctor of Nursing Project (DNP) project aimed to analyze whether implicit bias education and testing could increase unconscious …

Patient Portal Use And Patient Education Materials Access Among Mississippi Adult Residents, Anna K. Swann

Dissertations

Patient education plays a vital role in improving the health outcomes of patients with chronic diseases and helps prevent illness in otherwise healthy individuals. Patient portals allow patients to access their EHRs, communicate with their healthcare providers, and access patient education materials. Despite the potential for patient portals and education materials to improve health outcomes, many barriers prevent patients from utilizing them. Uneducated patients are more likely to participate in risky health behaviors, which leads to poor health outcomes. Poor health outcomes lead to higher medical costs. Mississippi has a high rate of chronic diseases. Suppose the barriers to patient …

Implementing Screening To Assess Readiness To Change In Overweight And Obese Patients At A Patient-Centered Medical Home, Jarrod Gant

Doctoral Projects

Obesity is at epidemic levels within the United States (U.S.), but the Southern U.S. has some of the most obese states. Mississippi (MS) is the most obese state in the country (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2018). Factors such as diet, sedentary lifestyle, cultural influences, and socioeconomic status contribute to the state’s citizens being overweight and obese.

Contributing to the state’s obesity is the fact that MS has more people living in poverty than any other state (Center for American Progress [CAP], 2018). Lacking the ability to afford healthy foods and the ability to afford quality healthcare adds to the state’s …

Health Educators’ Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Implementation Of School-Based Sexual Education, Kari Ellis

Honors Theses

Mississippi is one of the leading states in both teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection rates. In an effort to limit these rates, Mississippi passed House Bill 999 in 2011. This bill mandated sexual education in public schools throughout the state. However, since the passage of the bill there have been many factors that impact the way this curriculum is taught. To better understand these factors, how they affect educators, and how schools are addressing them, this study surveyed educators who taught some form of sex-related education curriculum from 2011 to 2016. The findings show that educators believe many factors …

Health Literacy As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Diabetes Knowledge And Diabetes Outcomes, Jameshyia Ballard Thompson

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if health literacy was a moderator in the relationship between diabetes knowledge and diabetes outcomes, and explore the relationship between diabetes knowledge and health literacy. The target population included adults living in Mississippi with a diagnosis of diabetes at any point in life. A pilot study was performed to determine if the Functional Communicative Critical Health Literacy scales (FCCHL) and the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy in Diabetes scale (SKILLD) were appropriate for use in a population of adults in Mississippi with a diagnosis of diabetes. Participants for the pilot study were …

Hospital Practices Related To Breastfeeding In Mississippi: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Amir Alakaam

Dissertations

Mississippi continues to have one of the lowest rates and the weakest support in respect to breastfeeding in the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a). Hospital practices supporting breastfeeding such as the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (TSSB) can dramatically increase breastfeeding rates and duration (Rosenberg, Stull, Adler, Kasehagen, & Crivelli-Kovach, 2008). The aim of this study was to explore breastfeeding practices in Mississippi hospitals based on two levels of the Socio-Ecological Model: the organizational level (phase I) examined the hospital practices based on the level of implementation of the TSSB; the individual level (phase II) examined knowledge …

The Effect Of Six Weeks Of Oral Echinacea Supplementation On Erythropoiesis, Nitric Oxide Production, And Exercise Performance, Tyler David Martin

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of six weeks of oral Echinacea supplementation on serum erythropoietin (EPO) and erythropoietic status, plasma nitric oxide [NO], submaximal endurance exercise performance, and maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O_2max). Twenty-four males (mean ± SE): age = 25.2 ± 1.4 yr, height = 178.1 ± 1.4 cm, mass = 78.1 ± 1.6 kg, percent body fat = 12.7 ± 0.9 %, V˙O_max = 52.9 ± 0.9 mL·kg^-1·min^-1 were randomly grouped using a matched-pair, double-blind design and self-administered 8,000 mg·d^-1(5 × 400 mg × 4 …

A Formative Evaluation For A Food Choices Intervention In A Mississippi Delta Community: A Focus Group Of Rural African American Adolescents, Jovan Chantrell Eugene Williams

Master's Theses

A needs assessment should be conducted to plan effective interventions. This study used a qualitative research approach to examine the eating patterns, food purchasing and preparation skills and practices, barriers and facilitators of dietary change, social and contextual influences on food choices, and preferences for communication and presentation channels and styles of low-income rural African American adolescents. Seven focus groups were conducted with a total of 33 participants, 21 girls and 12 boys, aged 13-18. Adolescents were grouped by age and gender. A moderator, who was trained in focus group methodology, conducted the session using a focus group discussion guide …

Assessing Mississippians’ Preparedness For Disasters Using The Citizen Corps National Survey 2009, Carl Huston Mangum Ii

Dissertations

Disaster preparedness, a shared responsibility of all citizens and disaster agencies, is the most critical component in minimizing risk and damage from disaster. Mississippi has been affected by some of the most devastating disasters in American history, both in terms of physical destruction and human life. The purpose of this study was to assess Mississippians’ disaster preparedness by replicating The 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey (CCNS). The 65 question 2009 CCNS was slightly modified to survey 678 randomly selected Mississippians about the Citizen Corps Personal Disaster Preparedness Model: Demographics, Volunteering, Drills/Exercises, Community Plan, Household Plan, Disaster Supplies, Prevention, Self-efficacy, Reliance, …