Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Health Misinformation During Epidemiological Crises, Bethany Stefan, Alexis L. Emich, Katrina R. Lamp

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Health misinformation is more prevalent than ever in the modern age and poses serious risks for those who believe it. Medical fallacies can become especially harmful during periods of widespread disease when the misinformed respond in ways that increase threats to public health. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe and critically appraise the evidence about how health misinformation during endemics and pandemics can influence behaviors and responses, as well as the implications of interventions affecting these behaviors. A systematic search of the literature with inclusion/exclusion criteria using CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO resulted in …

Integrating Fema And Scouts For Local Community Hazard Preparedness, Megan Vocatura

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My goal is to support the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based, plan to connect four counties in eastern Massachusetts with local Scouting resources to enhance preparedness efforts. The counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk comprise the geographic footprint of the Sprit of Adventure Scout Council (SoA). SoA’s newly established partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs recommendations on where to stage preparedness and response efforts. My role will be to build a repository of evidence of current and anticipated hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks for the region and specific communities. This part of the project will consist of …

Smoking Cessation Interventions In College Students: A Systematic Review, Rebecca Nussbaum, Avery Dietz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Smoking prevalence in college students is increasing and intervention studies have resulted in inconsistent findings. In this systematic review, the following PICO question is addressed: In college students ages 18 to 24, are cognitive-behavioral modification therapies more effective than e-cigarettes in aiding with smoking cessation? Database searches in CINAHL, Medline, and PsycINFO resulted in reviewing 20 primary sources. E-cigarettes are often used instead of conventional cigarettes, though long-term effects are not completely understood. Cognitive interventions, especially coupled with evidence-based medications and other therapies, provided substantial short-term abstinent rates, although longer-term rates were often not examined. Most researchers have examined college …

Analysis Of Circadian Rhythm Irregularities On The Health Of Shift Workers, Sahil Rajan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Circadian rhythms involve the natural 24 wake-sleep cycle that governs proper maintenance of biological sleep schedules. Circadian rhythm disruption has been associated with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and mental health disorders such as bipolar and sleep disorders. In this study, a survey method was utilized in order to analyze specific population demographics to determine whether working day or night shifts predisposed individuals to health issues due to disruptions in their circadian rhythms. This study was also carried out to observe popular coping strategies among night shift workers. Of all the variables tested comparing the difference between day and …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Ohio's National Parks Visitation, Ryan Grzeschik

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way in which society operates in order to get the novel disease under control. Businesses throughout the United States have had to close or reduce provided services, stay at home orders have secluded many people, and social distancing limits contact between others so many are turning to the parks system to cope with these changes. This study aims to find how the visitation of national parks in Ohio have been affected through the first six months of the pandemic. Visitation statistics were compared from March to August of 2020 to those same months …

Effect Of Exercise On Blood Pressure And Body Mass Index In At-Risk Populations, Jared Crum, Victoria Patterson, Riley Jarvis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Higher blood pressure and basal metabolic rate (BMI) are health problems in the United States (U.S.), but particularly in high risk minority populations, in part because of limited access to adequate resources to help themselves become healthier. This Honors Paper aimed to examine the effect of an exercise intervention on blood pressure and BMI in high risk minority populations. The honors project is a part of the Finding A Better You (FABU) project by College of Health Profession faculty Dr. Murrock, Dr. MacCracken, and Dr. Juvancic-Heltzel. The FABU project assessed at risk individuals (lower income older adults) in Summit County …

The Relationship Between Intensity Of Fitness Tracker Usage And Motivation, Rachel Cannata, Abigail C. Daugherty, Madison O. Dirocco, Julianne Green, Pial Dasgupta

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many college students engage in unhealthy behaviors which may contribute to diseases. Additionally, some students may lack motivation to rectify these behaviors to improve their long-term health. This study assessed the relationship between intensity of fitness tracker usage and motivation among health professions students at a large, public Midwestern university. This non-experimental, correlational study used convenience sampling and a theoretical framework based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Online recruitment announcements were emailed and included links to the consent form and survey. Motivation was measured with Deci and Ryan’s modified self-determination tool. Intensity of tracker usage was measured using a scale …

Kangaroo Mother Care And Traditional Care, Arianna Smola, Kirsten Lawson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Prematurity and low birth weight are leading causes of infant death. Throughout recent years care methods for this population have evolved from incubator care to Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). The purpose of this systematic review was to answer the following PICO question: in the case of preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants, how does the technique of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) compare to traditional incubator use, regarding long and short-term outcomes of preterm and LBW infant recovery. Methods of this study included the selection of twenty peer-reviewed articles that studied the effect of incubators and KMC on premature and …

Females, Perceptions, And Strength Training, Victoria Kanel, Alexandria Rellinger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Performing a regular strength training routine leads to a plethora of beneficial physiological and psychological changes. A gender disparity exists with participation rates of strength training. There is a possible discrepancy in knowledge and education provided to males and females based on their physical activity and exercise backgrounds. The design of this study is an effort to better understand potential barriers females may experience and serve as a needs-assessment tool to identify females’ views of strength training participation. This study sought to explore views of strength training among females and to determine if consensus exists and how views may aid …

Preventing The Spread Of Illness In College Residence Hall Populations, Lacey Burkholder, Katherine Allensworth, Haley Schaffter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Illness contributes to a decrease in student class attendance which can lead to increased academic stress. Decreasing the spread of illness among those living in residence halls is essential to academic success. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify interventions implemented in residence halls on college campuses to reduce the spread of illness. The PICO question directing the research for this study asks, “How do interventions affect the spread of illness in university residence hall populations?”. The research conducted was completed by means of a systematic review of literature including 20 peer reviewed articles published between 1999-2017 from …

Wellness Wednesday: Community Nutrition Education, Autumn M. Laurito

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Wellness Wednesday is a interdisciplinary health education program for residents of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) funded by the Area Health Education Center. The program aims to provide knowledge and resources to support healthy lifestyles within an underserved population. An original nutrition education curriculum has been developed as part of this program. Group activities, cooking demonstrations, and education materials have been integrated into the curriculum. The topics for discussion were determined by the residents; therefor presentations were catered to specific concerns of the population. The materials have been presented at three different AMHA buildings each month for six total …

A Quantitative Study On The Association Between Stress Tolerance And Exercise Habits Among Students Enrolled In A College Of Health Professions Program, Megan Brophy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gain further knowledge on the effects of stress on students studying health professions by discovering common causes of stress, coping mechanisms utilized for stress of students, and how regular exercise relates to stress tolerance. METHODS: This study was a quantitative, cross-sectional design through a survey distributed via email to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Midwestern university’s College of Health Professions. Embedded in the email was an anonymous link to a survey, which was constructed through the Qualtrics survey platform. The survey included questions relating to stress about major life events …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) And Adolescent Body Mass Index (Bmi): A National Population-Based Study, Laura Y. Defrain Lpn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND ADOLESCENT BODY MASS INDEX (BMI): A NATIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have remained around 17% since the 1990s - this figure translates to an estimated 12.7 million obese children. Maintaining a healthy weight through adolescence may limit subsequent health risks in adulthood. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a variety of non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle choices that have been utilized in addition to or in place of typical Western medicine. The relationship between adolescent Body mass index (BMI) and the use of complementary and alternative medicine has …

The Barriers And Facilitators To Physical Activity On Campus: An Analysis Of Ua Photovoice Research, Taylor A. Rodenbaugh

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ABSTRACT

Physical inactivity and stress are prevalent issues which physiologically and emotionally affect college students. Those factors which inhibit and promote physical activity, as well as the stressors of the social and physical environment, require better understanding. One method to accomplish this is through a visual image of the student’s perception, or PhotoVoice method, which has not been previously utilized to investigate these topics. PURPOSE: To identify thematic barriers and facilitators to physical activity on campus and to identify thematic stressors of the physical and social environment on campus. METHODS: Photographs were taken by 114 subjects enrolled in the Health …

Implementing Tiny Goals After Current Habits To Create Consistent Healthy Lifestyle Routine, Megan Lieber

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of providing educational information as well as skills training on the ability of the participants in the Wellness Wednesday program to incorporate new health behaviors with already existing habits, creating a healthier life. The participants for this study are residents living at Edgewood, Belcher, and Towers I that attended the Wellness Wednesday programs. The locations are all part of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Association. Wellness Wednesday is an ongoing program begun in 2011 where interprofessional students from the College of Health Professions collaborate in creating health education programming based on …

Wellness Wednesday: Monitoring Lifestyle Changes Via The Transtheoretical Model, Mariah J. Bloom Ms.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Physical activity has been shown to improve cognition, functional and overall health indicators across the lifespan. Older adults are less likely to participate in physical due to barriers and risk related factors. Additionally, lower income, underserved populations experience added barriers as well. Interventions addressing negative health behaviors in these populations have rarely been implemented. PURPOSE: Using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) behavior change theory, the purpose of this study was to determine if five, monthly educational and exercise classes targeting these populations will improve motivation levels and result in facilitating increases in physical activity levels. METHODS: One validated TTM survey was …

United States Food Insecurity And The Need For Improved Nutrition And Additional Nutrition Education In Local Food Assistance Programs, Carissa Hohider, Elizabeth Sain

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Influenza, Jonah M. Spoerndle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Recently the role of vitamin D in other non-classical capacities has been evaluated. One of these non-classical vitamin D roles is assisting in maintaining proper immune system health. One disease that has a great effect on the immune system is influenza. Vitamin D helps to prevent and limit influenza by moderating the inflammatory cytokines as well as promoting the production of monocytes that help destroy the invading materials. Through the use of vitamin D supplementation the recommended daily amount of vitamin D can be assured and optimal health could be achieved. The purpose of this project was to design a …

Preliminary Nutritional Profile Analysis Of Box Tops 4 Education Food Products, Hannah Griffith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The marketing of unhealthy food to children is often cited as a cause of the obesity epidemic.¹ However, most studies that examine this issue evaluated the marketing of food through print or television advertising. This project investigates the marketing of food products to children through incentive based programs, specifically General Mill’s Box Tops 4 Education. This study undertakes a preliminary systematic analysis of Box Tops food items to determine their healthfulness. A subset of all Box Tops food products was selected for review and a basic quantitative content analysis of priority nutrients was performed. Priority nutrients were identified …

Nutrition Educational Programming: An Added Step In The Integrated Healing Process Of The Residents Of The Battered Women's Shelter, Annalise Friend

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project began as a conversation to explore the feasibility of including nutrition education into the health and wellness programming offered at the Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties. As this population of women has unique needs and health concerns specifically associated with recovery from domestic violence, before planning for what nutrition education may be appropriate to implement, it is first necessary to explore the literature that discusses the health and nutritional needs of this population. Unfortunately, there is not a substantial amount of research available that examines this question, so there is still a lot left …